Eaven walked through the quiet streets, his senses alert to every detail. The world felt alive, vibrating with subtle currents he could feel more than see. A flicker of movement—a bird landing on a lamp post, a cat darting into an alley—sent ripples through the air, and Eaven instinctively adjusted his step. He wasn't just observing the world; he was reading it.
Fragments of memory surfaced suddenly. Faces from a distant past, shadows of companions, snakes with scales that shimmered like gold and silver, a Book filled with glowing pages that seemed to pulse with life. But each memory was incomplete. One moment, he could feel the warmth of camaraderie and trust; the next, he was plunged into darkness, betrayal, and loss.
A voice echoed in his mind—soft, almost forgotten. "Guard the knowledge… protect the snakes… remember." He shook his head, trying to push it away, yet it clung stubbornly, like a shadow refusing to leave. Something had gone wrong in the past. He remembered betrayal. He remembered the other Guardians… and yet, they were gone. Dead. The weight of it pressed on him even though his mind refused to provide clarity.
The city around him seemed normal, but he could feel subtle anomalies. Animals behaved strangely—birds flew in odd patterns, squirrels froze mid-step, dogs growled at nothing. Even the wind felt off, carrying an energy that made his hair rise. He understood that these disturbances were not natural. Something had shifted in the world, and the ripple of ancient power was reaching into 2025.
As he walked, a faint golden shimmer caught his eye near a park fountain. He paused, muscles taut, senses sharpened. The shimmer moved with intent, slithering between shadows. His instincts screamed: a snake. Not an ordinary one. A creature with intelligence, ancient magic, and significance. He did not yet know its identity, but the energy it radiated was unmistakable.
"Who are you?" Eaven whispered, more to himself than to the creature. The golden snake paused, flicking its tongue, and disappeared before he could approach. A ripple ran through the ground where it had been, faint but discernible, leaving a whisper of presence. Eaven clenched his fists. Whoever—or whatever—this was, it mattered. And he would find out what it was.
Memories of martial training and ancient knowledge rose within him, unbidden. Arrows, swords, blades, flutes—skills his body remembered even though his mind could not. He tested himself with an instinctive sword form in a quiet alley, muscles moving fluidly, remembering patterns he had never consciously learned. It was a reminder of who he had been, and a warning of who he was becoming again.
Yet the past was still incomplete. Faces of Ava, Irena, Eren, and Noah flickered through his mind, but their details were hazy. They had trusted him. They had believed in him. And they were gone. He did not know why, or how. The betrayal that had ended their lives now haunted the modern world in ways he could not yet comprehend.
His eyes rose to the skyline, where the city's ordinary bustle hid extraordinary forces. Somewhere in the shadows, a presence stirred, waiting. He could feel it reaching out to him, a thread linking the ancient past to the modern present. He did not yet know its form, its purpose, or its name. But instinctively, he knew one thing with clarity: the balance was at risk, and he was the only one who could restore it.
Eaven drew a deep breath, feeling the weight of responsibility settle on his shoulders. The modern world was different, but the instincts, skills, and purpose remained. Somewhere out there, a snake from the Book had emerged. And soon, their paths would converge, bringing ancient secrets into a world that was unprepared for them.
For now, all he could do was watch, wait, and prepare. The fragments of his past were coming back slowly, and with them, the answers he had been seeking for centuries.
----✨️----
End of Chapter 2
----✨️----