"You finally understood... Zanyel looked at all of you, and when he saw someone near one of my snakes, he deliberately startled it. An animal that gets stepped on will see that as an attack and defend itself." His voice carried no hint of amusement, just a firm tone with a trace of anger.
"So, your words about challenges and the attack created a scenario where everyone would believe the snakes were part of the initiation. With someone dead, our minds declared them a threat! We were completely manipulated!" A deep anger began to burn in Oliver's chest. That bastard had killed an innocent person for sheer pleasure.
"Exactly! But here's the real issue, Oliver. Let me tell you... Her target was never Nicolas. It was you!"
"ME???"
"Yes. You read the scriptures underground, didn't you? Remember how many people were in each story?"
"I think it was 21..." It was hard to remember. Many of the rock carvings were too ancient to interpret clearly.
"Exactly... Every Luminare tale involving an initiation starts with twenty-one people, and only seven survive. Since their origin, it has brought enormous power to whoever writes the tale." This damned snake seemed to know exactly how they worked.
"Still... there are too many gaps. Why me? She just didn't think I was pretty enough?"
"Maybe... Before you ate those purifying herbs and began saturating your body with cosmic energy, you weren't exactly a prime example of your species." The mockery reached Oliver's ears, and this time, he truly wanted to rip the scales off this cursed snake!
"Alright! Seems like you're taking this personally." The bastard sighed, noticing the scowl on Oliver's face.
"Explain?" Oliver snapped.
"Of course... Allow me to illuminate your primitive mind with my radiant scales." Twisting the angel's phrase was the last straw. A deep rage consumed Oliver's mind. This cursed snake only seemed to enjoy mocking him.
"I belong to a very powerful faction, though one beneath the Luminares. To summarize, I was cast out for not being good enough. I used an artifact as a sacrifice to find a way out, and I hid in the artificial domain." His voice was now heavy, and his face tried to conceal frustration. Not hatred from betrayal, but deep disappointment. Still, he continued.
"You must've noticed that the orb you saw before arriving here had a massive ring of energy, right?"
Oliver nodded like the good student Professor Antônio always hoped for.
"That was my fault..." His mood lightened, and a slight smile appeared.
"I used that artifact's power to invade the orb and infiltrate, but that caused... technical issues! No Luminare domain would ever choose someone with a 'C' aptitude, let alone people without affinity to Light." The more he spoke, the more everything made sense. The Angel's evaluating gaze and all those light crystals underground...
"Don't tell me... those crystals..." Oliver's mind spiraled again. The more he learned, the more a deep fear of these so-called Luminares formed.
"Oh! You're smarter than your actions suggest, Oliver. Piecing that together deserves congratulations. I'll remember to get you a gift once I have the chance." The snake's cynical tone returned.
Oliver rolled his eyes. He was going insane dealing with this bastard.
"Yes, all those crystals are the solidified souls of those who died in Luminare tales. Over millennia, they merged to form mountains. Somehow, those feathered gods found a way to transfer their domain to another deity before death." His gaze was serious and carried a clear warning. The Luminares were likely among the greatest powers in the entire universe or whatever place they existed.
Beep!
[00:10:00]
"Ten minutes until it all ends."
"Do you have any way to get me out of here?" Oliver asked, now more serious. Time was running out, and if this was all true, he needed to escape, no matter what.
"I do... I can use what remains of the artifact's energy to teleport you using the spatial tunnel formed by the portal as a guide. You'll arrive a bit late due to time dilation, but you'll still be back on your home planet."
"And what do you want in return? Be honest and don't lie. I don't even know your name, but I'd rather die than bring something that could destroy my planet!" Oliver spoke with the sincerity of his heart. Something burned inside him. His eyes vibrated as he stared into the snake's slit.
Oliver saw one eyebrow rise and, for a few seconds, a strange expression crossed that devilishly beautiful face. That man... no. That ancient and powerful snake was evaluating him. Something must have made him change his mind or update his thoughts.
"I want to see my friends again. I want to return to the faction I helped build and reclaim my rightful place. I want... I want to see the woman I learned to love. And finally... yes. I want what everyone in OUR situation craves. REVENGE! I want to taste the blood of those who abandoned me!" Every word vibrated with raw emotion. Oliver could feel it, almost touch it. Grief, rage, pride, and something he never thought a viper could feel.
Love.
Beep!
[00:05:00]
Oliver closed his eyes. Minutes were slipping away, and he knew this choice would change everything. This decision, exactly this one, would alter the fate of the entire Earth.
Everyone's lives would never be the same if he returned with someone who, for some reason, managed to bypass divine powers.
His eyes reopened, and he stared at the snake. Then he nodded. He was ready. That version of Oliver was dead. Not when Luísa attacked, she merely ended the last trace of something that had been dying during those seven days. A white hand, looking like the purest marble, reached toward him.
"Oliver Enallume. I, Dracomatroz. First Minister of Magic, Patriarch of Vipers, and Grandmaster of Runes, invite you to be my disciple, in exchange for my life. Do you accept?" Each word caused the entire structure around them to vibrate. These were not just sounds, they carried some kind of vow or decree. A power that sealed this choice.
Oliver didn't flinch. He raised his bloodied hand and gripped it. His touch was cold and almost ethereal.
Beep!
[00:00:30]
"I accept, master!" The words left his mouth before he even realized it, and there, in that filthy place, he accepted the pact.
A smile formed on the viper's lips, and a pair of fangs appeared. His eyes widened, and when Oliver realized it, the fangs of the greatest viper in history sank into his neck. The world began to distort, and the only thing he managed to say was:
"I hate snakes."
Beep!
[00:00:00]