The air in the chasm was heavy enough to crush bone. Each breath tasted of rust and time, of power that had been forced to sleep for too long.
The serpent's body shifted slightly, scales scraping against stone, the sound like a thousand blades dragged together.
It spoke again—slow, deliberate, ancient.
"I am Vorthalaxis… the Fourth Coil of the Abyss. The world once knelt at my breath. When the heavens tried to erase the Forsaken, I devoured three of their suns before they bound me here."
The name alone carried weight. Rayon could feel it vibrate through the ground, through his bones.
Erethon whistled softly inside his mind. "You just woke up a god-eater, Rayon. Congratulations."
Rayon didn't flinch. He just tilted his head slightly, eyes narrowing. "A god-eater, huh? Sounds fancy. Yet here you are, in chains."
A low hiss rolled through the cavern. "Mockery from a child who does not know the first breath of creation…"
"Please," Rayon interrupted, voice calm but edged with boredom. "Spare me the lecture. Everyone I meet wants to sound important."
For a moment, silence. Then Vorthalaxis chuckled, a deep, vibrating sound that made the walls tremble. "You are amusing. Most who stand here kneel. You—" The serpent's head lowered, golden eyes glowing faintly. "You would make a fine host."
The ground rippled. Shadows crawled up Rayon's boots, cold tendrils slithering toward his skin. His vision dimmed, the edges of the world twisting again. The serpent was pushing into his mind—subtle, invasive, confident.
"It's trying again," Erethon muttered. "Wants to crawl inside that pretty head of yours."
Rayon smiled faintly, eyes half-lidded. "Let it try."
Vorthalaxis's voice filled his thoughts.
"You could have everything. Knowledge older than stars. Power beyond the Forsaken. I could remake your flesh, your bones, your destiny."
Rayon let the words hang in the air. Then, with the smallest tilt of his head, he said quietly: "You talk too much."
The strings flared. In a blink, they wrapped around the serpent's snout, jaw, and neck, glowing faintly. A warning, not an attack.
Vorthalaxis froze.
Rayon looked up, calm and sharp. "I don't bow. I don't break. You can whisper all you want, but I don't trade my freedom for power—I take it."
Erethon laughed, long and loud, his voice echoing through Rayon's skull. "That's my boy! Tell him who runs this show."
Vorthalaxis's laughter followed soon after—lower, darker. The sound was half amusement, half hunger. "Arrogant little thing… You remind me of what once tried to bind me."
Rayon walked closer, strings humming faintly around him like restless serpents. "Good. That means you'll understand what I'm saying next."
He stopped just short of the beast's massive head, tilting his chin up. His blackish brown eyes met the serpent's endless gold.
"I'll release your chains. But in return, you'll serve as my mount. My ally. My weapon if I need one."
For the first time, true silence filled the chamber. Then—
The serpent hissed softly, incredulity shaking its voice. "You would ride me?"
Rayon grinned, just a flash of teeth. "No. I'll command you. There's a difference."
Erethon's laughter nearly doubled him over. "You absolute menace. You're offering to free a world-ending serpent so it can be your ride. Oh, this is going to be beautiful."
Vorthalaxis's golden eyes narrowed, the ancient pride in them warring with the faintest spark of something else—curiosity. "And if I refuse?"
Rayon shrugged. "Then you'll stay here. Rotting. Alone. Forgotten. You've already had a few thousand years of that, haven't you?"
A low growl rumbled through the serpent's throat. The chains tightened, responding to its anger, the runes glowing brighter. For a long time, neither spoke.
Then the beast lowered its head. "You have a tongue as sharp as your strings, human. Very well. Unchain me. I will see if your arrogance can survive the skies."
Rayon's grin widened. "That's all I needed to hear."
He raised his hand, and the Hollow Strings ignited—black lines glowing silver as they cut through the ancient seals one by one. The air split with sound, raw and violent, as each chain fell.
When the final shackle broke, the cavern trembled like it was alive. Vorthalaxis stretched his wings—four enormous spans of darkness splitting the underground gloom. The air howled.
Erethon's voice whispered with wicked delight. "You just unleashed another monster into the world, Rayon. I hope you're ready for what comes next."
Rayon looked up at the serpent, his coat snapping in the wind it created. "Good," he said quietly, a grin tugging at his lips. "The world needs more people like me."