Bones of the Serpent
The Kingdom of Kairen slept beneath the stars, unaware that this night would be its last. Torches burned softly along the palace walls. Music echoed faintly through marble halls. And above it all, the moon watched in silence.
Shura… the last heir of royal blood. The child whose fate would bend the course of the world.
Inside the palace gardens, Shura stood quietly. Young. Calm. Unaware. His eyes followed a familiar figure among the lantern lights — Yuki. Her presence alone made the world feel lighter. A smile escaped him before he could stop it.
From afar, another pair of eyes watched. Cold. Sharp. Calculating. Mika.
Mika noticed everything. The glances. The closeness. The fragile bond growing between Shura and Yuki. Her lips curved into a faint smile — one that carried no warmth.
If love can make him weak… then love will be his end.
That night, shadows began to move.
Fire tore through the halls. Screams shattered the silence. Steel met flesh. Blood stained marble. The royal family fell — one by one. Shura ran through smoke and ruin, his heart pounding in disbelief. He saw them fall. Everyone.
From the shadows, Mika watched, untouched, her expression calm. No one knew. No one suspected.
Shura collapsed among the ruins, wounded and bleeding. A hand grabbed his arm. "Shura! We have to go!" Yuki cried. Moments later, Mika appeared beside them, her voice steady. "Hurry. Before they find us." Together, they fled beyond the palace walls.
The forest swallowed them whole. Dark trees. Cold wind. Shura barely felt the ground beneath his feet. Grief hollowed him out. They hid deep among the roots of the world. Days passed. Shura trained relentlessly — driven by pain. Yuki cared for him in silence. And Mika… always watched.
.
Yuki's heart was breaking. She loved Shura. But not freely. Every step she took… Every smile she gave him… Was commanded. By Mika.
At their usual place in the forest, peace lingered — briefly. The ground shook. A monster emerged from the shadows. Shura stepped forward without hesitation. "I'll protect you." Steel clashed. Fangs snapped. And then—pain. A blade pierced his back. Shura froze. He turned. It was Yuki. Tears streamed down her face as she whispered: "I'm sorry… I was forced."
The world faded into darkness.
Shura awoke in a strange cavern. Cold. Silent. Yet his body lay elsewhere — broken and abandoned. This place existed within his mind. Something moved in the dark.
A presence coiled before him. Ancient. Massive. Eternal. Its voice echoed through his soul: "You are the one I have chosen. My vessel… for my bones." A whisper followed, endlessly repeating: "The sound of her hissing echoes in my ears…"
Rage. Grief. Betrayal. Everything exploded at once. The serpent wrapped around him. Bones pierced flesh. Power flooded his veins. Shura screamed — and became something else.
He opened his eyes. Half human. Half serpent. Above him, the moon turned crimson. "The beheading has begun."