A QUEST OF DEATH : Dawning Darkness

08 | The Story Of A Monarch • Part 3(edited)

Seven years back, she had surrendered everything in her battle against her one true lover and the evil within him. She wouldn't hesitate to do it all over again, this time against the said lover, definitely not if it was meant to protect the only treasure she had left: Auden.

An evil laughter resounded through the study walls. "Oh, princess, fret not. You won't be facing the same weak, pitiful version of me. Back then, I couldn't even harm you as much as plucking a hair from your head."

Auden ran his fingers over his own body, a wicked smirk spreading across his face. "He's a lot more powerful than I had anticipated. Quite impressive, really," he said, his expression oozing malevolence. "This brother of yours, with me on his mind, is an entirely different beast."

The next thing she knew was her body being lifted from the ground, propelled through the air with a powerful force. She crashed into one of the wooden walls, the impact leaving her sprawled on the floor, disoriented and vulnerable. Her gasps and strained breaths harmonised with the menacing hisses of the snake. The room seemed to tilt and spin, disoriented as her body screamed in pain.

A hissing sound pierced the air. Ada forced herself to focus, blinking through the pain to see Auden—no, Gan—slithering towards her. His body had taken on the full form of a serpent, long and sinewy, his movements terrifyingly precise despite the eerily grace. The candlelight flickered, casting monstrous shadows across the room as the snake's emerald eyes locked onto hers, gleaming with malevolence.

"Is that your best, Ada?" The snake's malicious chuckles reverberated in her ears. It slowly slithered across the room, its eyes fixed on Ada, narrowing with predatory focus. "You think you can stop me again?" the snake's voice mocked. Do you even have the strength left?"

"You're a fucking bastard." She pat and it snapped the serpent's resolve. 

Gan lunged.

Ada barely dodged, rolling to the side just as the fangs struck the floor where she had been. Splinters flew as the wooden planks gave way under the serpent's force. Gan's body coiled back with terrifying speed, his eyes never leaving her, watching her every movement.

He didn't bother with spells or magic anymore; his body was the weapon now. Each motion was deliberate, each strike faster than she could anticipate. Ada could barely keep up, stumbling backward as she tried to summon her magic again, hands trembling. She raised her hand, trying to summon a shield like she had before, but it flickered, unstable, like a spark struggling to ignite. The magic twisted within her, not obeying her commands, as though something else was trying to guide it. The shield materialized for a split second before fizzling out, leaving her exposed.

Her heart pounded in her chest, her mind racing. She had grown weaker. She knew that. Years of neglect had left her powers rusty, unpredictable. But she had no choice—she had to fight. Her aim was set precisely on the lone window. She made a break for it, sprinting toward the window as fast as her legs could carry her. But the serpent was faster. He coiled in front of her, blocking her path with his massive body, his fangs bared, venom dripping.

"Running, princess?" Gan taunted, his serpentine body closing the distance between them with terrifying speed. "You're slower than I remember."

Ada gritted her teeth, her magic bubbling up again—this time, without her control. A bolt of light shot from her hand, wild and uncontrolled, slamming into the wall with explosive force. It missed him entirely. Her power was too erratic, too wild, slipping from her grasp like sand through her fingers.

The snake hissed with laughter, his forked tongue flickering in the air. "You can't even control your own power anymore," he sneered, slithering closer. "Pathetic."