[House Karzath — Lady Arinaya’s Chamber — Continuation]

The chamber had descended into chaos. Servants rushed frantically across polished marble floors while incense smoke thickened heavily through the room.

Lantern flames flickered wildly, and somewhere beneath all that panic, death lingered quietly beside the bed.

Then suddenly Rakhane stormed inside, hair disheveled, one eye hidden beneath the black patch, and the visible crimson eye burning violently with fury.

And then he saw the bed, saw the blanket fully covering Lady Arinaya’s body, only one leg visible beneath the silk sheets, still and unmoving.

Rakhane froze for one horrifying second—the High Ensi looked less like a noble tyrant...and more like a brother watching death approach someone precious.

Then suddenly his expression twisted violently.

"WHY DID YOU COVER HER?!" His roar exploded through the chamber. "DO YOU WISH TO SUFFOCATE HER TO DEATH?!!"

Every servant flinched violently, and several attendants immediately rushed toward the bed, trembling. But what truly terrified everyone was seeing Rakhane himself shaking, not from fear but from rage and from helplessness because the High Ensi of House Karzath—the serpent feared across noble houses—was trembling at the possibility of losing his sister.

"WHERE ARE THE PRIESTS?!" His pheromones exploded violently. "DRAG THEM HERE IMMEDIATELY!!"

The attendants rushed out in terror instantly; meanwhile, standing near the doorway, Serath-min quietly watched everything, leaning lazily against the carved stone entrance.

His eyes gleaming faintly beneath lantern shadows, then slowly, he stepped inside, calmly and elegantly like a serpent entering a graveyard he personally prepared.

His gaze lingered upon Arinaya’s unconscious body, and then he smiled in satisfaction, and a soft chuckle escaped him.

"...this...is truly the most heavenly sight."

Rakhane heard him, and the moment his visible eye landed on Serath-min, the atmosphere became poisonous.

"...what did you just say?"

Serath-min merely glanced at him lazily, still smiling as his eyes gleamed strangely.

"I said... I rather enjoy the sight of death. Dead serpents are beautiful to witness."

Silence crashed through the chamber then suddenly—

GRAB!!!!

Rakhane crossed the distance instantly, and his hand violently wrapped around Serath-min’s collar before slamming him against the wall.

"IT WAS YOU."

His voice came out monstrous.

"How dare you..."

His pheromones exploded violently around the chamber, deadly enough to suffocate lesser serpents instantly.

"...HOW DARE YOU TOUCH MY SISTER?!"

But strangely nothing affected Serath-min, not the pressure and not the murderous pheromones choking the room.

Nothing. Instead, he rubbed his ear lazily, almost annoyed. "You are terribly loud, High Ensi Rakhane."

Then slowly he removed Rakhane’s hand from his collar himself effortlessly, and a dangerous smile curved on his lips.

"And honestly...you should be grateful." Rakhane’s visible eye twitched violently as Serath-min continued, "One of the greatest obstacles standing in your path is disappearing."

Serath-min spread his arms slightly. "You should be celebrating."

"She was my sister." The room froze because Rakhane’s voice no longer sounded angry. It sounded lethal, and his crimson eyes darkened murderously. "And I decide...when my sister dies."

Then slowly his lip curled with disgust. "Not some filthy black serpent hiding behind another name."

For one brief moment silence fell completely, then Serath-min laughed, low, cold, and dangerous.

"A mere black serpent?" The lantern flames suddenly flickered blue, then black.

FWOOOOOOOSSSSHHHHH!!!

Black serpent pheromones exploded through the chamber violently. The walls cracked; the marble floor darkened beneath spreading corruption.

And suddenly Serath-min no longer looked elegant; he looked ancient and monstrous as his eyes sharpened terrifyingly.

"...do not forget...the serpent standing before you is the king of black serpents."

The pressure inside the room became unbearable, venomous, and rotting, like death itself had entered the chamber as his voice lowered dangerously.

"So never again call me mere...or I may decide to erase your entire world."

But instead of fear Rakhane smirked wildly and cruelly.

"Do you truly believe I care?" His hair fell across his face as his crimson eye gleamed with hatred. "A clan abandoned even by Lord Urzan himself..."

He spat the words like venom.

"...is nothing."

The chamber trembled harder because both monsters had finally revealed their true selves.

"You possess no identity except being called ’black serpents.’" Rakhane stepped closer, fearless and provocative. "You are king of a clan even death refuses to stand beside."

Azhrakaal’s eyes darkened instantly.

"Your pheromones..." Rakhane continued coldly as a cruel smile appeared. "...your blood...your very existence rots everything it touches."

Silence.

Deadly silence.

"And yet..." Rakhane slowly reached beneath his robes. "...you dared touch my sister."

SHIIIINNNNGGG!!!

A black dagger emerged beneath lantern light. Its crimson edge glowing ominously. Rakhane pointed the blade directly toward Azhrakaal’s throat. His eye was burning with murderous intent.

"Tonight..." A dangerous smile slowly spread across his face. "...will become the end of the Black Serpent King."

Then softly, almost mockingly, he whispered the true name.

"...Azhrakaal."

And the chamber itself seemed to stop breathing. For one long moment silence lingered between them, heavy and venomous like two ancient monsters finally removing their masks.

Then suddenly Azhrakaal smiled, slowly, beautifully, and cruelly. "...it feels rather pleasant hearing my real name again after so long."

The lantern flames flickered violently black. Azhrakaal tilted his head slightly afterward as his eyes gleamed wickedly.

"And honestly..." His gaze slowly drifted toward unconscious Arinaya lying behind them, and a dangerous smirk curved his lips wider. "...it is far more shocking seeing the High Ensi who despises his sister...suddenly become so protective over her death."

Rakhane’s eye narrowed instantly and deadly. Meanwhile Azhrakaal continued softly as his smile sharpened.

"And the moment you pointed that dagger at me...I realized something." The atmosphere darkened immediately. "You no longer need me, and if that is the case..."

Azhrakaal spread his arms slightly.

"...then I shall gladly end our cooperation myself."

Then suddenly—

FWOOOOOOOSSSHHHH!!!

Black serpent pheromones exploded violently through the chamber. The marble floors cracked, and lantern flames turned black. The walls themselves seemed to rot beneath the spreading corruption.

And slowly, Azhrakaal transformed, half human and half serpent. Black scales spread across his body like living darkness. His hair darkened completely into abyss-black strands. Even his eyes became pitch black, empty, and monstrous, like staring into death itself.

Then he smiled, and suddenly he no longer resembled a noble serpent. He resembled a beast as his forked tongue slid slowly across sharp fangs.

"I could...send you directly to your sister."

The black serpent tail behind him smashed violently against the floor as his black eyes gleamed murderously. "And afterward...take your place."

But instead of fear, Rakhane laughed, low, wild, and dangerous. Then suddenly—

CRAAAAASSSSHHHHH!!!

His body transformed instantly. Massive crimson scales erupted across the chamber; a gigantic red serpent hissed violently beneath flickering lantern light, one eye glowing in anger and the other hidden beneath the scarred black patch.

"Let us discover..." Rakhane hissed dangerously. "...which one of us dies tonight."

And immediately the chamber exploded into violence.

FWOOOOOOOSSSHHHH!!!

Azhrakaal lunged first, far too fast; his gigantic black tail crashed directly toward Rakhane violently. The marble floor shattered apart instantly.

Pillars cracked, lanterns exploded, and Rakhane barely twisted aside in time before striking back with venomous crimson fangs.

HISSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!

But Azhrakaal moved unnaturally like living darkness itself. Then suddenly—CRAAAAACKKK!!! The black serpent tail wrapped violently around Rakhane’s throat.

The entire chamber trembled. Rakhane’s eyes widened slightly because of the pressure—the pressure was monstrous.

Azhrakaal tightened his grip slowly, enjoying it as his voice echoed darkly.

"Pathetic... You speak so proudly..." The tail tightened harder. "...yet your breathing already sounds broken. Is this why you were chosen to be the heir of House Karzath?"

Rakhane struggled violently, his crimson tail slammed against the chamber walls, destroying marble pillars apart.

CRAAAAASSSHHHH!!!

But Azhrakaal did not loosen his grip, not even slightly. Instead, he lifted the red serpent higher from the ground.

Rakhane’s breathing became uneven, dangerously uneven. His claws dug into the black scales, desperately trying to free himself, but nothing worked.

Meanwhile Azhrakaal leaned closer, black eyes gleaming with cruel amusement.

"Perhaps..." A dangerous smile appeared. "...I should kill you first...then slowly snatch-kill that silver serpent and his consort afterward."

Rakhane’s visible eye widened murderously, but slowly his movements weakened. The pressure around his throat became unbearable.

His vision blurred, breath fading, and just before darkness fully swallowed him—SHIIIIIIINNNNGGGG!!!

A dagger flew across the chamber, fast enough to split air itself.

SLAAAAASSSSHHHHH!!!

The blade pierced directly through Azhrakaal’s tail; black blood exploded violently across the room. Azhrakaal hissed sharply, and the grip loosened instantly.

THUD!!!!! 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

Rakhane crashed heavily against the marble floor, coughing violently. Struggling to breathe again, Azhrakaal slowly turned, black blood dripping from his wounded tail.

His expression is darkening dangerously, and then both serpents froze because standing near the chamber entrance—alive—was Lady Arinaya.

Her golden hair was still slightly damp, one hand resting weakly against the doorway. The other still extended from throwing the dagger, pale and breathing unevenly, but she was alive.

And her cold eyes remained locked entirely upon Azhrakaal. Then quietly...dangerously quietly—she spoke: "You truly should have confirmed my death first."

Silence crashed across the chamber, and for the first time that night, Azhrakaal stopped smiling.