Pov Author
The Room of Legend felt unnaturally still.
High above, the vaulted ceiling curved like the inside of a cathedral, its ancient stone dimly lit by rows of museum lights that cast long shadows over the marble floor. Glass cases lined the walls, each one holding relics from forgotten eras—blades that had ended empires, jewelry that had once belonged to queens, fragments of power sealed away behind quiet glass.
But right now none of it felt peaceful.
The air had grown thick, heavy with something unseen.
Alex stood near the center of the hall, his shoulders tight and his hands hanging stiffly at his sides. He could hear his own heartbeat thudding in his ears as his eyes flicked nervously between the two figures facing each other.
Anna.
And the serpent man.
Neither of them had moved for several seconds, yet the tension between them felt like a drawn bowstring ready to snap.
Anna's posture was rigid, her weight slightly shifted onto one foot. Her fingers curled slowly into fists beside her coat as she lifted her chin just a little higher, refusing to look away. A loose strand of brown hair slipped across her cheek as she breathed in slowly through her nose, steadying herself.
Across from her, the man watched in silence.
Behind him, the massive snake coiled across the marble floor, its enormous body gliding in slow, silent loops that scraped faintly against the stone. Its scales caught the light like polished metal, its tongue flicking lazily in the air as if tasting the hostility hanging between them.
Alex swallowed.
His throat felt dry.
"Anna…" he whispered.
But she didn't answer.
Her eyes never left the man in front of her.
Something in the room shifted.
The serpent man tilted his head slightly, studying her.
Anna's shoulders tightened.
For a moment it seemed like the world had narrowed to the space between them.
Then—
Footsteps echoed from the entrance.
Sharp.
Controlled.
Click.
Click.
Click.
The sound of high heels striking marble carried clearly through the hall.
Every head turned.
Even the snake reacted.
Its enormous body stiffened for half a second.
Then it disappeared.
Not slithered away.
Not retreated.
It simply vanished , like a shadow erased by sunlight.
The sudden absence of its massive presence left the room feeling hollow.
Silence followed the footsteps as a figure appeared in the doorway.
She stepped inside without hurry.
Her heels were sleek YSL stilettos , their narrow points tapping softly against the marble floor as she walked. A long black coat flowed behind her calves with every step, the dark fabric moving like quiet smoke around her legs. Beneath it she wore a high-neck black top and a fitted skirt that matched the coat perfectly.
Everything about her was black.
Everything except her hair.
It fell down her back like freshly fallen snow—long, pale, almost glowing under the museum lights.
She stopped a few steps inside the hall and slowly looked around.
Her pale eyes moved from the cracked marble tiles to the fallen display case, then to the broken pillar leaning sideways against the wall.
Her lips pressed together slightly.
"What a mess."
Her voice wasn't loud.
Yet somehow it carried across the entire hall.
Alex stared at her.
His brain struggled to understand why the room suddenly felt colder.
The woman raised her hand lazily, turning her wrist as if brushing dust from her fingers.
Black smoke spilled from her palm.
It didn't erupt violently.
It flowed.
Thick, curling tendrils of darkness slipped into the air and drifted across the room like living ink. The smoke touched the shattered marble first, sliding over the broken cracks like water filling lines in sand.
Then the impossible happened.
The marble sealed.
The cracks reversed, pulling themselves together until the floor looked untouched.
The smoke drifted across the broken pillar next. Stone fragments lifted slowly into the air, sliding back into place as though time itself had begun flowing backwards.
Glass shards lifted off the ground, rising one by one before slipping neatly back into their display frames.
Within seconds the entire room looked exactly as it had before the destruction.
Perfect.
Pristine.
Untouched.
Alex blinked.
The world tilted.
His knees buckled.
Darkness swallowed him before he even hit the ground.
Anna's head snapped toward him just as his body collapsed onto the marble.
But before she could move, the white-haired woman flicked her fingers.
A faint ripple of magic brushed across Alex like a passing breeze.
She looked down at him briefly.
"Don't worry," she said calmly. "He'll think everything was a dream."
Then she stepped past him as if he were simply an object lying in the way.
Her gaze lifted again.
This time it settled directly on Anna.
For a moment neither of them spoke.
The woman's pale eyes studied her with quiet interest, tilting slightly as though she were examining a painting.
Finally she straightened and extended her hand slightly.
"By the way," she said softly, "I'm Zara."
Anna hesitated before answering.
"I'm Anna Brown."
A faint smile appeared on Zara's lips.
"Yes," she said slowly. "I know."
Her eyes lingered on Anna's face.
"Robert Brown's daughter."
Anna felt her stomach tighten.
Zara took a slow step closer, the soft tap of her heels echoing gently through the hall.
"Do you remember me?" she asked.
Anna searched her memory instinctively, her brows drawing together as she shook her head.
"No."
Zara hummed thoughtfully.
"As expected."
Her gaze drifted briefly to the side, landing on the Wind Whisperer displayed nearby.
The weapon gleamed softly inside its case, its elegant design catching the light like polished silver.
"Such a beautiful weapon," Zara murmured, tilting her head slightly. "Graceful. Charming."
Then she looked back at Anna.
"But you…"
Her eyes narrowed faintly.
"You carry something else."
Anna folded her arms instinctively, trying to appear calm.
"What are you talking about?"
Zara's smile sharpened.
"Do you think I'm a fool?"
Anna didn't answer.
Zara's gaze slowly lowered.
Her eyes stopped at the center of Anna's chest.
The smile faded.
"I can feel it," she said quietly.
Anna's pulse quickened.
"Magic."
Zara lifted her head again, eyes locking onto Anna's.
"Forbidden magic."
Anna felt her throat tighten.
"Tell me something," Zara continued gently. "Have you been inside the book?"
Anna's fingers twitched.
For a split second she considered lying.
But the look in Zara's eyes made it clear she already knew.
Zara nodded slowly.
"I thought so."
She stepped forward again until they stood only a few feet apart.
"You are Anna Brown," Zara said softly. "Daughter of Robert Brown."
Her voice hardened.
"The thief who stole something very precious from me."
Anna's heart pounded loudly.
Zara lifted her hand.
"And someone must pay for that."
Her fingers pressed lightly against the center of Anna's chest.
Right above her heart.
"It will be you."
The pain came instantly.
Anna's body jerked as golden light burst beneath her skin.
Her eyes widened.
Air vanished from her lungs.
Then the scream tore out of her throat.
Her knees slammed against the marble as her hands clutched desperately at her chest.
"Aaaaah—!"
Outside the museum the wind exploded into motion.
Trees bent violently as a powerful gust howled past the building.
Inside, golden energy pulsed violently beneath Anna's skin like molten light trapped in her veins.
Her body trembled uncontrollably.
Tears streamed down her cheeks.
Blood slowly seeped from the corners of her eyes.
Her breaths came in short, panicked gasps.
Her nose began to bleed.
She could feel her heart being crushed from the inside.
Zara watched quietly.
Calm.
Almost curious.
She walked forward slowly and crouched beside Anna, her fingers sliding under Anna's chin and lifting her face upward.
Anna's vision blurred as she tried to breathe.
"Your father stole something precious from me," Zara said softly.
Her eyes gleamed faintly.
"The book."
Anna shook violently.
"And someone must suffer."
Zara's thumb brushed lightly across Anna's cheek.
"It's going to be you, little love."
Suddenly—
Glass shattered behind them.
Both women turned.
Beneath the enormous painting of Shou Feng, a display case had cracked open.
Inside it lay the necklace he had once given her.
The stone at its center burned with deep red light.
For a brief second the necklace hovered in the air.
Then it shot forward.
A streak of crimson energy tore across the room and slammed directly into Anna's chest.
The moment it touched her, warmth flooded her body.
The violent golden energy around her heart surged outward, meeting the red power from the necklace.
The two forces twisted together before erupting in a powerful shockwave.
Zara's eyes widened.
The blast hit her like a hurricane.
Her body lifted off the floor and flew across the hall.
She smashed straight through the stone wall with a thunderous crash, bricks exploding outward as she disappeared outside.
Inside the room Anna collapsed forward, gasping.
The pain faded slowly.
Her heartbeat steadied.
Her trembling hands gripped the necklace tightly as the red glow softened.
She lifted her head slowly.
Her eyes drifted toward the massive painting above the shattered display.
Shou Feng stood beneath falling cherry blossoms, his dragon curling through painted clouds behind him.
Anna's lips trembled.
Tears spilled down her cheeks.
Even though he wasn't here…
He was still protecting her.
Memories rushed through her mind.
Cherry blossoms drifting softly through the spring air.
The powerful rush of wind as they flew across the sky on a dragon's back which she didn't notice first or it's has changed ?.
Do you love me so much that you still protecting me from another world ?
His warm laughter.
The moment he placed the necklace around her neck.
Anna pressed the necklace against her chest.
The man who had fought a god for her.
The man who tore open a realm just to save her.
The man who had saved her from everything.
Her shoulders shook quietly as she cried.
Suddenly hurried footsteps echoed through the hall.
"OH MY GOD!"
Lily rushed into the room, her eyes wide as she took in the scene.
Her gaze darted from Anna kneeling on the floor to Alex lying unconscious nearby.
"Alex?!"
She ran to him instantly, dropping beside him and checking his pulse.
"Anna, call an ambulance!"
Anna nodded weakly.
She slipped the necklace back inside her jacket before reaching for her phone.
Far away, deep within an ancient mountain temple, Zara stepped out of the shadows.
Her white hair moved gently in the cold air as she approached a massive stone altar.
An ancient book lay open across the surface.
Its pages shifted slowly on their own.
Zara leaned forward.
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
On one of the pages a glowing image had formed.
Anna.
And inside her chest—
A golden stone fragment embedded in her heart .
Zara's lips curled into a slow smile.
"A gate ?Interesting" smirk
To be continued