As soon as Seraph and Elena's steps entered the boundaries of the 'Valley of Shadows', the magical glow of the serpent world suddenly faded and was replaced by a heavy, poisonous fog. This was a place where the sun had not reached for centuries, and where the whispers of dead souls could be heard in the air. Elena's red battle dress, which had only recently been her wedding dress, now shone on her body like golden armour. She held Seraph's hand so tightly that her entire body was turning white. The blue light emanating from Seraph's sword 'Light of the Dragon' was trying in vain to pierce this deep darkness, because the darkness here was not an ordinary darkness, but rather the frozen layers of the 'Black Serpent's' years-old anger and revenge. Seraph felt Elena's hands tremble slightly, he immediately stopped and pulled Elena towards him and pinned her against the wall, taking her in his arms.
"Are you scared?" Seraph asked, looking into Elena's eyes, where, despite the fear, there was a strange glow. Elena took a deep breath and placed her hand on Seraph's chest and said, "The fear is not of this darkness, Seraph; the fear is of the silence that is trying to come between us. I feel like this valley wants to separate us." Seraph held Elena's face in both hands and placed a long, calm kiss on her forehead. "As long as our souls are connected by each other's blood, no darkness in the universe can separate us." This touch of the seraph was no less than a shield for Elena. She placed her hand on the seraph's lips and then removed it and gave a light but deep kiss (Lip Kiss), as if she was transferring all her energy to the seraph. This romantic moment created a spark of life even in this barren and terrifying valley.
As soon as they reached the middle of the valley, the earth suddenly started shaking and the terrifying scene of the 'Black Lake' that was mentioned in ancient books emerged in front of them. The water of the lake was as still as black ink, but from under its surface, lights were emerging that were like the eyes of a predator. Suddenly, a giant water dragon appeared from the middle of the lake, with sharp thorns on its body and the steam coming out of its mouth had the power to melt iron. This was the 'Guardian of the Black Lake', which the Black Serpent had awakened to block the path of the seraph and Elena. The dragon let out a loud roar that caused Elena's eardrums to burst and it slashed at the seraph with its tail, but the seraph quickly lifted Elena into its arms and jumped into the air to avoid the blow.
The seraph lowered Elena onto a high rock and looked into her eyes and said, "Elena! You must freeze the water of this lake with your golden light, while I will keep this evil busy. Remember, if even one of your tears falls into this water, this lake will swallow us forever." Elena nodded and began to gather her magical power. Golden lines emerged from her hands and began to move towards the black water of the lake, while the seraph swung his sword and began to slash at the chest of this water dragon. The battle was so terrifying that magical sparks were flying everywhere. The dragon's venomous swords were ricocheting off the seraph's shield, but the seraph alone was not enough to deal with this scourge.
During the battle, Elena saw that one of the dragon's tails moved towards Seraph so fast that Seraph did not have a chance to recover. Elena poured all her magical energy into a single scream, "Seraph! No!" The golden wave that came from her scream not only stopped the tail in the air but also turned half of the water in the lake into ice. Seraph took advantage of this opportunity and plunged his sword into one of the dragon's eyes. The dragon writhed in pain and sank back into the depths of the lake, but as soon as he left, black hands began to emerge from the water of the lake again, which began to grip Elena's legs. Seraph ran to Elena and hugged her.
"We have to get out of here, Elena! The heart of the lake has broken; now this entire valley is about to be destroyed!" Seraph shouted, but Elena's eyes were on the golden box at the bottom of the lake that held the Sun of the Seraph. "Seraphim! He's here! We have to get him, or we'll never have our first morning together!" Elena let go of Seraph's hand and jumped into the icy black water of the lake. Seraph didn't think for a moment and jumped into the water after Elena. The scene underwater was even more terrifying than on land; there were thousands of dead souls pulling them down. Seraph held Elena by the waist underwater and placed his lips on hers, giving her his breath, so that she wouldn't die. This underwater kiss (Lip Kiss) was the greatest proof of their love, where even in the shadow of death, they were becoming each other's life.
Under the layers of water, Elena touched the box. As soon as his touch hit the ancient metal, there was a loud explosion and the entire lake turned into a great fountain of light. Seraph and Elena returned to the surface of the water, wrapped in this whirlwind of light, and in their hands was the lost sun of the serpent world, whose radiance had forever erased the darkness of the 'Valley of Shadows'. A final painful scream from the black serpent was heard and it turned into a valley of dust. Seraph laid Elena down on the sand, both of them panting and drenched in water. Seraph kissed Elena's wet face and held her close to him. "You have made the impossible possible, my queen. Now no one can stop our dawn." Elena smiled and rested her head on Seraph's chest, while the new sun of the serpent world was rising on the distant horizon, the first rays of which testified to their union. The water of the Black Lake was now bathed in golden light, but there was still a tremor in its waves. Seraph and Elena lay on the sand by the lake, which was now shining with a magical effect. Elena's breathing was still erratic, and her hair was wet and stuck to her face. Seraph, who was also drenched in water, leaned on his elbow and looked at Elena's face. The devotion that was in his golden eyes at that moment for Elena was more precious than any crown or throne. Seraph slowly placed his hand on Elena's cheek, his touch feeling like a warm glow after the cold water. "Elena... you did something today that no serpent prince dared to do. You descended into the heart of this Black Lake and defeated death."
Elena smiled and looked into Seraph's eyes, her eyes still holding the taste of the kiss they had shared in the depths of the water. He placed his hand on Seraph's and pressed it to his lips. "Seraph, I did nothing; it was your courage that kept me from dying. When I was suffocating underwater, I only remembered your touch that pulled me back." Seraph scooped Elena up in his arms, lifted her from the sand, and hugged her tightly once more. There was a relief in the embrace, as if two travellers had reached their destination after centuries of travel.
Seraph pulled Elena away from him a little and leaned close to his lips, whispering. "The prophecy said this would be the last night of our honeymoon… but look, the sun is rising and we are still in each other's arms." Elena put her arms around Seraph's neck and pulled him to her. Their lips met again, and this time the kiss was a celebration of victory—a kiss that combined the pride of victory and the peace of love. The warmth of the kiss began to dry their soaked clothes, and the black fog surrounding the valley lifted forever.
Suddenly, a strange sound came from a distant corner of the valley. It was not someone crying, but the sound of an ancient instrument breaking. The seraph immediately became alert and led Elena behind him. A small, golden mirror emerged from the sand, the last gift from the "Black Serpent". Elena picked up the mirror, and in it she saw not her own reflection, but the ancient throne of the Serpent, now covered in moss. A voice echoed from the mirror, "You have won the sun, Elena, but you have not paid the price for it yet. The moment you sit on the throne of the palace, your human existence will begin to melt, for the throne of the Serpent accepts only the soul of a pure serpent."
Elena's face turned pale, but she did not show the mirror to the seraph. She crushed the mirror in her fist, but a new suspense had arisen in her heart. Would she be able to survive as the queen of the Seraph? Or would she have to erase herself for the sake of the Nag-Lok?
The Seraph sensed Elena's distress and took her hand. "Elena, what happened?" Elena forced a smile onto her lips and rested her head on the Seraph's chest. "It's nothing, Seraph, just a little tired. Come on, we should go back to the palace now, our parents and subjects will be waiting for us." The Seraph lifted Elena in his arms and walked majestically towards the portal, which was now opening automatically with the first rays of the sun.
On the way, Seraph kissed Elena once again and whispered in her ear, "Tonight, when we reach the palace, I will give you everything you have dreamed of since childhood. Tonight will be the first night of our new life, where no magic, no curse will come between us." Elena clutched Seraph's shirt in her hands, fearing that these might be her last moments with Seraph, so she wanted to capture these moments in her soul.
Seraph had just taken steps towards the portal, carrying Elena in his arms, when suddenly the entire valley's landscape changed with a shocking jolt. The portal that was supposed to open towards the palace suddenly disappeared and 'The Forest of Silence' appeared before them. This was the part of the Seraph where time stands still and where the roots of the trees live not on the earth but on the dreams of humans. Elena tightened her grip on Seraph's neck. "Seraph! Where did the portal go? Where have we come to?"
Seraph lowered it slowly and intensified the blue light of his sword. There were deep shadows of seriousness on his face. "The Black Seraph confused the paths of the Seraph before he died. This forest is a magical labyrinth, Elena. Here we must fight not with our strength but with our senses." The trees of the forest were so tall that they even blocked the first rays of the sun. On the tree trunks, there were human-like faces, silently watching them.
Suddenly, faint music echoed in the air. It was the same lullaby that Elena's mother had sung to her as a child. Elena's steps automatically moved towards the sound. "Mommy?" she cried. Seraph immediately grabbed her hand and shook her. "Elena! No! This is the forest's deception. It is using your dearest memory against you." But before Seraph could finish speaking, white mist snakes emerged from the ground and pushed Seraph into a clump of trees, separating her from Elena.
"Seraph!" Elena shouted. All she could hear now was darkness and that lullaby. Suddenly, a shadow of her own appeared in front of her, but that shadow was not a 17-year-old, but an old woman with empty eyes. "You will never be queen, Elena. You are only a sacrifice," the shadow said in a terrifying voice. Elena tried to draw her sword, but she felt her hands turn to stone. It was the magic of the forest that turned living things into statues.
At that moment, the voice of the seraph cut through the darkness, but it was not a voice, but a roar like a lion. The seraph had changed from its human form to a giant golden serpent, the diamond on its head illuminating the entire forest. It uprooted all the magical trees that surrounded Elena with its tail. As soon as Elena saw the seraph's glorious form, the fear inside her disappeared. She pressed the fresh wound on her palm and threw her blood into the air. "My love is not an illusion!"
As the drops of blood fell to the ground, they turned into golden butterflies that crushed the horrible lullaby. When the fog cleared, Elena saw that the seraph was standing before her in his human form again, but he was weak. This great magical transformation had drained his energy. Elena ran to him and caught him before he could fall. The seraph's head was in Elena's lap, and he was breathing rapidly.
Elena touched Seraph's forehead with her lips and began to kiss him passionately. This kiss (Lip Kiss) was not just love; Elena was transferring her golden power into Seraph's body. Seraph slowly opened her eyes and spread her arms around Elena. "Your touch... is nothing short of a miracle," Seraph gasped. He pulled Elena close to him and buried his face in her hair. In the middle of this desolate and terrifying forest, the two of them were seeking refuge in each other. Seraph gave Elena a light kiss on her neck that sent a thrill through Elena's body. "We don't have to stop now, Elena. There is a 'bridge of souls' across this forest. As soon as we cross it, we will be at the border of the palace."
They both stood up and started crossing the dense bushes, holding each other's hands. Suddenly Elena's foot fell on a place where the ground was as soft as a swamp. As she sank, Seraph grabbed her by the waist and pulled her up. Their bodies were tightly pressed together (Hug). Elena's breath felt hot on Seraph's neck. "Seraph, what if we never get out of here?" Elena whispered. Seraph looked deep into her eyes and made a mark on her lips with his thumb. "Then this forest will be our palace, and this darkness our solitude. I will not let you go anywhere."
Their romantic tension was broken when a strange creature, half human and half bird, flew in from the front. In its hand was a silver bowl with a blue liquid swirling in it. "Queen! If you want to cross this bridge, you must put one of the most precious memories of your past into this bowl," the creature said. Elena knew that her most precious memory was the time she had spent with her parents when she was a normal girl.
Elena thought for a moment and then took off the small pendant her mother had given her from around her neck. As soon as she put the pendant in the bowl, the bird disappeared and a transparent, magical bridge appeared in front of them, leading straight to the palace towers. Seraph picked Elena up in his arms and started running across the bridge. The forest behind him was crashing to the ground with screams, but Seraph was faster than lightning.
As they reached the far end of the bridge, they could clearly hear the palace's herons. But as they took the last step, Elena felt her lower body go numb. She looked down and saw golden scales emerging in place of her feet. The mirror's words were coming true; she was losing her human form.
Seeing this, Seraph hugged Elena even tighter. "Nothing will happen, Elena! I will let you remain human, even if I have to change the rules of the universe!" He laid Elena on the floor and began to kiss her feet, as if he wanted to stop the spell with his touch. Elena took Seraph's face in her hands and gave him a deep lip kiss, which now included the fear of separation.
As they reached the end of the Bridge of Souls, where the towers of the palace were clearly visible, the magical path suddenly dissolved into thin air and Seraph and Elena fell into a place called the 'Valley of Mirrors'. The ground, walls, and sky here were all made of transparent glass, where only their own reflections could be seen everywhere. Elena looked down at her feet, where the golden scales had now stopped, but a strange tremor remained in her body. Seraph helped her stand up, but as soon as Elena saw a giant glass wall in front of her, she screamed.
Elena's reflection in the mirror was not moving with her, but rather, it was trapped inside the mirror and writhing in pain. "Seraph! Look! This is my reflection... It wants to tell me something!" Elena panicked. Seraph lowered his sword, because a sword had no use here. He hugged Elena from behind and whispered in her ear, "Elena, this valley is materialising your doubt. If you look into this mirror, it will pull your soul. Look into my eyes, find your reflection only in me."
The Seraph turned Elena's face to him and sank into his eyes. Elena's heartbeat was still rapid, and he tightened his grip on Seraph's shirt. Seraph gently placed his lips on Elena's and gave her a deep, long kiss that pulled Elena out of the enchanted valley. The intensity of the kiss created a fog on the glass walls, making the terrifying reflection disappear. Elena felt Seraph's touch stopping the changes taking place in her body, as if Seraph's royal blood was protecting Elena's human cells.
They were just in this romantic embrace when suddenly the valley's windows began to crackle. Blue magical scorpions began to emerge from under the ground, black smoke coming out of their stings. These were 'memory killers', one sting of which could deprive a person of every memory of their beloved. Seraph hugged Elena to his back. "Elena, close your eyes! These scorpions will enter your mind through your eyes."
Seraph drew a circle with his sword and set it on fire, but the scorpions started crawling over the fire. Elena felt a scorpion moving towards Seraph's feet. Without thinking, she gathered her magical power in her fingers and released a golden wave that turned all of these scorpions into ashes. But with the use of this power, Elena's body's transformation accelerated again. Golden wing-like marks now began to appear on her shoulders.
Seeing this, Seraph picked Elena up and started running towards the other end of the valley. "We have to get out of this valley, Elena! Every moment here is destroying your humanity!" They ran into a cave where silver water was seeping from the walls. Seraph sat Elena down on a smooth stone. They were both panting. Elena's clothes were torn in places and there were scratches on her body.
Seraph tore off a piece of his clothes and soaked it in silver water and started cleaning Elena's wounds. As he cleaned a deep wound near Elena's knee, Elena let out a sob. Seraph stopped and looked up into Elena's eyes. A silent conversation took place between them that did not require words. Seraph bent down and kissed Elena's wound, and then slowly moved up to make his home on her hands, her neck, and finally her lips.
The kiss spread through Elena's entire being like a drug. This time Elena showed more intensity, pulling Seraph towards her and holding her close. The warmth of their bodies was a strange contrast in the coolness of the cave. Seraph tangled his fingers in Elena's hair and gave her a long, passionate hug. "If I had to give up my immortality to save you, I wouldn't hesitate," Seraph said, burying his face in Elena's neck. Suddenly, a mysterious light appeared at the end of the cave. It was a secret passage to the 'Ancient Library' of the Serpent People, which opened directly into the palace's basement. But in front of this passage sat an old serpent with stone eyes. "Prince, you have brought the queen, but have you prepared the price that is required to cross this path?" the old man asked in a hollow voice.
The seraph held Elena's hand. "What price?" The old man pointed at Elena, "This girl's 'human heart'. If she passes this path, she will become a complete serpent and will never recognise her parents. Do you want to make her a queen who has no memories?"
Elena's heart began to sink. She looked at the seraph, who was now in a deep conflict. The suspense was now at its peak; would they choose their parents' memories or each other's company? Elena kissed Seraph's hand and stepped towards the old man. "My memories are not in my heart; they are in my soul, and my soul is with Seraph. You can take my heart, but not my love."
🙏 Reader's Request
"Dear readers! If this emotional twist in Chapter 31 touched your heart, please like this story and add it to your library. Your comment encourages me to write better. Tell me in the comments whether Elena should get her memories back or if she will now become a ruthless queen and rule over the Nag Lok? Your opinion can change the course of the story!