After the Seraph jumped, he landed on the ground, tearing through the trees of this dark forest. There were several scratches on his body, but the pain he felt was less than the pain that Elena's words gave his heart. The Seraph wasted no time in running towards the 'Valley of Shadows', where once again the Black Lake and the cave of the 'Forge of Memories' were waiting for him. In the dense thickets of the forest, he heard the footsteps of the 'magic hunters', they were chasing him at Elena's command. The Seraph drew his sword, 'Light of the Drago,n' and moved forward, tearing through these hunters at lightning speed. All he could see was Elena's fading face; he wanted to bring back her memories at all costs.
As soon as the Seraph reached the edge of the cave, he saw a burning light from within that was both terrifying and mysterious. The mouth of the cave had now opened like a giant's mouth, its stony teeth ready to swallow any attacker. The seraph jumped inside without hesitation, the blue light of his sword spreading throughout the cave. The scene inside was so horrific that the seraph's heart sank for a moment. Streams of black blood flowed down the walls of the cave, and in the middle of it burned the stone bowl of the 'Furnace of Memories' in which Elena's human heart glowed like a red ember. The old serpent stood around him, wagging his long tongue, a cruel smile in his stone eyes.
"You have come, prince? I knew you would come to take back this 'toy' of your queen," the old serpent said in a thunderous voice. "But you do not know what the price of touching this heart is?" The seraph straightened his sword and stepped towards the old serpent. "I'm willing to pay any price! Give me my Elena back!"
The old serpent raised his hand, and Elena's heart rose into the air from the cup. The sound of the heart's beating began to echo in the cave, and with each beat, the moments spent with Elena flashed through Seraph's mind like lightning. These were his memories that had now become a powerful weapon. The old serpent stretched out his other hand and pushed all the human memories inside the cave towards Seraph in the form of black smoke. Seraph felt that he was remembering his parents, his childhood, all the memories of his entire life at once, and this pain was tearing his brain apart.
Seraph closed his eyes and surrendered himself to this pain. "It's all mine! It's all my Elena!" Seraph shouted. At that moment, a golden fire came out of his body and burned the smoke of these memories to ashes. The seraph's eyes were now red with rage. With a single stroke of his sword, he snatched the cup from the old serpent's hand and crushed the heart in his fist. As soon as he touched the heart, a shiver ran through his body—it was Elena's human yearning that was still alive in that heart.
But this victory was temporary. The seraph had barely taken a breath when a terrifying shriek sounded from the mouth of the cave, and Elena entered the cave in all her glory. The golden light emanating from her body dazzled the entire cave. Behind her were her long, golden wings that were terrifyingly beautiful. Her eyes were fiery and her face had a cold, murderous smile that the seraph had never seen.
"So you dared to touch her, seraph?" Elena's voice was thunderous, echoing off the walls of the cave. She raised her hand and threw a swift magical wave at the seraph. Seraph defended with his sword, but the wave was so powerful that it pushed Seraph back and slammed him into the wall. The cup containing Elena's heart slipped from his hand and the old serpent caught it in the air before it could fall to the ground.
"Don't touch it, Elena!" Seraph shouted, standing up. Elena took a step forward, her gait so regal that even Seraph gasped. "Why not, Seraph? This heart is a burden to me, a weakness. I want to end it forever, and you won't be able to stop me." Elena reached out and lifted the heart from the cup. The heart was beating in her palm, but Elena's face showed no expression. The Seraph rushed towards Elena and tried to hug her. He was sure that his touch would remind Elena who he was. "Elena! It's me, your Seraph! The man you risked your life for!" The Seraph hugged Elena tightly to his chest, letting the warmth of his hot breath on her neck. Elena's body trembled for a moment, as if the humanity within her had awakened for the last time.
He raised his hand and held the Seraph's face, a familiar glint in his eyes for a moment, and the Seraph's name came out of his lips in a whisper. The Seraph looked at Elena's face hopefully, and for a moment, he felt that his Elena had returned. He leaned down and gave Elena a passionate kiss on the lips, a touch that was the final confession of two lovers standing on the brink of death. Seraph poured his whole soul into the kiss, tears welling in his eyes, hoping Elena would respond.
But as they parted, the sparkle in Elena's eyes faded, and her smile turned cruel once more. She pushed Seraph's face away with her hand and wiped her lips with her finger. "It's all an illusion, Seraph. You're trying to tap into my weakness." Elena raised her hand and squeezed Elena's heart in her fist. The golden light that had been flickering on the walls of the cave was now turning into a blood-red colour. As Elena squeezed the beating human heart in her fist, a scream echoed throughout the cave that came not from the throat but from the soul. The seraph, who was stunned by Elena's changed appearance, rushed forward like a madman.
"Elena! Stop! If you crush it, you will never know how much I want you!" The seraph's voice echoed off the ceiling of the cave.
Elena's golden eyes flickered for a moment. She looked at the soft, warm lump of flesh in her hand, which was fluttering like a bird. The beating of that heart was beating against Elena's palm, as if it was begging its own queen to live. Elena looked at the seraph, the callousness on her face now turning into a deep struggle.
"Seraph... this pain... it's not letting me live," Elena's lips uttered a voice like the cry of a wounded deer. "As long as this heart is there, I will remain a weak human. The serpent people need a queen made of stone, one who can sacrifice her feelings for her people."
Elena tightened her grip, and the Seraph saw golden tears flow from Elena's own eyes and settle on her cheeks. The Seraph seized the opportunity and made a move that even the old serpent had not expected. He threw his sword, 'Light of the Dragon', to the ground and tore his chest armour.
"If you want the sacrifice of a heart, Elena, then take my heart!" the Seraph shouted, grabbing Elena's hand that held his own human heart. He forced Elena's hand to his chest. "Your heart is your memories, your love. If you have to crush it, then first crush the heart that is not capable of beating without you."
Seraph pulled Elena closer to him once again, their bodies intertwined (Hug). This time, Elena did not push him back. Seraph rested his forehead on Elena's and sank into her eyes. "Elena, I can accept being a queen without you, but I do not want to live without you. Kiss me, Elena, and rediscover your memories in this touch."
Seraph captured Elena's lips with great tenderness and immense longing. This kiss (Lip Kiss) was like a magical antidote. As soon as the heat of Seraph's lips descended on Elena, the human heart in his hand instantly lit up. All the memories inside the cave—their first meeting, that snowy valley, that promise of marriage—all started to run through Elena's mind like a movie.
Elena's fist opened and that heart began to float in the air, emitting golden rays. Those terrifying wings that had grown out of Elena's body began to fall and her eyes began to change from golden to the deep human brown that Seraph was crazy about.
"Seraph…" Elena gasped, calling his name, this time with the same love of a 17-year-old girl in her voice. She put her arms around Seraph's neck and hugged him tightly, as if she were afraid of being separated from him again.
The old serpent roared in anger, "You have broken the laws of nature, prince! This heart is no longer his; it has become a 'death mark'!" He struck his magic staff on the ground, causing the cave's roof to collapse.
The Seraph lifted Elena into his arms, while the human heart was now returning to Elena's chest. But as soon as the heart was embedded in Elena's body, Elena screamed. That heart had now become gold—pure and cold gold. Elena had now become a queen, and her memories had also returned, but now she could only feel 'human feelings', living them was going to be a constant torment for her. The Seraph took her out of the cave, where the sky of the Nag Lok was now changing from blood red to deep purple.
As soon as they left the cave, gusts of cold air touched Elena's face, but she did not feel the chill that had once shaken her human being. Seraph sat her down in the shade of a safe rock, from where the silence of the black lake was clearly visible. Elena's head rested on Seraph's shoulder; her eyes were now open and filled with memories, but the beating inside her chest now sounded like a metallic echo.
"Seraph..." Elena cried out in a very thin voice, "I remember everything, that snowy valley, that first touch of yours, and the promise we made under the stars." She took Seraph's hand and placed it in the centre of her chest, where her new 'golden heart' was. As soon as Seraph's hand fell there, she felt a strange hardness and unnatural warmth. "But now when I remember you, I feel a burden along with love, as if my chest would burst from the weight of this gold."
The Seraph placed his lips on Elena's forehead and gave her a long kiss, which contained all the solace of her soul. "Elena, we have snatched your memories from the jaws of death. This golden heart is a price we have paid, but we will exchange it. I will turn your cold heart into human flesh again with the heat of my love." The Seraph gathered Elena in his arms and hugged her so tightly that Elena felt her ribs snap.
Suddenly, a stir arose in the waters of the Black Lake. The old serpent, whose cave had been destroyed, now appeared like a shadow on the surface of the water. "Your complacency will drown you, prince! This golden heart is not just to turn Elena to stone, but it is the final trap of the 'Black Serpent'. When the golden waves of this heart spread throughout Elena's entire soul, she will automatically become the abode of the 'Black Serpent's' soul. Your queen will be the cause of the destruction of your kingdom!" The old man's laughter disappeared, dissolving poison in the air.
A wave of fear ran across Elena's face. She clutched Seraph's shirt in her hands. "Seraphim! If this happens, you will kill me. I do not want to be the cause of your destruction."
Seraph took Elena's face in both of his hands and looked into her eyes. His golden eyes now held a frenzied intent. "No curse, no magic can separate us. If this heart wants to change you, I will breathe my soul into it." The Seraph pulled Elena closer and gave her a deep and passionate kiss that momentarily silenced the golden magic in Elena's body. In that touch, the Seraph transferred a large portion of his magical energy to Elena, preventing the golden waves from reaching her mind.
Elena's body quivered at the Seraph's touch, her breath hitched, and she tangled her fingers in the Seraph's hair. This romantic warmth brought new life to the cold valley. When they parted, the faint blush had returned to Elena's cheeks.
"We have to get to the palace now, Seraph," Elena said seriously, "My parents are imprisoned there, and my subjects await a queen who may be their undoing. We have to do something before the shadow of the Black Serpent overwhelms me completely."
Seraph nodded and sheathed his sword. He picked Elena up once again, for Elena's golden heart was weakening him physically. As they moved towards the castle's border, they saw black smoke rising from the castle's tall towers in the distance. It seemed that something very bad had happened in the castle after Seraph had gone to the cave.
The suspense now was whether Elena's throne still awaited her? Or had the black serpent taken control of Elena's parents and the kingdom? For Seraph and Elena, this return was the beginning of a new war, where their enemy was hidden within Elena herself.
"Dear Readers, the stakes have never been higher! If you were on the edge of your seat during the confrontation in the cave, please Like this chapter and keep the story in your Library so you don't miss what's coming next.
I would love to hear your thoughts: Is the 'Golden Heart' a blessing that saved her, or a curse that will eventually turn her into the very monster she fears? Drop your comments below and let's discuss!
Coming up in Chapter 34: The return to a fallen kingdom. Saraf and Alina reach the palace only to find that 'The Black Serpent' has already begun its reign of terror. Can a heart made of gold still feel the warmth of home?"