At the last threshold of nothingness, where the wheel of time had stopped, and the pulse of the universe was dying, death had been placed as a guard. The 'ancient door' before Elena was not a mere piece of wood or metal, but a secret, stained with centuries of sins and sacrifices, the key to which was only a bargain of blood and soul. In her arms, the seraph's being had now completely transformed into black marble—the prince who had become a lifeless statue in Elena's love. Elena felt as if half of her own being had died.
The ancient door was made of the skeletons of two majestic serpents, wrapped around each other as if they wanted to hold each other for eternity. Where their mouths met, there was a huge, pulsating black diamond set in it, called the 'Eye of Nothingness'. As the voice from the door said, "This stone must be broken," red and purple magical waves emanated from the diamond and scorched Elena's body. The thousands-of-years-old bones on the floor were now aching, and the three-headed guardian, whom Elena had wounded, was once again on his feet. With each step, black smoke rose from the ground like a fountain, spreading poisonous moisture into the air. Thick blood was now dripping from the ceiling instead of stones, and the sound of each drop falling to the floor was heard like a scream. The smell of ozone, sulfur, and burnt flesh in the air was so strong that breathing was torture.
Elena pressed the seraph's stone-cold face to her chest as if she wanted to revive him by giving him the warmth of her life (Hug). She entangled her fingers in the seraph's stone hair that once waved in the wind and soothed her. "You promised me, Seraph, that you would see the new dawn of the Seraph with me! You cannot turn into stone and leave me alone!" Elena's voice was so anguished that even the walls of nothingness trembled. She leaned down and gave the Seraph's lips, which were now as hard as a frozen rock, one last, passionate, soul-destroying kiss. In that kiss, Elena poured the full heat of her 'golden heart', all her memories, and even her desire to be queen. She closed her eyes and felt her heartbeat now pulsating in the Seraph's stone chest.
"If this door requires a sacrifice, it will be my throne, not my prince!" Elena roared. Her voice had that divine majesty that only a true queen can have. She picked up the seraph's white-shining sword, "Dragonlight," and placed it on the spot in her own chest where her golden heart was beating like a captive bird. She had decided that she would sacrifice her magical power and her right to be queen to that door so that the seraph could have life. As the tip of the sword struck her heart, a golden flood came out of Elena's entire being and entered the lock of that black door like a dragon.
With a terrible creak, the grand door began to open. The sound was as if thousands of years of silence had been broken in an instant. A white and bright wave emerged from within that swallowed up the entire blackness of nothingness. The shadow of the black serpent, which had reached Elena's neck, burned to ashes like a dry leaf, unable to withstand the light. The three-headed guard scattered like a pile of sand, and the ancient threshold that had been the path to destruction was now transformed into a path to survival.
As the door swung fully open, Elena saw cracks forming on the seraph's stone body. The black marble began to fall away like particles of gold, and from beneath it, the seraph's human body reappeared. The seraph let out a long and painful sigh, the first breath of life entering his lungs and his blood rushing through his veins again. His eyes opened, and they still held the same love he had felt for Elena before he turned to stone. Before Elena could fall, the seraph gathered her into his arms and held her to his chest.
"Elena! Did you lose your power? Did you sacrifice your throne for me?" The seraph's voice was filled with regret and immense love. Elena smiled weakly and placed her hand on the seraph's face, "I lost everything that made me queen, Seraph, but I found everything that keeps me alive." The seraph kissed Elena's forehead and then lifted her into his arms and stepped through the bright door.
As soon as they reached the other side of the door, the terrifying palace of nothingness disappeared behind them like smoke. They were no longer in their familiar palace, but in an ancient and mysterious valley where the sky was not purple but deep blue and where two suns were rising simultaneously. This was an ancient part of the serpent world that had been erased by the leaves of history. The silence there was not calm, but rather the prelude to a storm.
The Seraph set Elena down on a soft, grassy field and cleaned her wounds. "Where are we, Seraph? This doesn't look like a familiar part of the Seraph world," Elena asked worriedly. The Seraph looked up at the distant peak where a huge temple-like structure stood. "This is the 'Valley of Eternity,' Elena. It is said that the first Seraph who founded this universe lives here. Perhaps your sacrifice has brought us here."
Suddenly, the ground shook and the water of the lake in front of them split in two. From the middle of the water appeared a figure dressed in stars and wearing a crown of seven snakes. His eyes were white and held all the knowledge of the universe. "You have opened the door, mortals, but will you be able to face the truth that the true rightful owner of this throne is not Elena, but the Seraph's blood that he has always hidden?"
Elena and Seraf looked at each other's faces, the ground giving way from under their feet. What was Seraf's secret that was about to be revealed to them in this new world?
As the ancient gate closed behind them, they felt as if they had left a terrible hell behind and entered a lost paradise. This was the 'Valley of Eternity'—a place where time seemed to stand still like the still waters of a deep lake. The air here did not have the heaviness and death that was in the Palace of Nothingness, but the air here was filled with the enchanting scent of ancient soil, freshness, and the Blue Lotus that was soul-stirring.
The sky here was deep blue, but there were no stars on it; two magnificent suns were shining simultaneously—one a golden-smelling sun and the other a white sun that spread a cool light like silver. When the light of these two suns fell on the valley, everything was forming double shadows, giving the viewer a sense of an enchanted world. A stream flowed through the middle of the valley, its water as clear as glass, but the sand at its bottom sparkled like a star, as if diamonds were scattered beneath the water. The trees here were not ordinary trees; their branches seemed to be made of silver threads, and the leaves looked as if a skilled stonemason had carved emeralds and decorated them on their branches. When the wind blew, these leaves produced a melodious and mysterious music, as if centuries-old secrets were being whispered in the wind. On the distant horizon stood that magnificent temple-like structure whose towers touched the clouds, and the golden serpents carved on these towers shone in the sunlight, dazzling the eyes.
Seraph gently sat Elena down on a soft green meadow, which was as smooth as a silken floor. Seraph noticed that Elena's face no longer had the golden glow it once had, as she had spent a great deal of her strength opening that terrifying door. Seraph took Elena's wounded hands in his own and looked at them with great love and concern. He placed his lips on Elena's palms (Kiss), and Elena felt as if all the pain in her body had evaporated with that one touch.
Seraph wrapped Elena in his arms from behind and rested her head on his shoulder (Hug). "We are safe, Elena... at least for this moment," Seraph whispered in her ear. Elena took a long, deep breath and felt the warmth of the golden sun sink into her. "Seraph, this place is so beautiful that I'm afraid... isn't this also a new mirage like the Palace of Nothingness?" Elena asked in a trembling voice. Seraph gently grabbed her chin, turned her face to him, and, looking into her eyes, gave her a very soft and loving lip kiss. This kiss was enough to erase all their fatigue and fear. "This is not a mirage, Elena, this is the reality that has been hidden from us for centuries," Seraph said confidently.
But behind this immense beauty, there was also a strange fear. There were no birds in the valley, no animals were visible. Only the music of the wind and the sound of the water waves. Elena felt that as she looked into the valley, she was finding traces of the people of ancient times. Somewhere between the grass, the broken walls of old palaces were emerging, on which were carved images of the worship of serpents. It seemed as if this place had once been the centre of a great empire, which was now lost in the dust of time.
Elena noticed that the water of the great lake in the middle of the valley was now slowly turning from blue to golden. "Seraph, look! The colour of the water is changing," Elena pointed out in surprise. There was a mixed expression of surprise and unknown danger in the Seraph's eyes. He looked at his sword, 'Nur-e-Azdar', which was now emitting a faint white light, as if it was indicating some great change.
Suddenly, a slight vibration occurred in the ground, and all the trees in the valley began to tremble together. Large circles began to form in the water of the lake and a resonant sound was heard as if the mountains were speaking. The mysterious figure, who was dressed in a dress of stars, was now slowly emerging from the golden water of the lake.
awakened! Are you ready to see how this encounter changes Elena's fate forever?
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