Alex barely had time to catch his breath before the faint hum grew louder—a low, rhythmic vibration that made the ground tremble beneath his feet. His instincts flared in warning. Something was coming.
He turned sharply toward the far end of the chamber, where the shadows seemed to ripple and twist. Then, with a bone-chilling hiss, another snake slithered into view—identical to the first. Two heads, gleaming green scales, and a pair of jagged horns pulsing faintly with power.
"You've got to be kidding me," Alex muttered, his hands clenching into fists. He was already exhausted, his muscles heavy from draining the first snake's energy. But there was no time to rest, this thing wasn't going to wait.
The snake struck first. Both heads lunged in perfect synchronization, forcing Alex to dive to the side. The impact of their missed attack shattered the ground where he had stood moments before, sending shards of stone flying.
He landed hard, pain jolting through his body. His regeneration was working overtime, healing the scrapes and bruises, but the deeper exhaustion, the kind that came from using his powers too much... It was harder to shake.
'I need to end this fast'.
Alex darted forward, aiming for the nearest horn. But this snake was faster and smarter. One head snapped at him while the other swung low, sweeping his legs out from under him. He hit the ground hard, the air rushing from his lungs.
Before he could recover, fangs glinted above him. He rolled just in time to avoid being skewered, the venom hissing as it sizzled against the stone.
"Alright, no more messing around," he growled.
He surged forward, grabbing the snake's body and wrenching it sideways. The sheer weight of it strained his muscles, but he didn't let go. Using the creature's own momentum, he slammed it against the jagged cavern wall. The impact stunned one of the heads, giving him an opening.
Alex leaped onto the snake's back and wrapped both hands around its left horn. His arms burned as he pulled with every ounce of strength. The snake thrashed violently, but he held on, his teeth gritted against the pain.
Crack!
The horn snapped free, and a surge of raw energy blasted through him. His vision blurred for a second, but he didn't stop. He jumped off just as the snake's weakened head sagged to the ground.
"One down," he panted, wobbling slightly as he turned to face the remaining head.
The last head hissed in fury, venom dripping from its fangs. It lunged at him with reckless abandon. Alex met the strike head-on, dodging just enough to avoid the fangs while driving his fist into the base of the final horn.
The horn shattered beneath his blow. The snake convulsed, its body twisting as waves of energy poured from the broken stumps. Alex pressed his hand against its glittering scales, drawing in the chaotic energy. His legs trembled under the strain, but he didn't stop until the snake's movements ceased entirely.
The chamber fell into eerie silence once again.
Alex staggered back, his entire body humming with the energy he had drained. His breaths came in shallow gasps, sweat dripping from his brow. Somehow, he had done it again.
He wiped his face on his sleeve. "If there's a third one, I'm out," he muttered, only half-joking.
A low rumble filled the chamber. For a split second, his heart sank but instead of another monster, a stone pedestal rose from the ground near the center of the room. Its surface shimmered with intricate runes, glowing faintly as a metal chest emerged from within.
Alex hesitated before stepping toward it. His body ached, every muscle screaming for rest, but the promise of a reward pulled him forward.
The chest clicked open as soon as he touched it. Inside, nestled on a velvet cushion, was a silver ring etched with strange symbols. It pulsed softly in his hand, cool against his fingers.
A small parchment lay beside it, the words shimmering faintly:
"Ring of Serpent's Will – Increases physical durability and resistance to venom. A reward for those who conquer the twin serpents."
Alex let out a low whistle. "Not bad." He slipped the ring onto his finger, feeling a subtle warmth spread through his hand as it adjusted to him.
As the pedestal sank back into the ground, a portal shimmered into existence at the far end of the chamber—his exit.
He allowed himself a moment to breathe before stepping through. He wanted to return to his hostel so bad, his joints were throbbing with so much pain, his eyes heavy — only a long rest would do the trick.
As he stepped out of the portal, he could not believe his eyes — it was almost morning.
'Damn it, I can't believe I spent the entire night inside, fighting.'
He looked around, the security men were still around but they were sleeping — They must have being tired of waiting for him, thinking that he wasn't going to make it out.
"Seriously?" He muttered and shook his head.
Even till now, the heroes were nowhere to be seen.
If the heroes are not up and doing, if they can not carry out their jobs — saving lives, why then did they bother becoming a hero in the first place?
The pay? Fame? Power? Or them three?
'Ridiculous!'
Alex spat and walked away, behind him, the portal was disappearing slowly until it was no longer there.
Seconds turned into minutes and minutes into hours, and finally some group of heroes appeared there.
"Where is the portal?" One of them asked, jolting the security men that were sleeping.
When the security men saw them, they looked quite disappointed but no one made a complaint because they had no right.
The security man who had allowed Alex to go into the portal, turned and when he didn't see the portal anymore, he concluded that the boy must have cleared it.
"Don't worry, it has already been cleared," he replied to the hero and then signaled to his men.
The security men left, disappointed, leaving the so-called heroes to their thoughts.
------
Alex trudged back to his hostel, his body aching with every step. He couldn't wait to collapse onto his bed and sleep for a week. As he opened the door to his room, he was greeted by the familiar sight of his messy bed and scattered clothes. He didn't care. All he wanted was to sleep.
He stumbled over to his bed and face-planted onto the mattress, not even bothering to take off his shoes. The moment his back touched the bed, he was out cold.
Hours passed, and Alex slept like a rock, oblivious to the world outside. But as the sun began to set, casting a warm orange glow over the room, Alex was jolted awake by a knock at the door.
He groggily sat up, rubbing his eyes. Who could that be? He wasn't exactly in the mood for visitors. But as he swung his legs over the side of the bed, he heard the knock again, this time followed by a faint voice.
"Alex? Are you okay?"
It was Elizabeth. Alex's heart skipped a beat as he quickly got out of bed and made his way to the door. He opened it to find Elizabeth standing in the hallway, a concerned look on her face and a basket in her hands.
"I brought you something to eat," she said, her eyes scanning his disheveled appearance. "You look like you could use it."
Alex's stomach growled at the sight of the food, and he felt a pang of gratitude towards Elizabeth. He stepped aside, allowing her to enter.
"Thanks," he said, taking the basket from her. "I'm starving."
As Elizabeth walked into the room, Alex couldn't help but notice the way she moved with a quiet confidence, her eyes sparkling with a hint of warmth. He felt a flutter in his chest, and suddenly, he was aware of how alone they were in the room.
But as he looked at Elizabeth, he saw that she was gazing at him with a look of concern, not romance. He pushed aside the feeling, telling himself he was just being ridiculous.
"So, what's going on?" Alex asked, breaking the silence as he dug into the food. "Why did you suddenly bring me food?"
Elizabeth smiled, her eyes crinkling at the corners. "I figured you could use it after last night. You look like you've been through a war."
Alex chuckled, feeling a sense of gratitude towards her. "I feel like I have."
As they sat down to eat together, Alex couldn't help but feel a sense of comfort in Elizabeth's presence. It was a feeling he hadn't experienced in a long time, and it caught him off guard.
But as they ate and talked, Alex realized that maybe, just maybe, he was starting to see Elizabeth in a different light.
"Thank you for the food," he said after they were done eating.
Elizabeth smiled warmly. "You are welcome," she replied.
"By the way, how are doing?" Alex asked her after some time.
"I am okay," Elizabeth replied. "Why do you ask? You seem to care and it is unlike you."
Alex glanced at her and then stood up, he walked to his window and as he gazed outside, he sighed. Her question made sense — Why does he even care about her?