CHAPTER 4 – The Hunters Who Wanted the Snake
Emily's flashlight barely pierced the darkness.
The underground passage stretched hundreds of feet beneath the desert.
Ancient walls were covered with faded paintings showing enormous white snakes standing beside human beings.
Not attacking them.
Protecting them.
"This can't be real..."
Emily whispered.
The snake continued forward until it stopped inside a vast underground chamber.
In the center stood a stone pedestal.
Resting on it...
...was a glowing crystal unlike anything Emily had ever seen.
Its soft blue light illuminated the chamber with an eerie glow.
As soon as the white snake approached it, something incredible happened.
The deep wound on its head slowly began closing.
Emily stared in disbelief.
"This... is impossible."
Suddenly—
BANG!
A deafening gunshot echoed through the cave.
The crystal exploded into fragments.
Emily screamed.
The white snake instantly coiled in front of her.
Several armed men rushed into the chamber wearing desert camouflage and night-vision helmets.
Red laser sights covered Emily's chest.
A tall man stepped forward.
Gray beard.
Cold eyes.
A scar across his face.
He smiled without warmth.
"Thank you," he said calmly.
"We've spent twenty years searching for this place."
Emily's heart sank.
"You followed me..."
The man laughed.
"We couldn't enter."
"The Guardian would never reveal the path to us."
"But it trusted you."
He slowly raised a tranquilizer rifle.
"We don't need you anymore."
Before he could pull the trigger—
The entire cave began shaking.
The shattered crystal had awakened something.
A deafening roar echoed from far below the ruins.
Dust rained from the ceiling.
The soldiers looked around nervously.
One whispered,
"What was that?"
The old commander suddenly lost his confidence.
His face turned pale.
"No..."
he muttered.
"We broke the seal."
Cracks raced across the stone floor.
A gigantic shadow moved beneath them.
Then an enormous golden eye slowly opened inside the darkness below.
It was at least ten times larger than the white snake.
The white snake lowered its head.
Not in fear.
In respect.
May you like
The ancient creature had awakened.
And every person inside the cave had just become its prey.
