The serpent spirit, bound within the bracelet, was a force to be reckoned with. It was a creature of shadow and cunning, of both creation and destruction. To wield its power was to walk a razor's edge, for the serpent's influence was as seductive as it was dangerous.

When he saw the past of the serpent, he was bewildered. At first, she was at the bottom of a dark well, surrounded by snakes. The smallest one, seemingly perishing from hunger, caught his attention. Someone discovered this tiny creature and began feeding her milk, the source of which remained a mystery. As time passed, the serpent was returned to the well, but now she was larger and stronger, quickly devouring the other snakes. The man continued to visit, nourishing her with the same peculiar milk, and she grew exponentially. Eventually, she became colossal, capable of consuming an entire house. One night, the man tragically ended her life. Vastian, the man, felt a profound sense of loss and betrayal. This sorrow transformed into a burning rage, and she was reborn, a creature driven solely by destruction. By absorbing the life-giving energy around her, she defied death and exacted her revenge before vanishing into the depths of the earth, forgotten by time.

The bracelet granted Vastian four distinct abilities, each with its own advantages and risks. The first ability allowed Vastian to perceive things beyond the physical plane—seeing auras, spirits, and hidden energies. However, this ability came with a significant drawback: if Vastian encountered something he wasn't meant to see, it could inflict severe mental and spiritual damage upon him.The second ability enabled him to whisper into someone's mind, planting ideas and suggestions. But this power carried a perilous risk: the target's mind could whisper back, imparting knowledge that could be dangerous to Vastian.The third ability allowed him to create a "cycle," drawing energy from his surroundings to heal himself. This power could only be activated in life-threatening situations, and he had approximately 270 seconds to use it. After that time, he was required to return the energy he had borrowed, thus completing the cycle.The final ability was the most dangerous of all. It allowed Vastian to summon the spirit bound within the bracelet into the physical plane. Upon activation, an enormous serpent would emerge, devouring everything in its path. According to Vastian's understanding, the snake would consume the very existence of whatever lay before it. To summon the spirit, Vastian had to first complete at least one full cycle of the third ability.

The third spirit proved to be the most formidable challenge yet. Each spirit had its own distinct preferences, making the forging process a complex and often frustrating endeavor. This particular spirit was exceptionally stubborn, rejecting countless ideas for its vessel. It was Anya who ultimately suggested the unconventional solution: a tattoo. Initially hesitant, Vastian agreed, recognizing it as a potential path forward.Finding a suitable tattoo artist proved to be the next hurdle. They needed someone discreet, skilled, and willing to participate in a process they couldn't fully comprehend. Anya recommended a trusted associate who agreed to perform the tattoo without question. Before the procedure, Vastian prepared the ink through a ritualistic process, imbuing it with the necessary properties. Working closely with the artist, they designed a tattoo that would serve as a suitable vessel for the spirit's power.

Then they began. As the needle pierced his skin, Vastian felt a sharp, searing pain that quickly gave way to something far deeper—a connection to the spirit's memories. He was no longer in the tattoo parlor; his mind was transported to another realm, where he saw the spirit as if through the lens of time itself.The spirit sat alone, in the vast expanse of an endless sea, its waters stretching out to the horizon, calm and undisturbed. The spirit was seated with legs crossed, in a meditative pose, his presence serene yet solitary. At first glance, he seemed like an ordinary man, his features unremarkable in their simplicity. But as the moments passed, something extraordinary began to occur.Small, luminous dots appeared on the spirit's skin, seemingly out of nowhere, like stars being born in the night sky. Each dot glowed with a soft, otherworldly light, and as they multiplied, they began to form intricate patterns, weaving together into constellations that told stories of the cosmos. The constellations spread across his body, each one a symbol of ancient wisdom and forgotten lore.As these celestial patterns emerged, the sea beneath the spirit began to change. What was once a dark, opaque expanse now became transparent, revealing a universe beneath the surface. Stars, planets, and galaxies swirled in the depths, their light reflecting off the water, creating a breathtaking vista of cosmic grandeur. It was as if the spirit sat at the nexus of all creation, a being both part of and separate from the universe's endless expanse.The spirit remained there, unmoving, his gaze fixed on the infinite stars above and below him. He had sat in this place for eons, a solitary sentinel watching as time flowed around him, his thoughts lost in the vastness of existence. The loneliness of his vigil was palpable, a profound isolation that spoke of a being who had seen countless ages pass, yet remained unchanged, forever bound to his cosmic meditation.As Vastian experienced this vision, he felt a deep sense of the spirit's wisdom, but also its unending solitude. The pain of the tattoo seemed to fade into the background, replaced by an overwhelming sense of connection to something far greater than himself—a timeless entity that had witnessed the birth and death of stars, and had patiently waited for a purpose that had finally arrived.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

The tattoo was a mystical and enigmatic design, spanning the wearer's upper back from the nape of the neck to the middle of the spine. It was a manifestation of the celestial spirit's power, rendered in an abstract and arcane style that blurred the lines between reality and the supernatural.At the center of the tattoo, positioned along the spine, was a radiant sphere, not depicted as a literal orb, but as a complex, swirling vortex of pure white light. This vortex was composed of intricate, spiraling patterns, reminiscent of arcane symbols and sigils, each imbued with a sense of otherworldly energy. The vortex seemed to be in constant motion, as if breathing with the rhythm of the universe.Radiating outward from the central vortex were abstract tendrils of light and shadow, intertwining in a chaotic yet harmonious dance across the shoulder blades. These tendrils varied in thickness and form, creating a mesmerizing contrast of sharp and flowing lines. Interspersed within these tendrils were fragments of constellations, depicted as clusters of abstract geometric shapes and cryptic runes. These constellations, unlike those found in the night sky, mapped out the metaphysical realms and pulsed with a faint, iridescent glow, reflecting the wisdom of the guardian spirit.The figure of the celestial guardian was represented not as a humanoid form, but as an abstract, ethereal presence suggested by sweeping arcs and curves that flowed with the natural contours of the wearer's back. The guardian's "eyes" were reduced to two simple, elongated ellipses, glowing with an inner light that radiated an aura of serene power and ancient knowledge.The lower portion of the tattoo featured a chaotic web of arcane lines and spirals, representing the forces of destruction. These lines gradually blended upward into the smoother, flowing lines of the upper tattoo, symbolizing the transformation of chaos into order.The entire tattoo glowed faintly in low light, the various elements appearing to shift and pulse as if alive, creating an almost hypnotic effect. The abstract nature of the design allowed it to be a powerful, arcane symbol—one that was not easily understood or deciphered, but whose presence was undeniably potent. The wearer of this tattoo felt a constant, subtle influence of the celestial guardian spirit, a presence that was both comforting and awe-inspiring. The tattoo served as a bridge between the wearer and the cosmic forces that the guardian embodied, a living symbol of the balance between creation and destruction, light and dark, chaos and order.