Orion moved with an unsettling ease through the narrow passages of the city, his pace steady, his head turning now and then as if checking for something—or someone. I followed in silence, my eyes darting to every shadow, my hand resting on the dagger at my side. The weight of his words lingered in my mind: You’re loud. You drew attention the moment you stepped into this city.

The serpents stirred uneasily, their quiet hisses echoing my own tension. The city felt different tonight, the hum of life and machinery replaced by an oppressive stillness.

Orion glanced over his shoulder, his dark eyes meeting mine. “You feel it, don’t you?”

I didn’t answer immediately, but I didn’t need to. The way my serpents coiled, their scales bristling, was answer enough.

“What is it?” I asked, my voice low.

“The hunters,” he said simply.

A chill ran down my spine. “Who are they?”

“Mortals,” he replied, stepping over a pile of debris without breaking stride. “But not ordinary ones. These people have been hunting the remnants of the old world for generations. Artifacts, creatures, myths—they collect and destroy whatever they can find.”

I stiffened. “Why?”

He gave a bitter laugh. “Because they fear what they don’t understand. And because the gods left this world in chaos when they faded. Mortals learned to fight back, to claim power for themselves. Now, anything that doesn’t fit their vision of control is a threat.”

His words hung heavy in the air, but they didn’t surprise me. I had seen the cruelty of mortals before. They had feared me, hunted me, long before I became a monster in their eyes.

“They’re not far,” Orion continued, his voice quieter now. “I’ve been watching them track you since you woke. They don’t know what you are yet, but it won’t take them long to figure it out.”

I clenched my fists, anger flaring in my chest. “Let them come. They’ll turn to stone like the rest.”

Orion stopped abruptly, spinning to face me. “That’s exactly what you can’t do.”

My eyes narrowed. “Why not?”

“Because the more attention you draw, the worse it’ll get. Hunters are one thing, but if you start leaving a trail of statues in your wake, others will notice—things far more dangerous than humans.”

The serpents hissed, and I looked away, my jaw tightening. I hated the truth in his words. For centuries, I had been nothing but a prisoner of my curse, feared and isolated. Now that I was free, the thought of hiding again—of restraining the only power I had left—felt unbearable.

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“What do you suggest, then?” I asked bitterly.

“Stay quiet. Stay hidden. And let me help you,” he said, his tone firm but not unkind.

I met his gaze, searching for some hint of deceit. He was calm, his expression steady, but there was a fire in his eyes, something raw and unspoken.

“Why do you care?” I asked softly. “Why risk yourself for me?”

Orion hesitated, the faintest flicker of emotion crossing his face. “Because I’ve seen what they do to people like us,” he said finally. “And because someone once gave me a chance to survive. Now it’s my turn.”

His words stirred something in me, though I couldn’t quite name it. I didn’t trust him—not fully—but for now, I had no other choice.

“Fine,” I said at last. “But if you betray me—”

“You’ll turn me to stone,” he finished, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. “I figured as much.”

He turned and began walking again, and I followed reluctantly.

The streets grew darker as we moved farther from the glowing heart of the city. The buildings here were smaller, their surfaces weathered and cracked. The air was damp, carrying the faint scent of decay.

“Where are we going?” I asked, my voice cutting through the silence.

“There’s a safe house nearby,” Orion said without looking back. “Somewhere they won’t find you.”

I frowned. “How do you know they won’t?”

“Because they’re too busy looking where the light is brightest,” he said cryptically.

I didn’t have time to press him further. A sudden noise shattered the stillness—a sharp, metallic clang, followed by the unmistakable sound of footsteps.

Orion froze, his body tensing like a predator sensing danger. He raised a hand, motioning for me to stay quiet.

The footsteps grew louder, echoing off the walls. My grip on the dagger tightened, and the serpents stirred, their hisses rising in warning.

A shadow moved at the edge of the alley, and my breath caught. The figure stepped into the faint light, their features obscured by a dark hood.

Orion shifted, placing himself between me and the stranger. “Stay back,” he warned, his voice low.

The figure tilted their head, their movements unnervingly fluid. When they spoke, their voice was smooth and cold. “You’ve been careless, Orion.”

My blood ran cold. Whoever this was, they knew him—and they weren’t human.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Orion said evenly, though his stance betrayed his readiness for a fight.

The figure stepped closer, and the faint light revealed their face—or what was left of it. Their features were unnaturally sharp, their skin pale and marked with faint, glowing lines that pulsed like veins. Their eyes burned with an eerie light, and when they smiled, it was too wide, too sharp.

“You can’t protect her,” the stranger said, their gaze shifting to me. “She’s a relic, an artifact of a world that’s long gone. She doesn’t belong here.”

Rage flared in my chest, and I stepped forward. “Who are you to decide that?”

The stranger’s smile widened. “I’m the one who cleans up the messes your kind leaves behind.”

Before I could respond, Orion lunged. His movements were fast—inhumanly fast—and he struck the stranger with a force that sent them reeling.

“Run!” Orion shouted, glancing back at me.

For a moment, I hesitated, torn between fight and flight. But the serpents hissed urgently, and I knew he was right.

I turned and ran, my heart pounding as I sprinted through the narrow alleyways. The sounds of the fight echoed behind me, sharp and violent, but I didn’t look back.

The city blurred around me, a maze of shadows and light. I didn’t know where I was going, but I couldn’t stop. Not now.