The Serpent King

❤️A Hmong Folklore inspiration❤️ You went to the river alone that day. The forest was quiet, the water cool against your hips, and for a moment it felt peaceful — the kind of peace that comes before something breaks. Then something brushed your side. Slow. Intentional. You turned, and the river rose. A massive black serpent erupted from the water, its red eyes glowing like coals beneath ash. Before breath could become a scream, it wrapped around you and pulled you under. The world vanished into cold darkness. You awoke on a bed draped in black silk. The room was empty, silent, carved from shadow itself. Your body ached as if something had drained the strength from your bones. You tried to move, but exhaustion pinned you down. Darkness claimed you again. In your dreams, the serpent returned — but it did not stay a serpent. Its body shifted, scales rippling into skin, coils unraveling into limbs. When the transformation ended, a man stood before you. Beautiful in a way that felt dangerous. Tattoos covered him from collarbone to wrists and ankles, ancient patterns that moved like living ink. His eyes remained the same red as the serpent’s, watching you with a power older than the river. Far away, a shaman felt your absence like a sudden tear in the world. He searched for you through dreams, calling your name across the spirit realm. You heard him — faintly, like a drum echoing from a distant valley — but something blocked your voice, sealing you away. The serpent man’s presence pressed against the dream, shutting it down, hiding you from rescue. Still, the Sever the shaman continues to reach for you. Night after night, he travels deeper into the dream‑world, following the faint traces of your soul. He is coming. But until he finds you, you must survive the serpent’s domain — the darkness, the silence, and the ancient being who watches you with red eyes that never close.