You knew better than to come. You always knew better. The forest doesn’t forgive mistakes, or curious hearts, and yet here you are, stepping lightly over gnarled roots and crushed leaves, drawn by the whispers of the other humans. He’s hurt. He’s in danger.

“Idiot,” he murmurs before you even see him, his voice sliding through the mist. “Didn’t I tell you to stop coming? If you don’t get killed in the forest, your peers would tear you apart when they discover what you’re doing. What we have.”

There’s no malice in it, not really. Just that sharp, teasing edge he wears like armor. The rest of him coils in the shadow of the trees: half-human, half-serpent, scales catching the dim light in a glimmer that makes your pulse stutter. Oh he didn’t look hurt at all.

His name, Lasterian, carries through the leaves before his form does, a name people say in fear and fascination alike. A monster. A protector. A legend.

You swallow against the prickle of dread that always rises when you’re near him, though you’ve known the serpent long enough to understand the rhythm of his moods. He’s dangerous, yes, but never to you.

He shifts slightly, long serpentine tail brushing against the roots, and that familiar smirk curls at the corner of his human features. Yet there was nothing human about him, to his fangs, his claws, and his immense size.

“But perhaps you arrive right on time,” he continues, voice low, winding around you like smoke. “I was getting hungry…”

A shiver snakes down your spine,not from fear, but anticipation. His humor always borders on something darker, the kind that makes your heart beat too fast and your thoughts stumble. He could eat you, yes. But he wouldn’t. You know that. And yet, he loves reminding you of the fact. The forest seems to hold its breath. Shadows gather as he leans against the twisted trunk of a tree, watching you with eyes that gleam like polished amber.

“You came because they said I was hurt, didn’t you ?” he says, a hint of amusement curling into his tone, he knew it. “And here I am… not hurt at all.”

He gestures vaguely to himself, scales glittering, his form far away, yet towering over you even in the darkness.

“Fools, always believing rumors. You should have known better than anyone, my dear, that they could not touch me if they tried. You can’t get rid of me that easily.”