Vespertide

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This wasn't the first time I've experienced loss. I used to be the center of attention in a group of kids—orphans.

We made our way through the forest, and the other kids chattered excitedly, running and playing together.

I hung back from the group, my mind a world away from the boisterous energy of the others. I wasn't fond of excessive activity, preferring to take my time and savor the present moment. This was one of those times when I simply wanted to sit back, relax, and let the world unfold around me.

That's when I saw her, a tiny snake slithering out of the pile of leaves. My body felt an inexplicable bond forming within me as I watched her from the tree stump, feeling compelled to get closer.

Without hesitation, I crouched down, gaze fixed upon the teeny creature.

"Hey guys! Look what I found," I called out to the others.

Two of the boys paused their bickering and turned their attention toward me. The taller of the two, Arthur, was the first to approach. He was the golden child of our foster parents, favored for his striking resemblance to them.

Apparently, a semi-wealthy couple stumbled upon a group of forsaken infants adrift on the river's currents like forgotten ships. The couple, unable to bear children of their own, took in the lost souls and turned their home into a haven for the forsaken.

"Ew, a snake," he groaned, wrinkling his nose in disgust. "Please throw it away, they're nasty."

"It's just a baby," I said, reaching out and gently stroking her scales. "It's so small and harmless. I wonder if it's a boy or a girl?"

The other boy, Sebas, came trotting. "It's definitely a girl," he answered confidently. "Look at its tail; Male snakes have thick tails, while female tails are thin and have a gradual taper.

The snake gazed up at me with big, curious eyes, and I knew she was mine to nurture and care for in that instant. I scooped her up and held her close, feeling her fondness radiate against my chest.

"What should we call her?" I asked.

"I dunno, you decide," Arthur shrugged. He stared at her from a distance, thinking she was some dangerous creature.

"I'm going to call her Snakey," I said, smiling down at her.

"You serious?" Arthur giggled. "That's the least creative name I've heard, ever."

"Mmhm, but I think it sounds cute," Sebas chimed in.

"Tsk, do whatever you guys want. I'm going to back to the other guys."

"Arthur, are you perhaps scared of snakes?" I asked, tilting my head slightly.

"Wha—? No, you guys are just dull. That. Is. It!" he grunted.

Sebas and I looked at him, jogging away. He occasionally turned his head for some reason.

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Sebas pointed at him and began laughing. "He's probably making sure Snakey isn't chasing him."

"Ha! Then it's decided," I exclaimed, inviting Sebas for a gentle fist bump. "We'll call her Snakey."

Now that I think about it, what a childish name I gave her. Anything else could have probably been better. But who's to blame, anyway? We were just kids. Stupid kids.

Hardly months had passed since we had met, and yet, in that brief time, a catastrophe had descended upon our family. The memories of that night were still etched in my mind, as clear as if it had happened yesterday. The acrid scents of smoke had ripped me from my sleep.

Dazed, I staggered from my bed, my feet stumbling as I hastened toward the door, nearly engulfed in flames. The heat was too intense to even consider opening it. Behind it sounded the crying, dying, gasping, screaming of flaring children. Oh God, their screams!

With no other way out, I grappled with the window, wrenching it open. The scorching heat and thick smoke made it hard to inhale as I clambered out. The orphanage was a raging inferno, the heat so intense that it singed my skin.

Landing outside with a heavy thud, I stood there, frozen in shock, watching my home, memories, and childhood reduced to ashes before my eyes.

Since then, I haven't heard a word from my foster parents or the other orphans. Snakey and I must've been the only survivors.

But now, she was gone too...

As I gracefully slithered outside, my body adjusted to the unfamiliar form of Snakey. I scaled the walls of the barn with ease, relishing in the newfound agility and flexibility of my serpentine form. Making it to the roof, I gazed beyond the horizon. It was a weird sight, viewing the world from a snake's eyes, but I could sense the darkness creeping in. The winter months looming ahead meant the sun would go down during the evenings.

Suddenly, a searing pain shot through my heart. It felt as if her soul was being ripped from my chest, and in an instant, I was back in my human form, gasping for breath.

"Huff... What's happening?" I muttered through labored breaths, my mouth dry with exhaustion.

An ethereal form hovered before me, the same that had emerged from Snakey's body upon her death.

I stared in confusion at the soul. What was going on? I had thought that the merger with Snakey's soul was permanent, but now her soul was standing in front of me, separated from my body.

As I tried to stand up, I realized something odd. My leg, which had been injured from my escape and had caused me pain before, was completely healed. I bent down to touch my leg, feeling no pain, no stiffness. Not even a trace of the injury that used to be.

It could only be the result of the merger. There was no other explanation for such rapid healing.

I looked down at my hands in contemplation. For how long have I had this ability? My entire life? Just now?

Then the masked virtuoso guy must've had something to do with this. It was rather strange how Rupert's plan immediately switched after the Virtuoso whispered in his ears. Of course, the creative punishment could've been a coincidence, but I couldn't shake the feeling that there was something deeper, a hidden motive behind it all.

Whether he awakened my ability or simply showed me, I don't care. All I know is that this power will manifest whenever I take a life. And one day, I will harvest his soul and claim it as my own.

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