The Serpent's Cipher

Previously

…As the Guardian’s presence dissolved entirely, leaving me alone with the Serpent's Cipher cradled in my hands, a profound sense of calm washed over me. The restlessness was still there, a familiar hum beneath the surface, but it was no longer a flight. It was a readiness. I had faced my own demons, and in doing so, I had found a new purpose. The Serpent's Cipher was mine, not to wield, but to protect. And I knew, with a certainty that settled deep in my bones, that this was just the beginning. The Obsidian Hand would come. But now, so would something else. A different kind of hunter. A guardian.