The Serpent's Cipher

Previously

…I stopped, straining my ears. Lyra had spoken of this, of the Serpent’s Song, a lure, a siren’s call from the artifact itself. She’d described it as a manifestation of the Cipher’s immense power, a psychic resonance that drew its seekers closer. At the time, it had sounded like fanciful lore, the kind of embellishment that added spice to ancient legends. Now, with the melody caressing my senses, it felt terrifyingly real. The song grew, swelling from a murmur to a chorus, a symphony of voices, none distinct, yet all harmonizing in a way that was both achingly beautiful and profoundly unsettling. It spoke of forgotten kingdoms, of cosmic secrets, of power