The first rays of dawn slipped quietly through the window.
Birds chirped outside.
A cool morning breeze drifted into the room.
Rajiv slowly opened his eyes.
For a brief moment, he simply stared at the ceiling.
Then he felt something warm wrapped around his wrist.
He lowered his gaze.
The tiny white snake remained curled around his arm, sleeping peacefully.
Its breathing was slow and gentle.
The silver patterns upon its scales shimmered faintly beneath the morning sunlight.
Rajiv watched it quietly.
"...Still sleeping."
Carefully...
Very carefully...
He tried to slide his hand free.
The little snake merely shifted slightly before tightening its coils.
Rajiv stopped moving.
Several seconds later, he tried again.
This time he succeeded.
The snake continued sleeping soundly upon the bed.
Rajiv nodded to himself.
Good.
He quietly stood and walked toward the washroom.
Three steps.
Four.
Five.
"Hiss?"
The tiny snake's golden eyes suddenly snapped open.
It looked toward the empty bed.
Then toward Rajiv.
Panic immediately filled its little face.
"Hiss!"
Without another thought, it launched itself from the bed.
Whoosh!
The little white blur shot across the room.
Rajiv had barely reached the doorway when something wrapped itself around his ankle.
He looked down.
The tiny snake stared up at him with accusing eyes.
"Hiss!"
Rajiv blinked.
"...I was only washing my face."
"Hiss!"
The little snake shook its head vigorously as if rejecting his excuse.
Then it climbed all the way back onto his wrist.
Only after wrapping itself around his arm once again did it finally look satisfied.
Rajiv stared at it.
"...You're troublesome."
The tiny snake proudly lifted its head.
"Hiss!"
...
Outside the room...
Two maids carrying fresh towels had witnessed everything.
They looked at each other.
One whispered,
"...Did..."
"...Did Young Master just argue with a snake?"
The other nodded blankly.
"I think..."
"...the snake won."
Not long afterward...
Rajiv entered the dining hall.
Lord Cris had already arrived.
Vicky sat beside him, leisurely drinking tea.
Several elders discussed matters concerning the tribe.
When Rajiv entered, everyone smiled.
"Come."
Lord Cris gestured toward the empty seat beside him.
Rajiv quietly nodded.
As he sat down, the tiny snake lazily peeked out from beneath his sleeve.
Its golden eyes immediately locked onto the table.
There was roasted venison.
Fresh fish.
Honey-glazed meat.
Steaming soup.
Its pupils widened.
"Hiss..."
It slowly raised its tiny head.
Rajiv noticed.
"...No."
The snake looked at him.
Then back at the meat.
Then at Rajiv again.
Its little face practically screamed disbelief.
"Hiss?"
Rajiv calmly picked up his chopsticks.
"...Wait."
The snake lowered its head.
For exactly three seconds.
Then—
Whoosh!
It shot across the table faster than anyone could react.
Lord Cris had just reached for a slice of roasted meat.
It vanished.
He blinked.
His chopsticks remained suspended in midair.
"..."
The elders looked at his empty plate.
Then—
Whoosh!
Another piece disappeared from Elder Marcus's bowl.
"Huh?"
"Hiss!"
The tiny snake swallowed the meat in one gulp.
Its eyes immediately searched for another target.
Chaos erupted.
"My breakfast!"
"Catch it!"
"It stole my fish!"
The tiny snake darted between bowls with unbelievable speed.
No one could catch it.
Even the Rank Three elders found themselves grabbing nothing but air.
Vicky burst into laughter.
"Hahaha!"
"I've seen many spirit beasts..."
"But never one that declared war on breakfast!"
Lord Cris rubbed his forehead.
"...Rajiv."
"Control your beast."
Rajiv sighed quietly.
He reached toward the table.
"...Come here."
The snake immediately stopped.
It turned around.
Looked at Rajiv.
Then obediently slithered onto his arm.
Everyone fell silent.
Lord Cris raised an eyebrow.
"...It only listens to you."
Rajiv nodded.
"It was hungry."
The little snake nodded vigorously.
"Hiss!"
Several elders looked utterly defeated.
One muttered,
"...We just lost our breakfast..."
"...to something smaller than my arm."
The entire hall burst into laughter.
Even Lord Cris couldn't stop himself.
For the first time in years...
The dining hall felt truly lively again.
Rajiv quietly watched everyone laughing.
Almost unconsciously...
The corners of his lips rose slightly.
Vicky noticed immediately.
His smile softened.
Good.
Very good.
Later that morning...
Rajiv returned to the library.
Towering shelves surrounded him.
Books covered every subject imaginable.
History.
Cultivation.
Herbal medicine.
Spirit beasts.
Politics.
Rajiv selected a thick book and sat by the window.
The little snake watched curiously.
Rajiv opened the first page.
Silence returned.
Five minutes passed.
The snake patiently rested upon the table.
Ten minutes.
Rajiv still hadn't moved.
Fifteen minutes.
The little snake tilted its head.
"...Hiss?"
No response.
It slowly climbed onto the open book.
Rajiv simply lifted it aside without looking away from the page.
The snake blinked.
Then crawled onto his shoulder.
Nothing.
It gently flicked his ear with its tail.
Rajiv turned another page.
"..."
The little snake narrowed its golden eyes.
This meant war.
It grabbed the edge of the book with its tiny mouth.
Pulled.
Nothing.
It pulled harder.
Still nothing.
Finally...
With one determined tug—
Snap!
The book slipped free.
The tiny snake immediately turned and fled.
"Hiss!"
Rajiv stared blankly at his now-missing book.
"..."
Several seconds passed.
Then...
For perhaps the first time in years...
He stood up.
And chased after it.
The servants outside the library froze.
"...Young Master?"
They watched Rajiv run through the corridor.
Ahead of him...
A tiny white snake proudly carried a book almost twice its own size.
"Hiss!"
It looked back triumphantly.
Rajiv sighed.
"...Come back."
The snake accelerated.
One servant rubbed his eyes.
"...Did..."
"...Did Young Master just run?"
Another servant slowly nodded.
"I think..."
"...the little beast kidnapped his book."
The chase continued through the gardens.
Around flowerbeds.
Across stone paths.
Past confused guards.
Eventually...
The tiny snake stopped beneath a large tree.
Rajiv finally caught up.
The snake gently placed the book on the ground.
Then nudged a small wooden ball lying nearby.
"Hiss."
Rajiv looked at the ball.
Then at the snake.
"...You want to play?"
An enthusiastic nod.
Rajiv remained silent.
Reading was more important.
He picked up his book.
The snake immediately grabbed the edge again.
"Hiss!"
Rajiv sighed.
"...Just once."
He picked up the wooden ball.
Threw it across the garden.
The tiny snake shot after it like a streak of white lightning.
Moments later...
It proudly returned carrying the ball in its mouth.
Its tail wagged happily.
Again.
Rajiv threw it once more.
Again the snake raced after it.
Soon...
One throw became five.
Five became ten.
By the time the afternoon sun reached its peak...
Rajiv had completely forgotten about his book.
Soft laughter escaped the little snake every time it proudly returned with the ball.
And before long...
A quiet sound echoed through the peaceful garden.
Rajiv...
Was laughing.
It was faint.
Gentle.
But undeniably real.
Not far away...
Lord Cris and Vicky watched from a pavilion.
Neither spoke for a long time.
Finally...
Vicky smiled.
"Varinder really knew what he was doing."
Lord Cris nodded slowly.
"That little snake..."
"...isn't simply a spirit beast."
His gaze remained fixed upon Rajiv.
"It doesn't care about cultivation."
"It doesn't care about status."
"It only wants one thing."
He smiled warmly.
"...To drag that child back into the childhood he lost."
Both men watched silently as Rajiv threw the ball once more.
The little snake happily chased after it.
The sight was so ordinary.
Yet after everything that had happened...
It felt like a miracle.
That night...
Rajiv lay quietly upon his bed.
The tiny snake curled comfortably around his wrist.
Its soft breathing soon filled the silent room.
Rajiv looked toward the ceiling.
For the first time in many years...
When he thought of his father...
The memory wasn't filled only with blood.
Or flames.
Or loss.
Instead...
He remembered a gentle smile.
Varinder placing the mysterious egg into his hands.
"Take good care of it."
"One day..."
"It will become your closest companion."
Rajiv gently stroked the tiny snake's head.
A warm smile slowly appeared upon his face.
"...Thank you..."
His whisper disappeared into the quiet night.
Outside...
The moon shone brightly over the Varien Tribe.
And somewhere beyond the stars...
It felt as though a father, watching from afar, had finally found peace.