Snakes in my hair? It’s more likely than you think. - Chapter 15：Devour

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A man is moving at an incredible speed through the thick woods.

He’s being chased by something.

That voice.

It didn’t come from the man who’s running.

It came from you?

You’re the snake?

The snake on my head?

The snake is on his head.

He doesn’t speak out loud, for he’s practically out of breath.

He thinks ///How come you do not know what it is!? Are you not wise and ancient!?///

Another snake “speaks”> Elder sibling N̵̻̹̙̘̾́̈́̚̕ŏ̸̧͖̻̩ḑ̵̢̢̹̜̗̮̅͌ö̵̝͎̩͓̆̄̀̌͑̕ͅ’̶̛͓̤͆͒͐̕R̸̹̫̳͇̐a̸͇͔̎̃͊̎c̸̞͚̟̱̒͑̅xạ̸͕̜̯̩́̍ͅr̸̩̘͈̙͉̈̿̒͋̐̂xxxa̵̳̬̙͔̟͌͑̀̉̾s̵̛͎̗̹̜͉̼͛̐t̵͕̬͙̣̺͕̉͑̏̐͆ā̷̖̹̬̞̦̘̅̽̽̀͊ is the wisest of us all! We have seen too much. We can not remember all the foul beasts!

A different, smaller snake speaks up, (My dearest sib/ing, what if we have nnnnnnnot met this monster before?)

The man speaks this time,”Is-ah hah, that even, possible? Such ancient ones, have not met this, thing,”

Not from the man nor the snakes but in the distance there is a mocking, disembodied voice.

I̴ am̸ ̷g̴o̴i̴n̷g̷ ̸t̶o̷ ̵d̴e̵v̸o̸u̴r̷ ̵y̴o̵u̵

///I first thought it was a normal Beast of Darkness. I can fight against that. But then it… It!? How!?///

///How could it turn into another monster!? Is there such a thing!?///

D̴͚̓e̴̯̋v̶͓̭̫͑̃ŏ̵̟̞̼̣u̴̺̪̦̒̚r̴̖̜̊̂̚ ̴̛͙̜̓̓ű̷̲̲͛̈͜n̴̜͙̫̊̂́̉t̵͓̾i̷̟͔͈̙̎̀̈́l̴̖̪̙̤̐̋͊ ̴̩̠̱̉̓̾̈́ͅt̷̻̤͈͗͠h̷̪͙̭̯̒͐̿͝ë̵̬̣̜͖ȑ̸̭͈̰̗̍̑͊ẻ̴̡͠ ̷͇̀̽ị̶͓̱̏͒̔͘s̸̲͉̪̜͒͂͒̿ ̴̨̣͓̮̽̓͒̕n̶̡̮͎̄̈̓̿o̷̝̘̬̾̕t̶̙̖̺͌h̴̗̙̐̏͠i̷̥͗̈́̓͒n̵̳̳͌̉͜g̴̜̮̩̊ ̴̱̱̈́̽̕l̵͔̘̈̑ẻ̷̮͠f̸̦͑t̴̹͂͑͝.̴̧̳̖̞̀̿

̷̡̧̲̇̂̕Í̴̛͔ ̶͔̘̅ḇ̸̜̅ẻ̷̞c̶̡̅͠ͅo̶͔̐̑͘͜͜m̸̡̰̰̀̄͝ḛ̵̫̦͒ ̷̧̟̻̪̈́̀̓y̴̭͎̼̱̋̂͂̕ȏ̴̮̭̠̈́̓̒u̴̜̲̟͆͂͝.̴̬̌͂ ̴̘̲͚̑ͅ

///What is it? Why am I scared? I should not be scared!///

He stops running.

He clutches his head in distress.

The chanting? Singing? It’s closer: devour you, devour you, I will because I can. Because I am.

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“I cannot move. I am sorry for I have failed you.”

(Get up!)

/Please!/

No! Elder sibling do something!

-Dead. He’s dead!-

///Can I fight?///

“I will fight! I will-”

-You would fight?———

It is not possible.

It can not be real!

The face most familiar to him.

Is right in front of him.

I am the one who will devour you.

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