Traveler stopped.
The forest had changed.
The sound of his footsteps had disappeared beneath the trees.
Even the wind seemed to have stopped.
He slowly lowered Seris onto the ground.
She was still weak, but her wounds had almost completely closed.
Traveler looked behind him.
Nothing.
Then—
a faint rustle.
Traveler's eyes narrowed.
Leaves moved.
He turned completely.
The green serpent woman emerged between the trees.
Her enormous tail dragged across the forest floor.
She looked at Traveler.
Then at Seris.
Then back at Traveler.
"You knew."
Traveler said nothing.
She smiled.
"You knew I was following."
Traveler's hand moved toward his blade.
The serpent woman's smile widened.
"Good."
She suddenly disappeared.
Traveler's eyes shifted.
WHOOSH!
Her tail struck.
Traveler moved aside—
but another section of her enormous body was already behind him.
The tail wrapped around his torso.
THUD.
Traveler was caught.
The serpent woman pulled.
His feet left the ground.
Traveler immediately grabbed the scales around his body and tried to force himself free.
The serpent tightened.
His ribs compressed.
The branches around them shook.
Traveler's expression remained completely controlled.
The serpent woman looked at him.
"You're strong."
Her tail tightened again.
"But you're still prey."
Traveler's eyes narrowed.
He tried to reach his blade.
The serpent noticed.
Her tail squeezed harder.
The weapon slipped from his hand.
It struck the ground.
Clang.
Traveler looked at it.
Then back at her.
The serpent woman's attention shifted.
Seris.
She moved instantly.
One hand seized Seris by the throat.
Seris barely had time to react.
The serpent lifted her from the ground.
Traveler's expression changed slightly.
Not fear.
Recognition of the threat.
"Put her down."
The serpent ignored him.
Seris struggled.
Her hands grabbed the serpent's wrist.
The serpent looked directly into her eyes.
"You were always too weak."
Seris's eyes widened.
The serpent opened her mouth.
Her fangs extended.
She bit into Seris's neck.
There was no scream.
No dramatic final words.
Just silence.
Then—
Seris's entire body began breaking apart.
Green light spread through her body.
Her physical form dissolved into streams of glowing green energy.
The serpent pulled back.
The last traces of Seris disappeared from her hand.
The green energy hovered for a moment.
Then—
the serpent inhaled.
The energy rushed toward her.
It entered her body.
Her scales briefly glowed green.
Then the light disappeared.
Seris was gone.
Completely.
The serpent lowered her hand.
Traveler stared at the empty space where Seris had been.
No body.
No movement.
Nothing.
The serpent looked at him.
"Now."
Her tail tightened.
"...there is only you."
Traveler's expression became completely empty.
The serpent slammed him into the ground.
BOOM.
Stone cracked.
Before Traveler could recover—
she swung him again.
CRASH.
His body struck a large stone.
The impact fractured the rock.
She didn't stop.
She dragged him across the ground.
Then slammed him against another stone.
BOOM.
Traveler's body struck hard enough to break the stone beneath him.
His head hung for a moment.
The serpent lifted him again.
Then—
CRACK.
She slammed him down.
Again.
CRACK.
Again.
The sound echoed through the forest.
Traveler's body went limp.
The serpent watched him.
She lifted him one final time.
Then hurled him against a massive boulder.
BOOM.
The boulder cracked.
Traveler fell to the ground.
Still.
His white hair covered his face.
The serpent slowly approached.
She crouched beside him.
She expected movement.
Nothing.
She reached down and turned his face toward her.
His eyes remained closed.
No response.
The serpent smiled.
"Dead?"
She waited.
Nothing.
She released him.
Traveler's body dropped against the stone.
The forest became silent again.
The serpent stood.
She looked at the place where Seris had disappeared.
Then at Traveler.
"Two meals."
She turned away.
But before she could leave—
a tiny black flame appeared beneath Traveler's motionless hand.
The serpent stopped.
She slowly looked back.
The flame disappeared.
Her expression changed.
Not fear.
Interest.
Traveler remained completely motionless.
But beneath his skin—
something ancient had noticed what happened.
And for the first time since the Devourer left this world—
the forest became unnaturally cold.