- 4 days ago
My Secret Serpent Mate
P1 S
P1 S
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:04I finally got the rarest magic core for you.
00:08You've worked hard.
00:16No!
00:22After rebirth, I abandoned the mighty phoenix as my magical pet.
00:26Instead, chose an almost dead little black snake.
00:29In my past life, I'd hunted rare ingredients for phoenix.
00:32Pouring every resource I had into his growth, he cheated with my sister behind my back.
00:37Finally, to make their little love story easier, they killed me together.
00:40This time around, I wanted to see how that perfect couple managed without me as their stepping stone.
00:44The same pact ceremony, the same standout, undeniably that golden phoenix.
00:49Even caged with a suppression collar, he held his head high, like the rest of us were beneath him.
00:54As expected, the ceremony elder assigned him to me.
00:56The phoenix tilted its head back and rolled its eyes, just like in its previous life,
01:01its face full of disdain.
01:02That was when my sister Evelyn walked in, cradling a limp little black snake in her palms,
01:07tears rolling down her cheeks.
01:09My sister was too weak.
01:10Phoenix fell in love with her pitiful appearance immediately,
01:13which made me look like the villain standing between them.
01:15The ceremony elder shifted awkwardly and turned on Evelyn.
01:18Your power isn't strong enough.
01:20Even if the phoenix is drawn to you now, you won't be able to handle him.
01:24She didn't react, instead pretended to be scared by my gaze, bit her lip with tears down.
01:29Lila, I know I have no right to compete with you.
01:31It's just, I've never seen a golden phoenix before.
01:35I didn't have the patience to listen to her feigned weakness.
01:37I reached out and lifted the limp black snake from her hands, smiled at the ceremony elder.
01:42I've taken a liking to this one. The phoenix clearly doesn't want me.
01:46Why not let her have him? I'll take the snake.
01:48The others thought I'd lost my mind. They pulled me aside.
01:51You're the strongest here. This black snake has a mixed bloodline. He's basically worthless.
01:57But I knew the truth about that phoenix. He was no prize.
01:59In my last life,
02:04my past life, the scene had played out exactly the same way.
02:08The phoenix ignored me.
02:09I felt the sting of being rejected for the first time in my life.
02:13And instead of thinking clearly, I thought,
02:15he's so hard to get. I'm obsessed.
02:17As the archmaster's student, I was supposed to be an example to the others.
02:21I told myself I had to tame the phoenix, strengthen the spirit-packed academy.
02:25So I threw everything I had at him.
02:27Every student got a limited ration of elixirs.
02:30So I took assassin missions, hunting rogue creatures,
02:33the kind that had lost their minds and turned feral, to earn extra elixirs.
02:36I came back bleeding every time. The phoenix pretended not to notice.
02:40He only came near me when I pulled out elixirs, took what he wanted, and walked away.
02:45Ten years. I spent ten years helping him break through his limits and take human form.
02:50When he finally did, he was stunning. Tall, sharp-featured. But the warmth stopped there.
02:55He always treated me like I was his errand girl. I told myself it was fine. Creatures with strong
03:00bloodlines had pride. One day he'd recognize what I'd given him. One day we'd fight side by side,
03:05and I wouldn't have to face those feral creatures alone. Then one day, I saw him kiss my sister
03:09passionately. She was laughing, dancing around him. A fellow student rode past on her white tiger,
03:15saw them in the distance, and shook her head at me.
03:18Liar, you really need to stop asking Evelyn to look after the phoenix when you go on contracts.
03:23When did I ever ask her that? She says it every time you leave.
03:27I saw stars. I'd been out there risking my life, and she was back here cheating with my things.
03:32Doesn't she have her own creature? That little black snake died in its second year.
03:37Then it clicked. I'd spent ten years sewing a wedding dress for someone else.
03:54It wasn't some gentle, forgiving heroine turned on Evelyn. It enraged the phoenix. As punishment,
03:59he lured me to the back forest under false pretenses, then broke open the wards keeping it sealed. The
04:05creatures trapped inside started pouring out, and among them was one that had fallen into complete
04:09madness. A leviathan. The phoenix joined forces with my sister to shoot me down the cliff. In the
04:15end, I died in the beast here, and I could only watch Evelyn snuggle up beside it. So this time
04:19around, I wasn't going to be anyone's sacrifice. I just wanted to see what this couple would do next.
04:24The phoenix held onto Evelyn tightly, refusing to let go. The elder side and spirit-packed
04:29academy the packed circle drawn. Once a creature bonded with someone, they were bound to that
04:34person's commands. Harm the bonded partner, and the creature suffered for it. The bonding ritual's
04:39energy agitated the black snake. He wound himself around my arm with everything he had. Evelyn got
04:44the phoenix and was clearly thrilled. Then she looked at the snake clinging to me.
04:48You and that serpent really do seem meant for each other, Lyra.
04:50She was very smug. Had she also been reborn? Watch your tongue, Evelyn. If Lyra hadn't stepped
04:56in for you, you'd never have gotten the phoenix. If I were you, I'd be on my knees thanking her.
05:00Oh, stop. She's crying again. Always crying. You'd think she was the tragic one.
05:05The phoenix paced anxiously while Evelyn sniffled.
05:14Anxious didn't help him. Evelyn had almost no power at this stage.
05:18The creatures shared energy with their bonded partners, but Evelyn's reserves were basically
05:23empty. Probably the first time in either life that the phoenix had been on the losing side of
05:28a situation. Good. He'd adjust. This was the consequence of choosing weakness and cheating.
05:35The black snake, finally convinced I wasn't abandoning him, went limp and passed out in my arms. Back
05:42home, I finally got a good look at the snake. He was tiny, couldn't have been more than a few
05:47decades
05:48old. Barely passed the threshold of maturity. But he was strange. Different from the serpents
05:53I knew. Water serpents had snake-like tails. This one had a tail more like a fish, with a fin.
06:00Mixed
06:00bloodline. Serpent and something older. Seafolk, maybe. I had a natural spring in the courtyard.
06:07The moment he hit the water, he came alive. Diving and surfacing. Pulling in energy from
06:12the current. I laughed. Relax. I fed a golden phoenix for ten years. I think I can manage
06:19one little snake. He froze and stared at me with those tiny green eyes. Then he spat water at my
06:25face. I flicked him on the head. Heal up. You're not going anywhere. The next morning I woke up wrong.
06:32I turned my head and found a face three inches from mine. Dark lashes. Warm skin. The kind of face
06:38that
06:39belonged in a painting. Long lashes that trembled slightly. Objectively gorgeous. Didn't stop me
06:45from nearly jumping out of my skin. He'd gotten into bed without waking me. Whoever this was,
06:51his power was well above mine. He stirred, opened gold-slit eyes, and looked at me. I scrambled to
06:57the corner. Who are you? This is Spirit Pact Academy grounds. Don't try anything. He sat up. I noticed
07:05he was wearing the clothes I'd set aside for when a creature took human form. A dark fitted robe with
07:10a subtle pattern. He wore it well. He was tall. He'd had to curl up to fit in my bed.
07:16Under those long
07:16lashes were a pair of gold vertical pupil eyes. The answer was obvious. Snake? He smirked, reached out,
07:23and flicked me on the forehead. Rude. I have a name. It's Kieran.
07:44Kieran, it turned out, had been fleeing an enemy when he crossed paths with my tutor. He'd taken the form
07:50of a
07:50small, injured serpent. My tutor, true to form, had taken him in. Kieran clearly hadn't been injured
07:56because he was weak. Please tell me your enemies aren't about to show up here.
08:00We're bonded now. You're the master. I'm your mate. So I suggest you train hard and try not to slow
08:07me
08:07down. He taught me a breathing and absorption technique developed for serpentkind. Most days I
08:12sat in the spring practicing, while Kieran sprawled in the tree above me, watching with half-closed eyes.
08:17The breeze moved his hair and caught the light on his skin. Evelyn appeared at my gate, peering in.
08:22I sighed and got out of the spring. Kieran dropped from the tree and draped a dry robe
08:26over my shoulders without being asked. Who is this? You remember him? The little black
08:32snake from the bonding ceremony. You said yourself we seem meant for each other.
08:44Flicker of something crossed her face. What do you want? This is training time.
08:48I was hoping we could raise the phoenix together. Kieran's hand tightened on mine. I glanced at him.
08:54He was watching me, clearly unhappy. I'm not your backup plan. Figure it out yourself. How is it not
09:00your responsibility? You took the black snake and left me with the phoenix. You don't get to just walk
09:05away. Half a year's gone by and I've given him every elixir I had. There's nothing left for my
09:11own training and I was in the lower ranks. I can't go hunting rare ingredients. I'd die out there.
09:16You bonded with the phoenix first. You should be helping. I cut her off mid-sentence, sent a gust of
09:21air to push her back through the gate, and led Kieran inside. Little sister, don't mistake everyone for a
09:26fool. I'm not spending my resources raising your creature for you. If you can't afford to keep him,
09:32dissolve the bond. Let someone else take him. I'm sure the elders would be happy to.
09:36She wouldn't do that. Her ambitions were too big.
09:48Weeks passed. I broke through to a new level of power. What those in the Spirit Pact Academy called
09:54Fourth Circle Stage. At the same time, the Archmaster arranged for me to escort a rare
10:00spirit fox to the Spirit Pact Academy, alongside Elder Celia, who was about three centuries older
10:06than me and acted like a kid half the time. I sweet-talked her through the handover to the
10:11creature registry, and she settled for it. Before she left, she pressed her hand over her mouth to
10:17hide a smile. Your little serpent is very clingy, you know. I didn't understand until I started up
10:23the mountain path and saw a silhouette leaning against a tree in the distance. He didn't move.
10:29When I got closer, he reached out and grabbed the back of my neck. Lyra, am I not good to
10:34you?
10:35Why are you trying to give me away? What are you talking about? That girl came to the courtyard today,
10:40said you sent her to check on me. Did you change your mind about bonding with me?
10:43You hit Fourth Circle and now you're done with me?
10:45...and again. Same playbook, different life. Before I could explain,
10:50Kiran's pupils contracted to thin lines. He bent his head and pressed his face into my neck.
10:56His tongue brushed the skin there. Light, quick. I shivered hard.
11:01Smells like fox. Lyra, did you already find yourself a replacement?
11:06Doesn't matter. Once I eat that fox, I'll be your only option.
11:09You hit me for her?
11:12That fox belongs to my Archmaster. You touch her and I will end you.
11:27Kiran stopped fighting me and let himself be pulled along. Most students weren't training,
11:32so the residences were quiet. A few people raised their eyebrows when they saw me coming.
11:37Short greetings, and then they told me. Evelyn had gone to the back forest with the phoenix.
11:42I frowned. I wasn't in the phoenix's way anymore. Why were they sneaking off to the forest? We found
11:48them mid-argument. Or rather, Evelyn was arguing and the phoenix, who still hadn't taken human form,
11:55was responding in scratched letters on the ground.
11:58Don't look at me like that. I've done nothing wrong. I didn't force you to come to the Spirit Pacht
12:03Academy.
12:04You said this place would help you grow. I've given you every elixir I had and you're still not satisfied?
12:10You want me to go out hunting rare ingredients? I just started training! You'd be sending me to die!
12:17I almost felt something. In my past life, he'd given me nothing for ten years. Not a glance, not a
12:24word,
12:25not a gesture. Now he was writing letters in the dirt. The contrast was something.
12:30Evelyn, I've been looking for you. The phoenix scrambles to erase the letters when he heard us.
12:36Evelyn pulled herself together fast, though not fast enough. What do you need, Lyra?
12:59The phoenix's feathers flared, angry. Evelyn hadn't expected me to know so fast.
13:04I'm not here about anything in particular. Just wondering why you paid my companion a visit.
13:10The phoenix's feathers flared, angry. Evelyn hadn't expected me to know so fast.
13:15No, you've got it wrong. I was just coming to find you. He rested his chin on my shoulder.
13:21She lied to me. She said you stole me from her. That I was supposed to be hers.
13:25And what did you do? She came into your territory without permission. She was weak. I didn't even use
13:31my power. Just pushed until she left. I patted his cheek. I stood and faced Evelyn directly.
13:37If I remember correctly, you didn't want Kieran in the first place. He was badly injured.
13:42If he'd ended up with you, he probably wouldn't have survived his second year.
13:46That's not true! I would have taken care of him.
13:49The phoenix's crest was fully raised now. She caught herself.
13:54You're trying to drive a wedge between me and the phoenix.
13:57I stepped forward and put my hand on her shoulder.
13:59You played your game, little sister. Don't act surprised when I play mine.
14:04Next time you pull something like this, you will get my punishment.
14:08She blanched. The council didn't forgive moves against another member's bonded creature.
14:12She couldn't risk it. On the way back, I was in a good mood. Kieran was quiet though.
14:18Wouldn't transform and carry me even when I asked.
14:21Once we were back in the courtyard, he grabbed my arm.
14:24You seem familiar with the phoenix.
14:37I didn't hide it. We have a history. It ended badly for me.
14:42Wanna hear it? He turned away, shifted into serpent form, and wound himself around my neck.
14:47No. I'm better than that bird by every measure. You're not going back to him.
14:53I won't have another mate. I promise.
14:57Days later.
14:59Laya, your growth rate is pathetic. Sharing energy with you is a form of suffering.
15:07My arch master said, I'm one of the most talented young members in a generation.
15:12All those rare materials and elixirs I found went into me this time, not into the phoenix.
15:17Ten years passed. I moved steadily from fourth circle to sixth circle.
15:22Even the most mean elder Celia praised me.
15:25You are really a genius, Lyra. We all expected the phoenix to elevate the whole spirit-panned academy.
15:32But ten years in, there's still no sign of him breaking through.
15:36I'd expected this. Sustaining creatures took enormous resources. And the spirit-packed academy
15:42never had reserves. The phoenix couldn't break through. And in my past life, I'd seen exactly
15:47what happened when his patience ran out. I'd thought about removing him. Every time I tried to bring it up
15:52with my arch master or Kiran, it was like the words hit a wall. And acting unilaterally, killing the
15:59phoenix before anyone understood why, would have destroyed the spirit-packed academy from the inside.
16:04All I could do was watch him and contain him. Past that, I had no choice but to wait.
16:10My past life hadn't survived this year. I didn't know if this one would go differently.
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