Ryuxian lay on the cold cave floor, his breath shallow. The vision still burned in his mind—the temple, the child, the fire.
He pressed his palm to his forehead.
I was… cast down? Torn from divinity?
The words of the Celestial Serpent echoed within him.
"Power is never lost, only reshaped. The serpent may shed its skin, but its nature remains."
"To weave fate is to gamble with the unseen. Every thread pulled shifts the entire tapestry."
"The past does not let go so easily. Even in a new form, the echoes of what we were still whisper within us."
His fingers trembled. He had always known he was different—he could see threads that no one else could. He had assumed it was just an odd talent, but now…
Inside Ryuxian's Mind]
Ryuxian sat under the shade of a tree, staring at his hands. They were human, warm and fleshy, nothing like the sleek, powerful body he once had as a celestial serpent. But he could still feel it—the instincts, the venom, the unspoken rules lingering in his mind.
"Tch… How much of me is still a snake?" he muttered.
[Serpent Code Activated]
A cold, whispering voice echoed in his head, ancient yet familiar.
❖ Serpent Code Online ❖
Query Detected: Identifying Ryuxian's Current State —
You are now a human. But the serpent within remains.
"Hah… Figures. So, tell me—what can I still do?"
❖ Serpent Code Overview ❖— Abilities Available:
✔ Venom Control (Extract, Weaken, Strengthen)
✔ Heat Sensitivity (Detect Lifeforms)
✔ Enhanced Healing (Limited to minor wounds)
✔ Silent Movement (Instinct-based)
✔ Night Vision (Partial)
— Limitations:
✖ Cannot return to full serpent form
✖ Cannot shed skin at will
✖ Cold Weakness remains
✖ Instinct Override disabled (No automatic reactions)
Ryuxian clicked his tongue. "Tch. So I'm stuck like this, huh?"
You are reborn. You must live as you are now.
He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Fine. Then what about my Fate Weaver power? What even is it?"
❖ Fate Weaver System ❖
— Query Detected: Fate Threads Analysis —
You see the unseen. Threads of life, death, and destiny.
You cannot change fate. But you can bend it.
Ryuxian's eyes narrowed. "Bend it…? What does that mean?"
It means fate is not absolute. Some threads can be cut. Some can be rewoven. But the cost is unknown.
A chill ran down his spine.
"So… I could change things, but I don't know what it'll take?"
Correct. To weave fate, you must pay the price.
Ryuxian exhaled slowly. "Heh… Sounds risky."
That is the nature of fate.
The whispering voice faded, leaving him alone with his thoughts.
Ryuxian clenched his fists. This wasn't his old life. It wasn't about survival as a celestial serpent anymore.
This was something new.
And he had to decide how to use it.
It wasn't just an ability.
It was who he was.
---
The Awakening
Slowly, Ryuxian sat up.
The cave was dimly lit, the obsidian stones around him pulsing faintly. They had reacted to something—to him.
He reached out and touched one.
The moment his fingers made contact—
Pain.
Not ordinary pain. Not a cut, not a burn—something deeper. His skull cracked open from the inside out. His breath hitched, his body jerked forward as something shoved itself into his mind.
A woman. Silver hair. Piercing eyes.
A man in robes, spinning golden thread.
A symbol—a serpent swallowing its own tail.
And then—screaming.
Not his. Someone else's. Someone dying.
He tore his hand away. His chest heaved. His vision blurred. His entire body felt violated, like something had reached inside and yanked at his very core.
The golden thread pulsed, smug.
"The hell was that?"
His heartbeat slammed against his ribs.
That wasn't just sight. That wasn't just some vision.
He had felt it. The pain, the emotions, the loss—as if he had lived it.
And the worst part?
It wasn't over.
Then—pain.
The silver-haired woman—why did she feel familiar? A whisper of something lost stirred in his chest, but no name came to mind.
The ouroboros. A cycle unbroken. Something in his bones ached at the sight—was this a message? A warning?
The moment the images faded, a dull ache settled in his skull. Like a door had been forced open—one he wasn't ready to step through yet.
A sharp, searing pain shot through his skull.
The threads did not simply show him.They wove through him.
Ryuxian choked, his breath shattering as the golden threads slithered up his arms, through his veins, digging into his bones. His nerves screamed. His body convulsed, rejecting the intrusion—but it was too late.
The silver-haired woman—she wasn't just a memory. She was inside him now, her voice clawing at his ribs, whispering in a language he didn't understand. The man in robes—his hands were on Ryuxian's spine, yanking the golden threads through his back like a marionette.
He wasn't just seeing fate. He was being woven into it.
And it hurt.
His fingers tore against the stone floor, nails cracking. His mouth opened in a silent scream.
He gasped, yanking his hand away from the stone. The thread vanished, and the cave returned to silence.
Ryuxian clutched his chest, his breathing ragged.
That was… too much.
But he couldn't ignore what he had just learned.
I can see threads… and now, I can touch them? Feel them?
His fingers curled into fists.
If I was the Weaver of Fate… then that means I should be able to do more than just see them.
The thought sent a thrill through his veins.
Maybe…
Maybe he didn't have to accept things the way they were.
Maybe he could rewrite fate itself.
---
The First Attempt
Ryuxian turned his gaze downward, focusing.
He needed to test it.
He closed his eyes, reaching for the space around him—not with his hands, but with his will.
At first, nothing.
Then—a flicker.
A single thread appeared.
This one was blue, thin but steady. It hovered just above his fingertips, pulsing slightly, as if waiting for him.
Slowly, cautiously, he reached for it.
The moment his fingers brushed against it—
A shock ran through his body. His mind blurred. Voices—hundreds of voices—filled his head.
"…must go north."
"…I can't leave them behind."
"…the stars are fading…"
Then—one voice stood out.
"…Zain."
Ryuxian's eyes snapped open.
The thread trembled, and suddenly, he saw Zain—sitting by a campfire, staring at the wooden bowl of venom. His expression was unreadable.
I'm… seeing him?
Ryuxian's pulse raced. He wasn't just touching fate.
He was connected to it.
The thread flickered, then vanished. The vision ended.
Ryuxian sat there, dazed.
He had just seen Zain from miles away. He had felt his presence through the thread.
And that meant…
Fate wasn't set in stone.
It was something he could follow. Something he could change.
A slow, determined smile crept onto his lips.
"Let's see what else I can do."
Serpent Code - Active Remnants ❖
Though he is human now, the Serpent Code is still part of him, but it operates differently. Instead of automatic instincts, he must manually tap into his serpent abilities.
✔ Active Serpent Abilities (Can Use)
1. Venom Control – He can extract his own venom, weaken it, or make it stronger.
2. Heat Sensitivity – He can sense nearby living beings through their body heat (limited range).
3. Enhanced Healing – He heals slightly faster than a normal human, but only for minor wounds.
4. Silent Movement – He can instinctively move without making noise.
5. Night Vision – He can see clearly in dim light but not complete darkness.
✖ Lost Serpent Abilities (Cannot Use Anymore)
1. No Instinct Override – He won't react automatically like a snake anymore.
2. Cold Weakness Still Applies – He gets sluggish in extreme cold.
---
❖ Fate Weaver Abilities ❖
This is his true power in this new life, something separate from his past as a celestial serpent.
1. Thread Vision – He can see fate threads of living beings, revealing their life force, destiny, or impending death.
Example: He saw a red, frayed thread behind Grandpa, meaning Grandpa's life is unstable.
Threads can be bright (strong fate), weak (fading fate), or broken (near death).
2. Thread Bending – He cannot directly change fate, but he can manipulate how things happen.
Example: If someone is fated to die, he can shift who or what causes it.
The more he changes, the greater the unknown consequences
3. Thread Cutting (???) – A locked ability. He doesn't know what it does yet.
4. Thread Merging (???) – Another locked ability. Possibly combining fates?
Limitations & Risks:
Fate is unpredictable – He never knows the full cost of his changes.
He cannot erase fate, only shift it – Something must happen in place of what he alters.
Overuse weakens him – Changing fate drains his stamina and could even harm him.
The moment he willed the thread to shift,
Something inside him snapped.
Not like a headache. Like losing a piece of himself.
His breath hitched, his vision fractured. His fingers spasmed. For a terrifying second, he wasn't sure if he was still Ryuxian—or if he had just given a piece of his soul to the weave.
A flash—Zain turning left instead of right. A knife gleaming in the dark.
A second flash—
Someone calling a name. Not his.
The sadness hit next. Heavy, suffocating, curling around his ribs like a dying thing. A grief that wasn't his own.
Who did he just take this from?
Ryuxian exhaled, slow. Wiped the sweat off his brow. His hands shook. His body screamed in protest. But something inside him—something dark, something ravenous—grinned.
He could touch fate.
He could rip it apart.
A slow, sharp smile cut across his lips.
"Let's see who's really in control now."