"Oh not again." She looked at the gate and the little girl standing in front of it. She was once again in her pyjamas, mud stuck to her feet. Everywhere was covered with fog and the gate stood tall and mighty.
"Are you coming with me today?" The little girl cheerfully asked. This was the most emotion Alice heard in her voice.
"Yeah fuck it. I'm coming with you." Alice signed and got up, following the little girl through the gate. "I need to talk to this damn snake spirit."
The little girl blinked slowly, almost as if she had not expected Alice to actually agree. Then she smiled.
It looked strangely unsettling on her otherwise emotionless face.
"This way, my lady."
"Please stop calling me that." Alice grumbled as she followed after her. "I literally work at a bar and barely passed math."
The giant gate creaked open on its own.
The fog beyond it swallowed everything. The moment Alice stepped through, the air changed completely. It no longer smelled like dirt and rain. Instead, there was the scent of incense, flowers, and something strangely metallic beneath it all.
The ground under her feet shifted from mud to smooth stone.
Alice looked around carefully.
The spirit world was... beautiful.
In an eerie way.
Lanterns floated through the air without strings or hands holding them. Massive trees with silver leaves stretched high into the dark sky. Strange creatures wandered through the foggy streets in the distance. Some looked human enough. Others absolutely did not.
Alice immediately regretted coming here.
A creature with three fox tails walked past them carrying groceries. Another spirit floated above the ground entirely, its body transparent like smoke. Nobody seemed surprised by Alice being there though. At least, they weren't for a second.
Now people were staring. A lot. Whispers spread the moment she passed.
"A human?"
"She crossed the gate?"
"She has the mark."
"The serpent finally chose?"
Alice pulled her hoodie sleeves lower awkwardly. "Okay, I hate this already."
The little girl ignored her complaints and continued walking through the spirit streets. The architecture looked old, traditional, almost ancient, with glowing red lanterns hanging from rooftops. Somewhere nearby, Alice could hear music playing softly.
"You guys seriously live like this?" Alice muttered. "This looks expensive."
The girl tilted her head. "Expensive?"
"Nevermind."
As they walked further, the atmosphere slowly changed. The streets became quieter. The spirits disappeared. The buildings grew larger and more elegant until they reached a massive staircase leading upward through the fog.
At the very top stood a palace.
No- not a palace.
Something closer to a shrine and a castle combined. Red pillars stretched high into darkness, covered with golden carvings of snakes curling around them. Massive bells hung from the rooftops, swaying gently despite the lack of wind.
Alice stared up at it with wide eyes. "You've got to be kidding me."
"This is the residence of the Great Serpent Spirit." The little girl said calmly. "Please be respectful while inside."
Alice looked down at her muddy pajama pants and dirty feet. "A little late for that."
The giant doors slowly opened before them with a deep groan.
Warm light spilled outside. Alice hesitated for the first time since entering the spirit world. Something about the place felt... heavy. Ancient. Dangerous. Like standing too close to the ocean during a storm. The mark around her wrist burned softly.
"She's waiting." The little girl whispered.
Alice swallowed hard. "Right. Cool. Awesome. Love that for me."
Then she stepped inside.
The room was enormous. Golden lanterns illuminated dark wooden floors polished enough to reflect light. Incense smoke curled lazily through the air. At the far end of the hall, someone sat behind a thin veil of red silk.
Not a snake this time.
A woman.
Long red hair spilled over dark robes embroidered with crimson scales. One pale hand rested against her cheek lazily as sharp blue eyes watched her through the veil.
Beautiful.
In the same terrifying way a venomous animal was beautiful.
Alice immediately stopped walking.
"...Oh."
The woman tilted his head slightly.
"You finally came." Her voice was calm and smooth. "Alice."
-
She rose to her feet and the veil opened slightly, letting her pass through. She was truly gorgeous, probably the most beautiful woman Alice had ever seen in her life. Her red hair cascaded around her body, long and silky as she moved with grace. Just like a snake slithering on the ground, her walk was elegant and dangerous.
Her blue eyes didn't have normal pupils, more like a black slit, giving her an eerie aura. "I've been waiting for you."
"Well I can see that." Alice mumbled. The woman walked closer, taking steps until she stood right in front of Alice. She smelled like incense and a faint, fruity aroma.
"Nope." Alice took a step back immediately.
"Nope what?" The serpent looked confused.
"It's you. You're the snake." Alice said.
"I thought that was obvious. Didn't my little disciple tell you that?"
"She doesn't speak much." Alice rolled her eyes. "Let's cut to the chase. What do you want from me?"
The serpent spirit looked at her for a long moment.
Up close, Alice noticed scales hidden beneath her skin near her collarbone, glimmering crimson whenever the lantern light touched them. Her slit pupils narrowed slightly, almost catlike.
"What do I want from you?" The woman repeated softly. "That is a very human question."
"Well I am human." Alice crossed her arms. "And usually when ancient supernatural creatures drag people into magical dimensions, it's because they want something."
The serpent actually smiled faintly at that.
"You fear me."
"No shit."
"And yet you still came."
Alice hesitated for half a second before sighing. "Look, I'm tired. I'm broke, I'm failing school, weird monsters keep trying to attack me, and apparently I'm spiritually married to a snake now or something. So I'd really appreciate some answers."
The little disciple behind them made a strangled sound, like she almost choked.
The serpent spirit blinked slowly.
"...Spiritually married?"
"I don't know!" Alice threw her hands up. "You people keep talking about bonds and marks and choosing humans. It sounds concerning!"
For the first time, genuine amusement crossed the spirit's face. A quiet laugh escaped her lips, low and smooth.
Alice froze slightly.
Okay. That laugh was unfairly attractive.
Which was a problem.
A huge problem.
Because this woman was still a terrifying snake deity.
The serpent spirit stepped closer again. Alice held her ground this time, even though every survival instinct inside her was screaming.
"I do not wish to harm you, Alice." She said calmly. "If I did, you would not have survived the mark."
"That is not comforting at all."
"The bond formed because you touched me willingly."
"You were bleeding in a school hallway!"
"And humans usually kill wounded spirits."
Alice opened her mouth to argue again, then stopped.
The spirit tilted her head slightly. "You pity creatures others fear."
"That thing in the alley definitely did not deserve pity."
"No." Her voice became colder suddenly. "It did not."
The temperature in the room dropped slightly at the memory. The lantern flames flickered red for a second before calming again.
Alice swallowed. "What exactly was that thing?"
"A lesser yokai corrupted by hunger." The spirit explained. "Most spirits ignore humans. But now that you carry my mark, they notice you."
"That sounds like the opposite of a benefit."
"It is dangerous."
"Great."
"But it also protects you." The serpent lifted Alice's wrist gently before she could pull away. The glowing mark brightened beneath the spirit's fingers. "No spirit of this realm may claim what belongs to me."
There it was again.
That wording.
Alice's face immediately twisted. "You really need to stop saying things like that."
The serpent looked genuinely confused this time. "Why?"
"Because it sounds insane!"
The little disciple outright laughed now before quickly covering her mouth again.
The serpent spirit ignored her entirely, her gaze still focused on Alice.
"You may return home whenever you wish." She said after a moment. "I did not bring you here to imprison you."
Alice narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Really?"
"Yes."
"...That easy?"
"Yes."
Alice stared at her.
The spirit stared back calmly.
"That somehow makes me trust you less."
Another faint smile. "Reasonable."
Silence settled between them for a moment. Strange, heavy silence filled with incense smoke and distant bell chimes echoing through the palace halls.
Then Alice quietly asked-
"Why me?"
The amusement faded from the serpent's face.
For the first time since meeting her, she looked almost... lonely.
"When I was wounded and stuck in my small snake form," the spirit said softly, "you were the only one who saw a living creature instead of a monster."
Alice felt her chest tighten unexpectedly.
The serpent's fingers loosened around her wrist, but she did not step away.
"In this world," she murmured, her slit pupils fixed entirely on Alice now, "kindness is much rarer than fear."
"So you want something from me because I saved your life?"
"I don't want something from you. I want to give you things." The snake said calmly.
"Like what?"
"Powers. Money, fame, whatever you ask for. I shall make it come true."
"I don't want powers or money or fame!" Alice exclaimed. The part about money was slightly not true but she wasn't going to admit that to this weird creature. "I want to go home and take care of my dad and finish high school."
"I'm not asking you to stay here. You can go back anytime."
"That is simply not true." Alice sighed. "I keep waking up in front of the gate!"
"That is because of your own curiosity. Your body and mind carries you here, that is not my doing."
"Fine." Alice looked at her determinedly. "I'll admit I'm curious and I'll also admit you are not answering a single question I asked! What do you want from me?!"
"I want you to be my lady." The snake said right away. "I need to bond with a human to fully access my powers, and I have unfinished work to do with an old spirit. I need all of my power to defeat him, and I want you to aid me in this battle."
"I'm just a high school student!" Alice yelled desperately.
"That doesn't change who you are to me." The snake spirit approached her and lifted a hand, Alice used every muscle in her body to not flinch. She gently placed her soft hand on her cheek, and caressed her skin with her thumb. "I'll take good care of you, I promise that."
Alice was close to crying out of desperation at this point. She slapped the hand on her cheek and the snake lifted her eyebrows. "I'm leaving. Don't contact me ever again and you better erase this stupid mark!"
She started walking towards the big door of the palace, only to be held beck by the snake's sly voice. "What if I offered you what you want the most?"
Alice turned around angrily, and felt defeated seeing the sinister look in the snake's eyes. "And that is?"
"A part time job, obviously."