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Chapter 7
Last Updated:
2025-06-27 20:17:40
Latest chapter
The Cobra of Smoke - The Burden of Sight Chapter 11
The autumn air carried the scent of fallen leaves and possibility. As David drove, Shantali watched the city scroll past her window, struck by how ordinary everything looked—pedestrians with coffee cups, cyclists navigating traffic, clouds drifting across the October sky. The world hadn't changed, but her place within it had shifted profoundly."What are you thinking about?" David asked, glancing at her during a red light."How strange it is that just a few days ago, I was desperate to understand something supernatural. Now I'm excited about checking water pressure in apartment bathrooms."David laughed. "That's called growth, I think.""Or sanity returning."They arrived at the first apartment—a corner unit in a renovated pre-war building. The real estate agent, a brisk woman named Elaine with a portfolio of listings and sensible shoes, led them through rooms bathed in natural light. The promised bookshelves flanked a brick fireplace, and the balcony overlooked a small park where cri
The Cobra of Smoke - The Burden of Sight Chapter 10
When she finally looked up, David was watching her from the doorway, two mugs in his hands and love in his eyes."How's it coming?" he asked, setting her coffee beside the laptop."It's not about understanding anymore," she said, realising the truth as she spoke it. "It's about honouring the experience by letting it go."David nodded, understanding completely as he always did. "That's how you know the cobra chose well."Shantali saved the document and closed her laptop. The story would wait. Right now, the present moment—with its coffee aroma and morning light, with David's smile and the weight of the ring on her finger—demanded her full attention.And for the first time since smoke had coiled into prophecy, she gave it willingly, choosing the life before her over the mysteries behind."I like the name change," David said, settling beside her on the couch. "Imogen has a certain mystique to it.""I thought so too." Shantali closed her laptop and leaned into his warmth. "Fictional enoug
The Cobra of Smoke - The Burden of Sight Chapter 9
"Yes," she said, before he'd even finished speaking. "Yes, absolutely yes."The ring slid onto her finger with the same sense of rightness she'd felt when the cobra's visions had finally made sense. Not prophecy demanding fulfillment, but possibility embracing choice.As they kissed in the front seat of his Honda, Shantali felt the last threads of obsession dissolve completely. Whatever mysteries the museum held, whatever other supernatural encounters awaited future night shift workers, she would face them with David beside her—not as someone seeking answers in smoke, but as someone who had learned to find meaning in love.The serpent had kept its ancient promise, guiding her away from the path of those who came before. Tomorrow she would return the books, delete her research notes, and begin the beautifully ordinary work of building a life with the man who had chosen to stand with her in the shadows.As they made their way up to their apartment as they closed the door, David pulled h
The Cobra of Smoke - The Burden of Sight Chapter 8
The vision flickered in her memory, but softer now, stripped of its ominous weight. Just life, with all its inevitable difficulties, made bearable by shared commitment."I love you," she said simply."I love you too." He raised his wine glass. "To new beginnings and mysterious smoke creatures who know better than we do what we need."They clinked glasses, and Shantali felt something settle into place—not the desperate certainty of prophecy, but the quiet confidence of choice freely made.As they walked to David's car after dinner, the October night crisp around them, Shantali's phone buzzed with a text from an unknown number: Dr. Hassan, MMAA. Heard you've been researching serpent smoke phenomena.Shantali responded: Somethings aren’t meant to be researched to much, they’re meant to be gifts for those who need clarity when their lives come to a crossroad as they let fear take hold. Life is meant to be lived with those we love and love us not to chase what ifs.The response came quickl
The Cobra of Smoke - The Burden of Sight Chapter 7
At the end of their shift, as dawn began to lighten the eastern sky, they stood together in the parking lot. Shantali hesitated before getting into her car."David, about these last few days... I'm sorry I shut you out."He leaned against her car door, his expression serious. "Promise me one thing?""What's that?""Next time you see a mystical smoke creature with prophetic powers, you'll tell me right away instead of spiraling into ancient Egyptian research rabbit holes alone?"She laughed, the sound carrying in the crisp morning air. "I promise."As she drove home, the city awakening around her, Shantali thought about Dr. Thorne's final warning and the path not taken. The mystery of the serpent smoke would always leave a mark on her life but it was meant to be learnt from, not to obsess over. If anything she felt nothing but gratitude towards the smoke cobra as it showed her the cost of her fear and the price was to high something she wasn’t willing to pay.If she ever came across th
The Cobra of Smoke - The Burden of Sight Chapter 6
"No," she whispered. "But what if the visions were warnings? What if something terrible happens and I could have prevented it?"David's eyes held hers steadily. "Tali, even without mystical smoke serpents, we never know what the future holds. That's what makes each choice meaningful." He gestured around the gallery. "These artifacts have survived thousands of years, witnessing countless human lives with all their joys and tragedies. The only certainty is change."As if responding to his words, the heating vent near by began spill what first looked like vapor but quickly be came thinker, darker like smoke and the smell of burning jasmine began to fill the air.David's grip on her hand tightened as the scent intensified, his eyes widening as he witnessed what she'd tried to describe. The smoke didn't rise randomly—it moved with purpose, coiling upward in spirals that defied the gallery's air circulation patterns."Jesus," he breathed, but his voice held wonder rather than fear. "Tali, d
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