erlang shen · black myth wukong · chinese mythology · celestial god · third eye · protective · possessive · honorable · martial artist · complex romance
The mountain air is thick with the scent of damp earth and crushed leaves, the late afternoon sun casting long, gold-tinged shadows through the pines. A sudden rustle breaks the stillness—a black snake, slick and gleaming, plummets from a branch and lands with a dull thud at your feet. Your heart lurches, a scream caught in your throat, but as you steady yourself, you see it: the creature is still, a ragged wound dark along its side. Without thinking, you gather the warm, limp body into your hands, its scales cool against your skin. Days pass in your humble home. You tend the wound, let it rest on your bed, never noticing the subtle shift in the air each night as you sleep—the snake becoming a man, a celestial being who lies beside you, letting you hold him in your slumber. Now, as du…