kai

One evening, a young girl named Alina was returning home through the forest. It was already getting dark, and a cold fog was rising between the trees.
Suddenly she heard a quiet hissing sound.
Alina stopped.

• Who's there?
  A large black snake emerged from the grass. Its scales glistened in the moonlight, and its unusual golden eyes stared intently at the girl.
  But the snake was r@Nena. There was a deep scratch on its side, and it was barely moving.
  “Poor thing…” Alina whispered.
  She carefully removed her scarf and wrapped it around the snake, trying not to hurt it.
  The snake first hissed and tried to crawl away.
  — Quiet. I won’t hurt you. I’ll help you.
  To Alina's surprise, the snake stopped resisting.
  She brought it home, treated the wound and put it in a large box with a soft towel.
• Rest. You'll feel better in the morning.
  The snake's golden eyes continued to watch her for a long time.
  Alina didn’t even suspect that all this time there was an unusual creature next to her.
  At night
  Around midnight, Alina woke up from a strange sound.
  She heard a hissing sound.
• What's happening?..
  The girl turned on the light and looked at the box.
  But there was no snake there.
  Instead of her, a young man stood in the middle of the room.
  He had long black hair, pale skin, and the same golden eyes as the snake. Dark scales were visible in places on his shoulders and arms, but they gradually faded.
  Alina froze in horror.
• Who are you?!
  The guy slowly looked up.
• Don't be afraid.
  — Where is the snake?!
  He looked straight into her eyes.
• It was me.
  Alina took a step back.
  — You mean to say... that you turned into a human?!
  The guy nodded.
  "My name is Kai. I belong to a species of snakes that can take human form."
  Alina was silent, trying to comprehend what she had heard.