Prologue The ocean floor, a tapestry of vibrant coral and swaying kelp forests had become the Serpent's sanctuary. For a century, it had slumbered here, a colossal guardian of the deep, its scales shimmering with the faintest luminescence. The tremors of distant earthquakes, the mournful calls of passing whales, the rhythmic pulse of the tides – these were the only sounds that disturbed its slumber.