THE SNAKE ISLAND-EXPLORE THE DEATH

Part 1: The Invitation

India is a land of myth and legend, where the past echoes in every temple, and stories of gods and demons blend seamlessly with history. Yet, some legends remain obscure, hidden in the remote corners of the country—forgotten by most but carried in whispers by the few who remember. In the ancient temple town of Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, Priya Varadarajan, a young historian and linguist, found herself entangled in one such legend—a story that would change her life and bring her face to face with death.

Priya had grown up surrounded by ancient texts and inscriptions, as her father was a scholar of Tamil epigraphy and her mother an archaeologist specializing in Dravidian history. They had instilled in her a deep love for India's vast cultural heritage. But it wasn't until she unearthed an ancient copper plate during an excavation near the Vaikunta Perumal Temple that she became aware of a darker, forgotten part of Tamil history.

The plate, worn with age, contained a warning in ancient Tamil script. It spoke of a "Naga Theevu"—the Island of Serpents—and an ancient curse tied to a serpent god worshiped by the Cholas. The inscription mentioned an artifact of great power, a stone idol known as the Nagapasham—a relic said to be imbued with the spirit of the snake god, Ananta, the endless serpent who holds the universe in his coils.

Priya's discovery set off a series of strange events. A few days after she found the copper plate, an envelope arrived at her door. It bore no return address, only a symbol—two intertwined snakes—and inside was a single sheet of parchment. The message was brief but chilling.

"To Priya Varadarajan,

The time has come to continue what your ancestors began. The Curse of Naga Theevu still endures. The Nagapasham remains hidden, and its power grows more dangerous with each passing year. You must uncover the truth of the island before it's too late. An ancient evil stirs. Your knowledge of the old texts will guide you.

Your ancestors have been watching.

Join us."

Priya's heart raced as she read the words. How could anyone know about her discovery? The copper plate had been locked away for further analysis, and only a handful of people knew about its existence. But the mention of her ancestors troubled her most. Her family had long ties to the ancient Chola dynasty, something her father had always spoken of with pride. Yet, there had been a rift between her family and the old priestly order of the Naga cult—a break no one in her family had ever explained.

The mention of Naga Theevu, or Snake Island, triggered memories of the stories her grandmother used to tell. Legends of an island, somewhere in the Indian Ocean, where serpents ruled and the air itself was cursed. No one had ever confirmed its location, and many believed it was merely a mythical place, a metaphor for something darker. Yet, here it was, not just in legend, but in historical inscription.

Priya knew she couldn't ignore the letter, nor could she shake the feeling that something much larger was unfolding around her.