Basilisk: The Curse of the Gaze

In a foggy forest, hidden from the eyes of men, in the shadow of eternal darkness, lived the Basilisk. This creature was like a symbol of ancient fears and pain, the embodiment of monstrous fantasies that forever lurked in nightmarish dreams. The Basilisk was a serpent, but not just any serpent – its body was covered in scales that gleamed like dark metal, and its eyes had the power to turn all living things to stone at the first glance. Its appearance was truly horrifying: a giant serpent with a long neck and a fiery gaze, one that no one could confront.

Since its birth, the Basilisk knew that it was different. It was not just a creature that was part of nature. It was cursed. Its gaze was deadly. It could not face anyone because it knew that they would become statues of stone if they dared to look into its eyes. Its life was confined to solitude, a void filled with its own pain and misery.

The Basilisk often asked itself questions about its existence. Why was it this way? Why had it been cursed to be a monster? It hadn’t asked for this power; it didn’t want to be the one who brought death to everyone it encountered. It was forced to hide in the shadows, retreating to the darkest corners of the forest where its presence couldn’t cause harm. It was a part of the night, a part of the terrifying stories told around campfires. But deep in its soul, it was as lonely as no one else.

Every day, the Basilisk knew that its gaze could kill. It was trapped in this curse, and no creature could survive its presence if it even dared to look it in the eyes. The Basilisk taught itself to avoid encounters, to hide from those who might notice it. It tried to be invisible, and all its efforts were aimed at causing no harm to those who did not know who it was and how dangerous it could be.

But over time, the Basilisk began to feel the weight of its loneliness pressing on it. It was not just a creature lost in the world. It was a creature whose power was its curse. It couldn’t find solace, couldn’t find anyone who understood it. It was trapped in its body and its gaze and didn’t know how to escape this pain.

One day, while wandering through the misty expanse of its forest, it heard footsteps. Human footsteps. It was a young man who, despite the dangers of the forest, kept moving forward, unaware of the deadly creature he was about to encounter. The Basilisk froze, watching him from the shadows of the trees. It couldn’t approach; it knew that if this man met its gaze, he would turn into a statue, forever frozen in stone.

But the man was curious, and it seemed that he was searching for something in this forest. He paid no attention to the strange sounds surrounding him, did not notice how the fog thickened, or how the creatures of the night began to gather around him. He didn’t know that a mortal danger lurked in these woods. The Basilisk, as always, was forced to watch, unable to intervene, though its soul cried out for help.

The man suddenly stopped and looked into the empty darkness, as though he had sensed something. The Basilisk felt the gaze and froze. It was ready to retreat, to hide in the shadows, when the young man turned again and looked directly at it. He didn’t know that it was a monster, but something in him sensed the threat and fear. Yet, he did not run away. He stood there, staring, not understanding what he was facing. And suddenly, something changed. The man took a step forward, and his eyes met the Basilisk’s.

The Basilisk screamed, but this scream was not one of anger. It was a scream of pain, fear, and regret. Its gaze, as always, was deadly, but this moment was different. It saw the man begin to turn to stone, and this was not the usual transformation. It was like a slow death, long minutes of suffering, where all the man could do was feel his demise. But something inside the Basilisk stirred. It didn’t want this. It didn’t want to be the cause of this death.

The Basilisk, despite its nature, tried to step back. It didn’t know how to stop the process, how to undo this horror. But it felt something new within itself – a desire not to kill, not to cause harm, but simply to exist. This was impossible, but for it, this moment was significant. It understood that despite its power, it didn’t have to be what others thought it was. It was not a monster. It was a creature that didn’t want to destroy. But how could it be that way when its power lay in destruction?

When the man finally turned to stone, the Basilisk felt its soul grow empty. It was hollow and alone. There was no joy in its eyes, no strength. It was only an echo of the curse that could not be lifted. It was the one who could never be free because its nature was a part of this world, part of this nightmare.

Moral: The curse that grants power often becomes a burden that cannot be shed. But true strength lies not in the ability to kill, but in finding the path to healing and understanding one’s place in the world.