The River That Sees the Soul

The garden no longer felt like a sanctuary.

Even after the demon’s destruction, the air remained unsettled, as though something invisible lingered—watching, waiting. Sienna stood face to face with his brother, the faint glow of his light clashing against the quiet, consuming darkness that surrounded Sernna.

“You sent that creature,” Sienna said, his voice calm but firm.

Sernna tilted his head slightly, as if amused by the accusation. “Sent is such a strong word.”

“It nearly destroyed this realm,” Elias interjected, her voice sharp with restrained anger. “It corrupted life itself.”

Sernna barely glanced at her. “And yet… here you stand.”

Merga stepped forward, her presence radiant but edged with tension. “You endangered all of us just to prove a point?”

Sernna’s gaze returned to Sienna. “Not all of you. Just him.”

Sienna’s expression hardened slightly. “Then say what you came to say.”

For a moment, Sernna simply watched him.

“You’re still holding back,” he said finally.

Sienna frowned. “This isn’t a game.”

“No,” Sernna replied. “It’s a test.”

Silence fell.

Sienna took a slow breath. “I’m not going to fight you.”

A faint smile touched Sernna’s lips. “That’s exactly the problem.”

Before Sienna could respond, the shadows around Sernna shifted.

And then he was gone.

Just like that.

The tension he left behind, however, did not fade.

Merga exhaled softly, turning to Sienna. “He’s not going to stop, is he?”

Sienna shook his head. “No.”

Elias stepped closer, concern evident in her expression. “Whatever this is, it’s no longer subtle. You must be careful.”

“I will,” Sienna assured her.

But even as he said it, his thoughts were already elsewhere.

Something wasn’t right.

This wasn’t just about provoking him.

It was something deeper.

“I need answers,” he said quietly.

Merga studied him for a moment. “Then let’s find them.”

Sienna looked at her, a faint spark of determination returning to his eyes. “Come with me.”

“Always,” she replied without hesitation.

Moments later, they descended from the heavens.

Earth welcomed them in a way no other realm could.

The air was different—alive in a fragile, fleeting way. Mortals moved through their lives unaware of the forces that shaped their existence, their joys and struggles woven into something beautifully temporary.

Merga looked around, her eyes filled with curiosity. “It’s… smaller than I imagined.”

Sienna smiled faintly. “And yet, in some ways, more complex than anything we know.”

They stood at the edge of a vast city, where towering structures of stone and gold rose toward the sky. At its heart stood a temple—grand, ancient, and filled with devotion.

Merga’s gaze fixed on it. “That place… it feels familiar.”

“It should,” Sienna said. “It was built for me.”

She blinked. “For you?”

Sienna nodded. “Mortals have always believed in something greater than themselves. Sometimes… they choose to believe in us.”

They approached the temple together.

Massive pillars lined its entrance, each carved with intricate designs of light, music, and celestial symbols. Inside, the air was thick with reverence. Soft chants echoed through the halls as worshippers knelt in quiet devotion.

Merga looked around, her expression shifting from curiosity to something softer. “They believe in you… without ever seeing you.”

Sienna’s gaze lingered on them. “Faith doesn’t require sight.”

They moved deeper into the temple, away from the main halls and into quieter, hidden passages. The further they went, the less human the structure felt.

Until finally, they reached it.

A sealed chamber.

Merga frowned slightly. “This isn’t part of the temple, is it?”

“No,” Sienna said. “It’s older.”

He placed his hand against the door.

Light spread from his touch, ancient symbols awakening as the chamber slowly opened.

Inside, darkness greeted them.

But not the kind that threatened.

The kind that waited.

At the center of the room, a river flowed.

Silent.

Endless.

Merga’s breath caught slightly. “What is this?”

Sienna stepped forward, his voice quieter now. “The River Styx.”

“The River Styx?” she repeated. “I thought that was just a legend.”

“It is,” Sienna said. “And it isn’t.”

He turned to her.

“Long ago, before the balance between realms was fully formed, my father created something… unexpected. A child. Not with Aorta—but with a mortal woman.”

Merga’s eyes widened slightly.

“To protect the child from Aorta,” Sienna continued, “he transformed it. Gave it a new form. One that could not be easily destroyed.”

“The river,” Merga whispered.

Sienna nodded.

“It sees truth. Intentions. The things even gods try to hide.”

Merga looked back at the water, awe and unease mixing in her expression. “And you think it can tell us what Sernna is planning?”

“There’s only one way to know,” Sienna said.

He stepped closer to the river’s edge.

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then Sienna closed his eyes.

“Styx,” he called softly.

The water stirred.

Not violently.

But knowingly.

A voice echoed—not through sound, but through presence.

“I am awake.”

Merga stiffened slightly. “That’s… unsettling.”

Sienna ignored the comment, focusing on the river.

“We seek truth,” he said. “The intentions of Sernna and Aorta.”

The water shimmered faintly.

“I see what is before me,” the river replied. “Nothing more.”

Sienna’s brow furrowed. “Then look beyond.”

“I cannot.”

The answer was immediate.

Final.

Merga stepped forward. “You’re the River Styx. You’re supposed to see everything.”

“I see what I am given,” the river said. “And they are not here.”

Silence followed.

Sienna clenched his hand slightly, frustration flickering beneath his calm exterior. “Then you’re telling me you can’t help us at all?”

“I am telling you,” Styx replied, “that truth requires presence.”

Merga exhaled sharply. “That’s… incredibly unhelpful.”

The river did not respond.

Its surface returned to stillness.

Sienna stood there for a long moment, the faint glow of his light reflecting against the dark water.

Then, slowly, he stepped back.

“So we’re still blind,” Merga said quietly.

Sienna shook his head.

“Not blind,” he corrected.

“Just… unprepared.”

He turned toward the exit, his expression more focused now.

“If they want to test me,” he said, “then I need to be ready for whatever comes next.”

Merga followed him, her presence steady at his side.

“Then we face it together,” she said.

Sienna glanced at her briefly.

And nodded.

But deep within the chamber, the river stirred once more.

As though it knew something…

It had not yet chosen to reveal.

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