Meanwhile, the cause and progenitor of all these problems floated quietly on Sea.
Seth floated silently down the river, his body a vessel stripped of vitality, carried only by the current.
The night was cold, and the river's surface shimmered faintly under the moonlight, a deceptive calm masking the chaos he left behind.
His form was limp, his face pale, and his darkened palm submerged beneath the frigid water, a strange, lifeless contrast to the serenity of the flowing river.
A small fishing boat bobbed nearby, two men aboard hauling their nets.
They weren't expecting much; the river hadn't been kind to their trade recently.
One of them grunted, squinting at a shape in the water.
"Is that… a body?"
The other leaned forward, peering into the darkness.
"Looks like it. Don't touch it. Could be trouble."
But the first man ignored him, his curiosity piqued.
