Back Again

A year had passed since Thana last saw him. The man who had descended from the heavenly realm, burdened with guilt and longing, had vanished from her thoughts as countless others came and went across the River of Oblivion. She had almost forgotten about him.

But as Thana stood once more on the bank of the river, the mist swirling lazily at her feet, she noticed a familiar figure walking toward her. She blinked in mild surprise. It was him—the same man, with the same quiet determination in his eyes. Only this time, there was something different. He didn't look lost or confused. Instead, he moved with purpose, a faint smile playing on his lips.

Thana's hand tightened on her scythe as she called out to him. "You again?"

The man chuckled softly, stopping a few steps in front of her. "It's me."

She eyed him warily, sensing there was more to his return than a simple chance. "What happened this time? Why are you back?"

He smiled widely, but his eyes were emotionless. "I did something. Deliberately."

Thana's frown deepened. "You committed a sin to come back here?"

He nodded without shame. "I had to. I couldn't let my brother go. I realized that the only way to follow him to the mortal world was to end up back here. So, I did what needed to be done." Thana sighed, a mix of exasperation and sympathy. "You know once you cross the river, everything—your memories, your feelings for your brother—they'll all be gone."

He waved her off, that small, confident smile still in place. "I know. But I'll find him. Even if I don't remember his voice or face, I know it's him when I see him."

Thana shifted her weight, the metal of her scythe catching the dim light. "You are willing to risk everything?"

The man smiled faintly, but his determination didn't flicker. "It's my choice. I can't go on without him. I just can't."

Thana breathed heavily while glancing at the river, its waters gently splashing at the shore. She had heard similar words from countless souls over a thousand years, and it almost always ended the same way—lost, broken, and forgotten.

But she had learned long ago not to argue. Everyone had to make their own choices. "Fine," she said, her voice resigned. "Once you get on the other side of the river, your memories will fade."

He smiled with sadness in his eyes. "I know what to do."

Thana stepped back as the guy made his way to the small boat that was anchored at the river's edge. The paddlers were all set. He stepped in and sat right on the bench as if he had done it a thousand times before.

The boat floated away and Thana just stood there with her arms crossed over her chest, watching the event happen. The mist appeared to meet him, wrapping around the boat as it glided further from the shore.

She could still see him, and the way he sat straight, staring ahead, determined to face whatever came in his way. His mind was full of memories of his brother, she could tell. They clouded his thoughts and filled his heart with a heaviness he couldn't shake.

For a moment, Thana almost pitied him. He was in pursuit of something that he probably could not find even if he were to look for it.

She moved further towards the river and felt her boot into the river as she remained floating. "You aren't kidding around about this, are you?"

The man turned, and for the last time, his eyes met hers. His expression softened, and for the briefest moment, he looked like a lost, desperate man she met a year ago.

"I have to," he said softly. "He's all I have left," 

Thana did not answer; and remained still as the boat merged into the mist, lost in the vast river known as the River of Oblivion.

She guided him to the river, and like so many souls before him, he was gone. But she hadn't felt in a long time—a strange sense of unease. When souls crossed the river, she felt closure. Their journey ended, and a new one began. But with him, it felt... unfinished.

Thana shook her head, pushing the thought away. What did it matter? He had made his choice. He decided to follow his brother into the mortal realm, even if the cost that he had to pay was the complete annihilation of his very existence.

She averted her gaze from the river, Thana couldn't help but ponder. Will he find what he was looking for? Or was he destined to wander the mortal realm, searching for his brother even though they both have no memories?

She had seen many souls cross the River of Oblivion and watched them disappear into the mortal realm with no memory of whom they once were.

His mind was filled with thoughts of his brother. She could sense it—the way his heart clung to the memories, refusing to let go. Even now, as the waters of Oblivion began to pull at him, he held onto the hope that somehow, they would find each other again.

She slowly retreated to the cold, dusty part of the netherworld and continued working. She had done her part. He had made his choice. Whether or not he would find what he was looking for... that was beyond her control. There were always more souls to guide and more people to forget.

However, the best, or rather, the only thing she had of him remained to haunt her and buzzed in her mind like an insect that had somehow been let inside the house. The thought of the guy from earlier still lingered in her mind like a whisper she couldn't quite shake.

Time would tell if their paths crossed again. But for now, Thana let the quiet of the netherworld embrace her once more, as the echoes of the man's determination faded into the mist.