Domination

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.