The River That Move
After Arin vanished into the mist,I stood frozen for a long time.His warning echoed inside my mind."The river flows both ways.
And what waits at its end… hungers.
What did he mean?What river?And what was waiting?
I walked through the forest until the trees thinned and the ground opened into a wide plain.There, under the moonlight,I finally saw it
A river.Silent.Still.Yet somehow… alive.Unlike any river I had seen.before.Its waters did not flow forward.Or backward.
They shifted—as if breathing.I knelt and touched the riverbank.The soil was warm.The water shimmered faintly, like silver threads moving.under the surface.Then the diary slipped open in my hand—
as if the wind had turned its pages.
A message appeared on the very last written line:
When the river moves, follow it.When it stops… run.
As soon as I finished reading,
the river suddenly stopped moving.Still.Silent.Motionless.
My breath caught.Something beneath the water stirred.slowly rising.I stepped back.Then the river roared.Not like water…but like a beast.
The ground shook beneath my feet.The water curled upward as if trying to form a shape.a hand?a face?I didn't wait to find out.I turned and ran.as fast as I could.until the roar faded behind me.and the trembling ground finally grew quiet.Only then did I stop,panting, terrified.The diary closed itself.almost like it was warning me:
The river was not a place of answers.It was a place of awakening.
And something inside it.had just woken up.
I continued walking until dawn broke across the sky.
Hours later, I reached a village so quiet
it felt frozen in time.Houses stood neatly in rows,doors slightly open,food placed on tables…But there was no one.Not a voice.
Not a footstep.Not even the sound of breathing.It was as if an entire village.had vanished in the middle of their day.
I walked through the streets, calling out:
Hello?Is anyone here?Only my echo replied.
On one doorstep, a cup of tea still steamed.fresh.Untouched.
My heart tightened.What happened to these people?
The diary vibrated faintly in my bag.I opened it and a new line appeared
as if written by an unseen hand:
Silence means the river passed through.The river?Here?No footsteps.No bodies.No signs of struggle.Just… emptiness.
I walked deeper into the village until I reached a small temple.
Inside, symbols matching the stone from the forest were carved on the walls.On the floor lay a single object:A wooden flute.I picked it up.
Suddenly.A whisper filled the room.Don't play it… unless you're ready.I spun around.No one was there.The village remained silent.Too silent.
I placed the flute in my bag and left the temple,
my heartbeat echoing through the empty streets.
This place wasn't abandoned.It was warning me.
As I left the village,I reached a narrow field of tall grass.There, standing alone,was a woman in a white shawl.Her eyes were closed,
as if listening to a song only she could hear.I approached carefully.
'Excuse me..Do you know what happened to this village?Her eyes opened slowly.dark, deep, ancient.You survived the river, she said softly.I can smell it on you.I froze.How do you know about the river?
She smiled gently.Because I once crossed it.My breath stopped.
You crossed it?What's inside that water?Where did the people go?"Her expression darkened.They are not gone.They are… elsewhere.
Trapped in the current of their own memories.I didn't understand.
She stepped closer, placing her hand on my chest.Your journey has just begun.The river has chosen you.And that means…She leaned in, voice barely a whisper.You are no longer safe in the ordinary world.I swallowed hard.Then what do I do?
She pointed toward the horizon where mountains rose like sleeping giants.Go to the place where the three peaks meet.
Only there will you find the one who truly knows the river.
I nodded.As I turned to leave, she called out.Child…I looked back.
Her eyes glowed faintly.Be careful.
The river watches those who walk away from it.A chill crawled down my spine.When I blinked.She was gone.Only the grass swayed where she once stood.