Despite being an enclosed space, the cave system had a distinct chill to it that the outside night air did not. The deeper they ventured into the pitch darkness, the lower the temperature seemed to drop. Nevertheless, they gritted their teeth and pressed on, following the spirit lantern’s unnatural light.

It should have been damp, but instead the air was crisp and dry. The only humidity came from their own breath, fogging up the air in front of their faces.

Hours later, in the farthest depths of the narrow cave system, Noah and the priest finally found what they had been looking for. This was it. The final chamber, where the glow of the spirit lantern grew bright enough to illuminate the entire space. The farthest point within the cave system that people could reach.

While the rest of the cave was narrow and claustrophobic, at some points limited to mere crawlspaces, this chamber was vast. The walls of this chamber stretched endlessly upwards to create the illusion that it led back up to the outside world. Ahead of them, an underground lake occupied the remainder of the cave.

And yet, despite the vast, open space, there was something about this place that felt more oppressive than the tunnels they’d shuffled sideways to get through. Tucked away in the depths of the mountain, this was clearly not a place for humans, and Noah felt it.

The craggy stone floors sloped gently downwards until they met the water’s edge, leading Noah and the priest down towards their final destination. The pool of water was large enough that it stretched out into a seemingly infinite distance where it lapsed back into inky darkness.

Even as the hem of Noah’s hakama brushed the edge of the water, the pool remained as smooth and still as glass, unmarked by even the faintest of ripples. The air itself hung heavy with suspense. It was stagnant, devoid of any movement.

Here, miles beneath the earth, it felt like time itself had come to a standstill. Up ahead was unmistakably the hidden, true altar, where the veil that separated the realms was the thinnest.

“We’re here,” Noah announced quietly. “This is where the connection between the Mortal Realm and Spirit Realm is strongest.”

The stillness made the tall red archway that stood in the dead-center of the pool, rising from the surface of the water itself, all the more unnatural. Beneath it sat a stone altar and small wooden offering table. Neither appeared to be suffering from the effects of humidity and the ages, despite being positioned directly atop a body of water.

From the water’s edge, Noah couldn’t make out any sort of platform or underwater supports for the altar and offering table. And yet, there they stood, sitting on top of the glass-smooth pool as if it was solid ground. The red painted archway and the familiar accompaniments resembled a man-made shrine, but its location and appearance spoke volumes.

This place was unmistakably tied to the other side. Aside from the shrine’s unnaturally preserved appearance and defiance of physics, Noah could feel it in the air. It hadn’t been human hands that had built this shrine. Even if it had been hidden away from the world and seemingly forgotten by time, this was an ancient god’s altar—the guardian deity of the mountain.

“Divine One,” the priest murmured, gesturing to the last piece of the ceremonial robes that hung over Noah’s arm. “Your gown is going to get wet.”

Noah pulled the thick white overcoat over his shoulders, his lips curving into a wry smile as the rough material caught on his clothes. For all that the Astraeus clan preached that their spiritual envoys should be dressed and tended to with great care, the reality was just as laughably hypocritical as it had been the first time he’d done this.

These weren’t ornate, bridal robes meant for an important ceremony. They weren’t meant to endure the test of time. They were garments that were made to be used once and then discarded—just like the envoys who wore them. The only special thing about them was the mana that they were imbued with, to connect the wearer to the Spirit Realm.

Noah fastened the collar and pulled the hood up over his head, the last piece of the ceremonial garb that designated him as a sacrificial bride of the gods. As he did so, something in the air shifted.

There was a faint magnetic pull, luring him towards the center of the pool. A chill crept down his spine as a stone path revealed itself, blinking into existence as Noah’s foot hovered over the water. Old magic was still at work here.

The cave they’d come through had been alive with the sound of trickling water and skittering creatures, but once they’d stepped into the open chamber there was only silence. The stone steps didn’t budge beneath their weight. The water didn’t shift.

As they approached the altar, even the soft rustling of fabric as they walked felt deafeningly loud. Apart from the two of them, there were no signs of life here.

“Do you remember what I told you?” Noah asked, gesturing for the priest to shrug off the bag of ceremonial tools he’d been carrying. “First, the dedication of the sacred elixir. To the land, first, for the guardian deity, and then to me. Whatever happens, don’t be startled and don’t stop the sacrificial ceremony. It’s important that the wedding rites be completed before the soul leaves the body.”

The priest delicately removed the ritual sake vessel from the bag, shakily emptying its contents into the twin cups that were already waiting on the altar, untouched by the hands of time. The first he spilled into the lake, an offering for the god of the land, and the other he gently pushed into Noah’s hands.

“Here,” the priest murmured, not quite meeting Noah’s gaze as he gestured to the altar.

“Good.” Noah accepted it and backed himself up to the altar table, taking a seat on the edge. “Do you remember the traditional dedication along with the vows we went over?”

“I do.”

“Good. You won’t have long to make it back across the water after the ceremony ends. The moment the water begins to rise, you need to leave this place, quickly,” Noah explained. “The spirit lantern should guide you back to the temple once the mana in this place disappears.”

“What are we meant to do with… your body?”

“It doesn’t matter what happens to me when I’m gone,” Noah said, with a casual shrug. “This place won’t be accessible anymore regardless. ”

The priest winced. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. There’s nothing to be sorry for.”

Noah closed his eyes and drank deeply from his cup, his throat burning with the familiar warmth of alcohol mixed with the so-called elixir of the gods. A lethal dose of anesthetic herbal brew, combined with sake for palatability. Within seconds Noah’s vision warped, the cave around him growing hazy as he leaned back to fully lay himself down upon the altar table.

“This is my duty,” Noah said, catching sight of the priest’s wavering expression. “And yours. Don’t hesitate.” The elixir was fast acting. He had scarcely laid down when he felt his muscles go weak.

The priest had the decency to look ashamed as he took the sheer veil—the same gauzy material they used for children’s costumes—and draped it over Noah’s face. “I truly pray that this is not in vain.”

“It won’t be,” Noah murmured, even as the rise and fall of his chest began to grow labored and shallow. “I’m going to do everything I can. But if in more than a year’s time, Silverrun’s circumstances remain unchanged—or sooner, if anything worsens—promise me you’ll send for the elders of the Astraeus Clan.”

“I will.”

“Now hurry, start the ceremony,” Noah mumbled as darkness began to eclipse his vision. “I can feel it kicking in.”

“Yes, Divine One. And… thank you. When this is over, I will pray for your safe passage to the other side.”

Noah no longer had the strength to respond. His grasp on his physical body was fading.

The vivid red paint of the archway was the last thing he saw, fading in and out of focus as the heaviness continued to settle in his limbs. He could feel his heartbeat slowing and his lungs burning for air, the familiar feeling of death creeping closer and closer.

“O, Great Spirit, guardian of the mountain, it is to your honor and grace that we dedicate this sacred offering. When the waters rise to claim this body, we implore you to accept this bride as your own as we bind their soul in your name, to serve you into eternity..."

The priest went on speaking, but his voice was getting farther and farther away—and then it was gone. Noah’s eyes fell heavily closed as his consciousness and body finally surrendered.

In his last moments, for a few brief, split seconds, Noah saw those eyes again. Fiercely, beautifully golden, framed with frost-tipped, dense lashes—and wide with surprise.