The River Below

Kaito groaned as his eyes fluttered open. The smell of herbs lingered in the air, and dim light flickered from a lantern nearby. He found himself lying in a wooden bed, covered with a thick blanket.
“You’re awake,” a gentle voice said.
Kaito turned his head and saw an elderly woman standing beside him, her silver hair tied neatly, her eyes warm but sharp. Beside her, an old man with a long beard leaned against a cane, grinning.
“You should thank us, boy. Dragging you out of that river nearly broke my back,” the man said proudly.
The woman sighed and smacked him lightly with her stick.“Stop bragging, Hiroto. You barely lifted him. I was the one who brought him out—with magic.”
The old man pouted.“Hmph! Still, without me, you’d have—”
BONK! Another whack from the woman shut him up.
Kaito couldn’t help but smile weakly. “Thank you… Grandma, Grandpa. It’s me, Kaito.”
The woman smiled softly. “My name is Amara. Amara Hayashi.”
From the side, the man puffed his chest. “And I am Hiroto! Hiroto Hayashi! Remember it well, boy, for it belongs to a legendary—”
BONK!Amara silenced him again. “Legendary, my foot. Ignore him, child. He jokes more than he works.”
Kaito chuckled, despite the ache in his body. “Amara. Hiroto. I’ll remember your names. Truly… thank you.”
But Amara’s expression grew serious as she studied him.“Kaito… tell me. How did you end up in the river? And… who are you really? I cannot sense any mana from you.”
Kaito looked down. “…I was on my journey. I had just left my village… but I was attacked by a pack of wolves. I fought them… but I was outmatched. I fell from a cliff. When I woke up, I was here.”
Amara’s brows furrowed. “Strange… Every living being carries mana. Yet in you, I sense nothing. Hiroto, what about you?”
For once, Hiroto’s grin faded. His eyes sharpened, and his tone turned grave.“…I feel nothing either. His body is like a void. Just like… a devil’s.”
Kaito’s chest tightened. “…I don’t know who I am. Before he died, my father left me a letter. In it… he wrote that I wasn’t his real son. He said he had found me outside the village and raised me as his own.”
Amara’s eyes widened slightly. “…So, your father was not your blood father?”
Kaito nodded, pain flickering in his gaze. “Yes. That’s what the letter said. I never knew the truth beyond that.”
Amara exhaled slowly and extended her hand.“Then let me check something. Come closer, Kaito. Close your eyes… and give me your hand.”
Hesitant but trusting, Kaito obeyed. His hand trembled as Amara’s palm pressed against his. A soft glow spread from her fingertips, seeping into him like warm water.
But the warmth quickly faded.
In her vision, Amara found herself standing in a void—endless, cold, and vast. And within that emptiness stood two figures.
A beautiful woman, draped in a flowing white dress, radiated a divine light.Opposite her, a man in a black suit with long black hair loomed, his presence suffocating and sharp as a blade.
They seemed locked in eternal conflict, glaring at each other. But then—both of their eyes snapped toward Amara.
The woman’s voice rang out, cold and commanding:“Who are you? Why have you come here?”
The man’s voice followed, deep and venomous:“You dare to peek into this place? Leave at once… or we will kill you.”
An immense pressure crushed Amara’s chest. She gasped and immediately broke the connection, yanking her hand away. Her body trembled as sweat dripped down her forehead.
Kaito’s eyes flew open. “Grandma! What happened?! What did you see?!”
Amara remained silent for a moment, steadying her breath. For the first time, the wise old grandmother looked truly shaken.
“…Kaito,” she whispered at last, her voice heavy with warning. “Inside you… dwell two beings. And both are far more dangerous than you can imagine.”
The room fell into silence. Even Hiroto did not laugh.