River witch
Inside, words carved in bleeding ink appeared:
> *“This is the voice before the mouth.
This is the sea’s gospel, unfiltered.
Speak these words, and the ocean remembers.
Deny them, and the sea forgets you.”*
Jonas whispered, “What the hell is this?”
“The Sunken Testament,” Maya said. “A prayerbook for the trench’s religion.”
Sefina stepped closer. “Or its undoing.”
---
As they read, the room began to respond.
Lightless flames ignited in wall sconces. Shapes stirred inside the glass relics. Voices echoed in tandem with the text.