Chapter 2

The Euphrates River stretches before them, its surface smooth and unnaturally still beneath the fading afternoon light. A heavy silence lingers in the air, broken only by the occasional whisper of wind through the reeds. The river feels ancient, as though it has been waiting for their arrival.

Dr. Elias Varner stands at the riverbank, his weathered hands tucked into the pockets of his coat. His eyes, filled with anxiety and reverence, scan the water as if searching for something unseen.

“We are standing on the threshold of something far older than recorded history,” he murmurs.

Matt shifts uneasily. “So, do we just—wait? Or is this the part where something creepy comes crawling out of the water?”

Angelica ignores him. Her onyx necklace thrums with warmth against her skin. She knows this place. Not in memory, but in instinct—as though something inside her is responding to a long-forgotten call.

Jenny kneels beside a large flat stone, its surface adorned with the same glowing runes they found in town. “These markings… they match the ones on the artifacts in your office, Dr. Varner.”

Bo studies the river, his jaw tightening. “Then we’re in the right place.”

Dr. Varner nods, kneeling beside Jenny to trace one of the symbols with his fingers. “These are not mere inscriptions,” he says. “They tell a story—one that spans across the ages. And it begins with the Pisces constellation.”

The sun sinks lower, its golden light casting elongated shadows over the riverbank. Dr. Varner adjusts his glasses, his voice growing somber.

“In the time before time, before humans divided the heavens into signs and constellations, the celestial waters were ruled by Hatmehit, the Fish Goddess. She was balance incarnate—the force that kept chaos at bay. And she was not alone.”

Angelica listens, the hum of her necklace deepening as if reacting to his words.

“She was bound to the Aries Ram—a force of fire, will, and strength. Together, they formed a perfect balance. Water and fire. Intuition and action. The eternal cycle of creation.”

Jenny leans forward, enraptured. “And then what happened?”

Dr. Varner’s expression darkens.

“The celestial beings arrived. They disrupted the balance, dividing the realms and severing the bond between Hatmehit and Aries. With their union broken, the forces that held chaos in check began to fray.”

Bo frowns. “You’re talking about Typhon, aren’t you?”

Dr. Varner nods grimly.

“Typhon was never meant to rise. He was held beneath the waters, dormant, as long as the bond remained. But the celestial rift weakened the veil, and the beast stirred. Hatmehit and Aries could no longer contain him alone.”

Matt exhales sharply. “So let me guess—this is the part where things went really bad?”

Dr. Varner’s gaze sweeps over the glowing runes. “The story says that Aphrodite and Eros—celestial entities themselves—transformed into twin fish to escape Typhon’s wrath, marking the beginning of what we now call Pisces.”

Angelica grips the pendant at her throat. “The Time of Pisces.”

Dr. Varner nods. “It has ruled for millennia—a period of intuition, spiritual knowledge, and hidden truths. But now, the veil is shifting again. And if these runes have reappeared…”

Jenny’s eyes widen. “It means Typhon is stirring.”

Silence falls between them.

The river shudders.

A low vibration ripples through the stones beneath their feet, as if something vast and hungry is stirring deep below.

Angelica turns to Dr. Varner. “What does the equinox have to do with all of this?”

“The equinox,” he says, his voice hushed, “is balance. A fleeting moment where light and darkness are equal. And when such balance exists… forgotten knowledge returns.”

Jenny inhales sharply. “That’s why the runes appeared today.”

Dr. Varner nods. “It is also why we do not have much time.”

The sun dips lower. The moment of perfect balance is nearly at its peak.

Then, Angelica’s onyx necklace flares with light.

And the water begins to move.

The group stumbles back as the surface of the river breaks apart, rippling outward in waves that defy physics. The glowing symbols on the stones pulse, their light intensifying.

Bo grips Matt’s arm. “What’s happening?”

Dr. Varner exhales, watching as the ripples form a shape—two fish, swimming in a synchronized circle.

“The twin fish,” he whispers. “Pisces.”

Angelica steps closer, her breath steady despite the electricity in the air. She feels it now—a pull, something ancient calling her forward.

The glowing fish swim toward the center of the river, and where they meet, the water parts.

A submerged stone path is revealed—leading directly beneath the river.

Matt stares in horror. “Nope. Nope. Nope. We are not walking into that.”

Jenny grabs his arm. “Do you see any other way?”

Bo exhales. “I hate to say it, but… she’s right.”

Angelica takes a step forward. The air hums with recognition. She knows, instinctively, that this is why they were led here.

She turns to the others. “We don’t have a choice.”

Matt groans loudly. “I hate when you say that.”

Angelica glances at Dr. Varner. “You’re coming with us, right?”

The historian, still staring at the impossible pathway before them, nods slowly.

“If what I fear is true,” he says, voice trembling with reverence, “then this is not just a passage. This is a threshold between worlds.”

A gust of wind races across the water, and somewhere in the distance, a deep, guttural growl echoes from beneath.

Angelica grips her necklace. The balance is shifting.

And Typhon is awakening.

The sun reaches the perfect midpoint on the horizon.

Angelica looks at the group. “We go now.”

They step onto the submerged stone path, the water parting just enough to let them through.

As the last foot crosses onto the ancient walkway, the river closes behind them.

The world above disappears.

And the chamber beneath the Euphrates awaits.

CONTINUE TO CHAPTER 3

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