Nocturne

25. Seth

We all stood in the market, watching in complete rapture as a low vibration began to echo in the room. We'd all gathered around the edges of the promenade as Nolan stood still in the center of the room, his hands stretched out in front of him. Whispers were coming from his lips and I watched him raise his hands as if to pull the dead from the ground. My entire being shivered as I watched Osiris latch her hands onto his shoulders, her human facade falling away as her hieroglyphs shimmered in reds and golds. Some of that translated onto Nolan's skin as he worked, newfound power enabling what never should have been possible.

It wasn't long before the sky above us seemed to darken, the lights of the lamps flickering on and off. I felt the earth begin to shake beneath my feet. There were more whispers, wails of the damned and cries for salvation. Save me, o lord, from this wretched damnation. Shadowy hands broke the surface of the clay-packed floor, reaching towards the ceiling in a mad hope to be free of the confines of Hell. Some of the subjects fled to the far reaches of the tunnels, hiding from what lurked beneath us. Something opened, revealing a dark, pooling mass on the floor that leeched out, spreading wide enough for someone to climb through. Thunder boomed above us and I could hear the storm outside, and for once I wasn't scared of the lightning. My eyes were wide as a figure began to rise from the portal, shimmering hieroglyphs tracing his skin as his heart throbbed and beat in time with Nolan's chanting. It was awe inspiring and I had no way to describe what I was witnessing in words. It was the birth of a God.

"Brother."

The man's eyes snapped open at the sound of Osiris' voice. What was once filled with white, empty orbs was now glowing a radiant gold, just like his sister's. Seth was there, and for the first time, we all got to see what the real God of Death could do. The portal on the floor closed and in seconds Nolan had lunged forward, wrapping the necklace around Seth to essentially trap him on this plane of existence. A scream tore through the man's chest and he fell to the floor, holding his hand over his heart. The black, rotting skin that adorned him began to dissipate, revealing ebony arms and a human being. Seth looked up at us just as the last of the darkness faded, his eyes shimmering in gold as he stared. His eyes were locked with Nolan's the whole time, and there was no apprehension as Nolan held his hand out to Seth.

"Welcome back to the land of the living."

"Wh-Where...am I...?" Seth's voice sounded young, yet full of ancient wisdom that couldn't have been deciphered by any other than himself. The man was dressed in a tunic from the hips down, a scroll of crimson edged with gold hanging between his legs. Golden gauntlets wrapped around his forearms, metal bands curling around his biceps and a golden crown much like Osiris' wrapped around his forehead. He looked just as he had in the picture; wide, brave eyes filled with golden magma. His hair was a dark auburn, spiked upwards like a fire.

"Sacramento, California," Nolan snickered, "boy, you were not easy to bring up."

"Who...?" Seth seemed to pause when he examined Nolan further. Memories flashed in his eyes, and he blinked away the confusion. "You're Nolan, the curse bearer."

"You bet I am." He held a hand out to shake. "It's nice to finally meet the man who gave me a second chance with the love of my life."

Seth stared at his hand for a moment before shaking it, his grip tight. His eyes wandered and they paused on Osiris. She was standing a little far off from Nolan by this point but there was something about the way she stood that showed reserved excitement. Seth seemed to crack a little and Osiris sprinted forward, wrapping her arms around her brother tightly. I'd never seen the woman cry before now, save for in Utah, but here she was sobbing her eyes out in joy as she clutched her family close to her.

"Brother..." she cried streaks of gold, a grin breaking out on her face. "I haven't seen you in decades."

"Osiris, sister...I thought you'd died, you were wandering the darkness for so long..." his grip was tight on her as he grinned, his own flesh and blood back in his arms.