"What is it, Father?" Riley asked quietly, kneeling beside the old man's bed.
He had long known that he possessed no powers in this fragile mortal body, yet his true form—far beyond this realm—could see all that unfolded here.
His divine sense drifted like an invisible mist through forests, rivers, and mountains, constantly watching over this small corner of the world.
It was the reason he hunted with such ease; no deer, boar, or fish ever escaped his awareness.
And it was the reason he had known, long before anyone else, that tonight would be Craig's final night on earth.
Hak
Hak
Hak
Craig's frail body shook with each cough.
Riley steadied him, lifting the cup to his lips and helping him sip slowly.
The dim firelight flickered across the old man's sunken cheeks, casting long shadows on the walls of the little wooden house they had built together over the years.
After a while, Craig's breathing eased.
