Part I: Beneath the Moon, Beneath the Soul
The night held its breath.
A low fog drifted above the ground like smoke rising from the earth itself. The trees stood like watchmen. The river hummed — not with peace, but tension.
And beneath the canopy of stars, Ozais fought shadows.
His body moved with precision. Strikes cut the air like blades. Elbows, knees, palms — swift, fluid, practiced.
Each motion carved a memory into the night.
But the Flow did not come.
No light. No surge. No resonance within.
Only the echo of silence.
He stopped, panting. His bare chest rose and fell with frustration.
He stared at his hands. Once vessels of power. Now just skin and bone.
He slammed a fist into the earth.
"Why won't it come back?"
He closed his eyes.
And heard the voice again.
Oz:
"Flow awakens to those who are aligned in their emotions and spirit."
"You must remember, son. Flow doesn't just come from one's physical strength… but your soul."
"The stronger your soul and faith… the more your Flow will evolve."
---
Ozais gritted his teeth.
His voice broke free like a whip of fury.
Ozais: "Then why is nothing working?!"
His shout pierced the forest, bounced off tree trunks, and fell flat into the dirt like a body.
From the trees — someone flinched.
Zaire crouched behind a thick patch of brush, holding his breath.
He hadn't meant to spy — not at first. But night after night, he'd seen his brother slip away. Curiosity turned to awe.
Tonight, Ozais moved like something born to war.
Even without Flow, his strikes carried weight, grace, violence.
Zaire's chest tightened.
"He's still so strong...
Even with nothing. No power. No light.
I want to be like that.
No—stronger."
He stepped out.
Slowly. Cautiously.
Zaire: "Brother…"
Ozais's head turned sharply.
No surprise in his face — only bitterness.
He rose to his feet. The moon carved angles across his face.
Ozais: "Why are you here?"
Zaire hesitated.
Ozais took a step forward.
Ozais: "Come to break something else I cherish?"
Zaire's breath caught.
His shoulders dropped.
Zaire: "…No. I didn't mean to. Please forgive me. I'm sorry."
A pause.
The river behind them flowed louder, like it had drawn closer.
Ozais's eyes narrowed.
Ozais: "Prove it."
Zaire blinked.
Zaire: "...Huh?"
Ozais: "Fight me."
Zaire stepped back.
Zaire: "What? I—I can't. I don't even know what happened that day. I didn't mean to—"
Ozais (cutting him off): "Here. Now. I need to see it again."
His fists clenched.
Ozais: "That power. The one you used to save Uriyah. The one that shattered me."
Zaire: "But… I've never won. Not once. You've always—"
Ozais (ignoring): "Prepare yourself, little brother."
He slid into stance — wide base, open palms, low center.
Ozais: "Raise your fists."
Zaire didn't move.
The river whispered louder.
"Come."
A breeze blew through the trees.
The water rippled behind him — not from wind.
From something older.
Something watching.
Ozais (shouting):
"RAISE YOUR FISTS! COME AT ME!
Zaire's hands shook.
But he stepped forward.
One foot.
Then the other.
He raised his fists — not with confidence, but conviction.
The moonlight flickered.
And deep beneath the river's surface… something stirred.
---
Part II: When Brothers Collide
Zaire's feet were heavy.
His fists, even heavier.
He stood across from Ozais, heart hammering, breath shaking. Moonlight split the space between them, painting them in cold light — two shadows destined to clash.
Ozais said nothing.
His stance was sharp. Eyes locked. Muscles tensed like coiled rope.
Zaire swallowed hard.
"Why is he doing this?
Is it punishment?
Or proof… that I don't belong?"
The river murmured behind them.
Then —
Ozais moved first.
A blur of motion. A fist aimed for Zaire's chest.
Zaire dodged — barely.
Another strike. Then a kick. A feint. A sweep.
Zaire stumbled back, off balance.
Ozais: "You're holding back."
Zaire caught his footing, breath quick and uneven.
"I'm trying… I really am…"
He stepped in with a quick jab. Ozais ducked it with ease.
Zaire followed with a second strike — blocked. Third — dodged.
And then—
CRACK!
A brutal kick exploded into Zaire's ribs, lifting him off his feet.
His body slammed into a tree with a splintering crunch. Bark cracked. Air left his lungs.
Zaire collapsed forward, coughing violently, arm trembling as he tried to push up from the dirt.
"....that wasn't even his full strength…
I never stood a chance, did I?"
Ozais didn't move.
Didn't breathe heavy.
Ozais:
"I thought I told you to come at me, little brother."
"Show me what you can do, Zaire."
Zaire winced. Blood trickled from his mouth.
His vision swam with light.
"Maybe I can't overpower him…
But I can outsmart him."
He looked up — the moon hovered overhead, bright and direct.
He adjusted his stance. Took in the angle. Waited.
Then — he darted right.
Into the shadows.
Then cut hard across the light.
Ozais turned—
Too slow.
Zaire struck.
A clean hit across the jaw. The force turned Ozais's head.
Zaire followed up — another blow to the ribs.
Zaire (shouting): "I'm not done!"
He swung for a third strike—
But this one never landed.
Ozais caught him.
By the hair. His locks wrapped in Ozais's fist.
Zaire's heart sank.
Ozais (low):
"Pathetic."
He yanked Zaire forward and slammed him into the ground.
Hard.
Dust exploded. The forest went still.
Ozais:
"Here I was… worried you could pose a challenge."
He let go.
Zaire lay in the dirt, face to the side, eyes blurred.
The moonlight shimmered off the river's surface behind him.
It pulsed — once. Barely.
But something felt… different.
That sound again…
Like the river was… humming?
No… breathing.
🔻 Beneath the River
Far below, something stirred.
Not water.
Something inside it.
A presence. Watching.
Waiting.
And when Zaire hit the ground… it blinked.
✦ To Be Continued in Chapter 5: " Beneath the Surface, the River Cracks"
© 2025 TideBorn Studios. All rights reserved.
Flow of the Divine River™ is an original work by the author.
No part of this story may be reproduced, reposted, translated, or adapted without written permission.