The sun rose over the mountain village of Sagama, lighting up the sky in a brilliant blue. The warmth spread across the land, waking everything from the ground to the trees. The air smelled of pine and earth, mixing with the soft rustle of the wind.
This was home.
Sagama was simple—a village set under towering mountains with stone paths winding between well-made houses. The villagers lived with purpose, bound by a deep belief in the world beyond.
They knew death was not the end.
It was a passage.
To walk the Thin Line was an honor for those who had lived with wisdom, kindness, and strength. The ancestors watched over them, guiding the worthy to the next life.
Tonight, Monica Kwashi and Joseph Obuko will walk that sacred path.
---
At the heart of the village stood the Destiny household, a simple yet strong home built with aged oak. Inside, Monica sat at a wooden table, her fingers tracing the rim of a clay cup filled with herbal tea. Steam rose in the air, and she breathed it in deeply. Joseph sat across from her, his face calm, watching her with quiet patience.
The air was thick with words left unsaid.
Monica broke the silence. "The time has come, hasn't it?"
Her voice was steady, but there was weight behind it.
Joseph nodded. "Yes." Tonight, we will walk the Thin Line.
No fear. No sorrow.
Just certainty.
The Thin Line wasn't something to dread. It was a bridge between worlds, a path few were chosen to walk. They had prepared for this their entire lives.
Monica reached out and took Joseph's hand. Their fingers intertwined, warm and familiar. They had built a life together—faced trials, loved, and lived. Now, they would leave together.
Outside, the sun began to set, casting golden light over the village. The people of Sagama were preparing for the ceremony.
---
The village moved with purpose.
Drums beat in the distance, their steady rhythm guiding the spirits. Villagers hung vibrant fabrics around the ceremonial grounds, the bright colors standing out against the fading daylight. The scent of burning incense and fresh herbs filled the air, mingling with murmurs of prayer.
Children ran through the streets, laughter echoing as they played. Tonight was a night of honor, a night to witness the sacred passage.
At the edge of the gathering, Joshua Destiny, their son, moved through the crowd. In his hands was a woven basket filled with flowers, herbs, and wooden gifts to honor the ancestors. His steps were calm, his expression steady.
But inside, his heart was heavy.
It wasn't death that scared him.
It was the thought of being left behind.
His parents had been his foundation, his guiding stars. They had given him everything—strength, wisdom, love. And now, they would leave him.
He gripped the basket tighter.
He had always known this day would come.
But that didn't make it easier.
---
As the sun sank lower, torches were lit, their flames flickering in the cool air. The drumming grew louder, stronger.
At the center of the gathering stood Monica and Joseph.
Side by side.
Their robes shimmered with golden thread, glowing in the firelight. They looked almost otherworldly, as if they were already halfway into the next life.
Then—
The Thin Line appeared.
A glowing silver thread stretched across the air, toward an unseen gate. It flickered at first, faint, but with each breath, it grew brighter, stronger.
The villagers held their breath.
The Thin Line pulsed.
Then—
Monica and Joseph began to glow.
Their forms shimmered, weightless, as if the earth no longer held them. A golden light surrounded them, warm and gentle, guiding them forward.
Joshua's breath caught.
He stepped closer, his heart pounding in his chest.
He had known this moment would come.
But nothing could have prepared him for this.
Monica looked at him, her face bathed in light.
Their eyes met.
She smiled.
A smile filled with love, sorrow, and understanding.
"Live well, Joshua."
Her voice was soft but filled his mind, wrapping him in a final embrace.
"One day, you will walk this path too."
The Thin Line pulsed again, brighter than before.
And then—
The gates opened.
A deep hum filled the air, vibrating through the ground.
A golden light poured out, stretching toward the village, bathing everything in its glow. The air crackled with energy, thick with something vast and unknowable.
Joshua's chest tightened.
His hands clenched into fists.
The gates were opening.
And beyond them—
Something waited.
The villagers watched in silence.
Some were awestruck.
Others, afraid.
The Thin Line pulsed again, stretching toward the unknown.
Then—
The gates opened wider.
The golden light grew brighter, hotter, endless.
Joshua staggered forward.
He could feel something pulling—something ancient, something powerful.
For a moment, he thought he saw figures beyond the gates, standing in the glow. The ancestors.
His parents would soon join them.
His chest tightened.
His breath came in short gasps.
He reached out—
But his hand grasped only empty air.
No.
The torches flickered.
The drums stopped.
A heavy silence fell over the village.
Joshua could only watch.
As the gates of the ancestors—
Began to open.