The rain falls over the old Plymouth. The droplets on the windshield, as he drives at high speed, bring Charon a nostalgic sense of peace and freedom. In his mind, a memory comes to him—of a fierce storm falling on the deck of a trireme, while he, drenched, gave orders to the rowers. No matter how rough the sea was, Charon did not fear it; he felt as though he was part of it, for he had sailed so much that he knew the waters as well as Poseidon himself. And this calmness and confidence impressed everyone around him. Perhaps that's why the Gods had taken notice of him back then. Did they admire him enough to give him a noble purpose, or did they want to punish him, for his mere existence was an offense to Poseidon's ego?

Charon snaps out of his thoughts as the headlights illuminate, in the middle of the road, a specter wearing a felt hat and a long coat. He reacts just in time, swerving the car to avoid hitting it, and brings his focus back to the road.

Occasionally, specters or tormented souls wander the roads. Even in a state of road hypnosis, Charon easily avoids them. In some cases, he even stops to give them a ride when he recognizes that the specter on the road isn't displaying irrational or destructive behavior. But it's always better to be cautious. Not that anything would really happen to him, but it could delay his journeys.

Charon finally arrives at a small town, a dilapidated version of Hood River, but still beautiful and cozy. It is surrounded by several orchards along the way. To the right, the Columbia River stretches out, bringing a sense of familiarity to Charon. In the distance, illuminated by moonlight, stands Mount Hood, radiant, causing an incessant rain of ash to fall upon the town.

Near the town center, there's a diner and inn, the famous "Not So Grave Inn," home to an old friend and one of the few places Charon visits regularly. He parks the car by the sidewalk and goes to book a room, leaving the children sleeping in the vehicle.

He enters the place, and the little bell above the door rings to announce his arrival.

"Who will it be at this hour?" comes a feminine voice from the back, behind the counter.

A door opens, revealing a young waitress with dark hair, wearing a black uniform and a blue apron. Her skin is pale, and glowing threads, sewn in a magical shade of blue, run across her face, arms, hands, and all over her body. These threads are what keep her whole.

Seeing Charon, she smiles and walks toward him.

"Charoooon!" she says, excitedly, while giving him a tight hug.

"Easy there. A hug like that nearly broke me earlier today."

"Oh, sorry! Are you okay?" the young woman asks, worried.

Charon laughs at the worried look on her face. She doesn't realize how resilient he is.

"I'm just kidding, Riley. Hardly anything could hurt me. Don't worry."

"Phew, I'm glad you're okay! It's been a while, Charon. How's everything? Any news?" Riley asks, curious, while sitting at one of the red booths. At night, the place is usually pretty quiet, so there's no harm in taking a moment to chat.

"Well, about that, I've been retired until now. There are enough reapers out there, and they don't need my 'old-fashioned' methods, according to them, nor someone to guide the dead to the Elysian Fields."

"That's so unfair! You do your job so well. But at least you'll get some rest. You deserve it," Riley says, discontent, though also thinking it's good that the old Charon finally gets some rest.

"Must be because of the pantheonic transitions again. Over time, they revise the rules. A lot of rules. Death angels are angels too, unfortunately. A fruit doesn't fall far from the tree."

"Yeah, at least there are exceptions among the reapers. Like you, Charon. I can't imagine anyone else who has the same empathy and care when guiding across."

"I'm flattered, Riley. Maybe that's why the universe pulled me out of my rest, or maybe I'm just a soft heart."

"So you're back to work?" Riley asks, grinning. She knows that whoever he guides will be very lucky, and if there are more crossings, it means he'll be around more often with more stories to share.

"Well... about that, not officially. While I was driving here, a boy just appeared from the back seat of my car, hitting the glove compartment with his head."

"Oh my God! How?" Riley responds, amazed, trying not to laugh at the randomness of the situation.

"So... I was just as surprised as you. It was all so sudden. Probably, another reaper should've been responsible for this crossing, but the boy just appeared in my car. He was unconscious, so I took him to the St. Lucia Hospital, hoping a nurse would take care of him until he woke up and explained what happened. Despite the hospital being quiet, luckily — as always — Grace was there too."

"Grace is that workaholic, right? The nurse who fades away and reappears endlessly. If I remember correctly, you've told me about her," Riley asks. She remembers because Grace is a recurring figure in Charon's stories and those of other visitors to the Not So Grave Inn.

"Workaholic? Well, yeah, that's her. And yeah, that's exactly what she does: fading away and reappearing. She took care of the boy while I waited. Then, suddenly, I heard a loud noise. It was a solo who had invaded one of the rooms. When I got there, I found a little girl on the floor, and the solo was preparing to suffocate the boy. I had to intervene. I could've used violence, sure, but I let him hug me, which broke me for a brief moment. And now I'm guiding not just the boy, but the little girl too."

"Wow, so young... What a terrible world. They shouldn't have to go through this. But are they visitors or embarks?" Riley asks, looking down, concerned.

"I don't think they should even be here. But there's never a right time for the crossing, is there? It can happen at any moment, when you least expect it. Still, I'll try to make it just a visit. Maybe there's still time to guide them back to their bodies," Charon explains, optimistically. Despite being in a race against time, he believes there's still hope for Lethes and Alyssa.

"You need a place to stay, right? There are some rooms available upstairs. Stay as long as you need."

"Thank you so much, Riley. I knew you'd help me. I'll carry them inside."

"Wait, I'll help."

They go outside. While Riley puts a weight to keep the door open, Charon opens the car doors. The children are deep in sleep. Lethes is arms crossed and reclining in the front seat, and Alyssa is curled up in the back seat.

Charon carefully picks up Alyssa.

"Aww, now he's a daddy. That's a side of you I didn't know about," Riley jokes, but is visibly impressed. Despite his serious and reflective demeanor in his role, this is another facet of Charon that surprises her. Maybe, at some point, he was a good father.

Riley picks up Lethes in her arms.

"Are you sure? If he's heavy, I can take him inside."

"No need. He's actually pretty light," Riley replies, as she carries Lethes inside, following right behind Charon.

They go upstairs, lay the children down in one of the rooms, lock the door, and then head downstairs to the diner.

Charon walks over to the jukebox, turns the key to set the volume low so it won't disturb the children or other guests, takes an obol from his pocket, and places it in the machine. Then, he selects the song "Otherside" by Red Hot Chili Peppers. The green flames in his eyes soften as he looks up and nods his head in appreciation to the sound. He then returns to one of the vacant tables, where Riley is, to continue their conversation while the music plays softly in the background.

"I wish this song had come out while I was still alive. This record was a great find for me." Says Riley, as she enjoys the music.

"They both seem to be so sweet." Says Riley, as she looks towards the stairs,

"Yes, even though I've known them for a short time, I think they're well-mannered and even brave," Charon responds, agreeing.

"Poor things, I wonder what happened to them?"

"Who knows? Life is so unpredictable. I don't think I'll ever get used to it," Charon answers, who, instead of becoming colder over the years, became more moved with each crossing, increasingly recognizing the preciousness of life.

"There's still time to save them, right? If not, there would be angels or something coming to take them somewhere, right?"

"I hope so. I will do my best to bring them back. However, I wasn't assigned to this crossing. So, I don't have information about them, at least not beyond what I can interpret about their situation. But I think there's still time, considering how time passes differently here. Morpheus is putting them in a peaceful and stable sleep, while I take care of their souls and the humans of their bodies. With each of us doing our part — taking care of body, mind, and soul — the chances of success increase considerably," Charon explains.

"Phew, I hope everything works out. But I know they're in good hands since they're with you... wait a second, did you say Morpheus? Like in the comics? Man, I loved Sandman!" Riley says, unable to hide her excitement.

"Sandman... oh, yes, from Neil. It's a fascinating portrayal, but I'm not sure if Morpheus and Sandman are the same person. Yes, I mean Morpheus, the son of Hypnos, the god of sleep, the guardian of the borders of the mind."

"Wow, he sounds just as amazing as portrayed in the works."

"He is... but over time, he became more reclusive, preferring to immerse himself in his creative projects, writing and shaping dreams, rather than manifesting himself to interact with others. So, we rarely see him around. It's understandable, given his solitary nature in his eternal role."

"I get it." Riley says with a thoughtful expression. In a way, she relates to Morpheus, as she knows how exhausting it can be to deal with people every day. At some point, you just get tired, and no being is immune to that feeling.

"I'll make some coffee for us, is that okay?" Riley asks, standing up and heading to the counter.

"I'd love that." Charon replies, waiting patiently. Curiously, his senses still work, and he appreciates tastes and aromas. Maybe that's a gift, or at least one of the few un-cursed aspects of his existence.

Riley fills a kettle with water and takes it to the stove to boil. She places the filter in the drip cone and sets aside the coffee grounds and sugar.

"So, where are you going now?" Riley asks, turning her attention back to Charon.

"I need to recover my oar and my salpinx. When I retired, they confiscated my artifacts. Without them, I can't bring the children to the mortal plane."

"Salpinx, that one made from ram's horn, with the strange carved letters?"

"That's right. Moving between the planes requires a great amount of universal energy, and the salpinx is an artifact designed to facilitate that, summoning my boat. I can still cross without it, but I'd have to do it alone, sacrificing part of my own soul or universal energy in the process. In other words, it's very painful."

The small bell above the entrance door rang, announcing the arrival of possible new guests. Charon and Riley turned and looked toward the door, finding an elderly couple pushing some suitcases inside.

"Hello, my young ones, good evening!" said the little lady, offering a kind smile.

"Hey, how's it going?" the elderly man replied, nodding in greeting to Charon and Riley.

Riley's gaze wandered as she stared at the suitcases. Her breath quickened, and she clenched her hands so tightly that her nails hurt. Charon quickly stood up and moved to assist the couple.

"Welcome to the 'Not So Grave' hostel and diner, the Elysium of Hood River, your well-deserved rest from the chaos out there. Let me help you with that." Charon said, lifting all the suitcases and heading up the stairs.

"Thank you so much, you're so kind!" the little lady said.

Charon left the suitcases in front of room number three and went back downstairs. He crossed the diner counter, grabbed the room key from the key rack, and took it to the couple.

"Make yourselves at home. You can settle the bill in the morning, and don't forget to have breakfast here. Have a good night."

"Thank you so much, my dear." the lady thanked, entering the room.

The elderly man yawned and entered, still sleepy, right after her.

Charon met up with Riley again downstairs. She had a more subdued expression, and her face was still wet as she had just washed it.

"There are scars that remain even on the soul. But you've been coping well all this time. I hope that one day, this will be a distant past." Charon says, trying to comfort her, though not knowing what exactly to say to help.

"You know, it doesn't always happen like this. There are weeks when dozens of residents pass through here, and I don't even flinch. But sometimes, everything comes back, all these feelings overwhelm me and eat me up inside, as if I'm still living my final moments. Everything was taken from me. I hate it so much. I still want him to pay for all the harm he did to me." Riley confesses, her expressions fluctuating between sadness and hatred.

"So... about that. You seemed to be doing so well, and I didn't want to bring it up again. But he is paying, and will pay for all eternity. I made sure to conduct his crossing personally. A crossing, let's say... appropriate." Charon says, arms crossed, comfortably leaning with one foot against the wall. He had been holding back from saying this all this time and would have kept it to himself for eternity if necessary. But since Riley mentioned it, he felt she should know. He also knows that, in many cases, comfort comes from justice.

"REALLY? Tell me everything!" Riley responds, excited. It's as if a spark lit up inside her suddenly, bringing brightness to her eyes and a smile to her face.

Riley finishes brewing some fresh coffee, and they sit down again. Charon begins to tell, in detail, all about that night, while Riley listens with an expression of satisfaction and peace — something that, in her case, only justice could provide.

I'll tell you about that night too, but I would be a terrible storyteller if I didn't fill you in on all the details. So, before we continue, let's go back to a different night, a few years ago — the night when Charon and Riley first met.