This was where the dead went.
Not up above, to the clouds and the bright, high skies. Their ancestors had believed that, long ago, but Kyen hated the idea—to be lost up there, blown hither and thither by the winds. Far better to return to the earth, to become part of it and be reborn, one day.
He had followed the rope trail all the way from the cave-mouth outside the village, and in the deepest chamber, the river of fire crawled past. The cavern sweltered in lava heat, and Kyen’s bronze skin gleamed from the sweat.
A collection of death-themed fiction originally published in 2024, this collection has been curated by Sheree Renée Thomas, the multi-award-nominated editor of F&SF. “Eyes Of My Brother” was originally published (as “The Eyes of My Brother”) by Kaleidotrope in 2024.
It’s available now to purchase in eBook format at the link below.
