Random Phantomarine theory: The seabitten can see Cheth because Cheline knew/thought they’d need him.
Cheline kicked Cheth into gay baby jail yes, but her issue was allegedly him no longer performing his duties to her liking. He was “corrupted”, but she thought he’d come to his senses and go back to the brother she knew.
He just has to be away from humans long enough to realize he’s been misled!
— Cheline probably
Since the Fracture was meant to be temporary— it’s fine if he doesn’t get to talk to mortals for a little while, she’ll take over, the dead souls can wait around with him in the water too, but what if there’s an emergency only he can fix, like soul damage?
I think she designed his banishment the way she did, and allowed the Seabitten to see him, specifically because she wanted him to perform the minimum of divine duties she couldn’t. A small compromise, they won’t be able to understand him, just see, surely not too many people would somehow damage their own souls while her brother was in time-out.
The dead can understand Cheth, because he does need to discuss their final judgment together, fine— but the living only get to see him as far as they really need his help.
…and then things completely spun out of control, and they got stuck with him only able to perform that bare minimum.
Worse, it seems he can’t even fix soul damage in his current state, so it’s possible that he was hurt beyond what Cheline expected… perhaps for the same reason Shoshana unexpectedly died? After all, Bonefeather and her grave are right next to Cheth, so they might just have died together.
Who knows. I don’t (yet). But I thought I’d get this thought out there 🤔
