Cursed

Chapter Eighteen: Finding the Realm

"Wait! Wait! We're not here to cause chaos." Eros says, raising his hand at Hestia as she raises a frying pan to fend him off. He decided to race everyone there, completely forgetting that the goddess isn't very fond of him.

"So, you might be a goddess?" Hebe asks walking beside you.

You shrug, "That's what Hermaphrodite said."

"Interesting. I would ask Hades but the meeting seems like it would go on for days." Persephone examines the tome, she can understand the letters but not the sentences being formed.

Hermaphroditus sighs as he hears something clanging from the divine kitchen, servants yelling about something. He just knows it's Eros being destroyed.

"Any idea why you're losing your powers?" Persephone asks.

The Erotes shrugs, "Not yet but maybe finding the lost realm could restore it." After all, one way or another, they have to seek their true origins and birthright.

"I'll go calm them down." Hebe walks fast, entering the kitchen and seconds later, the yelling and sounds of clanking kitchen pans and pots stop.

You arrive at the kitchen to see the goddess, the kitchen helpers and Eros finish fixing the mess. The goddess seem confused why the mischievous god was small again, it reminds her memories she doesn't want to dwell on.

"Lady Hestia, we require your help." Hermaphroditus says.

"Oh? What is it that you want?"

"My lady, could you translate this? They're trying to find the door to the realm of Eros." Hebe says, handing her the ancient tome.

Hestia raises an eyebrow, setting her beloved pan down to hold the tome on both hands. "The realm of Eros? I doubt the gate exists anymore, not after they killed the ruler, maybe the realm died with him even."

"It's worth a try. I've always wondered what the realm looks like." Persephone says, imagining a realm full of whole new different creatures, the other realms always did fascinate her, their unique plants and soil especially.

Hestia narrows her eyes, nodding to herself as she tries to make sense of the faded words. "It says that the entrance is everywhere, you only need items to open them."

"Do tell what those items are," Hermaphrodite says.

The group gathers around Hestia, eagerly awaiting her translation of the ancient tome, the goddess begins to decipher the faded words. Her eyes scan the pages, her expression deep in thought.

After a moment of silence, Hestia looks up and speaks, her voice filled with a mix of caution and curiosity. "According to this text, to open the entrance to the realm of Eros, you must gather specific items from the other realms."

She continues, "From Gaia, the realm of the Earth, you will need a seed of pure life, untouched by corruption or darkness. It symbolizes the untamed power of passion and desire that Eros embodies."

Your group looks at Persephone who shrugs, neither she knows where to find it but her mother might know. They'll have to ask later.

"From Erebus, the realm of darkness and shadow, you must retrieve a shard of the Night's Veil, a fragment of pure obsidian imbued with the essence of secrecy and longing."

Hestia's gaze shifts to another text. "In Tartarus, you will seek the Flame of Torment, a flickering ember of eternal suffering. It represents the transformative nature of love, the trials and tribulations that test the strength of bonds."

"Lastly, from Nyx, the realm of night, you must acquire a vial of Starlight Elixir, a potion brewed from the tears of distant stars. It holds the essence of cosmic passion and eternal connection. Only the Queen of Nyx, the goddess Nyx, knows how to brew this."