Hades

Hades' wrath

Macaria

I came back from work to a castle which seemed dead. No lights in any windows I could see. Lucinda wasn't in the kitchen, but if she had indeed tried to poison Stella into staying here and not living her life on earth, her not being present seemed a smart choice.

I changed clothes and went to Stella's room. The door was open, the room empty.

The one room I hadn't been in. Hades'.

I took a deep breath and made my way up the stairs. The walk seemed endlessly long, yet I managed.

The castle was Hades' heart. It was his everything, his sanctuary and deepest thoughts. And it felt as if the castle was warning me against going to see him. I had to, that was for sure. But when the castle made the stairs seem ever long, that complicated things.

The hallway lightning was out. Dusk had fallen, and the lack of lightning made the entire place much more sinister. More alive, like I knew it was. Alive with Hades' feelings and energies.

I didn't knock on his door, I simply pushed it open, looking inside.

A giant bed was at one end of the room.

Hades was wrapped around Stella. Her face was pale, her shape almost fluttering, coming in and out of focus.

It was time for her to come back to earth.

Hades was crying.

It was the first time I'd seen that. I wasn't sure I liked it. He may never truly have felt like my father, but to see him cry was my undoing.

I fell to my knees and prevented the death Stella was about to have. Give her a blessed death, a death with no suffering.

Her body was a mere shadow, when I looked towards the bed again. She wore tight jeans and a black shirt, matching Hades.

I crawled towards the bed, aware of the storm raging around me. My hair was blowing, causing me to lose the sight of the bed.

The castle was showing me exactly how he felt. It was terrifying and aesthetical all at the same time.

Reaching the bed, Stella flickered out of existence. Her body was still embedded into the bed. It took a minute, before Hades' arms fell down on the mattress.

She was gone.

The wind disappeared. An eerie stillness filled the room. It felt like we were in a void. A vacuum.

The silence before the storm.

He kept lying still. His eyes were closed, his breathing even and calm.

I kept my position on the floor. Whatever it was kept me from getting any nearer his bed.

When he finally opened his eyes, they were like black sockets. "Lucinda tried to poison Stella," he said, his voice devoid of any emotion. "Persephone had her convinced, claiming she could make Zagreus come around."

I blinked, unsure of what to do about myself.

Hades sat, left the bed and helped me stand. He had a grip on my elbow as he led me out of the bedroom. The door fell shut after us, lights went out, had they been on.

We ended in the library, where he unlocked the globe.

"Zeus?" He asked. His voice angry was scary and calm. It was as if being in Erebos or even deeper into the deepest levels of Erebos. Even I, who'd grown up in the Underworld and who knew of its terrors, had goosebumps.

"Zeus!" Hades roared.

"Yes, yes, brother, I am coming!" Came Zeus' drawling voice.

When he came into view, I could see it right away, he knew something wasn't right.

"Hades, what can I do for you?" Zeus asked, this time all business.

"I had a human girl staying, she was in a coma, I got attached to her, but she has returned to earth," Hades said, his voice flat. "Persephone made my housekeeper try to poison her with Ambrosia. I have letters to prove it."

Zeus' eyes got wide. "Persephone?"

I bit my lip, Hades nodded. "The one and only."

"I will talk to her," Zeus said. "Before you can send your wrath at her." It was a sigh.

Hades' wrath was not something anyone wanted to experience. Least of all me.

Hades left the room, leaving me in it.

I paged for Zagreus.

"'Sup?" he asked. "Oh, Macaria, hey," he smiled.

I smiled. "Listen, Hades said you met the girl, Stella?"

Zagreus nodded. "Yeah, how's she?"

"Back at Earth." I said.

"Oh, cool," he said.

"Lucinda tried to poison her with Ambrosia. Persephone had her do it on the premise that you'd make an effort in liking her." I said.

Zagreus' eyes went wide and he hung up.