The Prey of Truth

The Much Needed Explanation

After delivering the threat to Atticus, Dianthus had simply walked off into one of the rooms, which Atticus imagined was the guest bedroom.

Atticus walked over to the velvet couch in a daze and sat down dumbfounded, trying to recollect his thoughts and process everything that had happened so far. He had fallen off a cliff because of a voice, then been transported to the Underworld, where he had met a man who he had given the name Dianthus, and he was now sharing a massive suite with the guy.

Surprisingly, Atticus felt anger bubble up inside his chest. Here he was, having little to no clue what was happening, and his only hope was a man with pink hair that looked like a knock-off James Bond. Without understanding what he was doing, Atticus rose from the couch and stormed over to the room Dianthus was in. Pounding on the door with both fists, Atticus yelled, his voice steadily rising.

"Dianthus! Come out of the room aT ONCE, YOU ASSHO-"

Before he could even finish saying the insult, the door swung open, and Atticus fell abruptly on the floor. Cautiously looking up, he noticed Dianthus standing in the door frame, staring down at him. Atticus gulped down a swell of anxiety and regret.

"What did you call me?" Dianthus' hostile glare made Atticus squirm uncomfortably. 

"Listen here." Dianthus spat, his normal, suave demeanour dissipating with each word. "You dare call me that again, or anything along the lines, and Hades will be the least of your worries."

Dianthus grabbed Atticus' shirt, pulling him up, so they were face to face. 

"Do you understand?" he breathed, his face contorting with anger.

Atticus nodded, feeling weak for the third time in Dianthus' presence. Dianthus clenched his jaw, and let go of Atticus. Dianthus then cleared his throat and walked past him. 

With a single finger, he pushed the side of the wall next to his bedroom, and a soft click sounded. The jet-black curtains disguised as walls on the largest wall of the apartment started to lift, revealing a wall that served as a window to the outside. A dim light streamed through the room and illuminated Dianthus' face. It was a full 30 seconds before the window was revealed fully, displaying the view below, masking all the sounds that would have arisen from the hell that was the Underworld.

It was then that Atticus finally took a look around the kitchen, which supposedly doubled as the living room. The room was, unmistakably, mainly a kitchen, following the theme of marble walls and grey ceiling, but this time, there was no chandelier, and instead, there were golden lights that illuminated the room upon entry. The island in the middle of the room was jet-black, as if it had been cloaked in shadows. It also hosted numerous drawers on all sides, making Atticus wonder why a kitchen needed so many drawers. The countertop extended from the corner of the room all the way to the door, fitted with a sink, dishwasher, oven, kettle, toaster, and countless more utensils that Atticus didn't know the purpose of, let alone how to use. A refrigerator sat amongst the counter, effectively pushed into the installation, its size making Atticus wonder if it held every item possible.

The kitchen also acted as a dining room, which was appropriate for the sheer size of the room. The dining table was made out of dark oak, sporting two luxurious velvet chairs on either end. This took up approximately half of the room. The other half was the living room. There were two side walls, one that was bare, and one that had a shelf stocked with books. There was a couch, similar to that of the couch in Atticus' room, but much larger. In front of the couch was a white marble coffee table, which sat unlit incense sticks, unused candles, two coasters, and a TV remote. There was also a large flat-screen TV, mounted to the glass wall, the largest TV Atticus had ever seen.

Atticus wanted to walk around, curious to find out more about this bizarre place he was in, but simultaneously cautious of Dianthus' bad mood. Dianthus glanced behind him to Atticus, making Atticus look down at his feet. Dianthus walked over to Atticus and offered him his hand kindly. Atticus paused, but then took his hand, letting Dianthus pull him towards the window softly.

"We can either be friends, or I can make your life living hell," Dianthus stated while looking out the window, letting go of Atticus' hand. His serious tone indicated to Atticus that Dianthus' words weren't a mere threat. "It's your choice."

Dianthus then pointed out the various peculiarities below them, seeming to have gotten past the incident.

"This is the Underworld, so naturally, you will see many people and creatures in your time here. Below us, is Tartarus, where the evil spirits and immoral souls suffer eternal punishment." Dianthus glanced thoughtfully at Atticus. "I don't think you'll be visiting there any time soon."

'Am I meant to take that as a compliment?' Atticus thought, something inside him stirring slightly from the prospect of Dianthus saying something positive to him for a change.

"The middle ground here is called the Fields of Asphodel," Dianthus continued. "It is where all the souls go when they haven't done anything necessarily good or bad in their life on Earth." He then paused. A storm of sadness seemed to briefly brew behind his eyes before he recollected himself. "But of course, they have to drink from the River of Lethe before entering the Fields, so they don't remember a thing about who they were." Dianthus paused again, leaning forwards on the railing. "You might end up there for all we know. It's just a matter of time, I guess."

Atticus' good mood flattered a bit by the sudden change in mood.

Dianthus then pointed upwards. "Up there, is Elysium. Only the best of the best go there. The people who have lived the best lives. Heroes, you might call them. They get to indulge in whatever they desire.' Dianthus looked Atticus up and down. "If Hades is in a good mood, which is very rare, he might put you up there."

Atticus smiled a little, trying to imagine himself up with the elite, enjoying the afterlife.

"But, let's not get ahead of ourselves," Dianthus added, glancing at Atticus and smiling a little in return.

"In normal cases, once someone dies, they are put before three judges. These judges determine where their fate in the afterlife lies. But since you are a special case, I doubt you will be judged. Hades will most likely place you somewhere, probably depending on his mood.

Atticus gulped, hoping Hades would be in a particularly good mood when it was his turn for judgement.