𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐕𝐀𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐄 ➤ 𝒉𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒑𝒉𝒐𝒏𝒆

i. an invitation from olympus

A question often wondered by many was, what happens when a person dies?

Where would they go? Where would their soul move on and find peace? Would they be fortunate enough to live in eternal paradise, or unlucky enough to be condemned to the depths of purgatory?

"The Underworld," a wise old philosopher once told his curious student. "Deep beneath the earth, where our valuable minerals and crops thrive. And it is also, where the rich one presides."

The so-called "rich one" ruled the Underworld. But that was just one of the many names given to him by the Ancient Greeks.

There were Clymenus, Polydegmon, Pluton, and Pluto. However, his real name would elicit fear and shivers.

Hades.

What was it about his name that made people tremble and seldom speak?

Hades was the ruler of the Underworld, keeper of souls, and provider of the afterlife. This led mortals to believe that because he presided over the dead, he was an evil and tyrannical deity.

But... what if you were to learn that isn't true?

Contrary to popular belief, Hades does not have control over other people's deaths and is not the God of Death (that is Thanatos, a separate being); instead, he simply accounts for them, ensuring that every soul deserves their place in the Underworld.

Likewise, he was not the stereotypical evil king who ruled over a dark realm. He was a strict judge who treated everyone fairly and took his job seriously.

Hades seemed to have it all. Cerberus, his three-headed hound, guarded the gates to his realm, which included majestic palaces far grander than those of other gods, fine clothing and food, and loyal servants.

He was lonely and had no companion; over the centuries, he became withdrawn, cold, and quiet as he carried out his duties.

He rarely left the Underworld because he had so much work to do as ruler of the realm unless summoned for urgent matters.

Matters of importance.

***

"Your Majesty," Electra said, knocking on the wooden door to Hades' chambers. "May I come in?"

She had been standing there for five and a half minutes, only to receive no response from her master.

He must've dozed off while working, she thought to herself.

With a heavy sigh, she opened the door.
Her assumptions proved to be correct.

There he was at his desk, stacks of parchment, scrolls, and quills on the mahogany table as he slept soundly, this side of his head against the cold wood.

"Your majesty?" She coughed awkwardly and tiptoed towards his desk.

He didn't move. This irritated her a bit.

"Your majesty?" A little louder this time.

The corner of his mouth twitched slightly, forming a tiny frown, and his brow furrowed slightly. Electra was certain he was deciding whether she had spoken too loudly for him to continue sleeping.

"Your majesty!" She desperately poked him with her bony finger. She was certain that would wake him up.

He immediately jolted awake in surprise, his eyelids fluttered open, and he made a funny little breathy sound — the sort people made when they woke up.