The Day Death Died

The Day Death Died - Chapter 19

"Persephone, it's really not that bad," Hades grumbled, his voice half-hearted, as if he'd repeated the phrase a thousand times.

"It is. It always will be," she muttered, her tone more venomous than she probably intended. She clearly thought Hades was the only one who could hear her.

I glanced at Edwin, who shook his head subtly, warning me to stay out of it.

"Still on about that?" Hades sighed, rubbing his temples. "It's been millennia."

Persephone snapped her head toward him, her eyes blazing with irritation, but when she noticed Edwin and me watching, her expression changed in an instant. The sharp glare melted into a bright, bubbly smile, her demeanor as light and sunny as it had been when she first invited us inside.

"It's just a bit much to get used to this place," she said with a theatrical wink, flipping her golden hair over her shoulder as if the underworld were no more than a dreary neighborhood.

I tilted my head, intrigued. "Oh? You're not from around here?"

Edwin leaned closer, whispering under his breath. "Don't. Don't get her started."

Too late.

"Heavens, no!" Persephone exclaimed, her face lighting up. "Hades, darling, would you like to regale them with the wonderful story of how I ended up in this dreary abyss?"

Hades let out a low groan, clearly weary of this tale. He walked over to the fridge in their surprisingly cheery green-and-yellow kitchen, pulling out a bottle of wine with an exaggerated sigh.

I glanced around the room. The warmth of it—contrasting the cold, oppressive atmosphere of the palace—was jarring. "This is... surprisingly homey," I commented, noticing a rack of freshly baked cookies.

Persephone smiled, genuinely this time. "This is one of the few rooms I was allowed to decorate myself. I wanted something that reminded me of home since I have to spend so much time here."

"It's lovely," I offered, feeling a bit out of place but wanting to stay on her good side.

"Persephone!" Hades barked, the frustration in his voice barely contained. "You get to spend half the year up there! Zeus decreed it! For the love of all the gods, woman!"

Persephone's aura shifted—her skin glowing a soft pink, which rapidly darkened to a deep crimson. Her rage was palpable, like a storm brewing just beneath the surface. "Yes, husband," she snapped, her voice dripping with sarcasm, "for the love of God. This arrangement was not my choice. You awful man."

Still fuming, she picked up the cookie rack and thrust it toward Edwin and me, her smile now a thin veneer stretched over simmering anger. "Cookies?"

Edwin gave me a pointed look as he grabbed one. "I told you not to get her started."

Before I could respond, Hades interrupted, clearly eager to change the subject. "The Keres are not beings you want to mess with," he said, his voice grave. "And Chaos... Chaos is beyond even us gods. You're meddling with forces that don't answer to the likes of me."

Persephone's eyes widened, her earlier annoyance disappearing in an instant. "The Keres?" she asked, her voice sharp with alarm. "Why on earth would anyone want to seek them out?"

"They're wreaking havoc in the human world," I explained, my voice tight. "They opened a portal in my high school, and a lot of students—" I choked on the words. "Children—died."

Persephone's hands flew to her mouth, horror overtaking her face. She turned to Hades, her eyes pleading. "Hades, you have to help her. They're children!"