𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐕𝐀𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐄 ➤ 𝒉𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒑𝒉𝒐𝒏𝒆

xix. to the depths of tartarus

Persephone wasn't great at handling an oar, nor
a boat, but she had to make it to Judgement Tower to see him, Hades.

Her Hades.

Nope, she thought, sounded wrong. She shook her head multiple times to shake off what she had said in her mind before finally calming down.

"Wait – which way again?" she mumbled out loud, her eyes scanning the river. "I already rowed two rights – so I should go left – no maybe a right – Oh Olympus, I'm lost!"

She was breathing heavily now and was beginning to panic. Trusting her instincts, she decided to row back to the palace, regretting listening to Minthe's advice.

But her attempts were in vain because, at that moment, a strong breeze started to rise, making the waves grow more turbulent. Persephone was frightened that she tried to row with all her strength, but the wind made it seem that the boat would upturn at any minute.

The wind and waves become violent so much
so that she has no choice but to cling to the boat for dear life. When she looked back, a helpless scream elicited from her throat as the boat fell down the edge of the river to a seemingly endless height.

"Help me! HADES!"

Persephone's ears were ringing. Her eyes shot open in an instant as the pain in her head throbbed. She saw that she was lying on her back, stood up, and quickly checked herself for any injuries.

Luckily, there were none.

She scanned her surroundings in confusion. It was a grayish atmosphere with blood-red clouds. There were multiple pointed mountains and volcanic chasms that adorn the landscape. A few long, thin, black trees, like insect hair grew in the flatter areas.

Persephone felt the hair on her skin rise, and a shiver went down her spine. She realized that she stood on a cliff and looked down at the chasm that awaited below her. An immense crater full of boiling molten rock.

Then, she heard a light snap.

She froze, realizing that she was not alone.

"Hades?"

She looked behind her, and a pair of hands immediately gripped her throat before she managed to let out a scream. The body of the
man who had grasped was badly disfigured as though he had fallen into the pits of lava and
fire.

Persephone gave a strong kick, sending him to his back, but part of her dress was mow torn as he had tried to restrain her.

There were now a dozen disfigured figures surrounding her, and Persephone knew that she was trapped.

"I can't believe I'm just doing this now," she groaned. "Hope it works."

Taking a deep breath, a bright pink light gleamed and there grew a large tree with blooming cherry blossoms which sent her inside, protecting her from the hideous men.

"I wish he was here right now,"

***

"Thanatos, what do you do in your free time?" Hades asked, reading something as the God of Death sat opposite him.

"Taking care of my siblings, sir," Thanatos said, smiling nervously and scratching the back of
his head.

"I see. Quite a responsible brother," Hades hummed and revealed a long scroll with names written on it. "I understand that you've been too busy being an older brother that you've forgotten your duties as God of Death."