🏛️𝐔𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐨𝐝 𝐑𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭🏛️||𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐲 𝐉𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐀𝐔

🏛️. II. "Highly Dysfunctional Family"

*^🗡️*+.🏛️🏹.+*🗡️*^

The first thing Amane noticed when he awoke was the coldness; a biting chill that made his bones ache. The second thing was the strong scent of asphalt that reeked throughout the air. He wasn't sure where he had been taken; but one thing was for sure— They definitely weren't in Japan.

He blinked into the darkness, eyes adjusting to the strange, low light that surrounded him. The air was so thick— and it was very difficult to breathe for some reason, which would've sent Amane into a panic had he not been so preoccupied with his surroundings.

Beside him, he felt Kanago stir, her face scrunched up in confusion. Good. His sister was brought here too, at least. That was one less thing to worry about.

"What... where are we?" Kanago asked, rubbing her eyes.

Amane looked around, trying to take note of his surroundings. They were in a massive stone chamber, the walls slick and cold, lit by eerie blue flames, flickering in iron sconces. The ceiling loomed above him, and the entire place had a suffocating weight, but for some reason—Amane wasn't all that scared.

A strange feeling stirred in the black of his mind, telling him that this was where he belonged. He felt safe there; safe in a way he couldn't explain. More comfortable than he ever did in Japan, in middle school, surrounded by people who hurt him.

"I don't know," Amane whispered, but that didn't stop his voice from echoing in the long, expansive chamber.

The soft sound sound of footsteps echoed behind them. They turned and saw something that made them unsure whether they should feel safer or afraid.

Behind them, standing a few inches away stood a tall, light skinned young man. He looked no older than twenty, but the permanent sleepbags underneath his eyes told stories of years of suffering. He had messy, unkempt jet black hair, similar to Amane's. In fact, the man bore a striking resemblance to the thirteen year old boy, an uncanny one. They were two different races, that was obvious, but they both had the same abyss black eyes. Completely devoid of any light.

The man raised a hand to wave at them, however, that did nothing to ease the tension. He still had that apathetic frown on his face that made them seem like they were unwelcome, despite the fact they were brought here against their will.

"Oh, so you're finally awake. Guess I got here right in time," he said in a deep voice. "Don't be scared, you're safe here. For now, at least. My name is Nico. I'm... your older brother."

Amane felt his heart skip a beat, the realization hitting him hard. Older brother? He instinctively backed away, dragging Kanago with him.

Nico raised his arms in a safe gesture, trying to prove to the two siblings that he wasn't a threat. "Listen, I'm not here to hurt you. I'm just trying to help."

Kanago scowled, crossing her arms. Her usually pale face was red with anger. "Yeah, well, you didn't do a great job so far. Where are we? And what's going on?"

Nico sighed, wondering why his father chose him to be the ambassador in this situation. Once again, a god was forcing a helpless mortal to do their bidding, getting them caught in the crossfire of something they have no business being in.

"You're in the Underworld, my—our fathers, domain. Come on, he's waiting for you.."

Nico gestured for them to follow. "I'll explain more downstairs. Just... brace yourselves."