Falling into the afterlife

Rite of Revelation

In the grand halls of Olympus, a rare and momentous event was unfolding. The gods, seated on their thrones of gold and silver, watched with bated breath as Hades, the new ruler of the Underworld, stood at the center of the celestial chamber. This night was sacred, marking his inheritance of the Underworld for  centuries—a time-bound rule passed down from the primordial powers. But there was more to this night. It was a ritual of destiny, one that would reveal his soulmate. Each god, at their appointed time, had undergone this sacred rite, but tonight, the focus was solely on Hades.

The chamber darkened, the air thick with the weight of divine power. The Fates themselves appeared, holding their threads of destiny, their cold, piercing eyes resting on Hades. A soft hum filled the room as the gods fell silent, watching as the eldest of the Fates began to speak.

"Tonight, Hades, son of Kronos, lord of the Underworld, you shall see the face of the one who shares your soul," she intoned, her voice echoing through the space. "No god can rule alone, and no heart can beat without its other half."

Hades, normally composed, felt an unusual tension grip him. He had ruled the Underworld with cold authority, never needing companionship, never seeking warmth. And yet, tonight, the Fates would bind him to another for eternity.

The ritual began. The celestial fire in the center of the chamber flared, casting a light so bright it seemed to pierce through the fabric of time and space. Hades stood tall, his heart steady, waiting to see the image of the one who would join him.

The flames shifted, forming an image of a figure, blurred at first, slowly coming into focus. Hades narrowed his eyes, expecting to see another god, perhaps a goddess of great power and equal standing. But as the flames cleared, his heart skipped a beat.

It was a mortal.

A woman from a small village, simple yet radiant in her own way, stood before him in the vision. She was no goddess, no celestial being. She was of the earth, fragile and fleeting. Her eyes, wide with curiosity, seemed to look right into his soul, as if she knew him, as if she had always been waiting for him.

Murmurs spread among the gods. A mortal? Impossible. The Fates must have erred, some whispered. But the Fates never erred.

Hades' breath caught in his chest. How could this be? A mortal was to be his soulmate? A flicker of anger surged in him—this ritual, this binding, was meant for gods, for beings of power and eternity, not for a fragile, ephemeral creature like her.

But even as he fought the idea, something deep within stirred. There was something in her gaze that drew him in, something beyond the simplicity of her mortal life. The flames crackled, as if urging him to understand. Her life, brief as it might be, held meaning. There was a depth to her that matched his own, a light to his shadow.

The Fates spoke again, their voices intertwining like threads of destiny. "The heart does not choose based on form or power. It chooses what it needs. Your soul has called to hers across the veil of mortality. She is the one, Hades."

Hades, standing amidst the gods, felt the weight of the moment. His rule of the Underworld was for 36 moons, but this bond? It was eternal. As the flames died down, he realized the truth—he could not deny the pull he felt. This mortal was not an error or a trick. She was the balance to his darkness, the one meant for him.

As the ritual ended, the gods remained silent, waiting for Hades' response. He stood, his mind racing, but his heart already knew the answer.

Hades paced in the shadows of Olympus, his dark robes trailing behind him, the weight of the ritual still heavy on his shoulders. His mind was a storm of thoughts, swirling with disbelief and anger. How could the Fates, in all their supposed wisdom, have chosen a mortal for him? A human—weak, fleeting, and insignificant. It was an insult to his station, to his divine existence. He had been ready to accept a goddess of equal power, someone who could understand the burden of immortality. But this...this was unbearable.

He clenched his fists, his anger bubbling under the surface. Without thinking, he made his way to a secluded terrace where he knew his brother would be. Zeus was often found there, surveying the realms he ruled with a mix of arrogance and confidence.

When Hades stepped out into the open air, he found Zeus leaning against the marble railing, his gaze distant as he watched the world below. The king of the gods turned his head as Hades approached, his sharp eyes instantly reading the turmoil in his brother's expression.

"So, it seems the Fates have spoken," Zeus said, his tone neutral, though a smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. "And yet, you do not look pleased, brother."

"Pleased?" Hades spat, his voice laced with venom. "They have mocked me, Zeus. I am the ruler of the Underworld, and they have chosen a *mortal* for me. A fragile creature destined to die in the blink of an eye." His fists clenched again, trembling with suppressed rage. "How am I supposed to rule the dead when my so-called soulmate is one of them?"

Zeus regarded him with a knowing look, as if amused by Hades' fury. "You think you are the first to be given a match that doesn't suit your expectations? The Fates see beyond what we gods can comprehend. They choose based on the soul, not the body or mortal limitations."

Hades sneered, stepping closer to Zeus. "This is different. A goddess, I could understand. Someone who shares our power, our eternity. But a human? What could I possibly gain from a connection with such a fragile being? They die, Zeus. They wither and fade away. How can she be my equal when she's already doomed?"

Zeus' smirk faltered, and he straightened, his tone growing serious. "Hades, you forget what it means to love. You think power and eternity are the only things that matter, but there is more to this existence than ruling. You've spent too long in the Underworld, brother. You've lost touch with the living."

"I loathe them," Hades growled, turning away to look out at the vast sky. "Humans are pathetic creatures, constantly fearing death, constantly begging the gods for things they cannot earn on their own. And now I'm supposed to be bound to one of them? I've seen their souls pass through my realm, broken and lost. They are beneath us."

Zeus sighed, stepping up beside Hades, his voice softer now. "You despise them because you've only seen them at their worst. But they're more than that, Hades. They love, they fight, they create beauty even in the face of death. That's something we can't understand as gods."

"I don't want to understand them," Hades said through gritted teeth. "She'll die, and I'll be left with the memory of a mortal who was never worthy of me in the first place."

Zeus placed a hand on Hades' shoulder, his grip firm. "You think this is a curse, but maybe the Fates have chosen her because she is the only one who can remind you what it means to feel. Maybe she is your balance."

Hades shrugged his brother's hand away, his frustration still simmering. "I don't need balance. I need a partner who won't crumble under the weight of eternity. Not someone who will age, wither, and die."

Zeus' voice hardened. "We are gods, Hades, but even we are not above the will of the Fates. You have inherited the Underworld for centuries , but your bond with her will outlast that time. She is your soulmate, whether you like it or not. Perhaps, instead of loathing her, you should try to understand why."

Hades turned sharply, his eyes blazing with fury. "I will never understand her. And I will never forgive the Fates for this."

With that, he stormed away, his mind consumed with anger and disdain for the mortal woman who was meant to be his. But even as he left his brother behind, a seed of doubt lingered. Deep down, beneath the layers of loathing and frustration, he felt something stirring—something he wasn't ready to face.