Once Upon a Winter's Spring

31. Paint With All the Colors

The Underworld was more alive than it had been in centuries, though not in the way Kore preferred. Souls flooded through the gates at an unprecedented rate, the once orderly process of judgment teetering on chaos. Even Charon, stoic as ever, had begun to complain of the endless line at the Styx.

Kore sat at the edge of the bed she shared with Hades, the faint glow of the Elysian Fields casting an ethereal light through the arched windows of their chamber. The weight in her chest grew heavier each night as she waited for him to join her. But when he finally arrived, his face bore the shadows of exhaustion, his once lively gaze dimmed with the burdens of his realm.

This night was no different.

Hades entered their chamber silently, the black robes of his station trailing behind him like a shadow. With each step he took towards her, his clothes withered away, leaving him only in some loose coverup. He smiled as he gently grabbed her face and kissed her, but found her response light.

"Have I done something?" Hades asked softly, his deep voice laced with genuine concern as he peeled back to look at her.

Kore let out a frustrated huff. "No, you haven't. That's the problem."

Hades sighed and lead her to sit on the bed, resting a hand on her knee. "I know. I'm sorry, my love. I miss you too. I've been preoccupied with... the increase in arrivals. The mortals are dying at an alarming rate."

Her brow furrowed. "Why is that?"

Hades hesitated before answering, his gaze heavy with reluctant truth. "Your mother. Demeter has... withdrawn. The fields are barren, crops fail, and famine spreads across the mortal world."

Kore's heart sank, guilt and anger warring within her. "Because of me," she whispered. "She's grieving because I'm here."

But Hades gave her a faint smile and reached up to caress her cheek and kiss her head. "Don't apologize for her. I understand her pain. Demeter's love for you is as fierce as it is boundless. If I ever lost you..." He swallowed hard, his voice softening further, "I'd likely do something just as reckless."

The sincerity in his tone struck her, and her guilt ebbed into something warmer, something tender. She placed her hand over his, leaning into his touch. "You wouldn't lose me," she whispered. "Not to anyone. Not to anything."

A faint smile tugged at his lips, and his thumb traced a soft line along her cheek. "You are the light of my eternity, Kore."

She closed the gap between them, kissing him softly, the frustration and guilt melting away under the warmth of his affection. His arms encircled her, pulling her close as if to shield her from the troubles of their world. For a moment, there was no famine, no grief, no separation—only the quiet strength of their love.

The next morning, Kore woke to an empty bed. The familiar chill of the Underworld's air felt sharper in Hades' absence. She sat up, the ache of loneliness giving way to a flicker of annoyance. With a sigh, she pushed herself up, deciding that waiting idly wasn't an option. If Hades was too consumed with the plight of the mortals, perhaps she could find a way to help.

After dressing, she made her way to the breakfast hall. Seated at a table carved from shimmering obsidian, she picked at her food absentmindedly, her mind churning with frustration and guilt. The soft chatter of her companions broke through her thoughts.

"What troubles you this morning, Queenie?" Selene asked, her silvery hair flowing like moonlight.

"Your face is too beautiful for such gloom," Helios teased, his golden eyes sparkling with warmth.

Eos chuckled as she sipped nectar. "He's not wrong, though. What's the matter?"

Kore sighed, setting her goblet down. "It's my mother. She's stopped tending to the earth, and mortals are dying in droves. Hades is overwhelmed, and I—" Her voice faltered. "I feel powerless. I want to help, but I don't know how."