𝐆𝐎𝐃𝐋𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 ᵉ*ᵗᵐ

33 ┃ 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐬

━ ⭑─⭒━

━ ⭒─⭑━

The sound of waves lapping against the shore filled your ears, the gentle hush of the tide a soothing presence as you walked along Ithaca's coastline.

The moon hung high above, casting silver light over the sand, making it shimmer like crushed pearls beneath your feet. The salt air kissed your skin, the scent of the sea rich and familiar, and for the first time in what felt like forever, everything was peaceful.

You crouched, fingers reaching toward the damp sand as a small shell caught your eye—smooth and iridescent, reflecting the moonlight in swirls of blue and violet. But as soon as your fingers brushed against it, a shift in the air made you pause.

A creeping cold curled around your ankles.

Your breath hitched as you slowly straightened, your heart beginning to hammer in your chest. The once-pristine beach was vanishing, the shoreline swallowed by thick, rolling mist. It slithered forward in tendrils, swirling around your legs like something alive.

You turned sharply, expecting to see the cliffs of Ithaca, the familiar outline of home in the distance.

But there was nothing.

The sand beneath your feet darkened, the grains turning ashen, and the soft hum of the ocean was replaced by something else entirely—a distant, distorted murmur. Whispers.

The mist thickened.

The night sky flickered.

And in a blink, the world was gone.

When you opened your eyes again, you were no longer on the shore.

You knew where you were immediately.

The Underworld.

The air felt heavier, the scent of saltwater replaced by something faintly metallic—iron and dust. The atmosphere was thick, oppressive, as though the very air was weighted with something unseen. The pale glow of the Asphodel Fields stretched endlessly before you, an expanse of mist and drifting souls moving with aimless steps.

A chill crawled up your spine, but you didn't move right away, your breath still catching in your throat as your mind scrambled to process how you got here.

You turned in place, the landscape an eerie reflection of what you remembered from your last visit. It had been so long since you had stood in this realm, so long since you'd walked among the restless dead. You had hoped, foolishly, that you'd never have to return.

And yet, here you were.

For a moment, you hesitated, confused. Had you been brought here physically? No, this wasn't like last time. You felt... lighter, untethered in a way that made you certain this was a dream. Or at the very least, something close to one.