DEMIS (A Clash With Lightning)

37

The Underworld wasn't quite what any of them had expected. It seemed ironically lively. People were bustling about in an organized and intricate street. There were buildings lining the sidewalk along with streetlights. There were office buildings for work, little restaurants, and a multitude of different shops.

"What is this place?" Jasmine looked around in wonder.

"I actually don't know," Ban responded.

He didn't realize a place like this existed in the Underworld. In school, they were always taught that upon entering the Underworld, human souls would immediately be faced by the three judges: Minos, Rhadamanthus, and Aeacus—three human souls appointed by Hades himself. It's also interesting to note that the three judges were demigods in their mortal lives, all being sons of Zeus.

However, it seemed that once you entered the gate, you weren't greeted by the judges but by a bustling market instead. It was actually quite refreshing and much less intimidating.

"I wonder what area this is," Rose said. "It must be Elysium."

The Underworld offered three areas for human souls.

Elysium was paradise and at the highest point in the Underworld. Devout worshippers, heroes, and priests could be found there. It was not exactly a place for good people, but more so for people who had earned the favor of the gods. Suck-ups, Jasmine would call them. Elysium offered feasts, beautiful music, and peace. People lived in mansions with swimming pools and partied every day.

In the middle tier was Asphodel Meadows. Asphodel Meadows served as a purgatory. However, most people would be equally terrified to be sent here as to Tartarus. Human souls that had made no remarkable impact in the eyes of the gods were sent here. You could live your entire life serving others and the community and still find yourself in the fields. In the meadows, souls began to lose their memories of their past lives, slowly descending into a shadow of who they once were. It's said that the souls residing there are not miserable, nor are they happy, but they exist in a state of no emotion or purpose. They would spend eternity wandering the fields with no direction.

In the pits of the Underworld, you could find Tartarus. Tartarus was a place meant for torment. It was not just a place of fire and burning forever—though that was definitely included. There were also other unique punishments. One man named Sisyphus was sentenced to push a boulder up a hill only for it to roll back down every time he reached the top. His crime? Revealing the truth to a father desperately searching for his daughter. Sisyphus told the father that Zeus had kidnapped her. Zeus later killed the woman's father, and Sisyphus was sent to Tartarus. His story was taught in history classes. It was a scare tactic to keep people from revolting against the gods.

Ban clenched his fist, thinking about the unjust way people were sorted. He swore that this would be another thing he reformed in the Underworld. People should be judged based on their character, not how much the gods liked them. Alexander was right about one thing: they could not allow the gods to rule any longer.

"You know, Alexander might be going about this the wrong way, but he is actually right," Ban spoke up.

"Right in what way?" Josh asked.

"We can't let the gods continue to rule like this. They are too corrupt," he said. "Their power being drained is our chance to really change things for humanity."

"You want there to just be anarchy?" Rose scoffed. "We can't just live godless."

"Why not?" Jasmine questioned. "I actually agree with you, Ban."

"No, I'm not suggesting complete anarchy," Ban sighed. "I don't really know what the solution is, but I know for certain it's not handing the power back to those monsters that call themselves gods."

"Nature can't balance itself without the gods' powers," Josh pointed out.

"That's just what they tell us!" Jasmine fired back. "Their power has been gone for a week now! The world is continuing as usual."

"That's a good point," Rose nodded her head thoughtfully. "It's not that I disagree that the gods suck, but I want us to make sure we are actually doing what's best for humanity. Alexander is putting the humans in danger, but he thinks he's doing the right thing. We have to be sure we aren't doing the same thing he is."

"I feel like it's common sense to not release the Titans," Keith rolled his eyes. "That's not exactly a fair comparison."

"He's also been hurt by the gods more than any of us," Rose countered. "We might act the same way in his shoes. I'm just saying, let's make the decision with a clear head, is all."

"It's not about what the gods have done to us," Ban ran his fingers through his hair. "They were shitty parents, obviously, but they have also been treating humans as ways for their egos to be stroked."

"Exactly!" Keith agreed. "Worship every single day of your short, mortal life and beg the gods to notice you so you don't have to live as a shadow in Asphodel for eternity!"

"What's sad is you could worship every day from birth to death, and it still wouldn't be good enough," Josh frowned. "You have to be noticed by them. Give all your money to their shrines."

"We can decide what to do after we win," Jasmine said. "For now, we need to figure out which street will take us to the castle."

"Let's just stop and ask someone," Rose suggested.

"Excuse me, ma'am!" Keith waved at a woman walking past them.

"Oh, hello." She smiled at them. She wore a sundress with a headband.

"Where are we right now?" Keith asked. "Elysium?"

She laughed at the suggestion. "Oh no, this is nowhere near as nice as Elysium." She wiped a tear from her eye. "This is the waiting area."

"The waiting area?" he asked.

"Well, only one person at a time can see the judges. It takes a while to get sorted," she explained. "I've been dead for forty years and still haven't seen them."

"You've been stuck here for forty years?" Keith was in disbelief.

"Yes, but being stuck here definitely beats going to Asphodel. Luckily, I still have another two hundred years or so before I have to be judged." She smiled. "Two hundred more years of freedom."

"How do we get to the castle from here?" Ban interrupted. "We need to get there urgently."

"Oh!" She frowned. "Why would you want to go there?"

"We need to meet with Hades," Jasmine interjected. No point in causing a panic among the souls.

She nodded her head as if she wasn't completely convinced. Then she pointed toward the left street.

"Take a left right there, and you'll just keep walking until you're at Hades' door," she explained. "Good luck, though. I hear he doesn't like to be disturbed."

"Of course he doesn't." Ban crossed his arms.

"Thank you for your help." Jasmine smiled kindly at her. "Enjoy your two hundred years."

"I'll do my best!" She grinned before walking into a nearby shop.

They made their way to the castle. The walk was a lot shorter than they had anticipated. They reached the doors in just ten minutes.

Jasmine could feel her heart beating inside her head. This was it. They were about to come face to face with the current most powerful man in the world. She grabbed the giant black handle and tugged on it. It opened with no effort. It was left unlocked on purpose. She had expected them to have to break the door down to get inside. It was clear that Alexander didn't view them as a threat. This was a decision she would make him regret.

"Are you guys ready for this?" She checked on her friends.

"As ready as I'll ever be, I suppose," Keith spoke with a shaky voice.

"Ready," Ban said.

"Let's go." Rose smiled weakly.

Josh nodded his head silently. They were all nervous. It was easy to be confident when the destination seemed so far away, but now they were minutes away from meeting their enemy. Doubt crept into their minds. Perhaps they weren't as strong as they thought they were. They were about to find out.