Dionysus (Hades Series #1.5)

Prologue

dedicated to steph bc she's been so supportive with hades and i just love her to bits xo

Prologue

I've only ever allowed myself to succumb to human emotions once in my lifetime.

I've always prided myself on the fact that I don't allow them to ensnare my mind like the other gods do. For reasons I've never been able to figure out, they seem to take great delight in allowing the pathetic drama that is humanity to tangle them up in a whirlwind of emotions that causes them to both turn on one another like rabid wolves, and just as easily throw themselves at each other in a fashion that can only really be described with an overall splash of furious red. Myself, on the other hand, I've always found it incredibly entertaining to do the complete opposite; to completely remove myself from humanity's tangled web of emotions and instead drive them to insanity with my own, overzealous feelings of ecstatic madness. In a way, my entire existence depends on humanity feeling those emotions, and I have been able to deal with them sufficiently way so long as I don't succumb to them myself.

However, as I mentioned before, I cannot say I'm completely detached from it all. I have given into human emotions once, and it was the worst experience of my entire existence.

I remember that night as vividly as if it happened yesterday. They stood on the beach, two black figures highlighted by the moonlight. Silver tears glinted on one shadow's cheeks, while cutting cheekbones betrayed no sense of remorse on the chiseled features of the other.

"What are you saying?"

"You heard me Ariadne. I do not think you should come with us."

Ariadne's face crumples, and she takes a step back. "Why not?"

"Because it would not be right."

"That is not what you were saying before Theseus!" She cries. "I helped you escape! I helped you defeat the monster that has been tearing apart our kingdoms for years! You promised me I could come with you; you promised we would wed. Why are you not upholding your promise?"

"I am sorry Ariadne, but times have changed." Theseus places his hand on her cheek, but she pushes his hand away with a sob. The gentle caress that she once craved now filled her with repulsed disgust.

"Theseus please."

"I am sorry Ariadne." He turns away, facing the glittering sea. A shadow ducks behind a rock, evading sight.

"This is not you Theseus." Ariadne says softly. "Please, do not make this decision now. At least sleep on it. Fear manipulates the mind in unimaginable ways." He doesn't say anything, and she grabs his hand. "Theseus I beg of you, do not make rash decisions. You know how badly they end. Please, for me."

"You saved my life Ariadne." Theseus says, turning around with a torn look on his face. "For that, I will do as you ask. But do not expect my decision to be any different."

Ariadne swallows, turning away so that he doesn't see the hurt crumbling onto her delicate features. "Thank you."

Theseus nods, walking away to the others so he can tell them of the change of plans. When they all settled down for the night on that beach, he made sure he camped far away from the girl who saved him so that she wouldn't realise the plan he knew would end up breaking her.

How did I know this so surely? I was the shadow that watched it all unfold from the darkness.

When Ariadne woke, they were all gone.