Kore || A Hades and Persephone Retelling

XVIII. The Deepest Wound

- Hades -

Regret is a powerful poison.

I stared at the obsidian crown in my hands, the racking feeling of guilt and shame drowning me. It had taken only minutes for me to realize my mistake, and Clarey found herself boots out quickly.

My knuckles whitened as Kore's tear-stained face came to mind. Clarey admitted what had really happened, how Zeus had petitioned her. My fury at my brother was fighting for dominance, but my gloom was, as always, the stronger monster.

Kore. My beautiful flower, my avenging angel. My head dropped as I took a deep breath. I had messed up badly this time. Pushing her away was the biggest mistake of my existence. Clarey hasn't succeeded in bedding me- I had come to my sense before that- but rumors grew here, and I'm sure the worst would be imagined and talked about. Kore would be devastated she heard..

I glanced up to see Hecate watching from the doorway, her face pinched with anger. The entire kingdom was suffering with Kore's undeserved dismissal, and the nymphs and shades were noticeably upset and unhelpful- my next in command was no different.

She rolled her eyes. "Suck it up, Hades," she reprimanded harshly. I grimaced- I was in for it.

"You made a huge mistake this time," she continued. "But you and I both know that this competition is more than your pettiness. If you care about Kore, you'll apologize immediately, and you'll win this ridiculous game, for her sake and safety."

I pursed my lips, my eyes flickering down to the crown in my hands- the crown Kore was meant to wear. She didn't have a choice- her husband would be decided in a few days time. All I had to do was win, and then I could smooth things over.

My grip tightened as the image of Apollo came to my mind. I had to win, to at least give Kore the offer of protection. I would never force her to stay here, but I'll be damned to Tartus before I let her be swallowed up by one of the monsters masquerading as gods.

I looked up, my eyes steely. "Prepare my things. I intend to have every resource ready to win. And-" I paused for a moment, "Bring me a sapphire. I have a message to send to Kore."

**
Olympus feeds on gossip- so the news of Clarey's return to the Underworld spread like wildfire. Nobody know of the entrance between Hagneia and the Underworld, so I was quite left out of the rumors.

But hearing the details of what happened after I left were too much. If a first love is a powerful magic, then a first heartbreak is completely devastating.

I stared out blankly from my perch in Demeter's tree. The competition began tomorrow, but I had no interest in it anymore. My heart felt shattered, and it seemed that a happy future wasn't in my cards.

"Stupid," I muttered to myself. "You're such an idiot for ever wanting to leave here."

Nightmares had plagued me for two days now since my dip in the River. Hades' anger, Clarey's sick smile, and the feeling of being pulled to the river bottom made my dreams a living hell. My mother had noticed, but was choosing not to say anything as she tried to brush my newfound problems and maturity under the rug.

I hated this. I hated that I still loved Hades. I hated that, once again, being a silly child had left room for someone mature to take my place. I hated that I felt powerless again, that I was being sold off like cattle, that I missed the Underworld but no longer had a place there.