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12 | δώδεκα

12 | δώδεκα

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DINNER WAS A very brief affair. None of the other gods had joined us and once again it was just me and Persephone. I actually enjoyed her company honestly speaking.

It was now bedtime, and she had set up for me in a very large bedroom, much similar to the one she had stitched me up in. So there I was, alone.

I had never been one to be afraid of being alone, but this was the Underworld and I had just been attacked by a Spider-Woman. It was perfectly normal to be afraid... right? After all, I was only human.

So I tossed and I turned, fluffing my pillow a couple of times in attempt to fall asleep. I flinched at the slightest of sounds, not knowing when the next attack would come. I was more vulnerable when I was alone. They were coming for me. Was I being paranoid? Sleep never came, but in my hours of unrest, I realised that my bladder was holding its maximum capacity, and it was only a matter of time before it burst.

Sighing, I got up from the bed, determined to find the bathroom. Do gods use the toilet?

I opened the door, slowly before tip-toeing out and down into the dark hallway.

In the dark where they can find you and slit your throat. I shook my head, trying to snap myself out of it. This was ridiculous. I'd been alone in the dark my whole life...

Something else I had noticed but decided to not bring up was the fact that Persephone and Hades seemed to be using ghosts as maids. I saw them floating around occasionally in their maid outfits, cleaning around the house. They even prepared our dinner.

Just as this thought crossed my head, a ghost appeared before me, its pale while, translucent skin radiating across the hallway. It spared me no glance as I flinched back, exhaling in relief when it proceeded to travel through the next wall.

I exhaled a breath I hadn't realised I'd been holding. Just a ghost. Just a friendly little ghost.

Goosebumps.

I decided to brush this off and tread forward into the distance. I really remembered seeing a bathroom somewhere there... i knew it was there... it had to be there.

Soon enough, even I had to admit I had gotten last. Would I even be able to find my bedroom at this rate? This somehow always happened to me.

I was heading up a lighter hallway now, though I could still barely see where I was going, I spotted about three more ghosts.

I slowed down when I heard some hushed whispers emerging from behind the only dark door in the hallway.

"How could you be so reckless? You know that the box was created by Zeus, don't you? He could have thrown it down here for your beloved to find and open, and you just let her walk right into his trap!"

"It called to her, it was obviously seeking her for a reason – "

"Oh, you mean wreaking mass destruction on her life? Because that's kind of what it does!" The voice hissed back.

There was silence.

"Have you told her yet?" Came a voice I could only recognize as Hades'. I was about to walk away before Ares' voice sounded from behind the door.

"Do you think she'd still be here if I told her?" He snapped at his uncle, and I could just hear the despair in his voice.

There was a tense silence as I carefully pressed my ear against the door to hear properly. What if this was about me? I had to know. "Look, I want to win this, I really do. But do you remember what happened to Briseis? Cyrene? Isolde? It's my fault they're all dead. What if the same thing happens to Ariel?" Ares' voice came out hesitant, confused.

There was once again a few minutes passing time before Hades decided to speak. "I see you've developed quite the liking towards this girl, but the Prophecy is law. You must kiss her and harness your power so that you can face your father, my brother in battle." His voice was detached, dead.

"You don't understand, you'll never understand. What if it were Persephone? What if you, too, were damned to possess the kiss of death!" Ares was getting irritated, sounding like he was on the verge of throwing things around like a madman. I could imagine his eyes were crimson.

"Get a hold over yourself!" Hissed Hades, who seemed to been gripping onto Ares. "Get off of me!" The sound of a shove.

"You don't seem to understand that this is all for the greater good. The Prophecy has never been wrong. She will not die, she is your fated love! She is worthy of the kiss, she will survive it." It sounded like they were at each other's throats now, and I was truly starting to believe that Hades was the only one who could handle Ares' temper tantrums.

There was silence for a while again and then Hades cleared his throat. "Now... we will resume the rest of this conversation when there isn't a sleuth listening in at the door." Before I could process Hades' words, the door flew open, leaving me to tumble onto the floor.

I was too embarrassed to open my eyes, so I just lay there for a while until finally sneaking a peek. Hades was straightening his black coat, the black gloves over his hands slipping a little bit. His grey eyes met mine, but not with the malice I had expected. Instead, amusement?

"I should get going." He was the first one to speak, Ares' alarmed eyes not leaving mine for a second. "I imagine my nephew has plenty to explain. I must hurry to Tartarus, there's a problem there seeking my immediate attention. Goodnight Ariel." But before I could reply, he had disappeared in a flash, leaving me baffled on the ground.

There was an icy silence between Ares and I as I hopped up, dusting myself off.

The answer had been right before me the whole time, I had just been too dumb to see it. To harness his full power, Ares would need to kiss his fated love. Somehow his powers were sealed within me, and honestly sometimes I could feel it. The anger, the rage. It was buried in a kiss, deep inside of me. That was why Eris would never be able to access her powers. They were sealed away within her fated love, who would die whenever she was in close proximity.

This was all too much to process, Ares was now gazing at me, his brown eyes searching me for an ounce of a reaction. I didn't know how to react... it was just a measly kiss after all? Yes, a measly kiss that could end my life and ship me right back to the reincarnation center, brava Ariel.

I mean, would death really be such a bad thing? Starting over? Maybe this time I'd get a good life, raised by two parents who'd always care for me, be there for me. Maybe I'd be born into a rich family with a cheater for a father and an alcoholic for a mother...

I decided to break the ice, say something. But what to say? I settled on the first thing that came to mind, not wanting to overthink anything.

"Can you show me to the bathroom?"