Familiarity | K.NJ ✔

0.6 | Trip to the Underworld

The group of eight travelled down the blood-red stairs, stepping onto the invisible pathway that ran through the Underworld. They were certainly attracting the attention of the Demons that roamed the area, and if it wasn't for the fact that the tortured souls knew who they were, they would've attacked the group straight away. But they couldn't do that, not with Hades's favourite nephew in the lead.

"So, where do they keep their dragons?" Y/n hummed, squinting into the distance jokingly. "Is there like a stable, or.."

"Haha, very funny." Yoongi retorted, his sarcasm a contrast against the small smile graced on his lips. "We'll just give it to one of the Demons, they'll take it back to wherever it's supposed to be."

Hearing that, a timid Demon stepped forward and bowed deeply, glancing at Y/n and holding its hand out for her to pass the leash to. She smiled, handing it to the rather small creature, "thank you."

It bowed again before turning and scattering off, the dragon bounding behind it.

"Now that the creature thing is sorted, let's go see Hades," Seokjin said, pushing Yoongi lightly as he directed the younger towards the large, marble white palace in the middle of the fiery land. 

"Provided he is there." A man with ashy silver hair and faint, glittery wings that were just about visible floating behind him mumbled. Jungkook glanced at him.

"Is he not here, Taehyungie?"

Taehyung shrugged, "just have a feeling."

The group shared slightly uneasy glances between each other before they headed in the palace's direction, their eyes wandering around and taking in the scene of Hell once more. Y/n subconsciously reached out to Namjoon and grabbed a fistful of his shirt, edging closer to him as she stared at the souls that were being tortured all around them. She scrunched her face up, "I can never get use to seeing this."

Unnerved by her sudden closeness, he rested a hand on her shoulder and steered her body and attention away from the Demons and souls. "You don't need to, we don't come here very often. We visit Heaven more than Hell."

"I don't know if we should call Mount Olympus Heaven, Joonie." She raised an eyebrow. "Heaven is someplace entirely different. Mount Olympus is in the Greek Mythology world, it's where the Gods that we see and hear about somewhat regularly live. You should know that, IQ 148," she teased.

"Oh, shut up."

-

The group reached the stairs of the palace within a few minutes and climbed up, pressing the small doorbell by the side of a humongous gate. 'He's one of my more dramatic uncles,' Yoongi had murmured, waiting patiently for the door to open. It did after awhile, but behind it was not Hades, but instead Persephone, who looked stressed. Her hopeful expression deflated as she saw them, but she plastered on a small smile anyway and allowed them in.

"Aunt Persephone? Are you okay?" Yoongi asked as they followed her to the living room. His eyes were scrutinising her carefully and he immediately noticed how her posture didn't seem as perfect as it used to be; how she dragged her feet along the floor, risking her tripping with the seven inch dagger heels she wore; and how the bags under her eyes were visible, which was something that the Goddess would normally not allow to show.

"I'm fine, Yoongi," she answered, sighing as she slumped down in a seat, leaning her head back. "Just a little tired."

"Why? And where's Uncle Hades?" He moved to sit on the couch opposite her, gesturing for his friends to do the same. Cerberus, the three-headed dog that Hades owned, bounded over as soon as it realised that Yoongi was here, nosing its way into his arms as it crawled onto the couch next to him.

"I don't know. Nobody knows."

He frowned, exchanging confused and worried looks with his friends, his eyes snagging on Taehyung, whose lips were pursed at how his gut feelings were right. 

"Hades has been gone for about two months now, and although he normally takes his little trips now and then, he usually checks in every few days just so I know that he is alive. But he hasn't contacted anyone once. Everybody is trying to find him right now, and so far - nothing."

"So, he's just gone?" 

She nodded with a sad smile, "I'm afraid so. We have no idea where he is. All we hope right now is that he is alright and that he just has no form of contact to check in with us."

"He couldn't have just disappeared," Y/n said softly, her head tilted and eyebrows furrowed in thought. Persephone's gaze moved to her and her eyes narrowed.

"You," the Goddess started, "you're a Starchild, aren't you?"

Slightly surprised, she nodded hesitantly.

"Are you able to help track him down? Do you know how to do that?"

"Uh, I guess. I mean, it's a hard skill I haven't mastered. I could try."

"Could you try now?"

Y/n glanced to Namjoon uncertainly. He broke into a small smile and nudged her towards Persephone. "Go for it, kid," he murmured, "what's the harm in trying anyway?" She returned the grin and looked back to her, who was observing the exchange with gentle and interested eyes.

"Let's go, then."