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Visit

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Chapter 11: Visit (Persephone's POV)

As we neared the main gates of the castle, I started hearing barking in the distance. I stopped in my tracks and stared at him. 

"Don't tell me you're scared of dogs," he sighed. 

"What? No, not at all. Don't tell me you actually have a three-headed dog." 

He watched me with amusement and then shook his head. "Cerberus only has one head." 

"I'm glad," I nodded as we approached the gates. 

"Cerberus!" I heard a loud groan. When we got closer, I realized a guy, not older than us, maybe the same age as Hades. At least they looked the same age. 

"This is Dashiell, the tour guide you were meant to have and the head of staff here." 

Dashiell is currently struggling to clip Cerberus' nails, I see. "Hello," he smiled at me. 

Cerberus looks like a handful. 

"Sir." He looked at Hades. "Can I quit this job?" 

"No," Hades smiled down at him. 

Dashiell sighed and tried again. 

In front of Hades, Cerberus began acting like the angel child. Angel dog, actually. He sat like a cute little obedient dog and let himself be groomed, no matter how much he hated it. And the whole time, he sat there with a smile on his face and his tongue out, staring at his owner. 

"He really likes you," I smiled, watching Cerberus shake himself as Dashiell stood up. 

"Unleash him," Hades ordered. 

Dashiell's face fell. "I just groomed him. If I unleash him, he'll be rolling in the dirt again." 

"So what? Let him have fun. Unleash him," Hades nodded. 

Dashiell did as told and Cerberus walked over slowly, walking around both Hades and me in three circles, smelling us before he settled in one spot in front of both of us, staring between the two. 

"Can I pet him or will he eat my hand off?" I asked, turning to Hades. 

"You can pet him and hope he doesn't eat your hand off." Hades squatted down and started scratching Cerberus, under the chin, behind the ears, everywhere. "You should come down here. He feels less threatened," Hades suggested, looking up at me.

I squatted down, hugging my knees and watching for a moment. It's not that he's a huge dog. It's that he's supposed to be a terror dog who rips people apart. I only cracked a smile and pet him when he lifted his paw and rested it on my knee. I chuckled, scratching him everywhere, my hand grazing over Hades' multiples times. 

Each time our fingers touched, each time my skin grazed his, I would feel his eyes chasing mine but I never once looked away from Cerberus. I was scared to look at him. Scared doesn't sound right. Nervous makes more sense. 

After at least ten minutes of being adored, Cerberus decided it was enough and he ran off into the field. 

Right after that, we left the castle's estate. We walked along a small road that led into the town. Yes, the town. The underworld doesn't just begin and end with his castle. It's an entirely different world out here. It's... normal. It's how you would imagine a small town in royal times. 

There are little shops everywhere along the street, kids running around, people selling food, jewelry, clothes, and all in one marketplace. It was a regular world for these people here, just a few centuries behind. 

"Why are all these people here, Hades?" 

"They're waiting. Some of them have finished their time." 

I turned to him as we strolled through the streets. "What do you mean?" 

"They're all souls, Persephone. Some of them are waiting to be reborn, others won't be reborn again. They've used all the lives the Fates destined for them to have. This is their home now. They have new lives here. They can't die because they're already dead. They can't live for the same reason. But they're still human and they still feel alive. They've made their own families here. But they can't have children. They've made friends here. But some forget them and are born again. It's their world." He turned to me. "Not mine." 

I watched all the people. Everybody had a grin on their face. Every single soul. "Do they remember their past lives?" 

He shook his head in response. "Water from the Lethe river is given to every soul upon arrival. It makes them forget about their past lives and puts them to sleep until they've forgotten it all. When they wake up, they start a new life right here." 

"So the five rivers really exist?" I questioned. 

He stopped in the middle of the crowd, the two of us being the only people standing still as the world moved around us. The underworld. "Would you like to see them?" 

I nodded slowly. I kept my eyes on him but I could see our surroundings changing. We were teleporting and for the first time, it wasn't through a door. When I kept my eyes on him, when I focused on him, I didn't feel dizzy. I didn't stumble. I felt just fine. I'm getting used to this and I don't know if that's good or bad. 

"The first one. Cocytus." He turned and started walking ahead and I followed closely behind, slowly falling into step beside him. 

I noticed that he slowed to match my pace. 

"This is the worst river in my world. I despise it." He sighed, staring at the water with his hands behind his back. He looked so mature standing like that. "I am mature," he said, looking at me from the corner of his eye. 

I sighed, "Can't you just pretend not to hear them? Tell me about the river." I stared at the water. It's so... dark. And gloomy. It just radiated sadness. 

"It's the river of wailing. It holds all the heartbroken voices and cries of the souls in this world. It freezes over in the winter and melts upon a soul's arrival. If anybody falls into it. Soul or human, they're overwhelmed with sadness. They lose the will to live and souls lose the will to exist. It's near impossible to help someone recover from a fall here. They'll disappear slowly just because they truly want to. Cocytus sucks the liveliness from both souls and humans." 

"That's..." I trailed off, not wanting to say it. 

"Horrible," he said for me. We faced each other. "Next," he mumbled. 

We teleported the same way and this one looked a lot brighter. A lot prettier. A lot... calmer. It was serene. 

"This is the Acheron. It's how souls are brought from the human world to the underworld. It's a one-way route. It can be used to enter the underworld, but it can't be used to leave. Once you cross this and come inside, you can't leave without help. Humans are not meant to enter this river, so there are some... blood-thirsty souls who devour anybody that enters it. It's hard to save them too if they fall in. Unless I help. It's a harmless river for souls. It makes them feel comfortable and calm when they're entering this world. That's how I want all the souls of my world to feel here. Calm, at peace." He turned to me. "At home." 

The world changed around us again and we found ourselves at the next river. 

"The Phlegethon," he announced. 

It's almost dark, but not quite. Almost eerie but not quite. Still serene and beautiful but also not one I'd want to be in. 

"It's also called the river of fire. This is useless to anybody but a god. It can only be used to travel to the depths of the underworld. It's what I would go through to meet my family. Souls can't see this river. And humans can't either. But you can, can't you?" 

I nodded silently, staring at the water. 

"Do you understand why I say you're not a human, Persephone?" He chuckled at my expression then said, "Next." 

"The one everybody knows?" I guessed. 

He nodded with a smile. "The Styx. It's just a barrier separating the underworld from the human world. It's used for pleasure here. People come to swim and it cleanses itself. It's the happiest place in my world. Families come for fun, friends come for its beauty, couples come for its romantic environment. It's a beautiful spot." 

"It really is. I want to come here again," I found myself saying. 

He looked at me. "It's your world too, Persephone. You can come and go as you please." 

The world moved and we looked ahead. I let out a small gasp. "It's pretty." Not prettier than the Styx. That river gave off nothing but happiness and positivity. It felt like heaven there. This river was beautiful too but in a weird, uneasy way. Even with all the flowers around it, the water was darker. It felt darker than the Styx. The Styx is beautiful because it's a happy, safe place. This one doesn't quite feel like that.

"This is the Lethe. It talks, Persephone." 

I stared at him in confusion. "What?" 

"It talks. It whispers to both souls and humans, it makes them drowsy, it puts them to sleep, and it makes them forget their human life. It's where new souls drink water from to enter this world with a fresh slate and they drink regularly to keep those past life memories away. But if a human drinks it, they'll fall back into their life. Their life would go back to how it was and they would be the only person without a clue as to what's going on. They wouldn't know their name, who they are, who the people around them are. Nothing. Humans should stay away from this one and that includes you. Because if you forget who I am, I think I would burn every world down." 

I stepped in front of him, my back to the river as I stared at him. "Does it really scare you? To lose me? We barely know each other." 

"I don't need to know you to know your importance. If I lose you after spending lifetimes searching for you, I'd much rather die than do that all over again. It wouldn't be worth it anymore." 

"I don't even think you need me, Hades. I think it's just what you've been told." 

"Some stories aren't just stories, Persephone. Not ours. I know my father, I know what he did. If it was just a story, he wouldn't be so adamant on erasing you," he explained calmly. 

We're standing right at the edge of the river. And I suddenly felt dizzy. Maybe it's from teleporting so quickly so often. But I felt myself lose my footing and fall backward. 

He grabbed my arm and pulled me back, one arm holding my waist tightly. "Are you all right?" He pushed my hair back, looking at my eyes. "You were just fine." 

"She must be dizzy, son." 

I watched as Hades changed. His eyes became hard and cold as stone. His jaw set. His entire body screaming hatred. I looked over his shoulder, blinking my vision back to clarity. "Is that...?" I whispered. 

"Cronus," Hades mumbled. "My father." 

"You know I like to visit once in a while, don't you?" He walked over, standing beside Hades and looking at me. "I see she's here for a visit too." He smiled, turning to Hades. "I think it's time we chat, son. We better head back to your castle."

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Chapter 11

we're about to get some real father-son enemies tension moment, buckle up

but I'll update tomorrow now :) 

I need to sleep

next chapter: war

oh! before I forget!

Cerberus-

the rivers-