The blood and saliva clog my throat, I want to spit out, but that isn't a choice for me. It would be crazy if I were to spit my own blood onto someone else carpet, especially if it is own by a god, and he is currently sitting in the throne in front of me with his gaze set on me. With no other choice, I swallow the blood and clear my throat. I straighten my upper body and meet Hades's gaze.

I'm in so much trouble right now while a small smile crept onto my face to hide my fear.

"My apology, Lord Hades, but can I say something first? I will forever be grateful to you for healing me."

"I do not wish for your gratitude. I want an answer. Now!" His hair rises to the ceiling and morphs into a blue flame while his eyes glow the same color.

My smile disappears as I gape at the angry god with fear in my eyes, "Aaahh, I-I'm here to meet with Rhea...I know it's forbidden for me to be down here, and I take full responsibility for my action, but I need to meet with Rhea."

His flaming blue hair cool down and return to normal, "What business do you have with my mother?"

I curse myself right there because I don't think he will be happy to hear my reason. Zeus is his brother. Shit. "To make...Lord Zeus pay for his action in the past."

Hades leans back on his throne and look at me intensely with deep anger or curiosity or could be anything. I couldn't tell because I couldn't raise my sight to meet his, so the only thing I did is stare at the floor. Sweats roll off my forehead and drip down my neck. He probably thinks I'm crazy, well who could blame him, just by listening to what I said, I could tell that I'm insane.

Hades rises from his throne and walk down a couple of steps. I glance at him as he walks past by me, then he says to me, "Follow me."

I stand up and follow the King of The Underworld as he makes his way to the open doors that I fly through earlier. Like lighting striking a pole, I finally realize that Hades is the same as height as me. That's weird because I thought all Gods are tall like My goddess and Hephaestus.

"Weirdly short..." That's few words accidentally slip out from my lips.

My eyes widen in fear as I pray that he doesn't hear what I just said. I relax my shoulder while letting a sigh out from my mouth. Thanks to Adrestia, he didn't hear what I just said, I swipe away the imaginary frighten sweat.

"Height is irrelevant to a god. I prefer this height rather than the typical height of a god," Hades answer me as keeps walking without glancing at me or give me a look.

"I'm sorry for my outspoken mouth." I scratch the back of my head as I apologize.

Hades didn't acknowledge my apology and keep on walking while I follow him from behind until we enter a hallway of quite the astounding collection of things. The compilation ranges from unique weapons to beautiful pieces of jewelry and unusual trinkets, all neatly set on top of the pedestals that have been organized into a straight line from the beginning to the end of the hallway.

"Lord Hades, may I say that you have an amazing collection of things."

"A mundane hobby of mine to fill the stagnate times I have." Boredom soak his words as he mutters.

"If my lord is tired of the same hobby, you can find a new one."

"What kind of hobby do you have in mind?"

Am I having a normal conversation with the King of The Underworld? If I am, then I'm not in troubled like I thought I was. Shit, I forget to answer his question, a hobby, a hobby...

"Hmm, how about gaming?"

"Gaming? You mean Petteia?"

"No, my lord. What I mean is video game, like Tekken, Mass Effect, GTA, Burnout and many more." For some reason, it brings me joy when I give a few titles of video games to Hades. It's like I have a fond memory of those things, and of course, I can't remember, but I feel like I have fun with them.

After I answer, Hades remain quiet for a long time until we reach a balcony with the full view of the underworld. From where I stand, I can see a volcano in the distance, a forest of dead trees, a green field of flowers with a ray of light shine upon it, ashen ground, thick fog and a river that separate those locations.

In some way that morbid view of the afterlife and the chaotic lands have a sublime beauty in it.

"Death is chaos and order. Mortals die at any moment, but in that chaos, there is order. An absolute rule for mortals, their life must come to an end sooner or late."

"There's no way to escape death. Don't you agree?" I can see his glance as I stand beside him.

In truth, I have no idea what's he's talking about, so in response, I nod my head, pretending to understand. Hade's gaze set on the land again while silence befalls on us.

I wait for a couple of minutes before asking, "Am I in trouble?"

"In trouble..." He let those few words roll off his tongue.

"Awaken from being reborn, trespass on my world, an unexpected reason, trying to humiliate my brother and dirty my carpets."

I look behind me and finally notice the dirty footprints I leave. Swallowing my saliva, I let out an innocent smile while pretend to not realize the stains. With a stupid look on my face, I try to wipe the dirty stain behind me with my boot, and of course, I only make it worse as it becomes a big smudge on the carpet.

I kick the carpet, so it folds on itself and hides the stain. The King of The Underworld get a glimpse of me, I take a few steps to the right and try to hide the mess.

"I wonder if you did this because of Adrestia complicated past with my brother...Tell me, is that the reason why you try to make my brother, the King of Gods 'Pay for his action'?"

My sight downcast as I take a few moments of silence before answering, "Yes, Lord Hades."

"You know that you are stepping on a sensitive matter. Not just that, you are prying open past pain and barging through someone else emotions."

"I know what I'm doing is disrespecting my Goddess's feeling, I fully acknowledge that, but I can't let thing end without any conclusion. I want my kind and beautiful Goddess to move on..."

"How hubris of you to claim that you understand your Goddess's pain."

Hades is right, what in the hell am I doing? How stupid am I? As I question myself, I remember the first time I met my goddess, her stern look scares me at the time, but when I look in her eyes, there's kindness, warmth, and love—and also guilt, pain, and a heavy burden. I have to see this through. I have to try even if she hates me.

"I won't give up..." I mutter.

There's a small smile creep on Hades's lips, "Strong determination. I never did understand why she chooses you, but maybe there something more to you that it seems."

"However, determination alone won't help you. Your quest has come to a stop because to get to where my mother is, the blessed field. You need to get through the fog of insanity." His gaze set on the thick fog that covers the land around his castle.

"I'm surprised that you still have your sanity after being in it for a long time."

"Fog of insanity...No wonder, I was seeing and hearing things."

"Nonetheless, you still need to make it across Lethe, the river of forgetfulness. If any of that tiny bit of water enters your mouth, you can make sure that your mind will become hollow in a matter of seconds."

"So, swimming is out of the options. How about if I cross it with a makeshift raft?"

"You may, but you need to build that raft then enter the fog, and go through Hecate's hellhounds again. Even if you manage to do all that, you still have to face the Hyrda that is guarding it."

"A Hydra, a many-headed serpent, cut one head off, two more will grow...oh man." I look down at my damaged boomer then let out a sigh.

"I can try, right?" My confidence in my ability is thrown out of the window as the obstacle keep getting hard and harder.

"You still forget one last obstacle." Hades turns his head slightly and look at me.

"Huh?" I look at him while my mouth opens slightly with curiosity.

"Myself...Do you think I would let you pass the river and do whatever you please?"

My eyes widen in fear while sweats start dripping down to my chin, I never thought about it before. Of course, he wouldn't let me do it, this is his domain, and there goes my plan.

Facing the end of my quest, and yet for some reason, my shoulders relax while I stretch my arms. "I guess my quest has come to an end... quite the anticlimactic ending. don't you think, my lord?"

Hades raises his right eyebrow slightly as he examines my oddly relax attitude. I look into the room adjacent to the balcony, and I spot something on the pedestal that increases the excitement inside of me. I rush to it and let out a smile as I examine every inch of it.

"It's the Super Nintendo! You even have the TV, and a small selection of game cartridges."

"I believe, I receive it as a gift from an old candidate, he was quite the interesting man, but he's retired now and living his new life as a mortal once more."

"If only we can play this, then I can show you, Lord Hades, the wonders of gaming."

Lord Hades walk toward the Super Nintendo and place his hands on the games system and the TV. Both of the electronic devices turn on perfectly without connecting to a power source. When he back away, I jog behind the TV and start attaching the connectors between them. Then I walk back to the game system and pick a cartridge without giving the others a look.

Sliding the cartridge into the system slot, and the game title displays on the TV screen while an iconic theme accompanies it.

Street Fighter II.

I grab the controllers, passing one of them to Lord Hades, and enter the player versus player screen. One character in the roster calls out to me, and I pick her, Cammy White. I turn to look at Hades, and I can see the confusion in his eyes. I think this is a new experience for him.

"Lord Hades, you need to use the controller to pick a character."

"Hmm..." He moves the selection frame to Vega, "Next is?"

"Press that button to confirm your pick." I point at the button and Lord Hades press it.

The King of The Underworld picks his fighter, and the match is off to a start. Every combo that Cammy has are like second nature to me, and I'm somehow pulling out those move from the back of my mind. I'm pressing buttons on the controller in an order that it is making my fighter attack without giving Lord Hades's character a chance to retaliate.

The first win goes to me, so do the second win. Hades looked at the screen, puzzled at the battle that just unfolds on the screen.

"I win!" I make a victory sign with my hand and with a smile, I point the gesture at Hades.

"Of course, you win. I didn't even know how to play..."

"I ain't going easy on you, just because you don't know how to play."

"But that's cheating! Teach me then we shall have another fight. I'll show you to not mess with the king of The Underworld." I can see the excitement and determination in his eyes. I also even spot a half smile appear on his lips.

"It would be great to have another new player so it will be an even playing field."

"I know someone. Shin, stop hiding and join us."

The hair on the back of my neck stand up, I jerk my head around and see the same boy with bangs that cover his eyes that I met earlier in the fog. I stand up in surprise and take a step back. My heart starts beating fast as I look at him.

"You scare me again. I should put a bell on you or something."

"Hello...Sorry for scaring you." Shin says with a soft-spoken voice and embarrassing red cheeks.

"Aah, don't worry about it. Here is your controller. You are going to train with Lord Hades."

"Don't go easy on me, Shin."

"Will not, Dad."

He takes a step closer to the TV and examining every inch of the game screen with intrigue, just like Hades. Then he takes the controller off my hand with a gentle and soft manner. 

I feel calmer than before and happy as I teach both of them how to play, and the worry of not completing my quest disappears. Maybe to the back of my mind or the joy that I'm having are overwhelming it.

"You press this and this... Then this, and Bam!"

"So, if I do this and this then this? My fighter do that?"

"Yep, pretty much."

"How is Shin better than me at this game?" Hades says as Shin still in the lead between them. Shin shrug his shoulders, but I can see a small smile of pride as he beat Hades's Character.

"I want to use other characters! This one doesn't fit me at all!" Hades says while being frustrated. Shin and I let out an amused smile as we both see it's not the game fault, it's just Lord Hades isn't that good at this.

"One more match!" Lord Hades roll up both his loose sleeves and bite his bottom lip while squinting at the screen with determination.