Dr. Edward Sterling was a 25-year-old renowned scholar of mythology. His fascination with the ancient gods led him to acquire a rare diary, said to contain forgotten tales of the divine.
One night, as he deciphered its cryptic passages, a peculiar entry caught his eye. He read it aloud, and as he spoke the final words, darkness enveloped him, and he fell into a deep slumber.
He awoke to an eerie silence and the scent of sulfur. He was no longer in his study but in the dim, shadowy realm of the Underworld. As he looked around, he noticed a shimmering pool of water and peered into it. Staring back at him was not his reflection but that of Hades, the formidable god of the Underworld.
Hades' story was well known to Edward. He was the stern ruler of the dead, often portrayed as a somber and isolated figure, forever in the shadow of his more celebrated brothers, Zeus and Poseidon. Now, Edward felt the burden of Hades' eternal duty, the isolation of his dominion, and the stigma that came with being the lord of the dead.
He knew the mythological path that Hades would remain a distant and feared deity, often misunderstood and vilified. But he also knew that he could reshape this narrative.
With his deep understanding of myth and his new position of power, he pondered whether to follow the well-trodden path or forge a new one.