They say you can tell a lot about a person by the kind of books they read.
If that's true, then I'm probably just as weird and outdated as the myths and gods I've obsessed over my whole life. My shelves back home are crammed with everything from Egyptian cosmology to Norse sagas. But today, in the dim, dusty library corner I practically claimed as my own, I was lost in a book about Hades.
Yeah, Hades. King of the Underworld. The ultimate third-wheel brother to Zeus and Poseidon. He's always fascinated me, though not for the usual reasons. People either romanticize him or vilify him. Personally, I thought he sucked—a perpetual loser trying to rule over the dead while his brothers played king of the mountain and ruler of the seas.
I snapped the book shut with a sigh, the faint smell of old paper and mildew clinging to the air. My stomach growled loudly, a not-so-subtle reminder that I'd skipped breakfast. Glancing at the time on my phone, I groaned. Three hours had vanished since I'd cracked open this book.
"Okay, time for caffeine," I muttered to myself.
I stuffed the book into my messenger bag and slung it over my shoulder before weaving my way out of the library. The sun was a cruel glare overhead as I stepped onto campus, squinting against its brightness. It was a short walk to the nearest Starbucks, and despite the swarm of students milling about, my mind was preoccupied with thoughts of Hades and his kingdom.
Was he really as bad as I thought? Sure, he was the guy who kidnapped Persephone, but he also got the short end of the stick in the whole 'dividing the cosmos' thing. Still, couldn't he have fought for a better deal? Stood up to Zeus and Poseidon?
The smell of roasted coffee beans greeted me as I pushed open the door to Starbucks. The place was packed, of course. I shuffled into line, pulling out the book to kill time while I waited.
"Grande caramel macchiato," the barista called, and I made a mental note to order the same. It'd been my go-to drink ever since freshman year.
"Hades, huh?"
The voice startled me out of my reading. I looked up to see the girl in front of me in line, her bright eyes fixed on the cover of my book. She had a smile that could have belonged to a goddess herself, and her wavy brown hair was tied back in a loose ponytail.
"Uh, yeah," I stammered, flipping the book shut again. "Greek mythology. It's kind of my thing."
She tilted her head, clearly amused. "Not a fan of Hades?"
"Not really. I mean, he's… boring? He's the guy who just sort of hangs out in the Underworld, ruling over a bunch of dead people. Meanwhile, his brothers are off having adventures and—" I stopped myself, realizing I was ranting. "Sorry. Didn't mean to go off."
She laughed, and it was a warm, easy sound that put me at ease. "No, it's interesting. Most people either love him or hate him for the whole Persephone thing. It's refreshing to hear someone call him boring."
"I'm all about refreshing hot takes," I said, grinning.
"Well, maybe you just haven't read the right stories," she replied, taking a step forward as the line moved. She glanced at the counter. "Shoot, I'm up. Here, give me your phone."
"What?" I asked, blinking in confusion.
"Your phone," she repeated, holding out her hand.
I handed it over, watching as she quickly tapped in her number. She handed it back, a playful smile tugging at her lips. "Call me if you ever want to debate mythology."
"Uh, sure. Thanks," I said, still trying to process what just happened.
She grabbed her drink, waved, and walked out the door before I could even ask her name.
"Next," the barista called, and I hurriedly stepped up to place my order.
With a caramel macchiato in hand, I left the coffee shop and started down the sidewalk. My mind was still reeling from the interaction with… whoever she was. I pulled out my phone to check the number she'd left, the digits glowing like a beacon of possibility.
Lost in thought, I almost didn't notice her again. Almost.
She was crossing the street a few blocks ahead, her drink in one hand, her phone in the other. I caught a flash of movement out of the corner of my eye—a white truck barreling down the road, the driver clearly not paying attention.
My heart stopped. "Hey!" I shouted, dropping my book and drink as I sprinted toward her.
Everything felt like it was happening in slow motion. The truck wasn't stopping. She wasn't looking. I threw myself forward, my shoulder slamming into hers as I pushed her out of the way.
Then came the impact. I braced, expecting pain. A lot of pain. But instead, there was… nothing. Just an eerie, empty silence.
When I opened my eyes, everything was just gone. I was standing in a vast, endless expanse of blackness, dotted with faint glimmers like distant stars, as if someone . The ground beneath my feet didn't feel solid, but it held me all the same.
"What the hell?" I muttered, spinning in place.
There was no sign of the street, no sign of the girl, no sign of the truck that had smashed into me. Just me and the infinite void.
"Hello?" I called, my voice echoing back to me.
No response. Just silence, as heavy as the darkness around me.
I took a hesitant step forward, and the stars—or whatever they were—seemed to shimmer in response. It was hypnotic, almost beautiful, but it did nothing to quell the rising panic in my chest.
"Okay, think," I told myself. "You're dead. Probably. Or unconscious. Maybe in a coma. That would explain the… this."
To my surprise a voice responded, it sounded like a woman, she sounded amused and confused at the same time.
"What do we have here? Now, how did you get here?"
I looked around and yet I couldn't locate where the voice was coming from. "Okay, I'm not alone… Are you God? Or Death? Or one of those creepy Reaper-types?"
The voice chuckled softly, a sound that resonated through me as though it were vibrating my very soul. "My name is Chaos and I am something like a god but far grander."
"You seem full of yourself." I snorted as I thought it over. "Are you the same Chaos of Ancient Greece who created everything and birthed the Primordials?"
"Ah, so you have heard of me, and it seems that you have quite the obsession with the ancient world of the gods. Tell me who you are, and how did you get here?"
I shrugged as I told her my name and what had happened as she burst out laughing before going quiet, when she finally spoke she seemed a little excited.
"Alright, you amuse me, kid. So I shall give you a new chance at life."
I blinked. "Just like that? No catch?"
"There is always a catch," Chaos replied, her tone carrying the faintest trace of amusement.
I sighed. "Of course there is. Okay, go on. What's the catch? Am I going to be reincarnated as a dung beetle or something?"
Chaos didn't respond immediately. Instead, I got the distinct feeling that she was studying me. Then she spoke again. "Your flippancy is unusual. Most mortals would tremble when speaking with even the weakest of gods."
I snorted. "Yeah, well, I've had a long day. Speaking of, do you think you could take a visible form? This whole disembodied voice thing is a little cliché."
For a moment, there was silence. Then, the void melted away, and I found myself sitting in a cozy log cabin. A fire crackled in the hearth in front of me, and a steaming mug of coffee sat on the table at my side.
Sitting across from me, in an armchair that looked as ancient as time itself, was a woman. She was stunning, wearing a tight-fitting secretary outfit—pencil suit , glasses perched on her nose, and her hair pinned back in a perfect bun.
I deadpanned. "Really? A secretary? This is what you go with?"
She tilted her head, clearly confused. "Is this not the preferred aesthetic for young men of your age?"
I groaned. "It's distracting, that's what it is."
She blinked, then shrugged. With a casual wave of her hand, her outfit changed to a simple tunic, much less...distracting. "Better?"
"Much." I leaned back in my chair, taking in my surroundings. "So, Chaos, what's the deal? Who am I going to be reborn as?"
She snapped her fingers, and a familiar book appeared on the coffee table. She slid it toward me with an amused smile. "I believe that you know this one?"
I blinked. Then I blinked again as I looked at my book that I had with me before I had died. "You're joking, right?"
Her smile widened as she snapped her fingers and a folder appeared on top of my Hades book. "I am not joking."
I grabbed the folder and opened it as I looked through it and flipped through the files. It held quite the information on Hades from his birth to his death, his whole life was sitting in my hands. Reading through it I was amazed to see all these new things that we never knew about. I closed the folder and looked up at her. "And what exactly do you plan for me to do with this? Yes I would be able to come up with a plan here and there but I doubt I would be able to even stop Zeus."
"You are right, but yet I want you to change his story," Chaos spoke, her tone serious. You are going to live the life of Hades, I wish you good luck."
"Wait-" I exclaimed but before I could ask anything or say anything else she flicked a finger toward me, now I bet you have seen those cartoons and shows where the characters skin is blasted off and then his muscles and his bones. That is what it felt like, this huge gust of wind blew past me and I swore that I could feel my body being destroyed. I closed my eyes and waited, I didn't know what was going to happen, though I started hearing voices talking.
I opened my eyes to find myself in the arms of a beautiful woman. My body felt strange—smaller, softer. I glanced down and saw tiny hands. I was a baby.
The woman holding me looked exhausted but radiant, her golden hair damp with sweat and clinging to her face. Her emerald eyes sparkled as she gazed down at me with a mixture of love and exhaustion. Around us, several young girls scurried about, speaking in hurried, anxious tones. They were removing a basin of golden, blood-streaked water and laying out towels.
Their words sounded strange, foreign, yet familiar. It took a moment, but soon I realized they were speaking Ancient Greek. It took a bit before I realized that I could understand everything that they were saying. As they worked, one of the girls leaned over to the woman holding me. "My Queen, have you decided on his name?" she asked softly.
The woman smiled weakly, brushing a finger across my cheek. "Yes. Hades," she whispered. "My little Aidoneus."
The woman looked down at me with so much love that I couldn't help but smile. Rhea truly cared for her children. You know, maybe this wouldn't be so bad, I thought to myself.
I should have known better than to even think that.
The large doors to the room swung open with a loud creak. A tall, lanky man strode in, his long black hair flowing around his angular face. His golden eyes burned with an intense, almost otherworldly light. He wore a simple black toga, its fabric shimmering faintly, and his sandaled feet moved soundlessly across the floor. Despite his slender frame, there was an undeniable aura of power about him, as though the very air bent to his will.
The woman holding me stiffened, her smile faltering as her arms tightened protectively around me. She looked up at the man with a mixture of fear and pleading. "Kronos…" she began, her voice trembling.
The man—Kronos—said nothing at first. He approached silently, his gaze fixed on me. When he reached us, he held out his hands, wordlessly demanding that I be given to him.
"Give me the child, woman." He ordered.
Rhea hesitated, her grip on me tightening. "Please," she whispered.
Kronos' expression didn't change. Slowly, reluctantly, she handed me over. Her hands lingered, trembling, as though trying to hold on for just a moment longer. Kronos took me in his arms, his face unreadable as he studied me.
"This brat is way too small… what is wrong with it?" Kronos asked as he looked at Rhea. I could see the gears turn in his head as he looked upon me in disgust as I remembered what happened to several of his children. I watched in horror as Kronos raised me up in the air as he unhinged his jaw wide. I wanted to scream, but all that came out was an infant's wail. The last thing I heard was my mother's scream, echoing in the room, as Kronos dropped me into the dark abyss of his mouth.