Aurelia woke to the dull ache of a headache pounding behind her eyes. Morning light spilled into her apartment, but it did little to warm the chill that had settled in her bones. She groaned, pushing herself up on her elbows, and froze when she saw him.
Hades, the god she had summoned—and apparently bound to her—was standing by the window. His imposing figure was backlit by the pale sunlight, his dark cloak still as death itself. He hadn't moved since she had woken, his crimson eyes locked on the horizon with a predatory stillness.
"Still here, I see," she muttered, her voice hoarse.
He didn't bother looking at her. "Did you expect me to vanish?" His tone was ice, low and cutting.
"Well, yeah," she said, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed. "That's usually how these things go. Summon the big scary god, get cursed or whatever, and then poof—problem solved."
His gaze flicked to her, sharp and scathing. "Do not mistake me for the petty phantoms you read about in your foolish stories."
She recoiled slightly, the weight of his glare pinning her in place.
"I am Hades," he continued, his voice steady and cold, "and you have chained me to this pitiful existence with your ignorance. You should be groveling for mercy, mortal, not spouting witless drivel."
"Okay, jeez," she muttered, crossing her arms. "No need to rub it in."
Hades turned fully to face her now, his towering form casting a shadow across the room. "You have no comprehension of the damage you've caused. That mark on your arm binds me to this realm. To you."
She glanced at the faint glow of the summoning mark etched into her forearm. "I didn't know! How was I supposed to know some dusty old book would actually work?"
"You weren't supposed to try!" he snapped, his voice like a whip. The air grew colder, and she could feel the weight of his power pressing down on her chest. "You tampered with forbidden magic, and now I am imprisoned here because of your stupidity."
Her stomach churned, guilt and fear battling for dominance. "So, what now? Is there… a way to undo it?"
Hades regarded her with a cold, unreadable expression, his crimson eyes glowing faintly in the dim light. "If a solution exists, it lies far beyond your meager understanding. But there is a place—an ancient temple hidden in this mortal world—that may hold the answers we seek."
Aurelia perked up slightly, her fear mingling with a sliver of hope. "A temple? Like… an actual temple for the Greek gods?"
His lips curved into a humorless smile, sharp and disdainful. "Do not presume to equate our legacy with the pitiful shrines mortals craft today. This is no tourist attraction with trinkets and pamphlets, mortal. It is a repository of knowledge, far older than your fragile civilization."
She shifted nervously, glancing down at the glowing mark on her arm. "Okay… so where is this place? And, uh, how do we get there?"
"It is not for you to question how, only to follow," Hades replied curtly, his tone brooking no argument. "The temple lies in what you mortals now call Delphi—once a sacred site of great power, now buried beneath your trivial cities. Within its ruins are archives detailing the rituals, the gods, and their bindings."
Aurelia frowned, the mention of Delphi sparking a memory. "Delphi? Isn't that where the Oracle used to—?"
"I am aware of its history," Hades interrupted, his voice as sharp as the cut of a blade. "The Oracle of Delphi served the gods. Her prophecies and rituals were preserved within the temple's archives. If there is a way to sever this bond, it will be there."
"And if there isn't?" she asked hesitantly.
Hades' gaze darkened, the weight of it making her breath hitch. "Then you will learn firsthand what it means to walk alongside death."
Aurelia gulped, the chill in his voice freezing her in place. "Right. No pressure."
He turned away from her, his cloak billowing slightly as he moved toward the door. "Gather what you need. We leave immediately."
"Wait, now?" she exclaimed, scrambling to her feet. "Can't we at least have breakfast first? Maybe a cup of coffee? I mean, it's the crack of dawn—"
"Do not waste my time with your trivial needs," he said coldly, his back still to her. "Every moment you linger increases the risk of the bond's consequences."
"What kind of consequences?" she asked warily, grabbing a jacket from the back of her chair.
Hades turned his head just enough to cast her a sidelong glance, his crimson eyes glowing like embers in the dim light of her apartment. The weight of his stare made her stomach twist. "The kind that make you wish for a swift death," he said, his voice as sharp as a blade slicing through the air.
Aurelia swallowed hard, her grip tightening on the fabric of her jacket. "Right. Vague threats of impending doom. Super helpful, thanks."
He said nothing more, but the air around him grew colder, the shadows at his feet deepening unnaturally. It felt as though the very room was rejecting his presence, and yet she was the one who felt out of place, as if she were trespassing in her own home.
"Okay, fine," she muttered, slipping the jacket on. "Lead the way, Mr. Doom and Gloom."
Hades moved toward the door with an effortless grace that belied the tension in the room. He pushed it open without a glance back, and Aurelia followed reluctantly, the summoning mark on her arm faintly tingling as she stepped into the crisp morning air.
The world outside was jarringly normal, the bustling sounds of the city a stark contrast to the chaos swirling inside her head. People walked past, unaware of the god of the Underworld standing among them. Hades drew a few lingering stares, but his imposing aura seemed to ward off any interaction. His cloak and otherworldly presence made him look like he'd stepped out of a fantasy movie, and she half-expected someone to stop and ask if he was part of a film crew.
"How do you expect us to get to Delphi?" she asked, hurrying to match his long strides. "It's, like, on the other side of the world. You don't exactly scream 'economy flight' material."
Hades didn't break stride, his gaze fixed ahead. "You concern yourself with the logistics of mortals far too much."
"That's because I am mortal," she shot back. "I don't have some godly teleportation power or whatever it is you use to get around."
For a moment, he didn't reply, and she thought he might ignore her altogether. But then, with a flick of his wrist, the air rippled in front of them. A doorway-like rift tore open, revealing a swirling vortex of black and gold light.
"Whoa," Aurelia breathed, stepping back instinctively. "That's… that's not ominous at all."
Hades stepped through the portal without hesitation, disappearing into the swirling void.
Aurelia hesitated, staring at the rift. "This better not kill me," she muttered under her breath, then stepped in after him.
The transition was instantaneous but disorienting. One moment, she was standing on the sidewalk outside her apartment; the next, she was stumbling into what looked like the ruins of an ancient temple. Stone pillars, weathered and cracked with age, reached toward the sky, and vines snaked along the crumbling walls.
"Where are we?" she asked, her voice echoing slightly in the cavernous space.
Hades stood a few paces ahead, his hands clasped behind his back as he surveyed the area. "The outskirts of Delphi," he said, his tone clipped. "This was once a place of great power, where mortals sought the wisdom of the gods."
"And now?"
"Now it is abandoned," he said, turning to face her. "A husk of its former glory. But its secrets remain."
Aurelia glanced around, shivering despite the warm sunlight streaming through the gaps in the roof. "So, what exactly are we looking for here? A magic scroll? A divine instruction manual?"
"The archives," Hades replied, gesturing toward the far end of the temple. "They are hidden below the main chamber, protected by wards that only a god can bypass."
"Well, lucky for us, we've got one of those," she said, trying to inject some levity into the situation. The glare he shot her immediately silenced her attempt.
"Stay close," he ordered, striding toward a staircase partially obscured by rubble.
Aurelia followed, careful to avoid tripping over loose stones. The atmosphere grew cooler as they descended, the light fading into a dim glow that seemed to emanate from the walls themselves. The oppressive silence was broken only by the sound of their footsteps and the faint hum of power vibrating through the space.
When they reached the bottom, Hades raised a hand, and the darkness peeled back like a curtain, revealing a massive chamber lined with shelves carved into the stone walls. Scrolls and tablets filled every inch of the space, their ancient texts glowing faintly as if infused with magic.
"This is it?" Aurelia asked, her voice hushed. "This is where we'll find the answer?"
"Perhaps," Hades said, his tone giving nothing away. "But tread carefully. These texts are not meant for mortal eyes."
She frowned. "What does that mean?"
"It means," he said, moving to examine one of the shelves, "that even reading the words could kill you."
Her stomach flipped, but she forced herself to focus. "Great. No reading for me then."
Aurelia walked toward a shelf, her hand brushing across the ancient scrolls. Her fingers hesitated on one that pulsed faintly beneath her touch. As soon as she made contact, the room trembled.
"What did you—" Hades began, his voice sharp, but the ground beneath them jolted violently, sending dust and debris raining down from the ceiling.
The tremor worsened, and the air grew thick with tension. Aurelia's heart raced as the walls groaned, the building itself protesting the disturbance she had caused.
"Run," Hades ordered, his voice cold and commanding, a sharp contrast to the panic swelling inside her. His hand shot out, snatching the scrolls from where they had fallen amidst the debris.
Aurelia didn't need to be told twice. She bolted for the stairs, but the ground beneath her feet seemed to shift and groan, splintering as if the very foundation of the temple was cracking apart. Every step she took sent shockwaves through the ground. The walls seemed to close in around her, and she could hear the sound of ancient stone breaking, the echoes of destruction rattling through the halls.
Behind her, Hades moved with his usual deadly grace, but even he couldn't outrun the collapse. The ceiling above them rumbled and groaned, and Aurelia's instincts screamed at her to keep moving faster, but the very ground beneath her feet seemed to conspire against her.
She glanced over her shoulder to see Hades advancing, his crimson eyes glowing ominously. "Faster!" he barked, and Aurelia pushed herself harder, her breath coming in ragged gasps.
As they neared the exit, the walls seemed to fold in, as if trying to trap them inside. The massive stone doors that should have opened easily suddenly refused to budge, as though the temple itself had decided they were not leaving.
With a violent jerk, Aurelia's hand collided with one of the stone pillars, knocking loose a piece of stone from the ceiling. She looked up, panic surging through her veins. The stone above them shifted, teetering on the edge of collapse.
"No!" she screamed, pushing with all her strength, but the stone doors refused to budge.
"Move!" Hades ordered again, his hand on her shoulder, dragging her away from the danger.
The temple continued to shake, the very air humming with the force of its disintegration. Aurelia's heart thundered in her chest, and she struggled to keep her balance as another tremor sent her stumbling.
Finally, with a deafening crash, a chunk of stone fell from the ceiling, blocking their path forward. Aurelia's eyes widened in horror, the weight of the situation crashing down on her. The room was caving in around them, and they were trapped.
"What did you touch?" Hades' voice was low and dangerous, a growl that vibrated in her chest.
"I didn't mean—" Aurelia began, but before she could finish, the temple shook again, and the ground beneath her feet cracked open. A deep rumble filled the air as the entire structure seemed to groan and shift, collapsing inward at a terrifying speed.
"No time for explanations," Hades said, pulling her roughly toward a side passage. "We need to go. Now."
But as they turned, a loud cracking sound filled the air, and the ground beneath them gave way. Aurelia's heart lurched as the floor began to sink beneath their feet, the very walls collapsing around them.
Hades yanked her back, and they both stumbled away from the chasm opening beneath them. But the entire temple was coming apart, the stone groaning, cracking, and splintering as if it were alive. Aurelia's breath came in short, frantic gasps as she realized the full extent of what she had done.
The temple was self-destructing. There was no escape from it.
They were running out of time.
And just as she thought they might make it to safety, a deafening crash echoed through the temple. A massive beam of stone crashed down from above, blocking their path entirely. The air was thick with dust and debris, and Aurelia's heart pounded in her chest as she realized they were trapped.
Hades turned to her, his expression grim, and for the first time since she had met him, she saw something like… uncertainty in his eyes.
"Stay close," he ordered, his voice cold, but there was a flicker of something deeper beneath it. He pulled her behind him as they moved toward another exit.
But the path ahead seemed to be narrowing with every step. The temple was falling apart around them—its ancient stone foundations breaking, its walls closing in.
There was no time left.
And then the ground shook again.
This time, it wasn't just the floor beneath their feet.
It was the entire temple.