Twelve Years later

"Persephone, come here."

Twelve-year-old Persephone didn't waste time in coming to the heels of her guardian Hades. He had that pinched look about his face again, the one he always got when something didn't please him.

"Persephone, look down."

She let her gaze wander over the side of the cliff, losing herself in the transparent emerald waters. Thin black oblong shapes spun themselves in circles, seeming to be nearly as lost as her. She tore her gaze away from the green lake letting it flicker back up to the Lord of the Underworld's sapphire eyes. "Yes, Uncle Hades?"

"Don't call me that, remember?"

Sorry-it's just, well you're really the closest thing to a family member ever since my parents-"

"Focus Persephone." Hands as gentle as a Mother's he slowly guided her head back to the lake. "Do you know what this is?"

"Of course I do. It's where all the lost souls go. Everyone knows that."

Honestly, did the god think she was born yesterday? You would have to be brain dead not to know what the lake of lost souls was. All right, technically everyone down here was brain dead, they were everywhere dead.

His face was even more pinched, she had displeased him... "Why do people go here, Persephone?"

Blush now rose to her cheeks and she gave her head a quick shake to clear the nonsensical thoughts. "I-I don't know, Lord Hades."

"Because they displease me. Because they don't do what I say."

The black shapes were circling even more ferociously now, like cyclones.

Persephone gulped. "Do-Do I displease you?"

" For now at least. For now, I'm indifferent to you." His hand fell to her hair. "But there is something you can do to please me."

"Anything!"

Ashy lips pulled into a grin. With a snap of his fingertips, a blue cloud rose from the cave floor. A few second passed before the cloud completely cleared, revealing a chain and shackled desperation heavied his features, his lips sputtering like that of an upset child.

"Push him in Persephone."

A sob so animalistic that it made her shiver rose from the shackled man's lips.

"What?"

"Push him in." Hades said the command so casually. "Here I'll make it easier for you."

With another snap, the man appeared in front of her. The ground seemed to shake with his quivering body and for a second Persephone thought she might loose her footing.

Her throat dried as she raised her gaze back up to that of Hade's. "I can't-the river of lost souls-it's eternal torture..."

"And he displeased me. He deserves it."

"But-"

"Persephone. Do you want to displease me?"

"Of course not but-"

"Push him in."

Her eyes flickered back to the sobbing man. She couldn't be the reason for his eternal suffering, yet to displease Hades, that would surely be a one-way ticket to her own eternal suffering. No one disobeyed the Lord of the underworld devoid of any consequences. To do so was suicide. Yet to hurt this poor man, who was shivering and crying, who looked so innocent...

Before she could process her thoughts her hands flew to the small of the shackled man's back, delivering a firm and steady push. He floundered for a few moments, shackled arms wielding widely and then with a cry he stumbled forward, landing with a steady 'plop' into the murky green river.

Instantly her legs gave way. She landed on the ground with a thud, her knees stinging like the blue fire that burned in the vases surrounding them. She had done it, without thought at that...she had just shoved him, an innocent man...

She could feel the heat from Hade's grin radiate onto her back. Before she could gather her spinning thoughts he lifted her to her feet, pulling her into his chest. "There, there. Don't cry my dear." He chuckled lightly, letting his hand sink into her dense black curls. "You pleased me."

Yes, she had pleased him. But at what cost?