Skin as pale as moonlight…. Fathomless black eyes…. An intimate and intent gaze….
A hand holding up…. beckoning for her to take it…. So scared…. but reaches….
A gentle hold….
Persephone wakes up abruptly, her eyes flying open and gasping for air.
She stayed motionless in bed as she stared up at the ceiling, trying hard to recall the dream.
This dream had been going on in her sleep for a week now. But yet, it still seemed so real, so vivid. As if she saw it with her eyes opened. And yet, so very strange. It had taken place in darkness, and Persephone was not so fond of the dark. But what was it about those bottomless black eyes in her dream that made her want to go to it? That made her grab hold of the pale hand?
"Kore! Time to get up!" she heard her mother call from outside her room.
Persephone sighs and slowly sits up on her bed. A lot of sunlight was streaming through the opened window and it brightened her room so much that it blinded her for a while. She shut her eyes and slowly opens them, letting them adjust to the brightness. Then she gets out of bed and goes to the connecting bathroom.
When she got out of her room, now dressed in a lilac chiton that reached halfway down her shins and her hair tied up into a single ponytail, she sees her mother just finishing preparing the breakfast table. Persephone could see a plate of delicious-looking and freshly-baked bread rolls, jars of jam, a pitcher of milk and a bowl of colourful fruits. Her stomach immediately growled at the sight of it and she quickly took a seat across her mother at the table.
"Good morning, Kore," her mother greets kindly with a big smile on her face.
"Good morning, mother," Persephone answers back just as kindly, picking up a bread roll and a jar of strawberry jam. Her mother fills up her cup with milk as she says, "You have another present this morning."
"Let me guess; another request for courting?"
Demeter purses her lips and nods. "And it's from Ares again," she says in annoyance. "Can't that brute get it through his thick skull that you are off limits? Can't any of the other gods get it through their heads that you are not interested in any of them?"
Persephone sighs. In truth, it was her mother that didn't like her suitors, but it is also true that Persephone is not interested in any of them. In fact, she didn't know if she would ever find the perfect match.
"But what if, maybe one day, I want to marry one of them?" Persephone asks.
Demeter, who was spreading jam on her bread roll, suddenly drops her knife and stares at her in disbelief. Persephone could feel her throat tighten once she had realized that was the wrong thing to say.
"I thought we had this discussion before," she says with a hard edge in her tone.
"I know, I know. Men are mostly trouble, therefore I must remain pure."
"Forever and always," Demeter adds.
As she tore her bread roll into little pieces, Persephone begins to think about her dream. She has kept it from her mother ever since it had first appeared to her, and she still didn't feel like telling her.
Quietly, she asks, "But what if I do fall in love with someone, mother?"
Demeter breathes deeply and looks blankly at a random corner of the room.
"Then whoever you fall in love with must be just as in love with you, and he must treat you with proper care and respect. And shower you with love."
Persephone smiles at those words. Her mother can be so wise sometimes.
"Now let's not waste any more time. Eat your breakfast and then you shall follow me to bless some fields."
They proceeded to eat silently, in mother-and-daughter companionship.
"And though you have committed many sins in your life, you will always repent for it soon after, and commit just as many good deeds. Therefore, you shall live out your afterlife in the Asphodel Plains."
The soul standing before Hades bows and thanks him before finally disappearing to the Asphodel Plains. Hades sighs and shuts his eyes as he pinches the bridge of his nose.
Thanatos was feeling a bit worried for his lord now. He has been like that for a week, and each time he asks what's wrong, he always answers the same thing; nothing.
"Lord Hades, something is really bothering you," Thanatos points out for what must be the hundredth time.
Hades opens his eyes and looks down at Thanatos, who stood at the bottom of the stairs of the tall dais.
"I know, Thanatos. I know."
The pale man narrows his ash-grey eyes. "I know I have said this so many times, my lord, but I really think you must take a break from your duties."
"I agree with Thanatos, Lord Hades," a feminine voice spoke up.
Both Hades and Thanatos looked up at the woman who had just come in. She had straight black hair that had a dark blue hue and dark violet eyes. She radiates a dark aura around her, felt even from across the large room.
"Good day to you, my lord," the woman greeted, bowing gracefully.
"Hecate," Hades simply greets the Goddess of Witchcraft.
When Hecate stands up just as gracefully, her scarlet lips moves as she speaks.
"I can sense a disturbance in you. There is indeed something that is clouding your thoughts," she tells him in a knowing tone.
Hades arches an eyebrow. "And do you know what that is, witch of the Underworld?"
She purses her red lips and shakes her head.
"Unfortunately, I do not, my lord. But I think you will, if you take Thanatos' suggestion. Clear your head. Maybe then you can find the true reason of your distractions."
Thanatos speaks up. "Even Hecate has agreed with me. There is clearly no other way to find out why you are so distracted if you do not relax. May I suggest going to the world above and just take a walk?"
Hades furrows his eyebrows. Go to the world above? What is there for him to do up there? His place is in the Underworld.
But of course, staying in the Underworld doesn't seem like a good idea as well. He has seen every single part of it. Maybe it is time for new sights.
"Very well. I shall take just one day off then," he finally announces. "In my absence, I hope you and Hecate will be able to take care of my kingdom," he says to Thanatos.
He nods his head. "Of course, my lord."
Persephone and Demeter have been going to the towns nearby their forest home for a few hours now, blessing every field and garden they pass. Although it was quite entertaining to see her mother at work and even help her a bit, Persephone could not help but feel so bored.
Now, they were blessing a huge field of wheat when suddenly, Persephone yawns in boredom.
"Mother? Is it alright if I take a break?"
Demeter looks down at her daughter. "Kore. You are going to be doing all this sort of work in the future when you are at the right age. Clearly, you can see that I can take no break."
She sighs. "I know, Mother. And you are very hardworking. That is good. But please. Can't I just rest for a little while?"
Demeter gazes into her daughter's pleading amber eyes. She smiles and shakes her head softly in amusement.
"Very well. There is a small plain just at the west from here. Go and rest there and I will come and get you once I'm done."
Persephone smiles and kisses her mother's cheek. "Thank you mother!" she says over her shoulder as she makes her way to the plain.
When she finally reaches the plain, she falls back onto the soft grass. She sighs in satisfaction and look up at the silvery clouds and the blue sky.
"What a beautiful day," she says to herself.
Slowly, she closes her eyes as she concentrates on the sounds of the birds chirping and the feel of the light breeze on her skin.
But once all she could see was darkness, the memory of her dream returned.
It was the same; the black eyes gazing at her, so scarily yet strangely attractively, and the pale hand reaching out for her, to which she does not hesitate to reach out for it as well despite being afraid.
This feels like a nightmare. she thinks to herself. But yet, like a dream.
Just then, she hears rustling behind her, and her eyes flew open.
Hades just transported himself at a random part of the world above. He could see that he was standing in the middle of a forest, the sunlight shining on him. There doesn't seem to be even a single mortal soul living here, so he was glad that he didn't bring his Helm of Darkness.
Ok. Relax. That was what Thanatos and Hecate advised you to do.
He takes a deep breath and begins to walk forward. He looks at the lush greenery around him and listens to the sounds of the forest animals that dwell nearby.
The Underworld would never be like this. Maybe except the Elysian Fields. he contemplates to himself. He wasn't used to these sorts of surroundings, but it didn't really bother him. That was one good thing.
Finally, he felt his mind clear of all thoughts of the Underworld. He concentrates solely on the nature and the strange feeling in his gut.
What could possibly have made him feel so like this? Is he ill? He doesn't know if he is. He didn't feel like it.
Maybe this is just a symptom. Maybe it's a symptom to a far greater sickness. But is there a cure for it?
Just then, his forest trail ends and it led to a clearing. Hades didn't feel like stopping now, so he just continued walking.
But just as he took a few steps on the grass of the clearing, he sees a figure lying on the grass nearby. He stops, thinking that it was a mortal. But then, he realized it wasn't. This being had a bright aura radiating from her, something that a mortal could never possess. And he was very sure that he knew who it was.
Suddenly, the strange feeling in his chest suddenly disappears as he slowly walks forward to take a closer look at the sleeping person on the grass. When he could finally see her face, he felt his heart beat rapidly.
It was Persephone.
The rhythm of his heart vibrated throughout his body, and he couldn't help but stare at her flawless face. He couldn't help but notice how her long and wavy russet hair was spread on the grass around her head.
He knew that he shouldn't just stare like that. He didn't even know why he did. It made him feel like a pervert.
He turns quickly and makes a hasty getaway. But before he could disappear from the scene, a small voice suddenly says from behind him, "Who's there?"
He froze, and turns his head slowly.
The first thing he saw was Persephone, sitting up on the grass, looking at him.