I

I've seen the world, done it all, had my cake now

Before her voice there was nothing.

Well, that's not completely true, but he thinks that, in a way, it is the honest truth.

Before her there was actually a great deal of stuff, but he chooses not to dwell on that because what's the point of all those centuries if there wasn't something that made him feel like her voice is making him feel right now?

Alive.

So yeah, there was a lot before her, before he heard her sing. But it's no big deal because being king of the Underworld is a role he never actually wanted and he's never actually enjoyed. If anything, it's something his parents forced him to do and for ages he stuck to his role while also feeling so miserable anyone would've thought he was one of the poor souls who resided in his kingdom.

For years he did his job because there was nothing else to do. He didn't know better and he tried to believe that his parents would be correct and eventually he would enjoy ruling over the dead. And even though he tried as hard as he could to enjoy his duties and being a son and a good ruler...

They were wrong.

They were so terribly wrong he still can't believe humans actually think he's an evil and vicious god. He's actually quite chill about the whole ordeal, especially because after a couple of centuries other gods and goddesses started to work with him (No, they don't work for him. He refuses to think like that. The underground is a band and he's just the frontman… He'll get to that later).

So, he wasn't alone down there anymore, which meant he could delegate jobs and responsibilities and well, do nothing or close to almost nothing. He was doing the bare minimum and although it was what he wanted he wasn't really looking forward to spending all his free time down there. Doing what, exactly? Talking to the souls? No thanks. He might have some free time but he wasn't going to spend it there. That's when he realized he needed to look for things to do which just proves the point that it's not like him to really think things through and that's one of the reasons he definitely shouldn't be in charge of a whole kingdom of unfortunate souls but, alas he has a team and now he has nothing to do.

He's a god with all the time in the world in his immortal hands and he's bored to death. Great.

He was never good with staying put and standing still so, with his newfound freedom he does what he does best: explores and let's his curiosity take him to new places. Places outside of his realm, which makes him congratulate himself on the idea of getting people to work with him.

Now he gets to do what he wants and what he wants is to explore the world where humans exist before they go and visit him. He's only ever known souls and figures it couldn't hurt to know who they are before death takes them away. So he changes his godly appearance, his clothes and for the first time in his existence he leaves the only place he's ever known.

He doesn't let anybody know, the last thing he needs is his parents finding out what he's doing and, besides, what good is being king if he doesn't get to do as he pleases? He's been playing the role of a rightful ruler all this time. He refuses to do it for a second longer, right now he will follow his own personal desires.

His first thought once he steps into the human world is that the sun burns his skin and makes him feel like a foreigner, because back in his realm, there's no such thing as this light. He's a stranger in a strange land, and although the thought seems to be there to make him go home, he refuses to bow down to that idea. He's going to explore this world; his mind is set to it.

After a while, the sunlight stops burning on his skin and instead makes him feel warm and welcome, therefore he ends up spending more time on land than in his own place. Why would he want to be in a grim, sad place when he could exist in a space where no one expects anything of him and he's just one in a sea of people. He enjoys the anonymity; it allows him to be whoever he wants to be.

He still enjoys that privilege today.

What he ended up doing is simple: he took the reins of his freedom and did whatever he desired, (something that became his motto and still follows till the present day).

For the first time in a really long time he doesn't hear his mom's voice in his head telling him what to do and, as a result he gets to be who he wants to be, without so many responsibilities and a little bit of freedom. He gets to develop a personality outside of being a god, of being a ruler, of being related to death and death only. He starts to get to know himself and explore and soon he's drunk on freedom and new experiences, simply enjoying this world that is so foreign and so different from the place he has to call home.

Soon enough it becomes clear that the freedom went to his head too quickly and now the novelty of humans and their world begins to wear off. He starts to realize that even though he takes pleasure in this place, he doesn't feel alive.

Does he feel pleased? Yes. He's happy eating foods from all over the world, especially if it's pizza and later, burgers. Outside his realm everything tastes different and he's happy discovering flavors and indulging in gluttony from time to time. He never finds himself longing for the foods of the Underworld and even though he basks in different gastronomies, after a while meals start to taste the same.

Does he feel intrigued? Also yes. He has never really seen humans in their bodies, he's only ever known souls who most of the time are not happy to see him. Naturally, humans intrigue him and he's sure they will continue to intrigue him for a really long time because of their differences and similarities, he's never met two people alike and that fascinates him. In his eyes gods are all the same, but people? They are fascinating and for a while the number one reason he continues to leave his kingdom.

After a while, when he feels his wonder of the world dropping and when he feels he knows enough about the human race; he lets himself become closer to people. But never too close, never for a lengthy period of time and never revealing his real identity. Between female and male lovers he starts to understand certain things that make him feel decidedly ungodly. He feels no shame in that he might be a sinner but he has never left a bed with an unsatisfied lover. He has learned sex and the pleasures of the flesh and he takes pride in that.

However, he has yet to learn about love or relationships. He's not sure if he really wants to, if it would be a good idea. He's a god after all and none of his lovers really know who they are welcoming into their beds. So all the thoughts about romance take the back seat for a while because he doesn't want his head plagued with the thought that although he enjoys lovers and certainly takes pleasure in carnal things...

No one has made him feel alive.

No one has made him want to share his kingdom.

No one has made him think he wants someone to share his existence.

So, to recap: has he ever felt alive? No. He's never felt really alive. Not really. It's not like he's still miserable but he's also not completely happy. He thought the freedom he had now would bring happiness and joy but after a while it was obvious that it wouldn't be the case. He's not really complaining. He feels content with his experiences in the human world and is not completely sure what is missing so it's easy to put his feelings aside and continue exploring what humans have to offer.

The other gods and goddesses who inhabit the Underworld know by now what he's doing but no one says anything and so he decides that he's going to continue with his explorations. If anyone says anything he will play the king card and that's it.

By now his adventures are less adventures and more simple days with few surprises. He's grown to know this place as well as his own so instead of indulging in excess and reckless behavior he is now calmer and has a routine of sorts. That's precisely why he doesn't expect to find his existence taking a surprising turn of events.

But one day, out of the blue, he hears a beautiful song and he feels instantly hooked.

Music. Human music. Not whatever perfect and pristine song Apollo plays for everyone back at Olympus.

This is imperfect, has flaws and it's completely human. And yet he had never felt anything like what he was experiencing in that moment. He wonders if this is what feeling alive feels like. He doesn't really meditate or waits for an answer because he has things to investigate now. He needs to know everything about what these people are playing.

From that day on music is, without the shadow of a doubt, his favorite thing from the human world. It had such an impact on him that even now, after a couple of million years, he can still remember that day, the first time he ever heard music in a small town in what today is called Greece. He remembers the excitement running through his body, the way everything stopped around him and his ears oppressed every other thing that was happening at the same moment; as if they had decided the song that was playing was more important than anything else. He couldn't agree more. That's why he followed the sound like a moth to the flame and when the song was over he could feel moisture in his eyes.

For the first time in forever, he was moved to tears.

Incredible.

Nothing compared to that feeling. It was so intense it made him forget about the question he had just asked himself and the fact that he still had no answer for it. How it didn't really matter after hearing that song because this discovery has opened a door of exploration and possibilities. It makes him feel good and that's enough for him because so far nothing has ever come close to making him experience what he did just when he heard human music.

His journey of exploration makes him want to learn and master everything related to music; so, slowly he starts to learn from human mentors and from the best of the best. His desire to learn surpasses everything he has done on Earth so far; he becomes a dutiful student and a passionate learner. Whenever he learns something new he can feel his excitement and admiration grow exponentially. It becomes his number one passion, something he never thought he would find. That's why, eventually, when he feels like he has mastered enough he even goes back to the Underworld with every instrument imaginable, filling the grim place with something that brings joy.

That's when two things happen.

One: he starts to play in the Underworld

Two: he makes friends. Not human friends. Underworld friends. Godly friends.

He could never make that type of connection with people, mostly because it would be impossible for him to keep his identity concealed for a long period of time. He's already overstretching it with the lessons he's receiving. But, it also never crossed his mind to connect with the gods and goddesses of the Underworld and for a second he wants to slap himself in the face for being such an idiot. He was so preoccupied with his hatred of his chores and so relieved of having someone else who could take care that he never connected with anyone.

Music is the thing that solves that.

(If he really thinks about it, music is what stitches his existence into something that resembles a life well lived.)

Music is the bridge that connects him with Alex and Reggie. Although those were not the names they had all those centuries ago and those are not the names humans know them as. However, those are the names that matter to him because they picked them themselves. Thanatos and Charon? He's certainly only read of them in human mythology books and as far as he knows those tend to get things wrong most of the time.

(They always get him wrong for example. So much for a cruel ruler, so much for being Hades and being related to death and decay. It's been awhile since he's thought of himself as king of the Underworld. He's Luke. He chose that name from himself the same way he chose his friends and his real calling in life: music!)

For the first time he develops bonds with someone in a real way, in a way that makes him feel grateful that there's someone willing to share his love for songs and instruments and simply bond. Because yes, the instruments are what makes Reggie and Alex leave their chores for the first time since they arrived but what keeps them apart from continuing to do what they literally exist to do is the unexpected friendship they strike with each other.

That is what actually makes him feel happy. Not music, not instruments, not songs. What makes him happy is that he found two people with whom he clicked.

He never really thought he would bond with anyone. If anything the description for his job made it seem like he was bound to be in solitude forever and ever but no. Again, he's proven wrong and he enjoys that. Playing instruments and making music becomes not only an activity they do because they like, it becomes very obvious very quickly that they also use it as an excuse to hang out with each other and be whoever they want to be.

In between teaching them what he knows and improvising, they get to know each other, the real selves they have to leave aside when performing their duties. Reggie is not the creepy ferryman everyone theorizes he is. He might be a little questionable, but Luke realizes that his sense of humor is the result of mostly interacting with recently deceased people so it's clearly not the best place to get it from. And Alex might be a little sarcastic from time to time, but he gets that he's supposed to represent non-violent deaths and what he really should represent is anxiety, because that god really exudes it.

He knows they must also have assumptions and misconceptions about him and who he is, so it doesn't really surprise him when of all the things they had assumed about him one of them was that he wouldn't be passionate about something to the point that it's the only thing he seems to have in mind.

"I mean, it's not like you are really passionate about what happens here" says Reggie while they are having a break and Luke chuckles, because he cannot even begin to explain how much he tried and failed to be passionate about the whole king of the Underworld thing. If anyone would understand, it's the two gods in front of him. They are not his parents, (thankfully!) and so far they have been honest with each other. He thinks he can trust them with the truth.

"How are you so casual about this? He's not praising your skills as a ruler!" Chimes Alex and that's when Luke realizes he's right, not only should he explain himself but he must reciprocate and honor them by being just as honest as they have been with him.

"I'm going to be completely real with you guys," he says, touching his cithara for a second before actually looking at them with a soft smile in his face. "I don't really care about this place. My parents were the ones who forced me here, I'm pretty sure they would regret it if they could see what I've done with it. I'm better just jammin' with you guys."

For a second no one says anything, the two boys clearly processing the fact that Hades, god of the Underworld and technically their boss, had just admitted he hated his job. He thinks maybe he shared too much, but then Reggie smiles playfully and opens his mouth to say the phrase that would definitely change his life forever: "You know what would pissed them? Us forming a band!"

Both he and Alex laugh at their friend's antics but that day a friendship (and a band!) is born and for the first time since he was crowned and ushered to his kingdom he's happy he's there. It might have sucked for a really long time, but now he has music and he has his boys and it's very hard to find something to complain about.

That was the day the Underworld stopped being so bad and started resembling something that could be home or at least a place he wanted to spend time in. (Granted, he still hated dealing with keeping the place in check and only wanted to play music, but it was definitely an improvement.)

That was also the day music and friendship became so intertwined in his head that he was unable to separate them from each other and so, thoughts of Reggie and Alex were always accompanied by a song or an instrument. Soon he even started to forget he was supposed to be the god of the Underworld. Reggie, Alex and music were the things that made him actually exist, everything else was far down the list. That's why he even stopped wasting time in trying to feel alive, because he had music and his boys and that was it, he never needed anything else. And it was true.

His existence ends up being different after that day. For starters, the guys move in with him and start using the castle as their house as well, which makes him feel less lonely. But meeting them also means no more roaming around earth alone and in search for small joys. Now he has his boys and given that he's powerful enough he's able to grant them abilities to go to the land of the living, accompanying him in his adventures.

Nothing will ever compare to the first time they saw humans and felt the sun in their skin. Nothing will ever compare to the happiness his friends experienced with a whole new world in front of them. And even though he had already experienced it, he felt like it was the first time all over again because now he had someone to share it with.

No two days were the same and after a while no two decades were the same. He teaches them everything he knows about the place and, just like him, Alex and Reggie bloom under the sunlight and let go of the personas they had to keep up in the Underworld. Now they can be whomever they want and Luke could not be happier to share this experience with his brothers in arms.

It's because of them that he doesn't mind actually caring about things down in the Underworld. If anything, it's because of their bond that he starts to sort of enjoy things down there. It seems very ironic to him that while he's the god of death he actually resembles something else entirely. He knows Hecate thinks so but alas, he's finally doing his part around the Underworld and so no one can actually complain, even if he indeed seems less and less grim and more and more altruistic. But hey, he tried to warn his parents that this wasn't for him and they didn't listen, so now they have to put up with the fact that he is the god of death.

Through the centuries, things in the human world change and Luke's there to witness everything, always accompanied by Alex and Reggie. As civilization moves forward and there are new advances in music, they do their best to keep up with everything musical but aside from that his two friends even develop other interests. Not him though, he remains strictly interested in music and disciplines related to it. However, he enjoys seeing his friends happy and was always there to listen or accompany them in whatever they wanted.

He was there with Alex as medicine advanced and they found a name for what he tended to experience. He could remember very clearly the tears of joy on his friends face as he was finally able to put a name to it "I'm just anxious" and although that didn't fix everything, it was a step forward. Now wailing on the drums was not the only thing he could do to manage his emotions; there were strategies, exercises and simple techniques he and Reggie also learned to help their friend when he needed it.

He was also there when Alex met Willie, the young soul of a Native American soldier who lost his life in WWII. From afar, he saw them bond and develop a friendship of sorts before falling in love quietly, clearly afraid of breaking rules. Alex was right about being afraid because such a thing had never happened down there, but Luke was the boss of this place and if he was going to use his powers for something, he was going to use them to bring happiness to someone who had brought him happiness in the first place.

"How did you know…?" Alex asked, voice shaking in disbelief and clearly very close to crying when he found out that Luke had granted Willie his body back and the ability to leave the Asphodel Meadows walk around the realm as if he were a god. He shrugged because by now his friend knows that nothing happens around there without his knowledge but is clearly so surprised and excited he has forgotten about the fact, which Reggie is quick to say out loud, making everyone, including Willie, laugh. "I don't know how to thank you. I'm not even sure what to say!"

"You don't have to say anything. You are a great drummer and a great friend. You deserve to be happy, I want you to be happy!" Luke explained just as his friend wrapped him in a hug. This felt just like the sun, warm and with a tingly sensation on his skin than made him smile wide. He meant what he said. Alex deserved the world and Willie clearly was that for him. Even though his powers had limits and because of that Willie could never set foot again in the human world, they were happy. Luke had never felt such fulfillment in his powers until now.

He was also there for Reggie, who behaved just like Luke had those first times in the human world with the slight difference that his friend, even after decades and centuries of roaming the Earth, still felt drunk on excitement. Reggie wanted to eat the world and in many ways he did. Out of the three of them he was the one who jumped from field of knowledge to field of knowledge. He learned everything, from different languages to zoology and in between he learned all he could about the skies and the seas. He often picked the brains of the souls he transported and interrogated scholars and masters of whatever field he was interested at the moment. If Luke was dedicated to music, Reggie was dedicated to learning everything he could.

His personality, dorky and sweet at the same time also charmed humans to no end. Just like Luke, he felt fascinated and intrigued with humans and once Apollo made it very clear that no matter how many instruments he mastered he would never be worthy of a god he took refuge in the arms and beds of many people; going back to his sweet and happy self.

Personally, Luke wanted to have a couple of words with Apollo, but Alex stopped him; "He's a dick!" Screamed the blonde and while both his friends agreed and also hated the god, Reggie said one of the most amazing sentences he ever heard, poets and intellectuals be damned:

"It doesn't matter because I have something he'll ever have: you guys. You guys are my family!"

He had found his own little musical family in the most depressing place. He felt like that achievement put everything else to shame.

Nowadays happiness was never the first thought that crossed his mind and not even music was, it was a silent thank you to whoever was in charge of his destiny for having him found his boys. After that, his thoughts would be drowned by a new song or a new sound he wanted to share or polish. But his family and their happiness were first to him.

Well, that statement was true until a second ago, when he heard that voice.

For the king of the Underworld, friendship and music were everything because until two seconds ago. Those were the only things that came closer to make him feel alive. But now he has heard her sing and he's pretty sure that friendship has ever made him feel like this.

Until she appeared and used music, the thing that was everything to him, to turn his existence upside down.