Kore fought to understand what had happened, to see some sign of the world that had faded around her, but there was only darkness. She struggled against it as gravity pulled her down, away from reality and into a living nightmare. She could feel nothing but the roughness of the stone ground beneath her. An endless river flowed in the distance, and faintly visible was a lantern-lit boat headed by a single man. "Hades, what's going on?"

The god shook his head. "Now is not the time, my dear. First comes the matter of crossing the river. Come now."

The small vessel floated in place at the river's edge, waiting. At the front edge, the ferryman sat, staring blankly into the distance. His eyes were the color of starlight, empty and lifeless, as if he had no soul in him. Silver hair fell limply to the sides of his face, framing it. The man's skin was sallow, his body thin and frail. Kore found that she was terrified of him.

"Charon, you know what to do."

Kore dared to look into the waters of the river and recoiled at the sight. Bits of red mixed with the translucent liquid; screams echoed through the cavern as natural light drifted to the surface and was dragged down again. "What is that?"

Hades placed his hand on top of hers, hoping to reassure her. "The spirits of the dead arriving to the underworld. At the moment they are waiting for Charon to guide them to their final homes. Pay them no mind; do not be afraid."

She closed her eyes. Never had she seen anyone die, let alone imagined the pain of those whose lives had been lost to the war and could not be reclaimed. She longed to give them peace, to tell them that everything would be alright, but she knew that the dead could not hear her.

The boat came to a halt at the river's bank. Hades stepped onto the shore with ease, as if he had done so countless times. He offered his hand to Kore, and she took it hesitantly, unsure of why she was in such an unfamiliar place without any explanation. The lord of the underworld did not look at her as he walked away from the river and into the lit world beyond it. She longed for him to look back and tell her anything about why they were in his domain, or that things would be fine, that she would see her home again. Never had she heard tales of escapes from the underworld.

"My lady, I welcome you to the underworld."

Spirits drifted toward the unseen firmaments, providing light to the world around them. The rocks on the ground had crystallized and shined every color that Kore had ever seen – they were beautiful, even better than the flowers that she had seen at home.

And then she saw it.

Hades' castle stretched to the sky beyond her line of sight, its structure jagged and spectacular. Towers of crystal merged together to form the structure; shimmering statues made of precious jewels lined the pathway leading to it, casting a colored light on it.

"Do you like it?"

She tore her gaze away and fixed it on Hades. He was watching her closely, examining her face for a reaction. "It's gorgeous... But Lord Hades, why have you brought me here?"

He hung his head. "I thought you might have guessed by now, my dear. I am giving you the freedom you have never had – I give you it here, in my world. Everything you see will be yours; whatever you want shall be given to you without hesitation. All I ask of you is to be my wife."

"Your wife..."

The words felt strange in her mouth. Her mother had never spoken of marriage; it was assumed that one day Kore would take a husband, but she had not considered any men to fill the place. She was still young, hardly a woman, and Hades was a grown man. She had hardly seen the world; he had been a god for hundreds of years, and the underworld was the only place where he could stay. If she agreed to be his wife, she would never see her mother again.

"I do not ask you to love me, Kore. I am not a foolish man... but I am lonely, more than you will ever know. I will treat you like the queen you deserve to be; you will lack nothing."

"You... you kidnapped me..."

"There was no other way. I would have asked if I could have, but the deal was made, and I could find no way to bring you here under your mother's care. Please forgive me and see past this one mistake..."

His eyes were pleading. Kore had never seen a god look so pitiful; never had she imagined that the cold Hades would have the capacity to feel things as human as pain and longing. She felt something more than pity, an emotion she had never felt. What would her mother do if she was gone forever? How would she live without seeing Hermes and the others? She already missed the sun; the biting cold made her feel the gloom of the dead.

The only god who had not treated her as a child stood before her, offering her everything she could ask for. He was not insistent; he was asking, giving her the freedom to run if she could find the will in her heart. She had never had anyone depend on her. No one had ever flattered her so much.

"My lord, I would miss my mother so much."

"She will find a way to see you in time. Do not think that your mother is not a clever woman."

Kore understood at last what she had to do. There was no other option; she had to make the choice. It was not her desire that moved her; something told her that the Fates had willed it, that there would be time to find her way.

"My lord, it would be my honor to rule with you."