LOOKING FOR MY DESTINY

Today was not her day. It was clear—first the manticore incident, then the hospital, and now the raid. And, of course, there was no better way to escape and go unnoticed than through one of Thebes' wells. "How stupid," thought the daughter of Hercules. She should have realized that the trapdoor was connected to one of the underground rivers flowing beneath the city.

After what felt like an eternity of falling, she splashed into the water. Luckily, the current wasn't too strong, and she could swim against it without much difficulty. The problem was that the water was freezing cold—the chill slowly numbed her limbs, and her breathing became more and more labored. She had to hurry and reach the secret exit in the west, in the opposite direction of where the raids were taking place.

She couldn't see anything. It was pitch dark, almost as if she were swimming through the River Styx, descending into the underworld—or so Eri imagined. Further ahead, she started to see a faint light, nearing a patch of land. Upon reaching it, she climbed some rocks and rested for a few minutes to catch her breath. She was exhausted—not just from swimming against the current, but from everything that had happened. She wanted to lie down, sleep, and wake up to find that today had been nothing but a nightmare.

"Come on, Eri, just a little more. You're almost home," she told herself. With the strength she had left, she stood up and looked around. The light illuminated a staircase leading to the surface, so without wasting any more time, she began climbing. The stairs seemed endless, but eventually, she came face-to-face with a stone slab.

She tried to move it but didn't have enough strength. Hades watched her from behind. He couldn't deny the kid had a great figure for her age—not as voluptuous as her blonde friend, but she definitely had a nice rear. "Damn it, now I'm a pervert, like that chubby little man from the quarry," he thought. The girl was persistent and tough, but luckily, she hadn't inherited her father's strength. After all, she was just a mere mortal.

At that moment, the Lord of the Underworld debated whether to help her move the slab. It amused him to see how stubbornly she tried to shift it without moving it an inch—something that would be effortless for him. Just as he was about to step forward and give her a hand, the slab began to budge slightly.

Seizing the opportunity, Eri put all her strength into moving the slab, and bam! The slab was off. Now, the million-drachma question: who had moved the slab from the outside? Eri had to be careful. She finished climbing the remaining steps cautiously and stepped out, but not before grabbing a stone from the ground—just in case.

She heard a noise behind her and spun around quickly, ready to smash the stone against the mysterious person's head—until she immediately recognized Patroclus.

"Patroclus! You scare me! But what are you doing here? I thought you stayed in the city." Eri almost had a heart attack. It was already dusk. She had just emerged from one of the secret exits, which, of all places, led to the cemetery. Yes, she had just crawled out of a tomb.

"I wasn't going to leave you alone until I saw you safely back home. Come on, let's head to the crossroads between Thebes and the road to Athens. There, you can catch Acrisius' cart and head back."

"I don't understand why I had to take the hard way. Damn Tadd!"

"Actually, it's for the best. Things in Thebes are awful. It would've been too risky to take the usual path. By the way, this is from Ilena—put it on. You won't need those clothes anymore. They're dirty, torn, and soaked. Honestly, Eri, they're in their last days."

"But…"

"I know it's the uniform from your father's quarry, but you can keep everything else. You know what? I'll take it to Ilena and see if she can fix it, okay?"

"Thanks, Pat."

"No problem, but hurry. The raid is spreading west, and the king has sent two of his personal guards."

"What? Licario's personal assassins? They haven't left the palace in years—this is unfortunate," Eri replied, hiding behind a gravestone to change while the dark-haired boy turned his back.

"Exactly, so we need to hurry. I don't think they'll leave Thebes, but it's better not to push our luck."

"You're right," Erianthe said, now dressed in a simple blue tunic that reached just below her knees and a travel cloak. She still kept her helmet and work boots, though.

"Much better, now you don't look like a wet cat," her friend teased.

"Hey! Who are you calling a wet cat? You little—" Eri stopped suddenly. She smelled something burning, and it wasn't the sulfur that had been following her all day. It was the strong scent of burning wood and even flesh. "Wait, what's that smell?"

"No, Eri, don't turn around. It's better if you don't," Patroclus warned, but the orange-haired girl turned anyway, and what she saw left her frozen in place: the city of Thebes was burning from the east to the west.

Hades turned as well, surprised by the chaos and destruction unfolding before him. He could feel the aura of death in the city, his godly ears picking up the screams and cries of mortals—not like those in the underworld, but far more chilling, filled with the unmistakable fear of death.

He glanced at Erianthe, who was staring in utter horror at the scene.

"Eri, let's go," Patroclus said, his voice barely a whisper. Unable to bring himself to look at the burning city, his head hung low.

"No, no, no, no…" was all Eri could say, repeating it over and over. "Damn Licario…" She got up and started marching toward the city, but Patroclus grabbed her by the waist, pulling her back. The two began to struggle.

"Let go of me! Let me go! I'll kill him! I'm going to kill that lunatic, Patroclus; let me go!"

"NO! We're leaving! This isn't the time. Calm down. You'll get your revenge—remember, the goal is to overthrow that bastard." The hatred in his eyes was clear—hatred for King Licario and all his henchmen.

"I know. He'll get what he deserves, but I can't stop thinking about how badly I want to kill him, for everything he's done and for what he's done to us."

"Come on, Eri, let's go. We need to retreat today. We'll have our time to fight."

"Fine, Pat…" Both of them, heads down, made their way into the forest, following a path that would lead them to Acrisius' cart station. They walked hand in hand in silence. Hades followed at a safe distance, feeling uncomfortable with the situation and observing how that simple gesture between them offered comfort and reassurance. "This kid is really starting to get on my nerves," the god thought, irritated. Part of him wanted to speak to the girl again, and if he were honest, he was a little envious that they were holding hands.

He remembered the look of hatred in Eri's eyes. He recognized that feeling because it was the same one he had felt when they defeated the Titans and Zeus, his brother. But what does it matter now? It had been so long, yet the pain lingered, remembering how Zeus had deceived him into taking a job and sending him into a dark and lifeless realm. So deep in thought, he hadn't realized they had already reached the meeting point.

"We part ways here, Eri. Take this," he handed the girl a dagger, "so you can defend yourself. And take this too—it's not much, but it'll help you for a while." It was a small pouch with a few coins.

"Pat, thank you."

"No need. Take care…"

"You too. I'll miss you."

"And I'll miss you too. See you in six months." He gave his best friend a tight hug. It was going to be the longest they had been apart since they met—or at least since he could remember being with her. It saddened him because she had always been his biggest support in everything they did.

At that moment, the cart arrived.

"Good afternoon, Eri! Time to head back?"

"Yeah, Acrisius, it's time. I can't wait to get home. It's been a long day." Just like in the morning, the girl made her way to the back of the cart, sat down, and pulled up the hood of her cloak. She felt someone else sitting beside her, her "mysterious stalker." She turned and saw Patroclus leaning against a tree as more people started to board. Five minutes later, the cart set off, and Eri waved goodbye to her friend, who returned the gesture.

On the way there, the cart traveled in silence until she overheard one man speaking to another:

"Did you hear what they're saying in the city?"

"Yeah, crazy stuff. They're looking for Hercules' daughter. I thought she died five years ago when they burned the whole village with her family inside." Hades noticed how the girl tensed up and clenched her fists. "So that's why they don't live in luxury," he thought.

"Yeah, but what difference does it make if she's alive or dead? She's no hero like her father. It might've been better if she had died in the fire."

"Exactly. Without powers, she's useless."

Upon hearing that, a tear slid down Eri's cheek. The frustration of not being able to do anything, of being just a mere mortal who couldn't change anything, who was useless… She still had one stop before reaching home, but she asked Acrisius to stop the cart. She wanted to walk the rest of the way.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I need to stretch my legs."

"Alright, young lady, take care!"

"Goodbye, take care." She watched the cart disappear down the road. Erianthe stood still for a moment, sighed, and looked up at the sky. The first stars were beginning to appear, and she recalled something her father had once told her:

You know, Eri, when I was a boy, I was a nobody. No one cared about me beyond my parents. I was a misfit, an outcast. I was good for nothing. But one day, I found my destiny.

Remembering those words, the girl smiled and started walking toward home. Alongside the road stood a temple, or what was left of it. People were going in and out, searching for answers from the gods to their misery and hunger. With a touch of melancholy, she began to hum a soft melody.

I don't know if you can hear me,

I don't know if you're still there.

It's been a long time since I lost

all hope.

Gods of Olympus,

I beg you, please.

Guide me to find my destiny,

help me fight it.

My prayer is humble,

I just want to see the world,

filled with light and dreams,

once again.

A world

where people could live without fear,

and smile once more.

Please, to all the Gods.

Help us live again.

Hades stood watching the girl. She was begging them, yet none of the gods up there bothered to listen—only he did. It was clear he wasn't about to help with that sappy prayer—having the world upside down was a luxury for him and for his business. But in a way, he had enjoyed listening to her; her voice was sweet and melancholic. "When she's my slave, I'll ask her to sing to me every day," he thought.

Without realizing it, they had reached the same intersection as that morning. Eri stopped and turned around:

"Please stop following me, I think I've entertained you enough to keep you from getting bored for a while," Eri said to the air, towards the direction where the sulfur smell was coming from.

"Why? Do you really want me to leave? I've kept you company all day," the lord of the dead replied, irritated. Leave? Now that things are getting interesting?

"Yes, I don't know who you are. I don't know what your intentions are, but since this morning, bad things have been happening to me. I'm truly grateful that you saved my life, but that's enough. Please, I just want to be alone."

"You just prayed to the gods for help. Don't you want it?" Hades decided to play along and see if she would take the bait.

"Of course I do, but not from you. Are you? Are you a god?" Eri asked incredulously. Could the person following her really be a god?

"If you want, I'll prove it." The Lord of the Underworld was about to remove his helmet and reveal himself when suddenly, something began rustling in the bushes. Eri pulled out her dagger, and Hades froze, ready to defend the girl. But the one who emerged was none other than Erianthe's younger brother.

"Zenos! You scare me. I almost threw the dagger at you! What are you doing here?"

"ERI! IT'S MOM! SHE FAINTED AND SHE'S NOT MOVING! I THINK SHE'S SICK!"

As promised, here is another translated chapter.

The song Erianthe sings is inspired by the song Esmeralda sings in the Hunchback of Notre Dame.

I love the interactions between Eri and Hades, don't you?

I hope you like this new chapter. And, you know, don't forget to give love to the story.

Thanks for reading!