THE LIGHT'S ABDUCTION

Erianthe couldn't believe what she'd just heard. Her? Use her talent to redecorate the underworld. Was he joking?

She looked at the god, who met her gaze with a serious expression, waiting for her response. Alright, he's not joking, Eri thought.

"I… are you sure?" the young woman asked, uncertain.

"Look, Eri. Believe it or not, I don't usually lie, especially when I'm proposing a deal that will benefit both of us. It will benefit me because this place needs a makeover, and it'll benefit you because you will get to do whatever you want—as long as we mutually agree on it. But I'll let you be creative." The god was getting a bit heated. "So, what do you say? Yes or no? I don't have all day."

Erianthe reacted with a huge smile.

"Yes, yes, I accept. Of course, I accept," she replied quickly. The daughter of Hercules was so thrilled that she threw herself at Hades and hugged him.

"What are you doing? Don't touch me!" The Lord of the Dead hadn't expected the girl to hug him, and it made him nervous, very nervous.

"Thank you. I will not disappoint you!" she said, pulling away from the god, who was completely red. Oh, oh, I'm playing with fire here; I've irritated him completely,Eri thought.

But in reality, it was the opposite. Hades wasn't blushing because he was angry; he was red because he'd actually enjoyed the hug, despite his dislike for being touched. It had felt nice. Damn it, Hades, get a grip, he thought, taking a deep breath to calm himself.

"Ahem. Alright then, you'll start today by cleaning wherever Pain or Panic tells you. Tomorrow, I will take you somewhere to get inspired, so you can start thinking of ideas."

"Yes, sir."

"Hades."

"Hm?"

"I've told you several times to call me Hades, not sir."

"Sorry, Hades."

"I'm leaving. I'll be busy today with the newly arrived souls. We'll meet again later," he said, and before Erianthe could say goodbye, the Lord of the Dead vanished.

Unable to contain herself, Eri bounced around with excitement. It was the first time someone had given her the chance to use her art for something meaningful, and she was thrilled by the challenge of creating something as unique as the realm of the dead.

Just then, Pain and Panic walked into the throne room and found Eri jumping around happily, looking at her with puzzled expressions.

"What's wrong with you? Do you need to go to the bathroom?" Panic asked her.

"Oh, you guys scared me!" She hadn't expected them to catch her being silly, so, embarrassed, she stopped jumping around, though she was so excited.

"No, it's just that I'm going to get to show my art in the underworld. Hades told me I could redecorate it!"

The two little demons were stunned by the news, since Hades had NEVER let anyone touch anything in the underworld—not Menthe, not Persephone. Erianthe would be the first. The two minions looked at each other, thinking, Something's up with Hades, and they were determined to figure it out. But for now, they'd go along with their friend.

"Congratulations, Eri! So, have you thought of any ideas yet?" Pain asked.

"No, not really, but I'll come up with something. Hades told me he's taking me somewhere tomorrow to get inspired. I have no idea where."

"What?" the little demons thought. Their boss was definitely acting strange.

That day, Eri spent her time cleaning various parts of the palace—hallways, staircases, and the cafeterium. She was in such a good mood that she decided to do something special for dinner and share it with Pain and Panic. She also planned to prepare some honey and pistachio sweets for breakfast the next day.

Hades's minions enjoyed a delicious stew for dinner, so good that even other palace staff asked to try it, lured by the delicious aroma. The cafeterium chef, Giles, helped Eri prepare it. He enjoyed watching her prepare food from the world of living, and they even discussed future recipes she could make and ways to improve them.

After dinner, Erianthe went straight to the baths, while the little demons wandered the palace halls.

"Eri cooks so well!" Pain exclaimed.

"That stew was exceptionally good. Who would have thought mortal food could taste so amazing?" Panic replied.

Hades was walking toward his quarters and overheard his two minions.

"Yes, and there's a special breakfast tomorrow. Hey, do you think if she's always this happy, she'll keep making us tasty things to eat?"

What? The brat's making food in the cafeterium for everyone without me? Hades was starting to fume, but that annoying voice in his head calmed him down. This is your chance. If you eat with her, she'll cook for you too, not just for breakfast, and you'll get to spend more time with her. That inner voice kept repeating, Spend more time with her, and, this time, he didn't resist listening to it.

The next day, Erianthe woke up very early to be the first one at the cafeterium to prepare breakfast with Giles. She focused on making Hades' breakfast, adding a few of the sweets she'd made for him. She had also started making fig jam a few days ago, which would be perfect to go with them.

Eventually, the other employees began coming to her for food. Delighted, she served them the sweets she had prepared, along with the fig jam.

Pain and Panic arrived and went straight to the table, waiting for Eri to bring their breakfasts, as she'd promised the day before. She left Hades' tray prepared with Giles and went to sit at the table, but before the skeleton could deliver the god's breakfast, Hades himself entered the cafeterium, surprising everyone.

"Good morning, sir. Have you come to pick up your breakfast? I was just about to send it," the skeleton said.

"Good morning, Giles. No, from now on, I'll be eating in the cafeterium, so prepare a spot for me here every day," Hades replied, scanning the room for his subordinates and searching for a certain orange-haired head.

And then he saw her. She was sitting in a corner of the cafeterium at a table with Pain and Panic, who were chatting animatedly, unaware that the Lord of the Dead was there. Hades picked up his breakfast and headed to their table.

He didn't understand why he felt so anxious. He had simply decided to eat with her—in the cafeterium, that is. But he felt nervous, and his hands were even sweating. Like a teenager, he thought to himself.

"Hey, Erianthe, have you ever played astagolai? We're pretty good at it," he heard, catching their conversation. So they're talking about games.

"Hmm, yeah, but I'm kind of clumsy. I've never been good at those kinds of games," Eri said, embarrassed, admitting how bad she was.

"Come on, give it a try. I bet you're not that bad," Pain encouraged her, conjuring a few stones.

The rules were simple: five stones were placed near the player's feet. The player tossed one stone in the air and had to grab another from the ground before catching the one they'd thrown. They'd be playing it on the table instead of the ground.

Erianthe went first. She tossed a stone, but she threw it so high that it flew backward. She leaned back in her chair, lost her balance, and fell to the floor. The stone, meanwhile, fell toward Hades' head, but luckily, he had quick reflexes and caught it midair.

Silence fell. Eri stayed on the ground, and everyone thought she might be hurt, but soon enough, she jumped up.

"I'm fine! I'm fine!"

"I see you're all having a good time before work. Just try not to kill anyone," Hades said, holding back laughter. Although he'd been concerned she might be hurt, he had to admit it was pretty funny.

"HADES!" the three minions shouted.

"What are you doing here?" Eri asked, noticing that he was carrying the breakfast she'd made.

"Well, I've decided that from now on, I'll eat here. I've heard the food's been improving, so I'll be coming by more often," the god replied.

What? thought the little demons. Hades was definitely acting strangely.

Eri didn't know what to think. The god sat down with them and began eating, just like everyone else at the table. Hades had to admit that the sweets and the jam were delicious.

"Who taught you to cook? As I recall, Meg didn't know the first thing about it," he asked.

"My grandmother, Alcmena, she was an excellent cook. She taught my mother, and since I loved helping her when I was little, she taught me too. When she passed, I was ten, so my mom and Ilena kept teaching me. Sheis an exceptional cook."

"The blonde with the big boo —,um, I mean, the one who runs the tavern?"

"Yes, that's her," Eri replied, a bit annoyed. Everyone always noticed her friend's chest, and usually, she didn't mind, but this time it bothered her that the god brought it up. I'm not jealous, she thought.

"Sir, you should have tried the stew yesterday. It was delicious," Panic chimed in.

"Yes, I've already heard it was amazing, and no one told me." Hades was getting a bit heated.

"Don't worry, Hades. I'll make it again so you can try it," Eri quickly offered, hoping he wouldn't incinerate them.

"Good. And from now on, whatever you cook, I want you to make some for me, too."

"Oh, okay! But we'll need to buy more food."

"Don't worry about that. I have more than enough resources and wealth to buy whatever we need. Order whatever you like," Hades said, looking at Meg's daughter, who was staring at him in surprise. She's so adorable, and those eyes. They're… Hades, stop it!

"By the way, where am I assigned to clean today?" Eri asked.

"Mmm, we don't have any specific location assigned," Pain replied, checking the cleaning schedule.

"She's assigned to the library. Once we're done with breakfast, we'll head there," Hades announced.

"The library?"

"Yes, and I'll show you a few things I think you'll want to see," Hades replied, noticing her curious look as she hurried to finish her breakfast. Once they'd finished eating, the god told Eri to follow him.

The library was located in Hades' private wing, making it part of his personal domain and rarely visited by anyone, as the little demons had told her. They'd only been there a few times to report urgent matters, but otherwise, this area was part of Hades' private quarters.

Erianthe hadn't paid much attention the first day she brought him breakfast. She was too nervous at the time, but this wing was majestic. Marble everywhere, with intricate columns and tapestries depicting scenes of the Titanomachy. The library was at the end of the hall, behind enormous double oak doors with golden details, guarding the mysterious room.

"Ready? It's probably full of dust, but I think you'll like it," Hades said, watching as Eri took in everything, visibly impressed. Her reaction made him smile. He'd never seen anyone react like this before. Let's see how she reacts to the best room in the whole underworld.

Erianthe nodded. Hades snapped his fingers, and the doors swung open, revealing a room illuminated by the same soft blue light that filled the rest of the underworld, though without any sinister tone. As she stepped inside, Hercules' daughter was left speechless.

The room was enormous. Numerous pinewood shelves were filled with scrolls and tablets, but the most impressive part was that the entire room was crafted from white, green, and black marble, with golden accents. In the center of the floor was a beautiful mosaic representing the three realms of the gods: the Olympus, the Seas, and the Underworld.

As in the hallway, the walls held tapestries, though she couldn't quite make out the scenes they depicted. There were also several ornate columns and amphorae, but what caught her attention the most was a map hanging on one of the walls—a map of constellations.

Hades was proud of Erianthe's reaction; this room was his favorite, carefully crafted to his taste and filled with a collection of manuscripts, poems, and more.

He observed the young woman. Erianthe had a lot of work to do, but she didn't seem to mind. She would make this room shine, spotless, and ready for use, even if only Hades would be the one to enjoy it.

"What do you think?"the god asked.

"It's the most beautiful room I've ever seen. It's incredible; I've never seen anything like it,"Eri confessed, with a sparkle in her eyes that even Hades found mesmerizing.

"I'm glad you like it. I know there's some work to be done, but once this room is clean, you'll be able to use it to consult some scrolls."

"What? But it's your private library. Are you saying I can come whenever I want?"

"I'm giving you permission. There are manuscripts here from when this palace was created, along with maps and other things that could help to inspire you for the work I've given you."

"Thank you, Hades. This is more than I could ask for."She spotted a shelf filled with epic poems and writings. "Wow! You even have literature. I see you've got everything."

"I also have a shelf with every contract I've made to date," Hades pointed to a packed bookshelf. "Every time I make a deal, a scroll is automatically created with the terms and stored here."

"Really? Wow, you have everything so well organized."

"Sweetheart, my business is serious. Everything needs to be in order. So, you're interested in literature too?"

"Yes, and math, and geography…"

"You're very curious, Erianthe."Hades chuckled at the young woman's enthusiasm. "If you want, you can read whatever you like. Except for the contracts, of course."

"Really? Thank you! Although, I might not fully understand some subjects, but I'm thrilled to be able to read again."

"Is that because you didn't go to school?"

"No, well, yes! But, you know, it's not like I skipped school on purpose." The god of the dead watched as she grew embarrassed by this fact. Seeing her curiosity and eagerness to learn, he spoke without thinking.

"Would you like me to be your tutor?"Hades himself was surprised by his words. What the…? How could I be so impulsive?

"Really? You'd teach me?" The god sighed. He couldn't refuse after seeing that look in her eyes.

"As I said, I'm not one to lie. What do you say?"Hades asked seriously.

"Yes, of course! Thank you, Hades."

And from that moment on, the Lord of the Dead and Hercules' daughter became practically inseparable.

Erianthe spent several days cleaning the library. There was a lot of dust accumulated after 17 years of not being used, and she frequently encountered families of spiders on the shelves and tapestries. Hades helped her deal with those little creatures.

For his part, Hades relocated his work to the library. Luckily, there were already many chairs and tables, so he was able to do all his paperwork without issue. Occasionally, though, he had to leave to go to the docks to receive new arrivals.

Once the library was fully cleaned and restored to its former glory, they settled into a routine. In the mornings, everyone had breakfast in the cafeterium; Eri cleaned various rooms while Hades handled his duties. They'd stop for lunch, and in the afternoons, they'd meet in the library, where the god taught her various subjects, especially mathematics, a field in which, surprisingly, the Lord of the Dead excelled.

Erianthe loved learning, and there were numerous manuscripts on art. She even found several scrolls detailing the architecture of Ictinus, Callicrates, and Phidias. The latter was a great sculptor who created the frieze of the Parthenon in Athens. She was a huge fan of his works and knew that Athens had established the finest art school in all of Greece—the very school she would have loved to attend, if only she could graduate, if there were no war, and if she were allowed to go to Athens to study.

For his part, Hades enjoyed talking to Erianthe. She was a very interesting girl, and even though she said she hadn't been able to go to school, there was no doubt that she was very clever. She was like a sponge, absorbing any knowledge he shared and never getting tired of listening to him explain things about the underworld. He was surprised when she told him that he was the one who had designed the palace they were in now. He still remembered when he first arrived, and there was practically nothing.

"What inspired you? This architecture is quite unusual. I mean, you used many angular lines that you don't usually see on the surface."

"Well, I was young and a bit of a rule-breaker—maybe too much so—but I liked it, and I still do. I know that when people see this place, it inspires respect, power, and fear, and that's precisely what I wanted. Plus, I was angry at the time and took it out on this place."

"Angry?"

"When the realms were divided, I ended up with the worst part."The god sighed, his expression shifting from cheerful to dark, clearly disturbed by the memory. Erianthe decided not to ask further, not wanting to upset him.

Another change to their routine was that, after dinner, Hades would go to his private bath. At first, Erianthe felt shy in those moments, constantly reminded that the god was probably bathing naked in his pool. Fortunately, thanks to the gods, Pain and Panic have given me the bathing suit, she thought as she wore the swimsuit, so she wouldn't be naked while bathing in the employee pool.

Many nights, Pain and Panic joined them. Hades wanted to talk to the girl, but when they weren't around, they chatted about another topic Erianthe loved: stories and legends related to the stars.

"My favorite constellation is Orion. I know his story is sad, but I like it. In general, I love looking at the stars. Every night, I'd climb to the roof to watch them; it relaxed me so much."

"Do you miss seeing the stars?"Hades asked her.

"Honestly, yes, I miss the starry sky. But I miss other things, too." Eri's expression was sad, and the god of the dead noticed immediately.

Since they'd started talking daily, he had to admit he'd grown fond of the kid. In fact, he was starting to worry about her—quite a lot, actually—but he wasn't going to admit that.

Erianthe looked out over the underworld, observing the Elysian Fields. Of course! I know what this place is missing—it needs nature, she thought. But she required inspiration, so she ventured to propose something to the king of the underworld.

"Hades, remember how we agreed I could have one day off per month?"

"Yes, we did agree on that. Why?"

Looking at Hades, she said, "I want to spend a day on the surface." The god didn't seem thrilled by this request, and she could sense his distrust as he looked at her. "I just want a bit of sunshine. I think I'm getting so pale that I look like a ghost,"she added, hoping to convince him. Maybe he'll let me go up, she thought.

After considering it, the god replied:

"Alright, you can go up, but once the sun sets, I want you back in the underworld. Understood?" Hades warned her. Erianthe knew perfectly well that if she didn't obey the rules, there could be consequences. Just because they were on good terms now didn't mean she could do whatever she wanted.

"Deal! I'll come back as soon as the sun sets. I promise." Erianthesmiled. Hades found himself more and more delighted by her happiness, though he had a bad feeling about it…

The next day, Eri prepared to leave the underworld. She was excited to discover the surrounding woods and to sunbathe. However, with the conditions Hades had set, she wouldn't have time to see her family. Next time, she thought.

During breakfast, Pain and Panic complained about her going to the surface alone.

"But what if something happens to you?"Panic asked.

"Guys, I'll be fine,"she assured them.

Hades sat with them in silence, which worried her. She knew the Lord of the Dead didn't like her decision to go above, but he was bound by the terms of their agreement.

"And I don't want you two to follow me. You have work here, so don't worry. I'll be fine."

"But…"

"But nothing. I know how to tie my sandals, all by myself. I repeat: don't worry," Eri insisted. That's so Meg, everyone thought, which was no surprise since she was her mother's daughter.

"Guys, leave her alone. It's her day off," was all Hades said during breakfast.

When they finished, they accompanied Erianthe to the dock, where Charon was waiting to take her across the river.

"Remember, you must return when the sun sets. Charon will be waiting for you,"the god instructed.

"Yes, I know. Thank you. See you tonight!" the girl said as she waved goodbye, excited to spend time in the world of the living.

She got into the boat. The ferryman set off, leaving the dock and sailing into the waters of the River Styx with a living mortal on board—who would've thought?

Both imps and the god of the dead stayed at the dock, watching as the girl drifted farther and farther away. Erianthe turned back and saw them. They looked worried and even sad? She was only leaving for a few hours, but seeing that expression on Hades' face gave her a pang in her heart. She didn't want to worry them any further, so she gave them a smile and waved goodbye.

When Hades lost sight of her, he sighed. He didn't want to admit it, but he felt an emptiness inside, already missing that troublesome girl.

Upon reaching the other side, Erianthe thanked the ferryman and climbed the stairs to the surface. It was a long path, but it didn't feel heavy or lengthy, not like when she had descended with Hades. She could already see the light filtering through the cave's entrance, and when she finally stepped out, she couldn't hold back her tears—she was on the surface.

At first, the sunlight blinded her, but after a few minutes, she adjusted to all that brightness and was finally able to see the different colors of the forest. It was autumn, so there weren't many trees with green leaves, but she loved seeing the yellows, browns, and some reddish tones.

Hercules' daughter let out a cry of joy and ran through the forest, breathing in the fresh air, listening to birds singing, and even hearing a stream nearby. She sat down by the water, digging her fingers into the damp earth, savoring the feeling of being back under a tree in the sunlight.

Even though she was delighted to be there, she remembered her main goal: inspiration for the underworld. So she took out several scrolls from her bag, which she had prepared that morning, and began sketching natural forms that could work with the shapes in the realm of the dead.

Erianthe knew it was risky and that Hades might not like it, but she was going to try. She imagined the throne room with those golden, reddish, and brown tones, giving it a slightly warmer touch. I've got it! She thought. Autumn could be the perfect inspiration for the palace, representing the twilight of life.

She was so absorbed in her work that she barely remembered to eat a piece of fruit she had brought along, but by the end, she had gathered enough information, sketches, colors, and ideas for various designs. Eri noticed the sun was setting on the horizon, so she began heading back to the underworld's entrance—when she heard voices.

"Come on! We need to load the cage."

"We're going to make a lot of money off this specimen."

"You said it! We're so lucky!"

Erianthe hid behind some bushes and saw three men with a huge cage transporting an animal—a wolf, or at least it looked like one. It's huge! Those three men were traffickers, and they had captured the poor creature.

She didn't know what to do, but seeing the poor animal desperately trying to escape the cage, she decided she had to do something to free it. She watched for a while until two of the men left. Let's go to the stream, she heard them say, leaving only one guard behind.

What should I do? Think, Eri, she told herself, spotting a branch nearby. She could try to distract the remaining man to lure him away from the cage, and then try to open it with the dagger Patroclus had given her. What could go wrong?

Without making a sound, she picked up the branch from the ground, moved a little farther away, and threw it. It caught the man's attention, and he quickly went to investigate. Perfect—now Erianthe could approach the cage to free the wolf.

"Shh, I'm going to help you, buddy." She whispered to the wolf, who stopped shaking the cage.

Eri took out the dagger and began trying to open the lock, unaware that one of the men had come back and spotted her.

"Hey, you! What are you doing?"

She turned to fight him, but before she could defend herself, she was struck from behind, knocking her unconscious.

Meanwhile, back in the Underworld, specifically at the dock, a certain god of the dead was growing increasingly furious because a certain mortal had still not returned.

Hello! Here's another chapter. I really enjoyed writing it. The interactions between Hades and Erianthe are getting more and more interesting.

We're at an important point in this story, but just know that it's going to be a long story, and I'll divide it into several parts. So if you like these characters, you will have Hades/Erianthe for a while.

I hope you like this chapter, and you already know to give love to the story :).

Thanks for keeping reading.