DOWN, DOWN, INTO THE DARKNESS

It's a strange feeling when you sell your soul. Really, nothing changes. You don't notice anything unusual, but you feel like you belong to the god in front of you. We were still shaking hands. His gaze was one of satisfaction, as was his smile. I would be lying if I said I wasn't afraid—I was terrified—because now my life belonged to Hades.

The moment Hades shook the girl's hand, he felt it. The deal had been sealed, and just as he expected—he had felt it many times before when making deals with mortals—he sensed power. He felt power over her soul, and though her soul was still in her body, he was now its rightful owner. Hades smiled with satisfaction. "I've done it," the god of the dead thought. He had managed to get the daughter of his nemesis to hand over her soul.

Now he could make her suffer as he pleased. Having her in the Underworld would be an advantage, and moreover, Meg and her son would suffer from not having the girl close every day. He knew they would miss her, and he relished the thought. For a time, things would be this way—he'd keep the brat with him and figure out how to torment Meg even more. She was the one he most wanted to take revenge on because it was her fault that his nephew had regained his powers and defeated him.

They let go of each other's hands, and suddenly, Erianthe felt dizzy. Was it because of the deal? Possibly, but her wounds were taking their toll. Aside from the wound on her thigh, which had reopened earlier, her head was starting to hurt. The effect of Hippocrates' remedy must have worn off. Hades noticed and grabbed the girl's arm, stopping her from collapsing to the ground. He knew mortals often felt weak after making a pact, but not to this extent, until he realized the extent of her injuries.

"You're a mess," he said, looking at her up and down. Then, with his other hand, he touched the girl's head. Instantly, Eri felt better, though the pain in her leg remained.

"Thank you. Why are you doing this?" she asked, not understanding why he was healing her.

"You're no use to me, injured. You're my subordinate now, so I have to take care of things like this," Hades said casually, downplaying the matter as he placed his hand on the girl's thigh.

Eri flinched when she felt Hades' hand on her leg. The wound stung, but suddenly, she felt a deep warmth in her leg, and the pain began to disappear. It was a very pleasant feeling. The god's hand was enormous, covering her entire thigh, and thinking about that made Erianthe feel embarrassed, especially because of how close he was. The closeness didn't escape the notice of the King of the Underworld, either.

It wasn't the first time he had been this close to her; earlier, he had crouched down to check on her after defeating the manticore. He'd had a better look at her features then—a blend of Meg and Wonderboy, though neither of them had freckles like she did, scattered across her upturned nose and a few on her cheeks. Full lips… What he hadn't expected was how good she smelled—a sweet, floral scent with a hint of citrus—the very same scent reaching him now.

"Once again, I'm distracted. This girl is dangerous," thought the god as he finished healing her. He noticed her cheeks were flushed—had he applied too much heat? Shaking the thought of his head, he looked into her eyes. She was afraid, and it was understandable. She had just sold her soul and was about to spend the rest of her life in the underworld. At that moment, Hades, Lord of the Dead, felt a pang of sympathy.

He had planned to take the girl with him right then, but he remembered the conversation he'd had earlier in her mother's room. "Why not let her spend the night with her family? That way, she'll trust me more. Yeah, it's not because I'm softening because of that look. No, definitely not."

"All done! You're healed, now you'll feel better."

"Well, are we leaving now?" Eri asked with a hint of sadness.

"Who said we're leaving now?"

"But I just… we just made a deal."

"Oh yes, yes, darling, I remember. But don't you have dinner to make?"

That question caught Erianthe off guard, as she hadn't expected, that turn of events.

"So?"

"So, Eri—can I call you Eri?—tonight, make dinner, take care of your brother and your mother, and tomorrow morning, I'll come to pick you up. Prepare whatever you want to take with you. But I must tell you, don't say anything about this to your mother, okay? Capiche?"

"Alright, thank you, sir."

"Hades."

"Huh?"

"Call me Hades."

"Alright, si—um, Hades!"

They both fell silent. It felt strangely difficult for Hades to part ways with the mortal girl. He had been by her side all day, and for some strange reason, he didn't want to say goodbye just yet. As for Erianthe, the god confused her. She had just sold him her soul in a very cruel bargain, yet here he was, letting her say goodbye to her family. Was that kindness? Could the Lord of the Dead have a good side? She didn't know what to think.

"ERI!" The trance between them was broken by the arrival of the youngest member of the family.

"Zenos… I have to go. I'll be back here first thing tomorrow."

"I hope so," said the Lord of the Dead, somewhat irritated. Why was there always some kid interrupting them? Hades watched as the girl started looking around the ground for something. "What on earth is she doing?" he thought, until he saw her crouch down to pick some flowers.

"They'll serve as my excuse," she said with a smile. The King of the Underworld was puzzled.

The girl walked toward the house and out of the trees.

"Zenos! Do you have mom's remedy?"

"Eri! What were you doing in the woods?"

"Picking flowers. You know how much mom loves them, so I thought we could bring her a bunch when we bring her dinner."

"Ah! So, that's it. The girl's clever," Hades thought, watching the scene unfold from a safe distance, so her brother wouldn't see him.

"Great idea! And yes, I've got everything. Mrs. Dorothea, the shopkeeper, gave me some herbs for mom to take as tea. She also gave me some fruit and fish, saying a good meal is the best medicine for recovery."

"Wow, really? How kind of her! We'll have to thank her. Hmm, maybe we should bake her something as a thank-you."

"She also asked, and I quote, 'How's your sister? Thinking of finding a husband? Remember, my grandson is single and quite the catch.' She was truly interested in when you plan to get married." Eri's eyes widened, and Hades watched her reaction.

"WHAT?" Eri sighed. Sure, in a few years a girl her age should be thinking about marriage… but there was no way she was marrying the shopkeeper's grandson! "What did you tell her?"

"I said, for now, you have no plans to marry because you're married to your work."

"Hahaha, good answer, little brother. I see, I've taught you well." Hades felt… relieved? He shook off the annoying thought and kept watching the pair.

"And anyway, for that, he'd have to take you on a date: a trip to the theater, a candlelit dinner. Oh, and what about dancing? You love to dance, and you're a great dancer."

"Where do you get these ideas?"

"From mom. She said it's important to court someone before marriage, and dates are key."

"Mom… Well, my little Casanova, let's head inside—it's getting late, and we need to make dinner."

"True, I'm starving. But have you noticed? The stars are clear tonight."

Erianthe looked up. Her brother was right. The starry sky was beautiful, a blanket of shining points that left you mesmerized. She had already seen them begin to emerge when she climbed off the cart earlier, but now the sky was full of them.

"You know something? Dad loved to sit on the porch at night and look at the stars. You were too little to remember, but we used to sit outside and tell stories about them."

"Maybe we could bring that tradition back, don't you think?"

"Great idea. Look at those stars over there; see that one shaped like a cart? That's the Big Dipper. They say Callisto, a beautiful woman, was seduced by a god, as you might think. What's the problem with that? Well, she had sworn to remain chaste and belonged to the goddess Artemis's retinue. So when they found out she was pregnant, Artemis, in her anger, turned her into a bear."

"Wow, poor Callisto."

"Yes, but one of the gods took pity on her and turned her into a constellation, granting her immortality and saving her son."

"Eri, do you think Dad is looking at the same stars as we are?"

"I'm sure he is. I've always believed that looking at the stars brings us closer to our loved ones who are far away. I close my eyes and imagine that Dad, Phil, and Pegasus are somewhere beyond the Aegean, watching these same stars. Don't you think it makes them feel closer?"

At that moment, a strong wind picked up, and Zenos had an idea. He ran inside, grabbed a piece of parchment, and wrote, Dad, Phil, and Pegasus, come back soon. While Eri didn't know what her brother was up to, she saw him folding the parchment into the shape of a bird.

"Ready! With this wind, it should fly easily."

"Huh?" Eri was confused, but she watched as her brother tossed the parchment bird into the air. For some reason, that piece of parchment floated off toward the sea.

She climbed onto the roof using the ladder and saw the "paper bird" flying away, heading toward the cliffs by the sea.

"It reached the sea."

"Yes! Do you think they'll get the message?"

Eri looked at her brother, who was bouncing with joy. His innocent and absurd gesture brought a tender smile to her face. Hades couldn't believe the foolishness had actually worked. Sometimes fate was inexplicable and whimsical, just like those three harpies, but they couldn't give him total control of the cosmos! How unfair… At least he was witnessing Erianthe smiling in the most beautiful way he had ever seen.

"You know, I think it will reach them. I have hope that it will." She climbed down from the roof and looked at her brother, who was radiating joy and energy. This would be her last night with him. "Her last night," she thought, feeling a pang in her chest. But she wouldn't let sadness cloud this evening. She was going to spend it with her family. "You're becoming more like Dad every day."

"Really?" Zenos asked, full of excitement.

"You're like two peas in a pod, if not for your hair, which is the same color as Mom's. I'd say you're a 'mini-Hercules.'"

"I'm not mini."

"You're smaller, Zenos. Anyway, we've gotten distracted, 'little one,' so now you're going to help me make dinner."

"Huh? Can't I go upstairs to see Mom?"

"You will, but after we make dinner, we'll all eat together, and we'll sleep together too. What do you say? Shall we push the beds together?"

"Yes! I love that idea."

"I just remembered something. Do you know what the 105th rule of hero training is?"

"No."

"When you want to get your target moving, catch them and tickle them." Eri started tickling Zenos, who finally ran into the house to escape her. Eri laughed and was about to follow him inside, but paused at the door. She turned and saw the God of the Dead still standing there among the trees.

"See you tomorrow," Eri whispered. She stepped inside and closed the door. Hades didn't have time to respond; he just stood there for a while, watching as the house lights flickered and the two kids moved around inside, probably preparing dinner. That girl… It was hard to believe how positive she could be in such a grim world. Undoubtedly, the Lord of the Dead thought he was bringing a special mortal to the Underworld.

With that thought in mind, he disappeared, as he had much to prepare.

Inside the house, the siblings finished preparing dinner and the room so the three of them could sleep together. When everything was ready, they woke up their mother.

"Wow, thank you, kids, this is delicious," their mother said, and the three of them ate porridge, fish, and fruit. Afterward, they prepared the herbs for Meg, and she drank her infusion. Feeling a little better, their mother began to tell a story:

"Your father faced a Hydra just outside of Thebes. He kept cutting off its heads, but so many more grew back that I don't remember how many heads he was up against at once. Still, his immense strength allowed him to smash through the wall of a mountain, burying the monster. It was a miracle he survived, but he did, and from that day on, he became the greatest hero in all of Greece."

Eri loved that story. It was the beginning of everything, and her mother always told it with such nostalgia and admiration. At some point, Zenos had fallen asleep, and her mother was drifting off as well, so Eri decided to extinguish the lamp lights and get some rest. She was so nervous that she couldn't sleep, so she got up and went down to the kitchen.

She lit one of the lamps, took out a piece of parchment, and wrote a few words for her family:

Dear Mom,

I'm sorry to say goodbye this way, but I know you wouldn't let me leave any other way. I'm leaving to find a better job. As much as I could work in the fields here in the village, I don't think that income would be enough for you to live on. I'm going to try to find something in Athens, where things are a bit better than in Thebes.

Don't worry about me, Mom. I'll be fine, I promise. I'll write and send money every month, and as soon as I can, I'll come visit.

Zenos, take care of Mom and protect the house.

I love you both very much.

Erianthe

P.S. I'm leaving the money I saved from the quarry, Mom. Use it for your remedy and to buy fresh fruit and vegetables.

She left the note on the table, along with the bag of money, and went back to her room. She changed her tunic and packed a bag with some things like underwear, a few tunics, and her travel cloak. From her bedside table, she grabbed her father's medallion and put it on. She didn't know what else to take with her. Oh, yes! A drawing she had made of her family and the protective goggles she used to wear in the quarry—those were belongings she cared about and wanted to bring with her to the Underworld.

There wasn't much time left until dawn, so she went to her mother's room and saw Zenos curled up next to her. She stood there for a moment, watching them until the sky grew brighter. It was time…

She approached her mother's bed, leaned down, and kissed both her brother and her mother. She left, knowing they were both asleep. Likewise, she glanced at them one last time and headed down the stairs. She put on her travel cloak and sandals, grabbed her bag, and stepped outside.

A few drops were starting to fall—it was going to be a rainy day. She took a few steps toward the forest and turned to look at her house one last time. There was no sound, only the raindrops falling on the roof and the grass. "That's peaceful," she thought. She took a deep breath and bowed her head.

"Thank you for everything, Mom, I love you both. Take care of yourselves." she whispered, trying not to cry, holding back the tears. So she decided to keep walking, heading to the place where she was supposed to meet the god of the dead.

There he was. Imposing. Watching her, ready to take her away.

"Are you ready?" Hades asked, looking at the girl, who was on the verge of tears.

"Yes, I'm ready." He extended his hand for the girl to take. Hesitant, Eri reached out and took the god's hand. Immediately, Hades noticed she was trembling. "She's scared," he thought, and saw how Eri turned to look at her house while her hand remained in his.

"Goodbye," she whispered. Erianthe could no longer hold back the tears and began to cry, watching as her home slowly disappeared. A black mist surrounded them, and they found themselves in front of an enormous cave. At the entrance, a portico with two columns was carved into the rock.

Hades looked at the girl, who was now awestruck. He released her hand and said,

"We're a few hours from Thebes. This is one of the entrances to the Underworld, and I recommend you stay with me until we reach my palace."

The girl nodded. Then Hades entered the cave, and Erianthe followed him down the stairs that led into the darkness of the Underworld.

Hello everyone!

There are fewer chapters left to translate and four more to reach the original story.

*Also, the Big Dipper is the constellation of the Ursa Major or plough (The Great Bear). I've translate into American English.

Thanks for reading! You know if you like it. Please, don't hesitate to leave your reviews.