Raven swings open the door the second Dexter knocks. She yanks him inside, jostling his glasses a bit.

"WhoA! Okay."

"Sorry for calling you so late, Dexter," she squeaks, fixing his glasses."But this is fairy important."

"So important that Apple needs to be in the room?" he asks. "Hi, Apple."

Apple waves at him. Raven nods. "Yes, of course she'd be here. But I need to ask you something."

"Okay," he shrugs and straightens up. "What is it?"

Very seriously, Raven utters, "I need you to tell me where you found that book."

Dexter shuffles nervously. "I told you, I got it from Giles Grimm. In a study session."

"When did Giles Grimm start offering study sessions?" Apple questions. "If I had known about it, I would have been there."

"He-He's not really one for g-group study," he stammers.

"Dexter?" Raven probes, crossing her arms.

Dexter throws up his arms. "Okay okay! I was in the library, looking up study guides for Daring to use. But the site I found had videos that popped up, and I couldn't mute it in time, so the Wicked Step-Librarians gave me detention in the forbidden book section. Again."

"So, you stole a forbidden book?" Apple gasps.

"What? No." Dexter shakes his head. "I did that for Cupid on True Heart's Day, and I was nearly hexpelled for showing that. No, I was reorganizing the books in the witchery shelf when I pulled one of them and the shelf opened. And I saw Maddie having tea with Giles Grimm."

Raven raises an eyebrow. "...If you stole it from the Forbidden Section, I'm not going to be mad."

"No, I'm serious!" he swears. "Maddie just waved at me, I explained my situation, and she offered to do the job for me while I kept Giles company. I kept getting detention after that, so I spent a lot of time with him." He stops, his eyes widening. "Which I now realize is because those books were never organized - Curse it, Maddie!"

"Dex!" Raven grabs his shoulders. "Giles gave you that book! Why did he give it to you?!"

"I-I-I don't know! I told him hexams were bringing everyone down, and he said it would help."

"Then we're going down to talk to him." Raven heads for the door.

"Wait, now?" he questions.

"Apple?" she turns back. "Are you coming?"

"Another force is threatening Ever After," she points. "Of course I'm coming."

Raven approaches the sleeping Giles in his bed. Coming down here was easy, and she's starting to reconsider this school's idea of safety. Dexter nudges her, not wanting to do the deed himself. She gently pokes his cheek.

"Giles..." she whispers. She shakes his shoulder. "Giles Grimm!"

Giles gasps and grips his blanket and teddy bear. "Oh..." he rubs his eyes and sits up. "Raven Queen. Dexter Charming. Apple White. What do I owe the honor of being woken up in the middle of the night for?

Apple raises an eyebrow. "Why are you still living down here?"

"This is how I cope," he answers, resigned.

"Giles, we're here about Sapsorrow," Raven explains. "You gave Dexter the book she was contained in. Do you know who she was?"

Giles gasps, his eyes lowering to the floor. He stands up, moving over to his magic mirror. The mirror shimmers as he begins to speak. "Sapsorrow is a distant memory, but yes. She was a student here at Ever After High."

Sapsorrow's image materializes in the mirror, appearing very different than the Sapsorrow Raven had last seen. Her black hair was cut short into a bob, her green dress long and ending at her ankles, her grey eyes covered by round glasses.

"She was quiet, untrusting. Unsure of the path laid out before her. Much like you, Raven."

The image changes to a very familiar setting: Legacy Day. Sapsorrow standing at the podium, staring at the image of her future. The pain in her eyes is palpable.

"I was there when she took to signing her page on Legacy Day. But when she reached for the quill, something inside her snapped."

Sapsorrow's image suddenly slams the book shut, very reminiscent of Raven's Legacy Day. Jeers and screams echo from the mirror as tendrils cover the image and the mirror goes to black. Giles sighs.

"She had confided in me that she felt unsure about her position, and I tried my best to console her. But I failed her. I failed all of those who had unfair stories. Sapsorrow was just the last straw." He turns back to the three. "Immediately after Sapsorrow was contained, Milton told everyone that she had disappeared. And since, she has been forgotten."

"That's terrible," Apple bemoans. "Even if they reject their destinies, no one should be imprisoned if they did nothing wrong."

Raven steps closer to Giles. "Is there anything else you can tell us? Anything about her? What was her story?"

Giles shakes his head. "I'm afraid not. When I tried to confront my brother, that was when he cursed me. After one hundred years, the babbling has only left those memories muddled."

"A hundred years..." Dexter breathes, raking his hair back. "Oof."

"What about records?" Apple asks. "If Sapsorrow went to school here, surely there must be a record of her."

Giles shakes his head again. "As of last week, all of Sapsorrow's records, and those associated, have been destroyed."

Raven clenches her fists. Of course! Of course Grimm would destroy them! He's always hiding something from the rest of the world, and now she's had it! She grips her hair.

"Why does Grimm get to say who knows what and who doesn't?!" she shouts.

"Raven," Apple sets her hand on her shoulder.

Raven shakes her off. "No, Apple! Don't..." She hugs her shoulders. "I just have a feeling that no matter what, after that poison apple is made, I'll take the blame for it. And I'll be sealed away just like her. Just because he doesn't think I fit into this world."

Dexter takes her hand and holds her close. Giles strokes his beard and hums thoughtfully. He gasps. "There might still be a way to learn her story!"

He runs over to his desk, opens a drawer, and pulls out a jagged, shiny, black key. He rushes back over to the mirror, lifts up the curtain beside it, and plunges it into the keyhole hidden behind it. The mirror shimmers with static until a grainy image appears. In it, rows and rows of black and white spinning wheels weave glowing threads on large spindles. The three stare in awe at the vision.

"These threads are woven by the Moirai," Giles proclaims. "From their spindles, they weave the lives of every mortal being. It is the only place where Sapsorrow's life is preserved in its truthful state, safe and protected."

Raven blinks, her jaw agape.

"Where is it?" Apple asks eagerly.

Giles twists the key. The image swipes to the side to reveal a cave-like realm. "These threads are preserved where lives end: in the Underworld."

"Full of dead people?" Dexter asks.

"That's kind of its thing, isn't it?" Raven points out.

Apple shudders. "No, thank you."

"The journey there is rather perilous, I'm afraid," Giles admits. "The Underworld is heavily guarded. The dead come in, nothing comes out. It's a near-impossible quest. Very few have left the Underworld alive, if at all."

Apple's pale face has gone stark white. Raven's face only hardens. "That's where we're going."

Apple shakes her head. "I-I can't...I can't!"

Raven turns to her and hugs her. "You don't have to come, but I do."

"No, Raven!" Apple squeezes her. "It's near-impossible!"

"Near impossible," Raven affirms. "There's a chance."

"You will need careful planning, a will of iron, and preferably a guide," Giles advises. "But very few mortals are willing to transverse Hades."

Dexter pipes up. "But maybe we won't be guided by a mortal."

Cupid nears the gazebo at the edge of the Enchanted Forest, the moon shining down on her. When Dexter sent an urgent hext message to meet her there, she hoped it had nothing to do with romance. She doesn't think she can handle it now. She clutches her shoulder bag and looks around.

"Dexter?"

No answer. She sighs, looking back at the school. It's getting late. She digs into her bag and pulls out a bag of honeycakes, snacking on them as she waits. What time did Dexter say he would be here? 2 minutes? Or was it 20 minutes?

Calm yourself, she chastises herself. It's not a big deal. So what if you had your heart broken? You're still friends.

"Cupid!"

She cries out, nearly dropping her snack bag. "Dexter, don't do that! You scared the feathers off of me."

Dexter scratches the back of his neck sheepishly. "Sorry. We came here as fast as we could."

"We?" Cupid glances behind him. Raven waves at her as she nears.

"Cupid," Dexter says. "We need your help."

"Oh!" Cupid shoves the bag back into her satchel. "S-Sure! What can I do for you?"

Please don't be romance. Please don't be romance. Please don't be romance!

"Since you're the only descendant of a Classical tale here," Dexter proceeds. "We didn't know who else to turn to. So, is it possible for you to take us to the Underworld?"

She freezes. Had she heard correctly? The Underworld?!

"Wait, what?"

Dexter takes her hand and pulls her behind the gazebo, knocking her into Raven.

"Hey, Cupid," she chuckles.

"Dexter, why in Ever After would you want to go to the Underworld?" Cupid asks, incredulous. "It's not hexactly a place you'd want to party."

"Cupid," Raven starts, very serious. "Grimm is hiding something about Sapsorrow. And with her being sealed away for so long, there's a likely chance she'll come back and she won't be happy."

"Grimm has destroyed all of Sapsorrow's school files and any record of her existence," Dexter chimes in. "Hexcept for the record of her life."

Cupid sighs. "The Underworld contains a record of every mortal soul. But it's like a labyrinth! Millions of souls, millions of threads of life! It's impossible to find a single human soul in all that."

"We have to try, don't we?" Dexter looks to Raven. "Nobody else knows about it, so they won't take our word for it without proof. I mean, how do we know Grimm hasn't done this before her? How many fairytales do we not know about just because he didn't want us to know?"

"Who's to say he won't try to do it again?" Raven concludes. "Everyone needs to know the truth, otherwise, no one is safe."

Cupid's pink skin goes ghostly white. She knows how much Grimm adheres to the rules, and how frustrating it is to have to follow them. It shouldn't surprise her that he'd be willing to do this again, if it meant stories would stay the same as they always had. But even her Royal friends would agree that would be too far. Cupid gazes into Dexter's eyes, begging and pleading like a puppy for a treat. Why did his eyes still leave her helpless? She halts those thoughts.

She sucks in a breath. "How soon do you need to get to the Underworld?"

Raven sighs in relief. Cupid gasps, her body rigid, as Dexter wraps his arms around her. "Thank you!"

Raven stares at the two as Cupid begins to blush. The young Queen clears her throat, not sure whether to say something or look away. He releases her, leaving both girls to collect themselves. Cupid chuckles nervously and dusts off her skirt.

"So...the Underworld?" Raven probes.

"Oh, right! Right." Cupid goes through her bag and pulls out a small flute. "Stay close to me, or you will tumble down into the abyss." She puts the flute to her lips and plays a few sharp notes. The ground rumbles beneath them, forcing the three to huddle together. They watch in amazement as the ground cracks open and stretches out. A set of stone stairs carves itself out of the earth, leading into the darkness below. Cupid heads down first with Raven and Dexter close behind. Raven casts a spell in her hand, lighting the way for them as they descend the stairs.

"So, do you just keep that whistle on hand?" Dexter asks, a bit awkwardly.

Cupid giggles. "It was a present from my dad. It was so I could transverse all three main realms in order to get acquainted with my job as a Love God. Although, I prefer the Mortal Realm."

Raven looks down into the chasm below. "How far down does it go?"

"Very far," Cupid replies. "The Underworld houses four death worlds, six rivers, billions of souls, trillions of gemstones, and one palace. And my uncle is very protective of it."

Dexter looks around at the dank stone walls, then ahead at the dark staircase. "If he's so protective of it, how come security doesn't seem to be a priority?"

"Getting in is the easy part," she explains. "Getting out is where things get complicated."

They continue down, further and further into the cave. It's definitely mustier the farther they go, and colder. Raven clenches her fist to strengthen the spell. Cupid glances back at the two of them every so often, biting her lip nervously. A light appears below them, faint but noticeable. Cupid leads them into the cavern. It's enormous! Thousands of translucent figures stand on the sand, a large river in front of them. Gemstones are embedded in the ceiling, shining like stars.

"We're here," Cupid gestures in front of them.

Dexter bends over, rests his hands on his knees, and sighs in relief. "Finally!"

"Welcome to the Entrance."

"The entrance?!" Dexter points back up the stairs. "But I thought that was the entrance!"

Cupid giggles. "No, silly. That's the entrance to the underground. To enter the Underworld, we have to take the ferry."

"The fairy?" Raven repeats.

"The ferry," Cupid confirms, heading along the beach. Raven and Dexter huddle close behind her, glancing nervously at the ghostly figures. "Don't worry about the shades. They're harmless."

Dexter sets his eyes on one of them in a white shroud, adjusting his glasses for a better look. The soul turns and makes eye contact, yet she has no eyes. Dexter gasps and hurries back to the girls.

"So...how does this work?" Raven asks slowly.

"Well," Cupid chirps, turning toward a dock in the distance. "We head up to the dock and each pay a coin. Then the ferryman will row us across the River Styx. You did bring coins, right?" Raven and Dexter exchange glances. Cupid sighs, reaches into her bag, and pulls out three rusted gold coins. "Should be enough. Just let me do the talking."

"What?"

Cupid grabs their wrists, spreads her wings, and takes off towards the dock. The ferry rows off with one soul, another ferry soon replacing it. The tall cloaked figure, face covered and holding an oar, hunches over the stern of the boat. Cupid lands in front of him, crossing her arms. The figure turns, his voice rasping.

"One drachma for safe pa - You!" His voice immediately switches to a deep rumble. Cupid rolls her eyes as he rips off his hood. Raven's heart stops. He's seven feet tall, young, dark skinned with a heavy brow and bears coal black eyes. She backs up into Dexter.

"Haros," Cupid acknowledges.

"Chariclo Arganthone Cupid," the ferryman - Haros - answers back. "It's not really in good taste to return to the Underworld, or come to the Underworld at all considering how much you've caused an influx of unpaying shades!"

She groans. "Whatever after, Harry. I'm doing my friends a favor."

Haros bursts out laughing. "A favor? Just like how you did everyone a favor by creating the Mourning Fields. Hey, how did Romeo and Juliet work out for you?"

"Now is not the time to talk about Romeo and Juliet!"

"Um!" Raven interrupts. "Not to be rude or anything, but we're kind of on an important mission." He raises an eyebrow at her. "I-I'm Raven, and this is my boyfriend, Dexter." Dexter gives a nervous wave. "And we're here to look into the Archives?"

Haros glances at Cupid again. "Living mortals? C.A., I can't bend the rules for everyone. Especially not mortals."

"Please, Harry!" Cupid begs. "We're looking for the record of a soul whose existence has been destroyed. She's been sealed away, cheating death. It could get to a point where the opposite will happen. There will be more deaths. More souls without drachmas in their mouths."

Haros glares at her, and Raven can see Cupid's made a direct hit. The cherub holds out her hand, three coins in her palm.

"What do you say?"

He stares at the gold in her hand and sneers, jerking his head to signal them to come aboard. She dumps the coins into his hand and steps in, helping Dexter and Raven in as well. Haros, grumbling something about only doing this for money they brought, pushes off the dock and begins to row into the cavern. Dexter huddles close to Raven, the wood creaks echoing off the cave walls. Cupid stares straight ahead, deep in thought.

Raven leans in close to her ear. "What happened with Romeo and Juliet?"

"Um..." Cupid cringes, still staring ahead. "I may or may not have accidentally caused an entire civil war by making two rival families' children fall in love. And, said children may or may not have offed...themselves..."

Raven leans back in her seat, biting her tongue. The boat turns a corner into a large, dark grotto. Haros raises his oar out of the water and stops the boat, a deep growl echoing from the darkness. An enormous pair of yellow eyes opens in front of them, followed by another pair, and another. Raven and Dexter stare up in awe.

"What in Ever After is that?!" Dexter gawks. A dog - if one could call it that - as tall as a castle, with a sleek black coat, sharp white fangs, and three growling heads stands over them and locks all six eyes on them.

Haros chuckles. "Don't worry, mortal. He only eats the souls of murderers." He blinks his eyes, and his sclera turn bright blue. A flash of blue appears in the dog's, and it steps aside. The cave rumbles loudly, the walls of the cave cracking open and shifting until an opening appears. Haros dips his oar back into water and rows inside. "Hey, prince. If you look into the eyes of Cerberus, you'll see your worst nightmare."

Dexter hastily covers his eyes. "Nope! Nope nope nope nope!"

Haros cackles and rows them through the chasm. Cupid huffs. "Don't listen to him, Dexter. He's just a jackrabbit."

Dexter lowers his hands and crosses his arms over his chest. Raven purses her lips, glancing over at him. Before she can ask him if he's alright, a dim light catches her attention. Any semblance of a cave has been forgotten. Before them, a barren wasteland reaches as far as the eye can see. The river continues in front of them. In fact, several rivers twist around the landscape. But there is not a trace of life anywhere, save for the occasional dead tree. Instead of sky, dark clouds loom over their heads. Along the riverbanks, trinkets and shiny bits of objects shatter amidst the sand. Raven reaches for the sand, scooping up a locket before her fingers could brush the water.

"These are the lost memories of those who have drank from the River Lethe," Haros says without looking behind him. "Those tormented by the regrets of their past lives, grieving for lost dreams never to come true, wishing only to forget."

Cupid glares at Haros, and he smirks. Raven drops the locket back onto the sand and they continue to row along the River Styx. Haros turns the boat and stops, a dock appearing beside them.

"This is as far as I take you."

Cupid steps out, helping Dexter and Raven out of the boat. She turns and ushers them across the dock.

"What? No 'thank you'?" Haros huffs.

"I don't need to be reminded of my failures," Cupid hisses at him. "Especially not from you."

"I could have let you wander the shores for a hundred years," he points. "But I didn't."

"So I should be grateful?"

"Uh...yes."

Cupid clenches her fists, but lets them go. She doesn't need this. "Spell you later, Haros."