A day later, Demeter visited again, but without confirming of my meeting with the Oracle, proceeded to explain the details of the trip, and of the things I would have to bring along.

The whole adventure was supposed to take at most a week, and fortunately the goddess, guaranteed to take care of my absence on earth.

I stared at the calendar hanging on the wall, and the stricked off dates left me ten days till the one marked with a bright red pen - the day I was to return home after the month long stay.

It felt as the hours were going to slip through my fingers, while the things I had to get done were too big for my hands to hold.

It seems, I am running out of time.

The afternoon passed in a blur with the preparations, and pleased by the results I tucked away the fully stuffed back pack under my bed, and slung another over my shoulders by the time the moon reflected the smile of the sun.

And having become more brazen with each try, I snuck out through the front door when John, the last to fall asleep, passed out before the television.

In the dark, my feet took me towards the ancient ruins, like a muscle memory. There was not a sliver of hesitation when I jumped in, unafraid of the force that dragged into its depths.

And when the ground came running to my feet, gravity overturned the rules of mathematics and physics, and weakened. I landed with an impact too feeble to even move dust, and regaining my balance I walked out into the land that never failed to take my breath away.

Overcome by a childish thought, I skipped through the wide stretching meadow, as if springs were attached to my feet, believing myself to be an elegant ballerina who spread colour to the otherwise meek world,

with her every twirl.

But a soft chuckle delivered an honest opinion, and the King unlike his usual indifference, seemed obliged to comment. "I didn't know you could...dance."

Why?!?!?

I stopped myself from dropping to my knees and start bawling, instead intended to seem natural as I turn to meet the speaker's gaze.

But contrary to my expectations, I sensed myself resemble an old wooden door that creeked when I looked back.

He saw the shock register on my face before I could hide it, and his crimson lips adorn a small smile.

Amused, at my strange capability, the god neared in ceremonial garments of red and gold. And just as I had began to retreat as if nothing had happened, a peculiar idea came to mind.

Having been fascinated by the powers Sakura had said to possess, I wiggled my fingers before his ever captivating face, and looked deep into amber eyes.

"You will forget what you just saw," I said with a wintry undertone.

"No."

Was it pity that I just saw in his eyes? I sulked, as he walked past me and headed for his home.

"Do you know where I can find William?" I ask the guard stationed before the room I had once peeked into to realise was the armoury.

He bowed before replying, which I was quick to return. "The general is away on an errand to Olympus."

"Will he be back soon?" I asked in a hurry when Hades turned back, stopping not too far away.

"I am sorry, I do not know." He once again bowed, and after a pause I awkwardly said.

"Thank you. Have a good day."

Hades had began to walk on ahead, and

I trailed behind purposefully to ask around for Olivia, and to my luck found her returning from the training grounds along with a few familiar faces.

Pulling the beaming girl aside, I thrusted the bag I carried into her hands with the following words. "Take good care of it."

Arching her bushy brows, she unzipped to look through the contents, and was sceptical of number of containers I had smuggled from the kitchen to hold medicines.

Her curiosity was effectively put to rest as I laughed, confessing of being too lazy to bring bit by bit on every visit, and planned on stacking up.

When she was called for by her colleagues I pulled her in for a hug. "Put them to use whenever needed, even if I am not here."

"What are you saying?" When her brown eyes narrowed, I had the urge to look away from the questions they conveyed, and I pretended to have misunderstood their meaning.

"Its fine, I labelled them well, it will be easy to use."

I gently pushed her. "Now go, your friends are waiting."

She kept looking back as she walked away, each time pausing as if she had something to say, but in the end I never gave her the chance, and disappeared from her sight.

Maybe it was my hurried steps that made a few palace workers curious, and they chose to tail me instead of directly asking.

Their diligence in following me was almost commendable, because each time I peaked back they would pretend to have been dusting the antics on display. Some even turning out to be formidable actors as they continued walking forward like we were headed the same way, but unfortunately forgetting to stop walking on their toes.

Hades' tall figure came into view as the magic of the palace lead me wherever I wanted. I did not call out to him, and wanting to avoid the cheeky followers, I waited till he disappeared around the corner before I turned back.

I then flashed them all a broad smile for half a minute's time, motionless and without a word.

This action, turned out to be more effective than I had thought, for none seemed to get over their confused states to follow me further when I took off again.

It turned out that Hades hadn't gone far, and increasing my speed, I caught up easily to grab onto his wrist.

Hades did not seem surprised by the sudden contact, and simply asked. "Are you finally done wandering around?"

I gave him a sheepish grin in reply, and having accomplished my goal to check his temperature, let go. But my hand had yet to fall back to my side when he grabbed on without looking back.

Long fingers, touched as softly as the wands of new spring foliage when entangled with mine.

A strange sense of happiness flooded my being, tipping it off balance as my feet dragged behind on being tugged forward, as if I was entranced by the warmth cascading my skin, and this effect, refused to yeild even with reason.

I had came with only three intentions. First, to deliver medicines to Olivia, second, to check Hades' health, and third, to meet Will in private and discuss the problem at hand.

It was safe to say, that I did not trust Demeter completely, and having been nursing suspicion, I felt letting Will know of the facts would serve as a backup plan in case things indeed went wrong.

But unfortunately, Will was absent from the palace grounds, and to let Hades know of the situation didn't seem like a fail proof plan. For starters, him even letting me take up the venture was most unlikely, and Demeter had specifically emphasised to never let him even gain a hint of the said journey.

My eyelids dropped remembering the reason Demeter had given for requesting me of so. And even without the mistrust set aside, I believed her words were true, for Hades had never sought out the missing fragments of his soul, and took the curse upon himself as punishment, and a reminder of the woman whose death he believed he was responsible for.

I bit my lips from a sudden pang of jealousy that made me rip my hand away, and the god halted his stride to turn back.

When the amber eyes lowered, I realised my irrationality, but could no longer take back the harsh gesture. And so, lied without blinking.

"I just remembered, I locked my house from the outside, so I should get back early before they wake up."

"I can help with that." He spoke in a clam stoic voice, but there was something underneath the tone that felt daunting, which made me pause, before refusing.

"No, its fine. I only came to have a quick check on you. And thankfully you seem better, so I will leave before I become a disturbance."

What exactly I was hoping for when I said this, I myself wasn't sure, but the reaction to such a statement was beyond any vague expectations.

The very next instant, I found my feet strutting forward as he regained hold of my hand, and pulled it back above his head, having the disparity in our heights raise me onto my toes while he leaned to hold my gaze.

"Elia." He warned, his tone deep as the sun at midnight.

His once gentle eyes, now glowed with an intense chill, and the sudden close proximity disrupted my heart's rhythm from something other than fear.

My brain worked to create elaborate rationalization for why I was to remain calm, but my frazzled nerves seemed to be jumbing all at once, stretching into different directions in disarray, that I couldn't endure to keep still.

But the second I tried to pull away, I felt his gaze glued to my face grow colder as he reconstructed the words he was just about to utter.

"If you really thought of yourself as a disturbance, then have it done properly." His dark hair shook softly before my eyes when he bent down.

"Ah.." A faint sound came from my mouth as my feet left the floor when I was raised up into his arms. But despite the iciness to his boring gaze, his movements were tender, yet each touch seemed wanton to leave no loopholes for me for escape.

"Hades?" Reflexively my hands wound around the nape of his neck, and pulled when he did not respond.

Soon, a very subdued voice flowed from his lips. "You are free to disturb me."

There was an almost dangerous gleam in his amber eyes, and my body squirmed, uncomfortable by the heat rising in my chest.

"Disturb me." Comes the demand, his voice a poison without antidotes.

Gingerly my fingers knot around his hair, and tugged, and without a flinch his head tilts to the side before I let go. But a voice nags me in the knee deep silence, if I was truly following his order by the words or intriguing a desire of my own.

What was I doing? All this consideration he had shown me was meant for someone else, all but a simple act birthed from guilt.

"You lack commitment." A low muffled voice pricked my eardrums, and I leaned my cheeks on his shoulder as if I had given up.

Closing my eyes, I held on tight, unsure of how the tables had changed, and didn't utter a word, for one part of me craved to remain in his hold, and the other fought to run far away.

"Why are you silent?" The end of his words turned into a whisper near my ear, and I felt my body ready to fizzle out.

I shook my head, grumbling gibberish for my mind felt muddled. But when I avoided his gaze the time he pulled back, the aura around him seemed to soften a little. "Do you really want to leave?"

I nodded, but my hands around him only tightened.

"Okay then." I was suddenly let down when the sound of soft neighing filled my ears in a different scenery.

A strong pair of hands kept me steady as the chariot began to move, and I glanced upto the god whose eyes I met halfway.

"Can we pass through the water." I requested, and without questioning the strangeness to it, he obliged.

I sucked in a breath as my skin came in contact with the ice cold waters, but the moment of clarity the sensation gifted, was brief.

My grip on Hades' hand grew tighter as my mind was plagued by an unsettling thought.

Could this really be the last time, I could feel these cold waters, witness the breath-taking beauty of the Underworld...

"Elia?" Amber eyes narrow.

And the warmth of its Ruler.

They say, in your eyes is your humanity, who you truly are, but I could not tell what they spoke of in the moment I was lost in his. But salty tears weighed upon my lashes, and not even the cold waters could viel them from amber orbs.

"Why are you crying?" I caught his hands before they reached my face, and held them down.

"I am not. It must be the water." I said smiling, but it quivered when he stepped forward.

With captive hands he rested his head over my, and then I couldn't feel the wind and the cold when the bridge of his nose sank down, till its tip lounged below my brow, and over my fluttering eyes.

"Then tell me, why are they so warm?"

My hands lost their strength, and free from their bounds, his wrapped around my waist, and I closed my eyes, letting the tears trail down my moist cheeks. "There must have been some dirt."

A sigh left his lips, that tickled my own, and the air of desperation it breathed brought chaos to my unstable soul. "Can't you tell me?" His fingers curled over my back, grazing my skin over the fabrics.

"No." I could not look up, for if I did, I would be at the mercy of questioning eyes, those that he did not know had came to become my obsession. "I will tell you later."

It was a blank promise, and taking advantage of his distracted self, I slipped past his hands, and the restless steeds the same moment the chariot was set on ground.

I turned back when I walked far enough for me to receive a head start that would seem unfair, but still enough to watch the subtle changes of clenching fists as he stepped off his chariot. "This is not a confession." I said.

The setting sun cast a shadow over his sturdy form in a mystic haze, and with amber eyes, the King stood behind an imaginary line, that separated our different worlds.

"But my acknowledgment of my own feelings. "

Reality warned me, that it was of no use, that stupidity had its ends, that risks have a limit, that all could change with a thought, that he was to fade away like an unrealistic dream with time.

But yet, my lips parted. "Lord Hades."

"I Love You."

He stared, and for the first time he couldn't think of anything to follow it up with.

My lips indulged in a smile as I imagined the most he could manage at the unforeseen admission would be to nod in agreement, and then tilt his head to contemplate. And unwilling to offer him a chance to break my heart I swiftly turned, and made a run for it.

It was a simple act of cowardice, but as I ran between the tall standing trees my heart was elated, celebrating every beat.

😢😢