6 Chapter 5 - Time Paradox

I feel a cold breeze brush against my bare skin making me shiver. I sit up looking around to see the window open.

"Where am I?" I ask myself as I look around at the strange furniture. No-no-no!!! This is still Hades house. I quickly grab my sash of the chair next to me and rush to the door before feeling three hands on my shoulder. I quickly look behind me to see 3 small girls looking at me dead in the eyes.

"We are." The one with long blonde hair starts.

"The oracle of." The one with short black hair continues.

"The time and space paradox." The one with pure white hair finishes.

"Candace." The blonde states.

"Harlow." The raven black haired one continues.

"Allegra." The albino one states. They continue to take turns talking in the same order.

"We guard time and space preventing our dimension from collapsing on itself."

"It seems you have meddled with time in the far past but have been cloaked from out sight until recently."

"We will be bringing you with us to talk about this insolence and you shall recieve your punishment." What?!

"Wait! I havent done anything. I'm not going anywhere with you three!!!" I grab the doornob getting ready to leave but the ground beneath my feet gives out sending me falling through the ground.

I scream terrified of what's happening. They follow behind me falling in order from which they were speaking. My desent slows as I reach what seems like solid ground but I'm still surrounded by absolutely nothing. Its just pitch black yet I can still see the ground and myself. They land in front of me with their eyes seeming to look straight to my core.

"As a child, you jumped back in time at the start of a harvest to prevent the murder of millions of garden nymphs."

"You have made the dimension unbalanced and must now face the consequences." Before the next one begins to talk I cut ahead.

"Hold up, I didnt jump through time especially when I was a child. I dont have the power to do that. I don't even know what you guys are talking about!"

"When you were of 12 years old, a nearby kingdom began harvesting there fields killing many garden nymphs which had started a fire in you."

"As you flew to the kingdom, slowly the anger bubbled up stacking inside of you making your powers enhanced."

"Your rage overflowed causing you to rip a hole in the world going into the past to change the fate of many nymphs."

"I honestly still do not have any clue what you guys are talking about." They all look at each other speaking quietly so I dont hear them.

"Do it Harlow." The one I'm guessing is Candace says. Harlow pulls my head down gently and presses her forehead against mine. Suddenly I feel everything being ripped from me. I let out shrills as the pain overcomes my body. I feel as if I'm in a fire burning away but it refuses to kill me. I try to push her away but my body can't move making this nightmare seem real. What the hell is going on?!

The darkness all around us turns into a large field filled with people cutting the flowers. The three girls pull me down to the ground in the grass pointing at a little girl with long curly red hair.

"Just watch." Says Candace. I watch as the girl carries a scythe while floating above the ground and suddenly my head begins to pound. I grip my head shutting my eyes tightly holding in the scream that wants to escape from my throat. I suddenly see through the eyes of the girl and feel her anger flooding throughout her body. The vision through her eyes is suddenly ripped from me as the three begin shaking me.

"Your vision becomes part."

"Of your past self."

"This is proof that this little girl is you, she ripped through time itself.

"Using that scythe she had created from the palm of her hand.

"Any goddess with that type of power is destined to be the new ruler."

"You have the power to create many things."

"And Hades to destroy."

"Together, you will take the throne from Zeus."

"And rule side by."

"Side. But beware."

"Let your power consume you."

"And the gates to hell."

"Will break open." Just as I open my mouth in confusion and shock to question there statement, my body falls limp and numb. My eyes close and as I open them back up I'm in the spare bedroom of Hades house. I sit up rubbing my head as it rings. I look up at the wall to see a clock ticking just past 1 am. As my head clears I notice a loud but soft snoring coming from the next room over. I get off the bed and peak my head into the other room. Hades has his head on his arms leaning over on top of a desk in front of many folders, papers, and binders. The stubborn King actually sleeps? Kinda surprising. I walk over and flick the switch on the bottom of the lamp turning it off. If he sleeps like this, he will wake up in a lot of pain.

I hesitate to touch him remembering my dream.

"Just a dream Kore. . . Get a hold of yourself." I whisper to myself while dipping my head under his arm and trying to pick him up. He opens his eyes groggily and yawns.

"P-Persephone?" He lets out weakly.

"C'mon, help me here Fatso." He leans over on me putting a lot of extra weight onto my legs. He stumbles over a few times on the way to his bedroom but I hold his arm over my shoulders tightly keeping him steady. I open the door and gently let go of him and watch as he plops onto his bed.

"Usually in the books, this is the other way around." I slur from my mouth while rolling him farther into the bed. I wonder what he was working on. . . He seems to always be working. I pull the blanket on top of him and tuck him in gently. He looks so peaceful in his sleep. I watch as his chest moves up and down breathing slowly. Ugh! What am I doing. . .? I walk into his office again turning the light back on. I'm not sleepy and I'm kinda curious what he was working on so I might be able to help him. . . I do owe him I guess. . . I sit in the chair and look through the folders.

"Applications of lost souls." I read the title of a folder. It seems like he is going through the binders looking at all the souls of people in the lake of the underworld and has to match it up with an application in a folder. I grab the pencil and begin writing down the information for all the folders. Slowly, the none finished piles become smaller than the finished ones. My left hand begins to ache from writing so I switch to my right hand. I write everything down in cursive as he has. I keep a folder open that he had finished as an example to make sure I dont mess up. His cursive looks soft and silky like a brush stroke against a canvas. As I finish the last few folders my eyes feel droopy. I look up at the clock to see its 5:30 am. Maybe just a minutes of sleep in here is fine. . . After I finish the last folder, I lay my head on the table cushioning my head with my arms. My eyes close slowly and the numbness in my feet grows throughout my whole body. I let out a yawn before falling asleep.

I feel arms wrap around me picking me up and holding me tightly. I flutter my eyes open to see Hades looking ahead walking me somewhere. Still half asleep and wary of bring off the ground, I wrap my arms around his neck gently. After a few more steps, I feel him lay me down on something soft and cover me up with a blanket.

"Thank you." I hear him whisper before I fall back asleep.

I hear a door swing open slamming against the wall. I jolt awake at the sudden sound with my wyes open. Rosetta is already racing towards me hugging me tightly.

"I c-can't. . . breath!" I spit out while trying to loosen her grip. She lets go of me apologizing and looking at me all over.

"Are you okay? You didnt come home last night and it worried me. Did he touch you?!" I giggle at her worried expression and shake my head no. He stands in the doorway leaning against the door frame.

"I'm fine, I promise Rosetta." She smiles and hugs me tightly once more.

"What were the terms you guys were discussing?" Well. . .

"If I marry him, I have my freedom." Her eyebrows peak and she shoots her head back at him.

"Marriage is the opposite of freedom!!! Your over 2,000 centuries old, she is like 22! What is this foolery?!" She yells in Hades face while pointing at me.

"She can do whatever she wants as long as she marries me. She just cant be seen dating anyone else and must live with me. I already have prepared this bedroom for her." Her eyes are still wide but her body isnt as tense. She brushes her hair back with her hands and walks back over to me.

"Come on Kore, lets go home now." She grabs my arm gently tugging me out of the bed.

"Wait a second." Hades says while pulling something out of his pocket. That must be a. . . hmm. . . telephone?

"I need a way to contact her. Its already all set up and has my number. I trust you'll teach her to use it." He says chuckling at the last part.

"I can figure it out on my own! Thank you very much." I say while grabbing it and crossing my arms.

"Sure little princess." I smile at the nickname he continues to stick with and Rosetta pulls me along behind her. As we hop in her brothers truck with him driving. Hades waves goodbye looking at me. I smile and wave back. He pulls his phone out of his pocket and points at it then at me. I look at the thing and find a button. I press it turning it on. It says I have a message from someone called 'Your Worst Nightmare' with a picture of Cerberus next to the name. I click it to read the message.

Thank you for helping me with my work. You surprisingly did everything perfect. Pretty good for a princess.

I smile at the message. I look for how to write a message back and see a button at the bottom saying 'type here'. I press it and all the letters in the alphabet pop up. I press them in order of my message and it appears writing it down above. I see the send button next to my text and press it. I reread my message.

Hey, sad to be outshined by a 'princess'. Seen.

Im guessing seen means he has read it? Is shows words at the bottom left of the screen saying 'typing. . .' a message from him pops up once more.

I will see you tonight for dinner at 5 pm. You can bring Rosetta and her brother if youd like.

Thanks, i'll see you soon😜

A winking face. Hehehehe. Rosetta looks at me confused.

"You like him, dont you?" Her words catch me off guard.

"L-like him?? Hah! He is so stubborn, and rude, a-and. . ."

"Cute?" She cuts me off.

"N-no. . . I mean, I guess. . . If your into that." As I stutter for words, I feel my face heat up. Rosetta laughs and shakes her head gently.

"I got you girl." I nod my head smiling.

Throughout the car ride back to our house. I think of what Rosetta asked me. Do I like him? I ask myself. I dont even know what liking someone is. Ive never really been around anyone besides the garden nymphs and few water nymphs. Its always been friendships and now. . . I'm getting married. Let alone its a king. The dream from last night seeps into my thoughts making me question many more things. When we get back home, Rosetta helps explain how to use my phone and lets me have one of her spare chargers. I tell her how Hades invited us to dinner later and her and her brother agree to come. The rest of the day up until we had to get ready for dinner with Hades, her brother taught me how to tend to the animals on the farm and such. I already knew how to tend to crops so when it came to that part, it was pretty easy. Rosetta helps me get ready once more for a dinner with Hades. She puts two large French braids in my hair like she used to when we were just kids. This time she gives me a longer dress that is a lot looser allowing me to breath easier. I pull on some tenny shoes and prepare to leave with them to Hades house.

I hope this goes well.