2 The Choice

Guillaume opened his eyes; all he could see was darkness wherever he looked. In the distant he could hear the sound of numerous steps.

After recollecting the recent events.

"Did I dream? But where am I right now?"

As he looked around, he felt a soft touch on his shoulder, turning Guillaume saw an old man with crooked nose, skin like paper and a 10-meter-long cane in his right hand.

Guillaume jumped up from the fright he got.

"Who are you?" He asked.

"You are not fit to know my name, follow me, my lord awaits you!".

The old men turned around and suddenly a light floated before him and illuminated a stone path that led into the distance.

Getting directly rebuked Guillaume didn't dare ask any other question, even though the question of his whereabouts burned inside him.

After half an hour walk Guillaume could see shadows in the distance, resembling an endless stream of living darkness.

"Don't look to long at them or they will drag you into their misery." The old man said.

"Who are they?" Guillaume asked.

"Those are the souls of the dead, cursed to forever wander around and wait."

"Where am I?" Guillaume asked.

"You are in the realm of darkness, the Underworld where my lord is king."

Guillaume was shocked,

"So everything really happened? I really died? My family used me as spare part?" Guillaume couldn't believe his memories; he was on the verge of breaking down.

"Get yourself together, I have seen your memories, at least you slept while you died, and had a relative complete body with surely a grand burying following, better than dying on some battlefield with your body quartered." The old man rebuked,

Hearing his answer Guillaume asked,

"You can see my memories?"

"I can not only see your memories, I see the memories of every soul on this endless stretch, and now be silent we nearly arrived at our destination."

Guillaume tried to get more answers from the old man but it was like speaking to a rock.

Suddenly a swamp like river appeared in the darkness, and at the end of the little road Guillaume and the old man followed, there was a small boat, not more than an eggshell, fixed at a dock.

And a long line of doomed souls that waited.

In the boat that was fixed at the dock sat two skeletons with blue flames in their eyes both holding an oar in their skeletal hands.

"Get on!" The old man said as they arrived.

Following the order Guillaume immediately boarded and sat down.

The old man took his place behind Guillaume standing, and his long cane in the water pushing them self of the shore.

"Row" The old man commanded and the skeletons began their work, in a creepy unison.

Their speed wasn't fast nor slow, but continuously moving forward. To Guillaume it seemed like the river didn't have any current and they floated above.

As he watched in the stream he could see faces in agony and hands stretching out to him.

"This should be the river Styx" Guillaume said to himself unable to fathom the weight of his thoughts

The old man only gave the youth a fleeting glance.

A "Hmpf" could be heard.

Guillaume decided to ignore this conceited old man for now.

As they progressed slowly on their way, the shore began to appear out of the darkness. Where in the distance a gigantic palace made out of black basalt could be seen. Giving Guillaume an oppressive and creepy feeling.

As they approached the dock the old man said to Guillaume,

"This Time the trip is on me since milord ordered me to go pick you up, but the next time you come here better be ready to pay up or you will end up like those souls in the river."

Guillaume got the chills now he knew who this old man was, crooked nose, skin like paper and long cane in his hand ugly and greedy like no other being, Charon the ferryman.

As they arrived at the dock Charon said to Guillaume,

"Go now my lord awaits you!"

As Guillaume got off the little boat, he remembered suddenly that on the other side of Styx and Acheron, the two river that divide the world of the dead and the living, usually the celestial dog Cerberus guards the shore.

As Guillaume looked around he couldn't see anything even less any beast.

So, slowly he made his way to the palace, looking back he could only see the departing of Charon's boat and the eerie blue flames of the two skeletons that disappeared in the darkness.

As Guillaume made his way to the palace, he could suddenly hear a breathing sound in his back, knowing where he was he didn't dare turn around before he reached the palace.

Arriving at the entrance a giant bronze portal closed neatly the entrance with only two handles waiting to be pushed

Only hesitating for a moment Guillaume took the handle in his hand and knocked.

Slowly the portal opened. As Guillaume entered, he took his courage and looked back. Seeing a giant three headed dog 4 meters in height with long fur on his whole-body, little snake heads poking out and constant wriggling in his fur, looking at bloodshot red eyes, and a breath of fire, Guillaume immediately turned around and sped up his steps.

Behind him the portal closed and cut of his view on this so called Celestial Dog.

Breathing in relief Guillaume started to look around. Standing in a long corridor Guillaume could see a door in the distance. While walking in its direction, he looked at the richly decorated walls resembling a 17th century Italian castle. The chandeliers on the walls flickering nonstop, and the portrait that could be seen were known classics of long dead artists.

As he arrived at the door, before he could push it, it opened and allowed him the view on a gigantic throne room, filled to the brim with beasts of different varieties, half snake half goat, with bat wings and cow hooves, the combinations of different species were innumerable.

All eyes suddenly turned around and looked at Guillaume, feeling the chill of attention, Guillaume wanted already to turn around and flee, as an alley between the beasts formed, for him to go through. In the distance could be seen a throne where two figures sat loftily.

"Come" was all he heard.

As Guillaume started to make his way, and advanced through rows and rows of beasts, he felt more and more uneasy, the beasts became larger and the aura they diffused was oppressive beyond compare.

Guillaume getting shaky on his legs, finally arrived before the lofty figures.

On the left sat an expressionless burly man in his 40s, neither especially handsome nor ugly, clad in black armor with ornaments of different beasts and 3 protruding dog heads in the middle. This was definitely the lord in this Realm, King of the Underworld, Hades.

To his right sat a woman, beautiful beyond compare no idol of his lifetime on par, radiating peacefulness and elegance, in strict contrast to the mood of the place she was residing in.

"This should be Hades's queen, Persephone" Guillaume thought to himself, remembering his History classes.

"Bow before our King" an old raspy voice sounded all around Guillaume forcing his legs to give way under him, with a "thump" he landed on his knees before the throne.

"Kowtow 3 Times before the magnificence of our lords" the raspy voice sounded again, and Guillaume powerlessly sank to the ground his face kissing the basalt floor.

"Enough Orpheus, we specially invited our guest so don't be too overbearing" a gentle melodious voice drifted to Guillaume's ears, and lifting the weight that pressed his forehead to the floor.

Guillaume still stayed in his respectful position out of fear to offend the raspy voice again.

"Lift your head" the gentle voice said.

Looking up it was Persephone that spoke to Guillaume, the smile that this goddess radiated gave him hope but looking at the gloomy expression of her husband Guillaume's expression stiffened.

"It seems that this mortal knows our names dear, and seemingly he knows your reputation. You should try to be more sociable and definitely smile more."

"What did I do to be berated again? At least I'm not like my late brothers, Casanovas, and spreading my semen everywhere" a dark voice thundered through the throne room.

"Well you better not, if I ever catch you cheating the Tartarus would be letting you off easily" the soft melodious voice was unexpectedly stern and cold which send a cold shiver down Guillaume's back.

"Well enough of us now, we have a Guest, women."

"Hmpf!!!"

"Your name in this lifetime should be Guillaume right?"

"Yes milord." Guillaume replied out of habit, what did he mean with this lifetime he thought to himself.

"Good, I've seen your past, from this lifetime and the others, it seems your fate is marked with endless despair and suffering, betrayals and what not. Do you want to see your past too?"

Before Guillaume could respond Hades snapped his fingers, wave after wave of memories flooded him. Different time frames, families, friends, enemies and nemesis appeared in his mind, all too familiar to him but no one he could pointed specially out. But one similarity, that every Lifeline that appeared in his mind had, unsettled Guillaume. Assassinated, decapitated, hanged, quartered, stoned, flayed, the list was endless every way he died was more bloody than the other.

But the heartlessness in his deaths shocked Guillaume, it was always one of his loved ones, the most trusted person that betrayed him, his lover, father or sworn brother of the respected lifetime that back stabbed him.

"See? Your soul seems to be cursed even the Titans in the deepest part of my realm don't have to go through so much suffering." In Hades voice could made out a tinge of schadenfreude.

"But my lovely wife seeing your fate was exhilarated and asked me to give you a chance. But who am I right? The dark king, God of the underworld, if I were to intervene in every little soul's wronging's I couldn't live in peace, right?"

"But my wife this time wasn't ready to give up, you could say you kind of c***blocked me for a few centuries." Hades sighed.

Guillaume couldn't trust his ears, c***blocked a god? Seriously? He shivered, the extents of trouble he was in now after death couldn't be fathomed.

"My Lord, this lowly one doesn't dare, please punish this servant for his wronging's." Guillaume's quick-wittedness lead him to kowtow.

"Good at least you know your place." Hades answered, what earned him a sharp look from his wife.

"Erm… I mean raise your head, up up!" Hades commanded urgingly.

"Don't misunderstand you're not here to be punished, the lord of darkness has to be magnanimous sometimes, too right?" Hades laughed awkwardly.

"So, I give you two choices. The first one, you go back to your last lifetime and get your just revenge, then starting anew, in a different timeline with your memories wiped." Hades said with a heavy tone.

"Or?" Guillaume asked with a trembling voice.

"The second choice is to be reincarnated in a world, with your memories from all your last lifetimes and living a life of greatness." Hades said.

Guillaume started thinking and weighing the pros and cons. After a good time, he made up his mind.

"Milord, as I wasn't really talented in my last lifetime I could understand that I wasn't worth the attention of my parents or the rest of my family, what shocked me was my little brother two-facedness. But at least he showed me some attention, my other lifetimes are still blurry all I remember are the ways I died and the negative feelings, but at least Daniel gave me a quick death without pain, slowly falling asleep." Guillaume said pensively.

"And as the memories I still have are not worth much this lowly one asks milord to be reincarnated in another world with his soul wiped of all memories, please milord show me sympathy." Guillaume looked directly in the eyes of the dark king, who was surprised by this youth's proposal.

The filial piety and kind heartedness of Guillaume showed stunned him.

Hades looked at his wife who wore a self-satisfied smile and could already picture the discussion he would have after this matter was settled.

"This can be done. But I have to say that I'm impressed with your decision. And as a God impressing me is no easy feat. So as to reward you I will gift you an opportunity."

Hades opened his hand, and two drops appeared in his palms.

"This is Ambrosia the essence of the Gods, even Zeus didn't dare to consume it often. What effects it will have depends on your luck."

Hades pushed the two drops into Guillaume's direction, where it fused into his forehead.

While Persephone wore a stunned expression, looking at the two drops fusing into Guillaume's forehead. Her hands started trembling lightly.

"And now young one, be on your way this is no place for you to idle for long." Hades snapped his finger and Guillaume popped into dust.

Persephone looked at her Husband smiling.

"Say what you have to say." Hades spoke darkly

"Nothing much dear, but I have to say after all these millennials you still surprise me. Gifting your last drops of Ambrosia to this youth was definitely generous. Even without insight he will become someone great."

"Hmpf, only two drops of some drink" Hades spoke indifferently.

"After Olympus fall it certainly isn't only a drink." Persephone spoke.

"If my brother would have kept his d*** in his pants his sons wouldn't have killed him, and Olympus not fallen, you get what you sow. If the throne of the underworld would have some appeal, do you really think we old gods could still govern here? But who wants to contend with me for this godforsaken place?" Hades replied.

"Either way my dear husband, rewarding a hard-working man is a wife's task. When was the last time we lay together? You definitely earned a reward for surprising me today." Persephone spoke teasingly.

Hades eyes sparkled as he took his wife in his arms and disappeared.

Fin introduction.