Chapter 14

"You really shouldn't have said that."

A voice lifted up the darkness, and suddenly, I was able to see the world around me again through a shadowy filter. Everything was gray scaled and weirdly shifted. I tried looking down at my hands, there was nothing. Further down, I could make out my own body, falling backwards as if through honey. One second must have been stretched out almost infinitely. I saw Jess, her face distorted from screaming. She seemed to be running towards me. And finally, the figure that spoke to me. He wasn't under this filter, nor was he slowed down. Dark skin stretching over a muscular body, even darker hair flowing over his shoulders, framing the face of someone that wouldn't have seemed out of place on the throne of an epic fantasy novel. I remembered this description:

"Lord Thanatos", I said. My voice sounded hollow. "That means..."

"Yes, you are dead. Your suspicion was correct", the god nodded. "A rather natural consequence of defying a god like that. At least for everyone but the protagonists."

I wasn't sure if I still had a head, but I expressed something akin to letting it hang. "I know. I'm not the protagonist. And this is not a book series. I've been told that before."

"But you didn't truly understand, did you?"

Silence filled the room before Thanatos continued: "Why did you have gripes with the name of your sword?"

"..."

"And why was it a problem that Jessica Yang did most of the work with the griffon and the transference of souls?"

"I know, I know. I was chosen for this quest and I thought I would be the main character of this. Like Percy was."

"But Percy never had what you wanted, right? Grover helped him out against the Medusa, and without Annabeth, he would have died in that trap of Hephaistos."

"..."

Now, Thanatos smiled as he continued: "Death has the quirk to reveal every uncomfortable truth. It's something most people get to realize sooner or later."

"And what can I do now?", I asked. "It's over, isn't it?"

Another smile from the beautiful man opposite me. "Is it? I don't think so. Truth be told, you have the potential to be very useful to me. Charon isn't the only one dissatisfied with the state of things. And you happen to be a good pawn to unite behind. And then of course, there's the matter of Miss Yang... But you'll find out in due time. For now, are you ready to be a miracle?"

Without waiting for an answer, Thanatos snapped his fingers and my vision got blurry again. One moment, I was floating above my dead body, the next I was falling backwards. I tried getting my balance back, but I had already shifted too far. Then, my fall suddenly halted. Looking behind me, I saw that I was leaning against the feathers of black wings of Thanatos, who had appeared right to the left of me.

"What?!", Hades' voice thundered through the room, shutting up Jessica's scream.

"Pardon the intrusion, Lord Hades", the god of death began. "But it seems I had to support my Chosen so he can achieve his goal."

"You dare to-"

"Don't forget, cousin", a new voice said, "Who you are talking to." Again out of nowhere, a new creature appeared. A black hound, stepping next to my right side. The voice sounded familiar, although twisted through the dog's snout.

"You too, Hecate?", Hades exclaimed, this time sounding more in disbelief than angry.

"Yes, Lord Hades. I have come to support this endeavor, as well as my daughters."

For a moment, it looked like Hades' rage would flare up again, but then he just seemed tired, leaning against the backrest of his throne, staring into the stalactite ceiling of his throne room.

"All this just for Charon?", he asked. "So he doesn't have to leave souls behind anymore?"

"And perhaps", Hecate added, "For you to continue what you began during the battle of Manhattan. Your family might have unjustly put you down here eons ago, but that doesn't mean that you have play the part they expect you to play. Death being more lenient helped during the Gigantomachy, it may help you in the future as well."

A deafening silence filled the room after her words, Hades just sat there, not saying anything, not even blinking. His eyes were closed. Part of me wanted to ask him if he fell asleep but the wings in my back reminded me too much of what had just happened and I doubted Thanatos would help me again if it was pure stupidity that drove me.

"Fine, then", Hades sighed. "It seems you leave me no choice if half my court is in open rebellion. I shall grant Charon's wish, let him know that. I will talk to Persephone about this manner once she comes down here again. The height of summer is always dreadful."