31 I Get A Pet Dog...

Hades POV

As I took a moment to admire the grandeur of my newly acquired kingdom, my eyes caught something peculiar in the center of my throne room. A cluster of shadows was slowly gathering, forming an unmistakable silhouette of a woman. Despite her barely visible form, the eerie aura emanating from her made it clear that she was no ordinary entity.

The sight of the women's unmatched beauty and the feeling of endless power filling my throne room alerted me to the identity of the intruder who had breached my realm so casually: Nyx...

"Hades, you have risen to your new station quite well," Nyx said as her eyes fluttered around my throne room as if searching for something. "While the abundance of gold is a little too much for my taste, the oppressive feeling of darkness and death that permeates this place is certainly more my style."

Now, either I was running on a bit of a high from all this new power, or I had a death wish, but my anger was already growing from how casually she waltzed into my domain, so when she began to critique my creation, let's just I blew a fuse and leave it at that.

With a fierce determination, I summoned the power of the Underworld and all the divinity coursing through my veins. My entire being tingled with raw energy as I focused on Nyx, who stood before me. In an instant, I unleashed the total weight of my divine presence upon her shoulders, unyielding and forceful.

I spoke with a commanding authority, echoing through the dark abyss. "You would do well to remember where you stand, Nyx. Here, in the Underworld, I am the one who reigns supreme." As I spoke, the casual smirk on her face faltered, her body struggling to withstand the sheer power of my words. Yet, I remained steadfast, my divine energy unrelenting in its intensity.

After a tense moment, Nyx lowered her head, and all of my power retreated beneath my skin, avoiding a smug grin to prevent tempting her further.

Nyx said, "It appears Erebus was right about you after all. Watching you accept the Underworld with little protest made me question your will. But now, looking at you, I can't help but wonder if this was your plan all along." She smirked as I tried to hide my surprise at her words.

"My brothers were arrogant in their belief that the Underworld was inferior to their domains, easily forgetting how much this plane had affected them as we ventured to Tartarus," I said these words, matching the smirk on her face with one of my own, causing her to release a giggle that caused a shiver to rush up my spine.

"From what I can see, you have transformed this barren wasteland into a powerful kingdom. Your abilities and achievements only reinforce the belief that you were right to want this land," Nyx said with a smile - the first smile I had seen since we first met. "However, I didn't come here just to chat. It's time for you to fulfill our deal."

I felt a familiar tug at the edges of my consciousness as multiple presences attempted to breach the sanctity of my throne room. But unlike Nyx, who had the strength to break through my defenses, these newcomers lacked the power to force their way in. Instead, they knocked, as it were, politely requesting permission before entering.

As I watched intently, five ethereal figures materialized before me, seemingly emerging from the depths of the shadows. To my amazement, it became clear that these were the children of Erebus, gifted with the extraordinary power to control and manipulate the darkness itself. While inferior to my own, it was rare for immortals to allow their power to be inherited by their immortal children.

Their connection to the Underworld alerted me to who Nyx had brought...

Hypnos, the embodiment of sleep, had wings made of white feathers, pale skin, curly brown hair, and cherubic features. Although immortal, he had bags under his crystalline blue eyes, which is quite strange. On the other hand, his twin brother, Thanatos, looked more like a god, with wings of black feathers, the same pale skin, eyes like coal, and facial features that most gods would envy. He looked precisely how the incarnation of peaceful death ought to look.

Charon, on the other hand, despite being the youngest of the brothers, looked the oldest, or at least the most senior, considering he was a literal skeleton wearing black robes and carrying a scythe. I almost couldn't believe he wasn't Thanatos; however, the lack of death and the knowledge I had over all, Cthonic Gods, as King of the Underworld, said otherwise.

Out of the five children of Nyx who had entered my domain, only two were females. Nemesis, the Goddess of Revenge, shared the same short brown curly hair and pale skin as Hypnos. However, the only distinct feature that Nemesis had was her molten gold eyes, which were way too much like my father's for comfort. Then, of course, there was Eris, the Goddess of Chaos whose anger would cause the Trojan War. Her obsidian eyes glittered with mischief as she gazed around my throne room; with a petite figure, the perfect features all immortals share, as well as her long black hair she shared with her mother, the only thing that killed any attraction I could have had for her was the aura of craziness she emitted.

"As per our agreement, I have brought down six of my children to serve you in exchange for the safety and protection from your realm." Now, as a God, my math skills were excellent, so when Nyx said she had six children and I only counted five, there was an awkward moment where I didn't know if I should correct her.

"I'm afraid the journey from Tartarus has messed with your mind. I count five of your children, not six, so unless one got lost on their way here..." What I was about to say was cut off as Nyx's smile returned to full tilt. A loud howling could be heard in the distance as the doors of my throne room burst open, revealing three rottweiler heads with glowing red eyes releasing drool across the delicate fabrics adorning my castle.

I heard the sound of a palm meeting a forehead, and the room filled with surprise as Hypnos began to splutter. I couldn't believe it; he must have been asleep the whole time. Despite the impossibility of it all, I could feel a migraine beginning to form. Something told me that this family was going to be the end of me...