Chapter 29. The Underworld & the Dark Arts

[Hades: Images GIFs]

(29 days ago)

"Sitting on this throne, you start to wonder. Is dying in this already toast world even worth it?" The ruler of the underworld mumbled, his face turned away from the subjects. A blue fiery aura danced around his hefty frame, its radiance adding to the already eerie glow.

Mmmft!

"But what can we do?" He stretched his enormous hand instinctively to his left, and grabbed a handful of grapes. His right hand stretched for the glass of wine on a tray to his right. "We could have averted this fate, but alas, we allowed ourselves to be defeated. Before the fight even began!"

"Some gods we turned out to be!" He remarked bitterly as his hand crushed the grapes, allowing their succulence to drip onto his arm.

"Were," he corrected nonchalantly.

His previously escalating mood abruptly shifted to one of indifference, and he slouched on his throne, supporting his cheek with his hand. "Oh well, the only option remaining is adapting to the new dynamics. Like the increased number of deaths."

"Sire," one of Hades' minions politely interjected, hoping to steer him back to their ongoing conversation.

"What?!" Hades shouted, visibly agitated.

"A-b-b-out the new arrivals," the servant stammered, trembling from the resonance of Hades' snap.

"How many times must I remind you that I detest being instructed on what to do?" Hades uttered with a menacing voice, causing the very walls of the underworld to quiver.

His humble ottoman bore the impact of his imposing weight as he rose to assert his dominance. The soul that served as the ottoman emitted a feeble squeak as its essence was extinguished.

"What is this sensation that I feel?" Hades' divine senses were tingling.

The servant attempted to mumble something, but Hades swiftly grasped the situation. "It's been an eternity since I was graced by such a, divine, presence."

His mood eased as he locked eyes with one of the new souls being transitioned to the afterlife. "And to think that I finally get to meet the Divine Princess - ha ha ha haa... It must be my lucky day."

---

(15 days ago)

Chaos had erupted in Themyscira as three factions clashed: Cursed Amazons, Wan Juan, and, normal Amazons.

On this particular day, Hippolyta and her remaining forces had cornered Wan within the city buildings while he was performing one of his Shikigami taming.

The queen faced hardships since the unsuccessful sacrificial alter event led to her fallen sisters awakening, resulting in a devastating massacre. Among the casualties was her trusted right hand, Phillipus. The absence of Diana, her daughter, intensified the Queen's agony.

The loss pushed Hippolyta to the edge, haunted by painful memories and abandoned by the silent gods. Despite contemplating relinquishing her crown, the remaining Amazons urged her to persevere for the island and their sisters. Hope that they could be saved, lingered.

To stay vigilant, the Amazons remained on high alert, stealing moments of rest when possible. However, Hippolyta, tormented by sleepless nights, developed heightened psychic abilities, experiencing daydreams, visions, and glimpses of possible futures. This newfound power guided her in strategizing when to confront Wan

Leveraging her psychic insight, Hippolyta seized an opportunity to return to the altar and retrieve the fallen, including Diana's lifeless body. The sight of Diana's death threatened to shatter what remained of Hippolyta's resolve. The queen fought back tears as she cradled Diana's lifeless form in her arms, vowing to find a way to bring her daughter back.

Something about that vow intensified the atmosphere, as her visions became more profound and cryptic, as if a cosmic entity were communing with her.

In her visions, Hippolyta glimpsed ancient, curse-related incantations buried deep within the island's lore. These forgotten incantations held the potential to undo what had been done. However, they were cryptic and fragmented, such that she couldn't make them out quite clearly.

Driven by the urgency of unraveling the mystery for the greater good, she dedicated herself to the higher power communicating through visions, pledging unwavering loyalty and complete submission. As if in acknowledgment of her commitment, her visions became clearer.

Initially, her tasks were mundane yet crucial — from scattering coins around the island to acting on hunches regarding the most effective strategies to subdue Wan and bring about his demise.

All efforts to eliminate Wan proved futile, as he consistently evaded capture and sought refuge in more secure locations.

Her psychic connection intensified, allowing her to share in the frustration of the cosmic entity, which desired Wan Juan's demise as fervently as she did. However, this did not deter her determination to unravel the incantation's secret; she devoted her mind entirely to this pursuit.

On this particular day, the remaining Amazons had received some insightful information about Wan's location, and they were poised to implement another strategy, outlined in an invisible, open, article: "How to Kill The Cursed Millenial."

While in the premonition of battle with the Shikigami tamer, one of her visions kicked in and she warned her subordinates of a large, invisible, elephant.

The conflict between the Amazons and Wan intensified, with Hippolyta providing strategic guidance on how to maneuver to evade attacks from the elephant. The battle posed a challenge for Wan as he simultaneously grappled with the Amazons and the tough Max Elephant.

Leveraging his superhuman attributes, Wan successfully tamed the elephant just in time to wield its power against the Amazons, just as they executed their hunch. The city flooded with an unexpected surge of water, catching the Amazons off guard and providing Wan with the opportunity to slip away and continue his pact-bound activities.

(Present times - A last hunch, forging a pact, and, breaking a seal)

To The Cursed World, this was the last hunch: the only opponent to ever defeat Wan. To Hippolyta, this was salvation for Themyscira: finally deciphered the incantations. And, to Constantine, this was a gamble: either tame, or, effectively kill.

Just as Wan prepared to summon Mahoraga, the Queen led her followers, bearing the lifeless form of Diana, back to the altar with hopes of restoring Themyscira to its original state. Fortunately, no Cursed Amazons obstructed their path as they followed the last fabricated coin, leading them to Wan's location on the opposite side.

As the battle with the Mahoraga and the Cursed Amazons escalated for Wan, the Queen was set to commence the utterance. She held out a fabricated coin before the broken alter. Her mind freed from the psychic link that had guided this far, her decision began to waver as to whether this was the right decision.

However, her urgency amplified as a cataclysmic tremor nearly tore the mountain apart. She chose to gamble, seeing how far things had escalated

"Soul sacrifice..." She started, and before she knew it, she had formed a pact with The Cursed World as she completed the utterance. "Bring our salvation, and free us from our sinful souls."

The fabricated coin dissipated, traversing into the realm of the underworld to fulfill their desire and uphold the pact.

On the opposite side of the island, a master of occults and experienced sorceress were working their magic to undo an ancient spell. Well versed with what was at stake, it was only natural that these two knew what they were doing.

Constantine used his stored up magic as he uttered the spell. Concurrently, Zatanna employed her backward magic, enhancing the potency of the spell for the ritual.

Meanwhile, Superman, Flash, and Batman worked tirelessly to rescue the unconscious women scattered across the island, striving to save them before the imminent full collapse of the island took its toll.

Everything came together just as Piercing Bull locked its horns on the Oracle. The fabricated coin managed to accomplish it's goal in Hades' realm, substituting Hippolyta's soul for Diana's, just as per the vague pact she had forged. To free the sinful souls of the Amazons, something far worse was about to happen.

Constantine and Zatanna let out a long breath of relief as they finished breaking the seal of the gods that forbade Wan from tapping into his true Cursed technique.

"The artifact's in shambles," Constantine drawled, eyeing the wreckage of the item supposedly cradling the Prophecy. "But the bloody deed's done. If we can't sway him to our cause, we can at least send him packing for good. No worries about him clawing his way back as some vengeful spirit now."

"Now he's become a swifter, double-edged blade," Zatanna intoned, her skin tingling with anticipation.

"Did you guys happen to overlook an... important detail in your spell?" The Flash was the first to catch on to the peculiar changes occurring in the bodies of the women they had recently rescued.

"Blimey hell!" Constantine scoffed, eyes fixed on the bodies turning into wisps like a blasted willow tree. "S'wear we've got bugger all to do with that mess."

Simultaneously, a comparable debacle unfolded with the Oracle just as Piercing Bull jumped for the final strike. In the blink of an eye, she disintegrated into chaff, propelling Totality and Piercing Bull into a gruesome showdown.

A similar fate befell all the remaining Amazonians on the island, culminating in Diana's resurrection.

Her heartbeat first echoed like a coin as she breathed in the air of the living. Dotted streaks of purple briefly adorned her skin before assimilating into her being.

But her mind had been enlightened by the God of the Underworld, and she knew what needed to be done. Immediately, she sprung into action and reserved solving the mystery of the energy within for later.

Inadvertently, Hippolyta had traded the souls of all the Amazons for Diana's. The Queen's soul descended to the Underworld, while the remaining Amazonian souls became mere puppets for Soul Embodiment.

C/N:

A trade-off: the Oracle for Diana (last hunch). Since Diana isn't cursed, she won't immediately jump into using Soul Transfiguration or Soul Embodiment, but she has that now.

5 chapters early access in patreon.com/CursedMillenial. Thanks for reading.