Chapter 27: Hades’ Castle
In the heart of the Underworld, Hades' palace rose like a dark monolith against the bleak landscape, a purple hue almost radiating off of it.
Or maybe it was pitch black. It was almost impossible to tell with the heavy darkness surrounding it.
It was almost as dark as Tartarus, the only difference being Tartarus' darkness was a result of absent light while the palace almost birthed its own sinister shadows despite the illumination coming from the surrounding River of Styx.
Its towering structure loomed high, composed of rough-hewn stone that seemed to absorb the dim light, giving the entire edifice an ominous presence.
Three spires stretched upward as if they were trying to escape the weight of their own darkness.
In the middle stood the main tower, its architecture as jagged and unnatural as everything else in the underworld.
Upon approaching the tower, the entrance stood before you, flanked by massive doors, intricately etched with swirling designs and skeletal motifs.
Well, this is what one would see if they planned to enter through the front door.
-VUAM
A colossal black pillar suddenly appeared from thin air, stretched over an awe-inspiring distance, its flat tip looming before the palace.
'Hades' Palace.'
Three figures stood atop the pillar, a boy with dishevelled black hair that made him seem as though he was a wild animal and bright golden eyes standing before the rest, standing tall.
'It starts now. It's do or die.'
"Does everyone remember the plan?"
Illian asked, looking back at the green man who gripped the pillar tightly, giving quick and dismissive nods.
"Yes, It's fresh in my mind." Kronos nodded in his usual receptive manner.
Illian nodded as he looked back, the staff they stood on slowly moving down as it failed to find something to support its awkward placement.
"Then no more waiting. This is it. Up!"
Illian yelled. As he did, Ruyi flicked them upwards in the next second, catapulting them upwards.
"Come to me!"
He continued, watching Ruyi shrink with a VWIP, shooting at him as he grabbed it with his tail.
Ignoring Grimnar's screams, Illian scanned the palace as the three of them scaled upward beside it.
They quickly approached its peak, the intense wind making Illian's cape and hair dance.
'The second highest floor. The second highest floor.'
Illian repeated to himself, recalling the words Demeter had told him, his eyes rapidly counting the floors.
As they approached the peak of the tower, Illian's eyes locked onto a specific part of the tower nearing the top.
'There!'
"Expand!"
-VUAM
-BOOM
Illian placed Ruyi at his feet, yelling as the staff expanded, seemingly shooting through whatever ceiling lay beyond the darkness above.
But more notably, the opposite end shot into the palace, where he once lay his eyes.
Because of this stability from both sides, Ruyi stayed hanging at a 45-degree angle in the air as the small group tried their best not to slide off.
"Are you ready?"
Asked Illian, the angle seemed to not bother him as he stood, tilting his body for balance and turning to Kronos.
"I've prepared myself. It's what I've been waiting for since my imprisonment."
Kronos nodded, sitting as he seemed far more comfortable than the struggling Grimnar behind him.
"Do you really trust this plan? We might not make it in time." Grimnar commented between his desperation.
Kronos let out a kurt scoff, nodding his head as his eyes never left the palace.
"I trust the Prophecy."
Kronos turned to Illian as his eyes from beneath his dark hood revealed themselves.
"You've surprised me more times than I can count in the short time we've been together."
"Whatever happens today, I am positive that the world will never be the same."
Kronos looked back as he prepared himself.
"I wish you luck, Child of Prophecy."
-SHHHH
Saying this, Illian watched with a straight face as Kronos slid down the staff, soon entering the palace through the destruction Ruyi had caused, disappearing into the darkness.
"We don't have much time."
-SHHHHHH
Illian grabbed Grimnar with his teeth as the green man yelled, the both of them sliding down the staff on Illian's buttocks.
But before they could enter the palace through the same entrance as Kronos, Illian stomped his feet so hard on Ruyi that a gunshot-like BANG rang out as the boy leapt upward.
Illian jumped so high he now loomed before the highest point of the tower.
-VWIP
Knowing this, no words were needed as Ruyi shrunk, shooting toward him as he caught it with his tail
Then…
"Exthpand!"
-BOOM
***
Kronos, his back hunched, legs and feet bare, his bony arms sticking out of his ragged cloak, slowly walked deeper through the darkness he'd entered.
It felt like he'd been walking for hours, the darkness never showing any signs of ending as silence prevailed.
But that would only be the case for a regular person.
To him, he could see.
And it was because he could see that he soon came to a stop, looking up and revealing his golden eyes that glowed like the headlights of a car.
Shutting his eyes, a second passed before he slowly opened them again, and as he did, a new scenery entered his eyes.
He found himself in an expansive space with imposing skyscraper-like structures scattered around him, the broken wall he entered through seemingly no more.
Despite knowing he was in a building, there was no ceiling or walls, only an ominous and stormy overcast sky casting an eerie, bluish-grey hue over the scene.
It seemed as though he was standing on a structure in the middle of the sky rather than inside a building.
Shadowy, indistinct figures or entities were visible in the distance within the mist, low howls sometimes echoing in the air.
Despite all this and the atmosphere of isolation, stillness, and a hint of dread, creating a sense that this is a realm existing outside the mortal world, Kronos had his golden eyes focused elsewhere.
An elevated platform lay before Kronos, stairs leading to an obnoxiously large silver and dark throne.
"Hello…my son."
The air grew colder as Kronos spoke these words, a thick bloodlust exuding from a figure sitting on the throne.
Upon the throne sat a man with fair, healthy skin.
Stubble adorned the side of his jaw, thickening as it neared his mouth where a sleek and well-groomed goatee sat.
With his neatly styled hair slick back and his goatee both being Jett black, it rather stood out with a surprisingly lighter shade once one looked into his eyes.
He fashioned pitch-black voids for eyes, the kind that seemed as though they swallowed any light that dared disturb it.
But most notably, a deep frown stayed glued on the figure's face, a deep sense of loathing adorning his expression.
Finally, his eyebrow twitched as his lips moved.
"Kronos." Hades spat in disgust.
***
"Let me run by myself."
Grimnar complained, held up on Illian's shoulder as the boy sprinted through a narrow, scarce and dimly lit corridor.
The hallway's walls fashioned a tapestry that branched off itself, creating an infinite loop that made Grimnar seem as though they were running in a maze.
It adorned a reddish-dark colour, or maybe it was just black; it was hard to tell.
"Hades' chambers. Hades' chambers. Hades' chambers." Illian repeatedly mumbled, ignoring Grimnar as his tail coiled around Ruyi.
"What are you mumbling about…"
"Quit your whining!" Illian snapped, boiling over, veins bulging on his forehead.
Grimnar clicked his teeth as Illian exhaled sharply in annoyance.
"You heard Kronos. We're inside the Infinite Corridor."
"Unless we have a clear idea of where we want to go, we'll be running forever."
This was the highest floor of the palace. It was a perfect way to punish unwanted guests.
Despite having dozens of rooms and private quarters, you'd find nothing simply running aimlessly.
Illian wasn't completely sure whether he'd be able to arrive at his destination with just a description from Kronos, but he could always crumble the entire palace to escape, so he wasn't worried.
"How's that working for you? We've been running for some time and have nothing to show for it."
"This place was clearly built using magic, how do you know a simple description will be enough…"
-HAAAAA
-THUD
Grimnar dropped to the ground with a THUD as Illian's arms went limp by his side.
Though Grimnar would usually throw a fit, this time he was quiet.
'What…the hell is this…'
In that second, the two of them had felt a wave of…something wash over them, coming from the direction they were heading.
Sweat dripped down the boy's face as his legs struggled to keep him up.
His breathing was heavy and he subconsciously refused to blink as if he were keeping his guard up.
Though Illian couldn't put a name to what this "Something" was due to his mind being clouded, he did know what he was feeling.
It had been a while since he'd experienced it, the last time being before he bathed in the River of Styx.
His mind had grown stronger, to the point he almost forgot what this felt like.
'Fear…'
Nerve-racking fear at the thick and almost tangible bloodlust thrusting toward them.
This wicked aura made the air thick and ice cold, practically draining the colour from the world around them as Grimnar's lips quivered, forgetting to breathe, only doing so when he was close to suffocation.
"Shit…"
Grimnar slowly looked upward, his expression crumbling by the second, witnessing Illian seemingly…
'H-He's…smiling?'
Grimnar asked himself, seeing the strained muscles on the boy's face, a result of forcefully smiling despite his face rejecting it.
"To think that something other than Hades' could make me feel this hopeless."
Illian chuckled, gritting his teeth as his tail wrapped tighter around Ruyi.
"H-How…"
Grimnar muttered, on the verge of tears.
And despite the green man's vague words and Illian not meeting his gaze, the boy knew exactly what he meant.
How was he able to smile and keep his head straight rather than running for his life?
Maybe it was the fact his heart was starting to beat quicker for a different and familiar reason which made the corner of his lips curl further upwards.
Or maybe it was the dozens of reasons that flashed through his mind of what he needed to do...why he needed to keep going.
Including the image of a figure.
But ultimately, it boiled down to one major reason.
"There are still people that need to see me become the best…people who need to regret their actions."
Saying this, Illian stuffed his staff in between his teeth, his tail wrapping around the staring Grimnar.
"Besides, this just means we're close to our destination."
-STOMP
Illian kicked off the ground as he dragged Grimnar behind him, forcing his body to move as he grinned.
Each step seemed like a decade despite only seconds, his speed slowing by the second.
Soon, his head was lowered as his body leaned forward as if he were bracing himself against a heavy gust, stomping his foot down forcefully, one by one, with each second.
Grimnar had long since fainted, his eyes rolled back as Illian came to a stop, looking up, his grin still on his face.
"What…are you supposed to be?"
-GROWL!!!
Illian stood before a towering mass of muscle and fury, enshrouded in dark fur bristling as if charged with an electric energy.
A monstrous figure with three snarling heads, each one radiating hostility.
The first head growled deeply, a sound that quaked the ground, the air around it shimmering with palpable bloodlust.
The second head fixated on the boy with predatory eyes, its gaze piercing and unyielding.
The third head snapped and barked, a cacophony of vicious growls that echoed through the cavern, sending shivers down Illian's spine.
And if the blood-red liquid dripping from its mouth that paired well with its burning crimson eyes wasn't terrifying enough, its serpent-like tail flicked like a whip, giving Illian a sense of Deja Vu.
Most notably, two tall twin doors lay behind him as if the beast was guarding them.
Despite all this…
"Die!"
Illian yelled, gritting his teeth as he fought the countless urges telling him to flee, clutching Ruyi with his teeth tighter than ever, as the words quickly came to his lips.
"EXPA-"
"Cerberus, down."
-HUUUUU
-THUD!!!
The heavy air and bloodlust instantly disappeared as the large guard dog calmed, slight whimpers escaping its lips as it dropped to the ground with a loud THUD.
As it rested its heads on its large paws, it shut its eyes as it leisurely entered a slumber.
"GAH!"
Illian dropped to one knee as he clutched his chest, breathing heavily as if he were recently deprived of oxygen.
Sweat dripped from his face as his mind slowly started to clear.
And as it did, the first thing he did was look up, searching for the soft and feminine voice that previously entered his ears.
He was quickly able to lock eyes with her as his lips moved on their own.
"Persephone."