(Greek Mythology) The Abyss of the Underworld
Chapter Twenty-Nine
"So beautiful!" Standing at the highest point, gazing at the distant scenery, Hermera's eyes were filled with genuine admiration.
"I actually prefer looking at it from the outside," Denise said with a gentle smile, her expression tinged with reminiscence.
A huge, transparent barrier enveloped a space, filled with a light and beauty unlike any other part of Hell. Faint golden light drifted intermittently through the air, each wisp exuding an indescribable holiness and purity, which only accentuated the dazzling brilliance of this place amidst the surrounding deep darkness.
This reminded her of the crystal ball a friend had given her for her birthday. She had turned off all the lights in the room, then turned on the switch on the crystal ball. Bright light poured down like water, tiny glittery specks swirling and circling around the small, exquisite house. The surprise she felt then, she didn't know if it was from the beautiful scenery before her or from the friendship between them.
A flicker of sadness crossed her eyes, but it quickly vanished, replaced by a gentle, serene smile as she turned to Hemera.
"You look like a giant light bulb!" Hemera blurted out, completely shattering the peaceful atmosphere.
Denise sighed, rubbing her forehead in exasperation. She should have known; he was utterly incapable of being poetic.
"Could you please not use that metaphor? Thank you." Such a comparison completely ruined any sense of beauty.
"But I just feel like a giant light bulb!" Hemera winked playfully, puffing out her cheeks and speaking in a childish, childlike voice.
She really wanted to poke him.
And then Denise actually did, reaping a bristling Hemera.
"Denise!"
Hemera pounced on Denise, trying to tickle her, completely abandoning the elegant image she had been forced to cultivate through Nix.
Denise, of course, wasn't going to stand there foolishly waiting for Hermera to come over. She had been prepared since the moment she reached out, and now she was running even faster than Hermera.
"Come and chase me!" Being fast meant Denise had plenty of time to provoke Hermera.
"Denise, you stop right there!"
"Only a fool would stop. I'm not that stupid."
But running so fast in a long dress, Denise, do you know what it means to court disaster?
"Bang!!"
See, her joy turned to sorrow. She tripped over her dress and fell, serves her right for getting caught.
"Got you!" Hermera was smug. Although she was also wearing a long dress, she had trained in the illusion and wouldn't make such a basic mistake like Denise.
So, what's there to be so smug about?! Is this some kind of "I'm a glutton, and I'm proud of it" attitude?
The girl's silvery laughter carried far, seemingly bringing a touch of joy to the world.
"...No...no...I'm not...playing with you anymore, I have things to do later." Denise said breathlessly, tidying her slightly disheveled hair from running.
"...What...is it?" Hermella didn't immediately understand.
"Just some work I usually handle and some preparations for your wedding. Do you think everyone's as free as you?" Hermella rolled her eyes at Hermella. This girl was really getting more and more senile; indeed, too much comfort makes one's brain degenerate.
"Uh...sorry, I accidentally forgot. I'm so sorry to have troubled you." Hermella sincerely apologized to Denise, after all, a large part of the reason Denise was so busy was because of her.
"Your wedding was easy enough; Prince Nyx made all the arrangements. I was just helping out. Princes Eros and Charon were the real trouble." Denise felt a headache coming on just thinking about it.
Nyx knew his younger brother and son's capacity for causing trouble, so to ensure the wedding went smoothly, he specifically ordered Denise to keep an eye on Eros and Charon to prevent them from causing any problems, and especially to keep them away from Eudora, the wedding venue. So, Denise was in a terrible predicament.
You might be wondering now, wasn't Eros supposed to be in seclusion in his temple, recuperating? How did he end up in Hell?
————Background Information————
After being caught by Erebus, Eros spent some time obediently staying in the temple.
Staring resentfully at the barrier outside, Eros wasn't incapable of breaking it. As a fellow first-generation god, even if Erebus was stronger than Eros, how much stronger could he really be? He wasn't some monstrous prodigy like his elder brother. It was just that if he dared to break the barrier and escape, his elder brother would likely come to capture him personally next time.
And the consequences of his elder brother coming personally were terrifying. He didn't want his already long prison sentence extended further, and he certainly didn't want to be plotted against and killed by his elder brother.
Then Eros got a chance to get some fresh air, making him feel that his recent period of obedience had been rewarded.
Although Tartarus's exact words were: "Eros is, after all, the god of love. It's better for him to preside over Aether and Hemera's wedding. Let him continue his seclusion after the wedding."
To only remember someone when they're useful, and then discard them when they're no longer needed—it's more devastating than saying someone was a free gift with a phone plan.
Of course, Eros wouldn't care about such trivial matters; the point was, he was released, wasn't he? (Although temporarily.)
Therefore, Eros decided to make the most of this short time and have a good time.
What's fun in Hell? Having spent a considerable amount of time in Hell, mostly being punished or locked in a (dark) room, Eros certainly didn't know. So, he wisely found himself a playmate: his umpteenth nephew, Charon, the youngest son of Erebus and Nyx.
As it turns out, mischievous kids do have common ground; they always seem to be on the same wavelength.
Look at the ravaged flowers and plants, look at the buildings torn to pieces, look at… Perhaps it would be better to light a candle for Denise.
"I really don't want to get involved with those two anymore. Prince Eros is alright, at least I can communicate with him, but Prince Charon is just deliberately causing trouble, I can't stop him." Thinking about what those two have done these past few days, even the usually easygoing Danes couldn't help but complain; it's just too damn annoying.
Charon is the kind of person who thrives on chaos. Although he won't actually cause any problems for his brother and sister's wedding, just creating trouble is troublesome enough. Eros won't cause trouble, but unfortunately, he's a classic example of someone who's good-natured but makes things worse. These two gods are practically walking sources of disaster, basically worthy of being labeled "dangerous items, keep away."
Hermes expressed deep sympathy for Danes, and then she said… she absolutely wouldn't help.
So, Danes, you'll just have to do the extra work. (Lighting candles…lighting candles…lighting candles…) Chapter 29