Crowned in the realm of death Chapter 4

————Hades POV—————

After years of silence, pain, and endless darkness, I had finally found soone within this living prison.

She stood in the small cave, a strange light cradled in her hands, her presence soft but steady.

My heart no, my very essence stirred. I didn't know her, yet… sothing deep within whispered her presence is familiar. Like a na forgotten on the tip of your tongue, or the scent of a ho you'd once known.

A thousand questions swirled in my head.

'Who are you? Why are you here? Why do I feel this pull toward you?'

But when I opened my mouth to speak, the words didn't co out. My voice cracked, low and broken, barely more than a grunt.

Years of silence, of screaming into acid and loneliness, had dulled my ability to speak and reduced to a creature closer to a beast than a god.

I felt frustration tighten in my chest. So many thoughts so many feelings trapped behind a wall I couldn't yet break.

She held warmth in a world that knew only pain, and her gaze made feel like I wasn't just a monster trying to survive. But instead, all I could manage was a strained voice, rough and awkward

"Y-you… who…?"

It felt pathetic. Caveman-like. Barely human. But it was all I had.

Still, the girl didn't laugh. She smiles softly

"I know you have many questions but first co sit and rest your body a little bit"

I hesitated, still guarded, but the softness in her voice disard . Slowly, I stepped forward and sat across from her, the warm light between us casting a faint glow on the cave walls.

It was only then that I truly beca aware of myself, my appearance. The acid had long since burned away anything that once resembled clothing. I was completely naked.

Instinctively, I curled forward, both hands quickly covering my groin. Embarrassnt surged through like a wave of heat. I looked away, my expression tense, unsure how to deal with this new kind of vulnerability.

She noticed.

She smiled with understanding and gracefully extended her hand. Divine energy shimred from her palm pure, gentle, and radiant.

In monts, it twisted and wove itself into fabric, forming a white chiton, light and soft as a breeze, appearing out of thin air.

I stared in awe. She created sothing from nothing broke every law of physics I had ever known. But then I rembered… this was not Earth. This was another world, a divine realm, and the girl before no, the goddess before was not bound by human rules. This was normal here. I'm the strange one.

She handed the chiton with a kind smile. "Here, you'll feel more comfortable."

Clumsily, I took it and tried to wrap it around myself. The fabric was soft and warm, but I had no idea how to wear it. In this life, I have never worn clothes. And in the previous… well, nothing like this. After a few awkward attempts, I managed to wrap it around my waist and shoulders in a way that at least preserved so dignity.

She watched quietly, not mocking, just patient.

"First of all, let introduce myself properly. I am Hestia, goddess of the hearth, ho, and bonds."

"daughter of Cronus and Rhea…" her face is down and has sorrow written on it, she quickly snaps of depression", and your big sister." She placed a hand gently on her chest like comforting herself, her words carrying both pride and quiet sadness. "And you?"

My throat was dry, my voice strained, but I managed to say in a broken tone, "H-Hades…"

Her eyes softened even more at the na, and for the first ti in this wretched, acid-ridden hell, I saw not pain, but family.

As we sat together, the tension slowly lted. We began to talk clumsily at first, like learning to walk again after being broken for so long. My speech was fragnted, slow, but with every sentence, every shared word, it began to return. My thoughts flowed clearly. The numbness faded. And my voice… well my voice ca back.

I started asking her everything.

"What is this world? Who… what are we really? What is divine energy? What are the laws here? The customs? The history?"

Like a fla that never flickers, she answered it all patiently, openly, with no hint of annoyance or displeasure.

She explained what divine energy is. About the primordial energy from which this whole universe ford and every divine being was born with this energy. She told about the sacred customs of cosmos, of our parents Cronus and Rhea and of the balance that had been shattered by fear.

She told why we were swallowed.

And I listened truly listened for the first ti in what felt like centuries.

As I was collecting my thoughts and information provided by my sister I noticed that

The mories of my past life… were fading.

I could no longer rember my na from that world, the face I once wore, or even the people I might've loved. My identity, who I had been, was slipping away like a dream forgotten after waking. The fragnts of Greek mythology I once knew, the stories that made choose this path when Kaos offered rebirth they were mostly gone now, reduced to faint echoes, blurry and half-ford. I rembered the na Hades, but not the god's full tale. Not his rise. Not his fall.

And yet, not all was lost.

I still retained fragnts of modern knowledge, science, logic, and practical skills that had sohow clung to my soul like a stubborn part.

My body was now that of a divine being, moulded by power and divine energy, but my mind still held pieces of a human shaped by a different world.

And as Hestia continued to speak so full of grace and divine wisdom I quietly layered her teachings with the fragnts I still rembered. This new world wasn't bound by the laws of my old one… but understanding both could give an edge and a much better understanding.

As our conversations deepened over days and weeks, Hestia began to teach about the hierarchy of divine existence.

According to her, all beings in this world could be categorised into the following ascending order:

1. Mortals:

The lowest tier, humans and other sentient creatures without divine essence.

2. Demi-Humans / Nymphs:

Partially divine or nature-bound spirits. Nymphs, satyrs, and beings with partial godly ancestry or spiritual origin. They live far longer than mortals and possess minor magical or elental abilities.

3. Low-Level Gods:

Newborn gods or those without fully awakened godhood. They possess divine energy but little control or understanding. Most are tied to limited or vague concepts.

4. Mid-Level Gods:

They can influence specific natural forces, emotions, or domains in limited ways.

5. High-Level Gods:

They have elite strength and a refined understanding of their divine role. Many ancient myth figures fall into this category.

6. Chief Gods:

Gods who hold authority over a specific domain. Their godhood is unique and tied to a governing force. They are recognised leaders or major figures in divine society.

7. God Kings:

They are the king among the gods. A God King's domain is either supre (ruling over related domains) or absolute (total control within its boundaries).

8. Primordial Gods:

They are not beings, but concepts given form. Ti, Chaos, Darkness, Creation, Destruction, these entities are their domain. They were never born, and cannot die in the conventional sense. They exist before the world and will exist after it.

I am a low-level god right now, but I will rise through this hierarchy and claim my rightful place.