Walking across the dusky plains of twilight, Eros no longer needed a guide.
All he had to do was walk toward the source of the light.
Around him, countless hazy and dazed souls trudged in the opposite direction, away from the light and into the darkness, pulled by the Underworld’s abyss.
There were humans, demi-humans, and even stranger, insect-like beings among them.
Without a strong enough obsession or desire, no soul could resist the pull of the Underworld. Step by step, they drifted toward death’s embrace.
The tiniest creatures, as small as insects, wouldn’t even make it to the first of the Underworld’s rivers, the Acheron. They’d be erased entirely before reaching the banks, their souls scattered into the soil of the dead.
Those that endured would still have to cross the river of agony.
Typically, the ferryman Charon would appear, demanding the most valuable thing a soul possessed in exchange for passage.
If a soul had nothing to offer, it could only wander this barren plain in eternal limbo, waiting for a chance.
The river churned with jealous dead who had failed to cross, their hands ever reaching from below, trying to drag anything above the surface down into oblivion.
But all of this was beside the point.
Eros walked against the flow of souls, heading toward the realm of the living.
He passed many faces, so lost, so struggling, others flickering with montary clarity.
Yet all of them had crossed the threshold. Once they entered this realm, there was no going back. A brief struggle was all they could manage before the inevitable pull of darkness took hold again.
Judging from their attire, Eros could guess how things were going on the surface.
Athena had accelerated humanity’s growth by petitioning the goddess of ti to alter the seasons. Then she’d descended herself to teach humanity weaving, architecture, and other essential crafts.
Because of her, humans had rapidly evolved out of primitive tribal life. Villages were forming.
This was a good thing.
It ant Eros wouldn’t return to a land of savagery, surrounded by clueless cavepeople.
Before, he’d been worried about the era above, especially after seeing Io’s primitive outfit, but now he was reassured.
He had no interest in dealing with literal primitives.
As he approached the Underworld’s exit, the light ahead grew brighter. Moss had begun to appear on the rocks, a clear sign of the boundary between death and life, the Underworld and the mortal realm.
"Alright," Hypnos said behind him, breathing a sigh of relief. "Just a few more steps. Once you cross that cave, you’re back in the land of the living."
Finally, she’d be rid of Eros.
Ever since their chance encounter by the River Styx, her once-peaceful life had been turned upside down.
In this short ti, she’d experienced more chaos than she had since the day she was born.
And she was certain it was all because of Eros, drawing trouble like a magnet.
Now that he was finally leaving the Underworld, their one-sided agreent would end too.
"Mm... Looks like my ti here really is over," Eros said, pausing at the edge of the green-lit threshold. He turned back to look at Hypnos.
"Hey, we’re friends now, right? Shouldn’t we at least share a hug or sothing before I go?"
"Pft. Who’s your friend? Get lost already!" Hypnos spat, glaring at him.
"Aww, that hurts. So we’re not even friends now?"
Eros put on an exaggerated pout, only to drop it a second later and switch expressions completely.
"Oh right, my bad. We’re not friends... because I’m your big brother."
"See ya next ti, my foolish little sister!"
With a smirk, he flicked her forehead and laughed as he stepped across the line between life and death.
The sunlight stung his eyes, it had been far too long since he’d seen it.
Warmth kissed his skin, replacing the cold breath of the Underworld. The scent of earth, plants, and life surrounded him.
No wonder Hades’s psyche had beco so twisted. Being forced to abandon this world of warmth and beauty for the cold gloom of the Underworld? Anyone would feel resentful.
Eros took a deep breath of the fresh air, savoring the fragrance of grass and trees.
Sunshine, grass, trees, flowers... nope. He had to stop. Any more, and he’d trigger a flag.
But still, this was what living felt like.
Just as he raised his foot, intending to figure out where he was...
The sky darkened without warning.
A mont ago, it had been bright and clear. Now, thunderclouds surged in like a tidal wave, completely eclipsing the sun.
From within the roiling clouds, flashes of lightning flickered, violent, vengeful, and focused squarely on him.
Eros blinked.
And then his sixth sense flared like mad, screaming of imminent danger.
Above, the clouds roared. Massive thunderbolts were forming, crackling with divine might.
"...Oh f*ck, HERA, YOU’RE SERIOUS?!"
A deafening boom tore through the sky.
A bolt of divine lightning ca crashing straight down toward him.
It felt almost like the sky snorted at his outburst, like soone had heard him curse and responded with divine fury.
Back in the Underworld, Hypnos was still standing near the exit.
Technically, she should be free now. Eros was gone.
But for so reason, she felt a little... empty.
She looked around for sothing to entertain herself. Nothing ca to mind.
Thinking back, life had been a lot more interesting since eting Eros. Even if it had been chaotic, at least it wasn’t boring.
Now that he was gone... things just seed dull.
"...Forget it. I’ll just go nap."
If all else fails, sleep. There were still plenty of dreams waiting.
Just as she turned to leave, a thunderous BOOM exploded behind her.
"DAMN IT, HERA! YOU WAIT RIGHT THERE!"
Eros ca sprinting back like his life depended on it.
Which it did.
Behind him, lightning chased him like it had a mind of its own.
He dove past the threshold, just in ti.
The mont he crossed into the Underworld, the divine bolt struck the barrier and disintegrated, repelled by the realm’s protective darkness.
Eros gasped, wiping sweat from his brow.
Hera really held a grudge.
She wasn’t joking when she threatened him. She had literally been camping at the exit.
"Get off !" Hypnos wheezed.
Eros had landed right on top of her, crushing her flat.
There was nothing romantic about it. His body was heavy and solid, she felt like she was being smothered.
How did Styx and the others tolerate this guy?
"Sorry, ergency landing," Eros said sheepishly, helping her up.
"What happened? You just left and ca running back like a lunatic. What chased you?" she asked, trying not to laugh.
"I didn’t piss anyone off today," Eros sighed. "It’s just that soone I pissed off a while ago is apparently still camping the exit."
He didn’t even get a breath of fresh air before Hera’s thunder ca crashing down.
He could only talk so trash to make himself feel better.
Luckily, in the Underworld, Hera couldn’t touch him, or spy on him.
Still, thinking back to their last conversation, Eros really hadn’t expected her to follow through.
Where was her dignity as queen of the gods?! No sha at all?
He sat down on a nearby rock, rubbing his temples.
If Hera kept this up, there was no way he’d be able to leave.
She was probably monitoring the exit directly, had his na and voice flagged for imdiate divine action. The mont he stepped out, bam, lightning.
"...Hypnos, is there any secret exit from the Underworld that no one knows about?"
He couldn’t win this fight. Hera wasn’t a re avatar this ti, this was the real deal.
Avoidance was the only option.
And the Underworld had to have other exits, right? Secret passages? Backdoors?
"There’s no such thing," Hypnos said with a shrug. "Why would the Underworld make secret exits? You think it’s a prison break?"
She figured he was joking.
There was only one way out of the Underworld: the entrance.
Secret tunnels weren’t exactly standard policy.
"...Actually, no. There is another way," Eros muttered.
He rembered helping Hades clear out Gaia’s monsters in the deep, outer reaches of the Underworld.
That place led to the Earth’s dark underside, those monsters must have paths to the surface too.
If he transford into beast form again, maybe he could sneak through unnoticed.
But... that ca with risks.
He wasn’t worried about Echidna, he’d outplayed her once already, but Gaia’s territory was a different story.
And Gaia hated him.
If he entered her domain, he might not make it back out.
But what choice did he have?
If he didn’t try... he’d never get out of the Underworld.
Eros fell deep into thought.
Beside him, Hypnos pouted.
"Hmph. This fool. Did he already forget ?"
If he just told her who was waiting outside, she could make that person take a nap.
But nope, let him suffer. She wasn’t going to offer to help.
Unless he asked nicely.
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100 P.S = 1 Extra Chapter
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