Accidentally Summoning the God of the Underworld

As her fingertips made contact, a sudden rush of energy surged through her body, flooding her senses. The air seemed to shift around her, thickening with an unseen force, and for a moment, she felt like she was no longer in the room at all. Instead, she was standing in a vast, shadowy expanse, the ground beneath her feet trembling as though alive. She looked around, her breath catching in her throat, and that's when she heard it, a voice, distant yet clear, resonating through the silence.

"Cronus is the key."

She pulled her hand back from the stone, gasping as the vision faded, and she was once again in the room with Hades. Her mind spun with the weight of the revelation. Cronus… The words echoed in her mind, and she knew, without question, that they held the key to breaking the bond and the mark that had tied her to Hades. But there was one problem: Cronus was not someone easily found.

Hades' expression darkened as he heard the words. He leaned back against the stone pillar, his arms crossing over his chest. "If you truly want to get rid of the mark," he began, "there is only one way. Cronus, the King of Titans, is the only one with the power to remove it, his staff can sever bonds like the one you bear. But… getting to him is no simple task."

Aurelia's eyes widened at the mention of Cronus, her mind racing with the implications of such an endeavor. "But… how do we even reach him?"

Hades exhaled slowly, his gaze distant as if considering the dangerous journey ahead. "Before you can see Cronus, you must first seek the judgment of six of the twelve gods. Only they can determine if your case is worthy of Cronus' attention. If they deem it fit, they'll grant you the hearing, and only then will you be allowed to approach him."

Aurelia absorbed the information, feeling the weight of it pressing down on her. Six gods. The twelve gods of Olympus, and she had to find a way to prove her worth to them. She thought of the gods she had heard of, the powerful beings who ruled the realms of the mortal and divine alike. "It sounds… complicated."

Hades smirked, but there was little humor in it. "It hasn't happened in centuries. No one has dared to ask for such a hearing in so long. You're one of the boldest humans I've come across, Aurelia."

She could sense the respect in his words, "So what happens if they deny me? What if they don't see my case as worthy?"

"Then the mark remains, and the bond between us is unbreakable. You'd be forced to live with it for the rest of your life or worse," Hades replied, his voice a low murmur. "There are consequences to summoning the gods, Aurelia. But I suppose that's something we'll both face, if you choose this path."

She swallowed hard, the thought of failing at this already heavy task threatening to overwhelm her. "And what does this have to do with you?" she asked. "You're supposed to be among the six judges?"

Hades let out a low chuckle, but it lacked any humor. "Yes I am. But I'm not on good terms with my siblings, the gods. And my relationship with my father? Even worse." His face darkened at the mention of Cronus, the bitterness evident in his tone. "But that doesn't mean I'll be welcome among them. In fact, my involvement could make things even more difficult."

Aurelia met his gaze, the tension palpable between them. "So you're telling me that we have to go to the gods, face your siblings, and hope that they'll allow me to stand before Cronus… and you're not sure if they'll even listen to us?"

"Exactly," Hades replied, his expression unreadable. "The gods don't often intervene in mortal affairs, especially not for something as… personal as a bond between two beings. You may not even get the hearing you seek."

Aurelia's heart raced at the daunting prospect. There were so many unknowns in this plan, so many potential pitfalls. But she had come this far, and she couldn't turn back now.

"And if they grant me a hearing?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Hades' gaze softened, but only for a moment. "Then you'll see Cronus. And if he agrees to break the mark… then it will be severed. But be warned, Aurelia. Breaking such a bond comes at a price. Even Cronus cannot predict what will happen to you after that."

Aurelia stood frozen for a moment, her thoughts swirling in a chaotic storm. Six gods. A journey to seek their judgment. The possibility of facing Cronus. The price that might come with breaking the mark and the uncertainty of what it would mean for her.

She looked up at Hades, her voice quieter now, tinged with uncertainty. "Can I… can I have some time to think about all of this?" The question was more of a plea for respite than anything else, the enormity of the decision settling heavily on her shoulders.

Hades' gaze softened, but there was no hesitation in his response. "Of course," he said, his tone calm, almost reassuring. "Take the time you need. The decision is yours to make."

She nodded slowly, grateful for the moment of respite. The journey ahead, the gods to face, the potential consequences, it was all too much for her to process in one go. She needed time to clear her head, to make sense of the choices before her.

With a simple nod, Hades motioned for them to begin their journey back. They turned from the temple, their footsteps echoing in the eerie stillness of the underworld.

Aurelia walked in silence beside him, her mind lost in the labyrinth of what lay ahead. Would she take the risk and try to break the bond, knowing the potential costs? Or would she choose to live with the mark, accepting the strange connection it had given her?

As they entered the threshold of his house, the familiar, cool stone of the walls seemed to absorb the weight of the world outside, enveloping them in a space that felt almost like a refuge. She had started feeling like an outsider here, a human in a world that wasn't meant for her. But now, for reasons she didn't quite understand, there was a part of her that felt an odd sense of belonging.

Hades led her through the grand hall, his steps as quiet and deliberate as always. When they reached the sitting room, he gestured for her to take a seat. She sank into the chair, her mind racing with the information he had given her. The path ahead was daunting, there was no denying that. But she knew she had to make a decision, and soon.

Hades sat across from her, his gaze never leaving her as he took a seat in his own chair, the silence between them now stretching out like an unspoken agreement. He seemed to be waiting for something, perhaps for her to speak, to ask the questions that had been plaguing her mind.

After a few moments, she cleared her throat, her fingers nervously twining together. "Hades…" she began, her voice softer than usual. "I was wondering… is it possible for us to go back to the mortal world soon?"

His brow furrowed slightly, but his expression remained largely unreadable. "I have matters to attend to here, in the Underworld," he replied, his voice smooth but with a quiet edge. "I am the god here, after all. There are things that require my attention."

Aurelia nodded, feeling the weight of his words. She knew that his responsibilities could not be cast aside, not for something as trivial as her own need for distance. Still, she couldn't help but ask. "I understand, but… I just thought, maybe, it would help if we went back for a little while. To clear my mind, at least."

He met her gaze, his eyes dark and thoughtful, before he leaned back slightly in his chair. "Give me some time, Aurelia. I promise, when I've finished my business here, we can go back. I'll make sure you feel at home. You won't be alone in this, I'll make sure of that."

Aurelia looked at him, her heart beating faster as she processed his words. It wasn't the response she'd expected, but there was something comforting in his offer, something more than the god of the Underworld might give to a mere mortal.

"Thank you," she whispered, though her thoughts were far from settled. She didn't know what this arrangement would mean for them or how much it would change their lives. But in that moment, there was a strange sense of relief. Maybe she hadn't made her decision yet, but for now, she could trust that Hades would be by her side through whatever came next.

He gave a small nod, his gaze softening ever so slightly, but his voice remained firm. "We'll take things one step at a time, Aurelia. Don't rush your decision."

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Aurelia spent her days wandering through the grandeur of Hades' estate, taking in the wonders of the Underworld that she had never imagined existed. The palace was a marvel of ancient architecture, its towering stone walls adorned with intricate carvings of forgotten gods and beings, their faces both serene and menacing.

The marble floors beneath her feet gleamed with an unsettling brilliance, their polished surface reflecting not just the physical world, but perhaps the soul of the Underworld itself. Tapestries, woven with golden threads, hung from the walls, their depictions of souls traversing the afterlife and gods overseeing mortal fates. It was a realm so different from the world she had known, yet there was a strange comfort in it, a strange, quiet beauty.

Aurelia found herself drawn to the gardens within the estate, though the plants here were unlike any she had seen before. The flowers were dark, almost unnaturally so. Petals like velvet in shades of deep purple, midnight blue, and blood red, some blooming with a faint glow of their own. The trees were tall and gnarled, their branches heavy with the weight of centuries, their leaves shimmering silver in the dim light.

But it wasn't the estate's beauty alone that held her attention, it was slowly beginning to be Hades himself.

Every time they crossed paths, Aurelia felt a flutter in her chest. Each time she saw him, her heart seemed to skip a beat. His presence was magnetic, pulling her in despite her best efforts to maintain distance.

In the beginning, she tried to fight it. She told herself that she was just caught up in the mystery of the Underworld, that it wasn't him, couldn't be him, that made her pulse race, that made her body respond in ways she couldn't explain.

But with every passing encounter, it became harder to ignore. Her thoughts drifted back to him even when he wasn't around, and the fluttering in her chest turned into something more.

So she started avoiding him.

Whenever she knew he was near, she would take a different route through the estate, retreating into the gardens or wandering the halls, careful not to bump into him. She even found herself staying inside her room more often, the intensity of her heart's reactions too much for her to bear.

She was scared, scared of what it meant, scared of what might happen if she allowed herself to feel what was rising inside her. She had already been thrust into a world far beyond her comprehension, and the idea of being tangled up with Hades in ways she didn't fully understand frightened her more than she was willing to admit.

Yet, despite her best efforts, she could never seem to stay away for long. There was something about the Underworld, and about him, that kept drawing her back in. And each time she saw him, the flicker in her heart only grew stronger.

Until one fateful morning, when the sunless sky outside the estate was tinged with shades of indigo and violet, that the moment she had been avoiding finally arrived.