TWENTY-EIGHT

A gasp escaped her mouth the moment she saw the black water. She doesn't know what it was and she certainly doesn't want to find out. Perhaps Hades sensed her fear and he walked beside her. Their close distance makes her stomach flutter. She looked at him and realized he was looking at the water running below. Voices—muffled and chaotic—rang in her ears and it took her a while to realize that they came from the river down below.

"What's...what's that?" she asked. Although she's got a feeling that she's not going to like whatever answer he has, she needs to know.

"The river of sorrows," he answered.

"Is that metaphorical or...?"

Hades was silent for a moment and she could have sworn an emotion passed his face but before she could discern what it was, it was already gone.

"It consists of dead dreams, failures, disappointments, regret, and sorrow. When people die, they bring those with them. And it flows right here, somewhat sustaining this place. They're the ones making this river its color."

"That's...incredibly sad."

"There's a reason why this place is called hell, Guinevere. It's not paradise and rainbows."

"I know, but..." I stared at the river flowing calmly. The voices were still chaotic and the more she listens to them, the more it gets louder. "These people who died, how bad were they when they were alive?"

"As bad as that man who tried to assault you. Those men in the prison who tried to take advantage of you. Some are ten times worse. Those people come down here and would experience hell for eternity. They will see their worst nightmare over and over again until they become insane. When they're insane enough, they become...demons. They serve this place. Become part of this place. When I die, this place dies together with them and my other subjects."

"Including me."

"Including you."

"Obviously, falling in love to break this curse is not an option as it would kill me. It's pointless. The only thing we have left is to kill your mother."

Hades let out a scoff. "For a mortal, you are incredibly courageous. And stupid. Killing my mother is just as impossible as our first option."

"For a god, you certainly lack the balls."

Words left her mouth before she could even stop herself. She regretted it instantly and wished Hades would not push her off the rock tower and fall to the river of sorrows. But he just stared at her and then amusement danced in his eyes.

He sighed. Which was something she did not expect. "I'll let you off the hook for now," he said. "You have to know that I tried doing just that. Killing my mother. She's unkillable."

"Zeus found a way to ask for her help. We need to find something—I don't know what but there has to be a way—"

"Guinevere," he called and she stopped talking. She was panicking, that's for sure. Who wouldn't panic when you're bound to die? As much as she want to exclude herself from all this, she couldn't.

"That's my problem to worry," he said and he gave him a look.

"I can literally die too if you die so technically, this is my problem too."

"You still have a way out, remember? If you're not the one we're looking for to break the curse, I can still release you from being my subject."

"How will you know that I am not the one?"

"We will know in time. And don't worry, you will be free before this place dies with me."

Relief flooded through her at the news. She still has a way out. If she isn't the one they were looking for, she's going to be freed. Happiness bloomed inside of her and perhaps it showed on her face that Hades gave her a nod.

"Well, that's our first stop. Ready to see the rest of this place?"

She nodded. At that moment, she didn't care what else he would show her. Her mind was too occupied with the fact that she was going to be free. Before she could blink Hades flicked his wrist and in an instant, the surrounding changed. The river was gone and this time, she could see the castle from where they were standing.

When she took a look around, she found that she was back to the place she was before. The one where there were lush green trees and vast grassland. The midlands, as they call it.

"Why are we here?"

"The midlands got its name for a reason. It's a place between heaven and hell."

"Good people go to heaven. Bad ones to hell. Who are the ones here?"

"Bad people who got a shot at redemption and good people failing heaven."

"My parents—"

"Are not here, as I've said before. But even if they are here, mortals aren't allowed to see them."

Of course. A mortal woman like her seeing a dead person is not really something that should happen. And besides, if she sees her parents now, what would she say? She's got too much hatred in her heart that it was enough to last an eternity if she's got that much time to live.

"Why are we here?" she asked as she watched the view in front of her. The vast grassland was peaceful. If it was in a different circumstance, she would have marveled at the beauty of the place. But she wasn't here for leisure. Even as Hades guaranteed her freedom before the underworld dies, she can't be too relaxed.

"This wouldn't be a tour if you don't see the whole place, would it?"

She went silent at that. "What's this place got? The river of sorrows got pain and disappointment. This place has what? Almost-opportunities?"

He stared at her for a second before he turned and looked at the surroundings too. "I guess you could say that."

There is nothing more painful than an almost. The kind of feeling when you've done a lot of things to get where you are...only to fail near the end. If that's the kind of pain this place offers, its beauty masks it perfectly. Another reason why this place is called hell.

Silence covered the two of them but it was enough to make her think clearly. People die at some point. And right after they die, they either go to the heavens or hell or the midlands. They are judged for how good and how bad they were. She had been the subject of bad things from bad people and she abhorred them. She abhorred the fact that she was constantly the victim because she was powerless. Now, she might have the power to change the fate of the underworld. The place where people like her aunt and her aunt's boyfriend deserve to suffer. This place can't disappear.

"I have a new deal for you," she blurted out and Hades gave her a sideward glance.

"You're getting more and more brazen. Making another deal with the devil."

"As long as I am still a potential curse breaker, I will help you. I will help you find a way to break the curse. We do not know if I am what you're looking for but I will do my part and help you, Hades. This place can't die. You can't die. There are people that deserved to be in this place for the pain and suffering they have caused." She sighed and went on. "Forget the servicing you in the bedroom. I'll strike a new deal. I can't sit and do nothing. I will help you find a way. I think that's worth my freedom rather than the...service."

Hades faced her and tilted his head to the side. "The service is equally worth it, if I must say." A knowing grin curved his lips and in an instant, heat flooded her cheeks as memories from last night came rushing in.

"I can't...I can't just still and do that. I need to be useful. I want to help you. If the time comes that I don't break the curse, I want you to free me. That's all I ask."

Amusement danced in his eyes as he was looking at her and she couldn't help but avert her gaze. Making eye contact with Hades felt like her soul was being sucked into unknown dimensions of an incomprehensible mix of emotions.

"Are you sure about that deal?" he asked and for a moment, she replayed the bargain inside her head, looking for any loopholes or conditions that might prove disadvantageous for her in the future. But she couldn't find any. She thinks it was a good deal.

"How...How long will it take?" she asked and then cleared her throat to clarify her question. "You said you will know in time if I was the one to break the curse or not. How long will it take for you to realize? I am a mortal. You are a god. We don't have the same lifetime."

"Like I said before, Guinevere, you will be free before this place dies."

"Will I still be alive when that time comes?"

Hades only smiled at her and said, "Who knows?"

She gave him an unbelieving look. "Well, freeing me if I was already dead would be pointless, wouldn't it?"

Hades laughed.

He actually laughed. It wasn't sarcastic. It was a burst of genuine laughter and she couldn't believe it made her feel some sense of fulfillment as though she just achieved the greatest feat. Well, who can make the devil laugh? Has anybody ever seen the devil laugh?

When he was done laughing, he looked at her. As if it wasn't enough to send her insides haywire, he stepped forward. Close enough that she was looking up at him just to see his face.

"The service would be less of a hassle for you," he said and she couldn't believe he was still going at it.

"Like I said, I'd do the hassle instead of just sitting around—"

"Oh, you wouldn't always be sitting around."

She swallowed hard at the kind of stare he was giving her and the indication of his sentence strangely gave some kind of excitement in her body.

"I am offering a better deal, Hades."

"I liked the first deal we had. I know you liked it too. Why change?"

Words left her mouth. She couldn't say a word. Yes, she couldn't deny that she liked it. But she doesn't want it to continue.

"I don't blame you if you are still bound by the moralities of a mortal but this is the underworld, Guinevere. The world will sinful people go. You think if you embraced that kind of pleasure, it makes you rotten. It doesn't. Trust me."

Trusting the devil would take a lot.

"It makes me guilty, Hades. It makes me feel bad when my heart loves someone else."

"Reid Mason, right?"

Genuine fear coated her tongue at the way he spoke his name with so much familiarity. As though he has been watching Reid for a while.

"Tell me, how is he related to that best friend of yours? What was her name—oh right, Maddie."

Her brows furrowed at what he said. "What are you trying to say?"

Hades merely smiled and offered her his hand. "Care for some sightseeing?"