FIVE

She paced back and forth inside her chamber which undeniably looked more like a prison. Even as several hours had passed by, it still wasn't enough to process what she had heard.

A devil. An actual devil. And she is in the underworld. How could she process all that? And as if it wasn't bad enough, Hades told her she was there to serve him. She's a payment for what her parents had prayed for. She couldn't fathom how unfair it was for her when she wasn't the one who asked to be born in the first place.

A prayer that was not supposed to happen. She was not supposed to be born. She should not have been born. Yet her parents had asked the devil to grant them a child and the payment would be for her to be the devil's slave.

She sank to the floor. She doesn't have any idea how she's going to accept all of that. She doesn't know if she will ever accept it all.

A knock in her door pulled her back from her reverie. She stood and scuttled to the furthest corner of her room. The door opened and came in Henrieta, bringing her a tray of food.

She ran towards her and grabbed Henrieta's arm. "Help me get out of here, please," she said. Henrieta just looked at her before she pulled her hand away from her.

"I don't like you here. And as much as I want you gone, there is no way out. If you wish to escape, you will only meet certain death."

"There has to be a way. There has to be some way for me to get out. Please," she sobbed. "There has to be a way."

The woman looked at her and said, "The only way for you to get out of this place is to ask the lord of the underworld himself. Other than that, there's only death."

She sobbed harder as she looked at Henrieta. Before she could even say another thing, Henrieta quickly walked towards the door and once again, locked her inside.

Looking back at her life before, it seemed like it had been ages ago. She would give anything just to go back to that kind of life. Her aunt's mistreatment would sound like heaven compared to this place.

She doesn't know how long she sat on the bed but her food had gone cold. It was then that she felt hungry that she decided to walk toward the table. She was about to pick up the spoon when the door burst open and it wasn't who she expected. She dropped her spoon as she met his intense stare, scanning from head to foot.

"I'd need you to eat and stop sulking," said Hades before he closed the door.

I was about to eat and I was going to eat if you hadn't barged in, she said inside her mind but she didn't have the guts to say it out loud. Not when this man could possibly kill her in a matter of moments.

Hades took a step forward and she stepped back. Hades saw her fear and narrowed her eyes at her.

"You're scared," he said.

Anyone with a sane mind would be scared after hearing what you just revealed.

"I already gave you enough time to process what I said. I expect you to be able to come to terms with that," he said and she couldn't help but look at him.

"How many days has it been since...." she trailed and she knew Hades knew what she was talking about.

"Two days," he answered. "We don't have a sense of time here but in your world's time, it's been two days."

She swallowed hard. "I want to go back," she said before she could even stop herself. If this man is indeed the lord of the underworld, he could make her life a living hell since they're practically already here. She doesn't want to be here. If she has to do anything so Hades would let her out, she would. She can't live here. Not ever.

Hades tilted his head. She knows he could read her mind and she knows he had seen what she was thinking about.

"Trying to think of a way to convince me to let me out?" he said. She gulped and then nodded. Hades crossed his arms over his broad chest. "Why do you think I would be convinced? The moment your parents made a bargain, it had become sacred. I mean, it's basically a deal with the devil and you know there's nothing good that comes out if you bargain with the devil."

"Please," she said and dropped to her knees. She never imagined this could happen to her. She never even thought it could be possible. Gods, the devil, the underworld, a slave to the devil--all of it felt surreal. And if she was still dreaming, she wants to wake up.

But no. She could feel the pain in her knees as she continued to kneel. "Please," she said. "I can't live here. You're the lord of the underworld. Surely, you can make a way around it. I can't--" She sobbed but went on, "I can't possibly be the consequence for what my parents did. I will do everything. Anything you want me to do, just please, let me go."

Hades looked at her. She couldn't even see any speck of emotion on his face. If anything, there was just some hint of amusement on his perfectly sculpted face.

She saw how the man's brow quirked up as he looked at her. And then his lips curled into a small smirk before he walked closer to her. She was still kneeling on the ground when the man crouched down in front of her. Before she could even scuttle away, the back of his hand went to caress her cheek. It was gentle but she still flinched.

"I'm sorry for what Melissa did to you," he said. She was surprised to hear the words from him. that she wasn't able t form the words that she wanted to say next. "I'm sorry I haven't been checking on you when I should have." His hand went to cup her face.

"It's what I should have done in the first place and yet I wasn't there to protect you." Now, he's caressing her cheek gently with his thumb. The way he touches her makes her want to forget who he is and what he'd done. But looking at his stormy eyes reminded her once again that she wants to get out. She wants to go home.

"And yet no matter how many times your aunt has mistreated you and how that world treated you unfairly, you still want to go back? Why?" he asked. He was too close. Closer than he's allowed to be. She wanted to move away but no matter how she tries to scuttle away, she couldn't move.

"It...it was my home. I belong there," she said. And then suddenly the rush of hope came flooding and words started to flow inside her mind and her mouth started moving. "I don't belong here. My friends are there. My life is there. You might not know this but I am a student. I have been working part-time jobs to support my education. I...I work in this cafe and the pay is great. I made friends too and they're good people. I belong there. I belong to that kind of life. Not here. Not your slave." Tears had already started rolling down her cheeks and she could feel his thumb gently wiping them away.

"You wish to go back?" he asked and she nodded continuously. She needed to go back. No matter how unfair the world had treated her, no matter how poorly her aunt had mistreated her, it was still her home.

Hades looked at her for a long time before he stood. She looked up at him and saw him looking down at her.

"And you're willing to do anything?"

She nodded. Whatever it is, she will do it if it means her ticket to get out of here.

Hades was silent for a moment she waited for what she was about to say. And then all of a sudden the gentle aura he had earlier vanished.

"Then visit my chamber later tonight. We can talk about what I want you to do," he said and she's not stupid not to know what he means.

"Your chamber tonight?" she asked.

"Yes," he said. "You said you want to do anything I say. Now, I want you to come to my chamber tonight and serve me. If I am satisfied with your service then, I will let you go."

Her insides froze at what the man had offered. Perhaps she had expected more from him, especially how gently he touched her face earlier. But soon she realized that the devil will never be gentle. That he might have not hurt her or slapped her but he was planning to destroy her dignity.

Anything. I should do anything.

"If I do it and you're....satisfied with it, do I have your word that I will be out of here?"

"My word is your assurance, Guinevere. I don't lie and when I tell you you'd be out of here if you meet the certain conditions, then you will be out of here."

She looked at the man. It was a challenge. He might be thinking she would not do it. But she had said she will do anything and so she will.

Guinevere stood and wiped her tears using her hands before she looked at the man in front of her. It's her only chance.

"Then I shall come to your chamber tonight," she said.