Chapter 33

He took a step closer. Like a predator closing in on its prey.
“my lord!” the door flew open, with Cerberus looking panicked a bit. “I am sorry to disturb.” He said bowing his head when his eyes connected with mine. I sighed.

A little escape' i thought, releasing a breath I did not even know I was holding.

“what. Do. You. Want!” Hades looked pissed, beyond pissed
“I am sorry to disturb you, my lord, but....” he looked at me for the briefest second. “There has been an escape. His name has been scrapped of the list and he can’t be found within the borders.
Hades gave a tired sigh.
“you have one job” he said, somehow sounding a bit stern, but at the same time, had a calming voice.
“I.. I know, i am sorry” he looked...
, ashamed?
Embarrassed?
It was difficult to place the emotion.
“let’s go” he said, dragging my hands and pulling me along.
“w..what???!” I looked at him shocked he paid me no mind as he dragged us across the corridor.
“He is at the borders. Masked, but there. He cannot make it out.” They said, rushing out.
Dark mists covered the place, causing a chill to run down my spine. He held on to me tighter. “I am right beside you, don’t forget that” he muttered in my ear.
Heat spread across my body in the parts he touched.
Suddenly, the feeling disappeared. It was replaced by the chilling presence and then....
Screams.
the oppressive atmosphere pressed against my chest. Every step felt like it dragged me deeper into a place I never wanted to be, but I could not stop myself from walking. The darkened mist felt like they were pulling me forward.
The screams were louder and louder, Goosebumps appearing on my skin,
Silence.

“Valerie,” he called, his voice echoing in the cavern like the growl of a wild beast. I could barely recognise it
The fog cleared up, leaving Hades by my side again and blood. There was so much blood everywhere.

swallowing hard against the bile rising in my throat. “Why did you drag me here?” I forced out, trying as much as possible keep calm

He turned to face me fully, a cruel smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “I thought you might like it, guess not.”
“don’t worry, they can’t actually die, they are souls” he said with the biggest smile on his face. “they would come back again and again and again, no matter how gruesome their death is. It is fun o tell you” he said, coming close to me and kissing my forehead.
As he spoke, a figure, barely recognizable as human, clawed its way up the jagged rocks from the pit below. His hands were raw and bloodied, his body emaciated, covered in burns and scars that told of endless suffering. But even through the disfigurement, I knew him. How could I not? He was the man that caused my first nightmare.

My uncle.

The man who had stolen my innocence, who had haunted my nightmares for so many years. Here he was, not in the way I had always imagined him, not the powerful, smug monster I remembered. No, now he was the one who was weak, pathetic, and terrified. And as much as I wanted to look away, I couldn’t. I was transfixed by the sight of him, watching as he tried to drag himself out of the pit.

“Every day, he tries to escape,” Hades said, his voice laced with satisfaction. “And every day, he fails. It’s fun, but today, he crossed the line. I had other important things...” he said, his eyes lingering on me for a moment longer than necessary
He, my uncle, took a step closer. He had this look in his eyes.
He remembered me.
Suddenly, I was ten again, all alone trying to finish the work momma gave me before she came back.
*ten years old*
“Hey, it’s about to rain, why don’t you come in” uncle said, looking at me with a smile that made my body Crawl.
“I.. I can’t. Momma’s going to beat me if the coconut isn’t peeled by the time she comes home and I”
He came closer to me. Touching my shoulder. “uncle please, I need to...”
“I have told you time without number call me, Sebastian” he said in a low voice, just as the thunder roared through the sky.
“un..uncle p....le...ase.. pl..ease.. please.” I cried. I wanted my mum. I wanted to run into her arms and talk about how uncomfortable this made me, how HE made me.
I was cut off from my thoughts with a slap “no wonder Linda hates you, don’t you get it? I said call me Sabastian!!” his eyes were hooded.
He reeked of alcohol.
“say it!” He ground his teeth, sending another slap my way.
“S...Sebastian...” I said in the littlest voice I could muster.
“good” he said, looking a bit satisfied. “now...come” .l
**
I shook myself out of the thought visibly shaken.
I lost it that day. My innocence, my cluelessness, everything.
He took a step closer “you” he sneered, taking a bolder step towards me. “You finally made your way down here” he gave a sinister smile. “Thought you were better than the rest of us?” he snickered. “Guess I do get you inside this personal hell of mine after all”
I could barely move.
I was back to the ten year old me that could not defend myself. He was within arms reach now, a little stretch of his hands and he would touch me.
I felt my skin crawl.
‘Please uncle,
I don’t feel comfortable
I don’t like this
It hurts’ no matter how much I begged, he did not let go.
His head right in front of me snapped backwards, causing him to scream loudly.
He dropped to his knees panting and looking at me with tired eyes.
“I would prefer it if you did not touch what was mine with your filthy hands.”
There was definitely something wrong with me no doubt.
Because through the fear I felt and the man, no monster that stood in front of me all I think of was that Hades had just called me his....