Chapter 45

Cerberus p.o.v
I felt the stabbing pain in my chest as i stood exactly where Lord Hades had left me in my quarte4s, I could barely feel my legs, as my knees buckled.
He was..... gone. I could no longer feel the bond between us.
‘He would not leave me, would he?’ I thought as I took deep breaths. As my feet led me In circles.
I could no longer trace him as easily since our bond was severed.
It was quiet
Too quiet.
The stillness felt wrong, like a heavy blanket suffocating everything that once made this place home. I prowled the darkened halls, i was in a too much dishevelled state to keep my human form. my three heads turned in unison, ears pricked for any sound, any sign that he was here. But there was nothing. No familiar scent, no echo of his voice calling out to me. Just silence.

Hades was gone.
I had been born to protect him, to serve him, and in return, he had always been there, a steady force, a guide, a friend.

But now, that bond was broken, severed so suddenly that it left me reeling. I could feel the emptiness where he should have been, a hollow ache that pulsed through every part of me. My paws felt heavy as I moved through the dark corridors, my claws scraping against the cold stone floor. Each step felt like a struggle, as if the world itself had shifted, and nothing made sense anymore.

I watched as demons and souls bowed to me as I passed them. It did not feel right. There was only one person they were meant to bow to.
The ruler of hell, and that was Hades.
I entered into his chambers, sitting head up, looking around.

I let out a low whine, a sound that echoed through the cavernous room, bouncing off the walls until it faded into nothingness. My tails drooped, the energy I usually carried with me drained away, leaving only a deep, aching sorrow. How could he leave me like this? How could he just… disappear?

It didn’t feel real. It couldn’t be. I buried my heads or at least one of it in my paws.
“Cerberus” a voice called, causing me to freeze.
I did not want her to see me. Not like this.
Not when I could barely control myself to make a proper sentence.
I turned a bit, to make sure that it was who i heard and sure enough, it was Mene.

“Cerberus, I was ....” i growled, stopping her in her tracks before she came any closer.
I had wanted to approach her, to explain somehow that I meant no harm, that I was just as lost as I could not find Hades.
But I couldn’t move, couldn’t bring myself to take a single step toward her. What if she recoiled, what if she fled from me. I was a monster, after all—a creature of legend, a guardian of the dead, but still a monster. An abnormality even the gods left to die, all except Hades
I summoned a bit of magic to disappear, leaving before she could say anything, retreating back into the darkness, where I couldn’t see the fear i was sure etched on her face.
I went to a place i knew she would not dare to go to. The stynx.
No god would willingly come here. I took in a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart.
But even as I tried to calm it, the thought gnawed at me. Mene had never treated me like the others had. She had always been kind, gentle in her own way
She never treated me like the other gods did. and I had sensed a sort of understanding between us or even something more.
I shook my head at the thought. It was foolish. To let my mind wander the. A god was a god. They were all the same one way or the other, all except Hades.
“Cerberus!” I heard her voice again, forcing me to freeze.
I dared not look back. “Cerberus wait!!!!” she yelled, causing me to not move. Its like my whole body obeyed her command.
She came close to me. Causing my heart to best loudly. “Cerb” she said.
I dared not look. This was it.
She was already looking at my true form with disgust, fear. I was sure of it
She touched my fur at first. It was as though she was not sure of what to do. “Why did you run away?” she asked her voice the calmest I have ever heard anybody.
“are you ignoring me?” she sounded pitiful. I looked at her face, despite myself.
I could not hold back the shock I felt. She felt a little bolder
“Cerberus,” she whispered, her voice gentle. I turned to her. She didn’t move, instead, she moved closer to me. but there was no fear in her eyes, no hesitation in her voice. “Come here.”

I took a tentative step forward, my paws feeling lighter, less burdened. And then another, and another, until I was standing before her, my heads lowering to her level, each one focused on her, searching for any sign of the fear that had haunted me.

Mene reached out slowly, her hand brushing against the fur on my center head, her touch soft and careful, as if she were afraid I might vanish if she wasn’t gentle. Her fingers traced along the curve of my snout, and I let out a deep breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding, the tension melting away with each stroke of her hand.

“It’s okay,” she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. "you don't have to be scared, we would find Hades" she sounded scared.
she felt warm, calming me enough to turn me back to my human form.

"you did not look at me with disgust" I said, looking away from her, slightly embarrassed.
"why would I?" she looked at me, confusing marred her face.