chapter 39: scared

When Hoa opened her eyes, all she could see was black.

It was a blur. Time seemed to pass quickly for her. She blinked once, twice, before blurry shapes finally materialized around her. Her surroundings shifted rapidly, almost as if she was dreaming. She was in an elevator lobby, and she was handing a coin to Charon. Then she blinked again, and she was being rowed across the Styx. Opening her eyes once more, she recognized the setting of Elysium. With her good deeds and the sacrifices she made, she expected nothing less than to end up in the abode of the blessed.

But she felt the opposite of blessed. Her emotions were all over the place, but one thing she was positive about was that they were all negative. She was sure she felt unsure. Restless. Conflicted. Scared.

Of course, she felt scared. How could she face the world without Nico?

But really, Elysium was beautiful. She could spot some familiar faces in the crowds of happy people. Everything looked perfect, everything sounded perfect, everything smelled perfect.

It didn't feel perfect, though. Hoa felt like a piece of her was missing, like she hadn't completed a goal she's always wanted to achieve or like she lost something. A chunk of her was missing, and she knew, deep down, that it was with someone special to her.

Nico.

A huge hole sat in her chest. The sadness and loss of Nico felt like someone wrenched a blade through it and twisted it. He wouldn't be gone forever, right? she asked herself. He'll visit.

Right?

She had to trust her judgement on that one. 

So there she sat in Elysium, staring off into space. Sure, it felt great to be in a place of such high achievement. But it all felt so bland. The smell seemed diminished, colors seemed to be grayer, her emotions seemed to be stuck in a bottle.

The world was more discolored without the boy wearing those discolored clothes by her side.

Her ring pulsed. She gingerly placed her hand atop the ruby on the golden ring, feeling the comfort and warmth of her father. It's okay, he seemed to say. Everything will be alright.

"It feels terrible, father," Hoa whispered. "Is this what it felt like when you lost my mother?"

The ring pulsed again. Red light seemed to emerge from the ruby, a warm glow making Hoa crack her first smile since arriving at the Underworld. She put a hand on her hair. Somehow, it turned into a bun with her hair clip through it after she died.

Deimos. He put it in a bun for her—the same bun her mother had.

"Thank you for looking out for me, father," Hoa said. "I appreciate you."

The ring shone brighter. Hoa smiled as she pulled the pin from her hair, her dark locks falling down her shoulders. She studied the clip, admiring its Chinese-style design, with the cherry tree and the blue bird sitting atop.

The ring flickered, drawing Hoa's attention again. "What is it?"

The ring kept flickering. A cool breeze flowed in Hoa's face, pushing a stray hair back. The grass curled around her fingers. A strong wave of calm and peace washed over her as she stared out into the distance.

She frowned at the ring. "Is this your way of telling me to enjoy death? I'm still not enjoying it."

Immediately, everything stilled. The wind, grass, even her heartbeat seemed to slow down. Her eyes widened as everything came to a stop, as if Deimos actually listened to her.

"Hoa Pham," a voice called.

Chills went down her spine as she turned her head toward the voice. A Fury stood there, her bat wings flapping impatiently. "You have been called to the throne."

Hastily, Hoa stood up, brushing her pants and shirt off. If she was called to the throne, it meant the god of the Underworld was waiting for her, and it is best to never keep the god of the Underworld waiting. "I'm ready."

The Fury grabbed her shoulders and soared into the air. Her heart beat quickly as they soared above all the restless and tortured souls, their screams hurting her ears.

Hades' palace was dark and made of dark materials. That's the best Hoa could describe it as she walked forward to meet Nico's father. Everything was pitch black, like the night. There was an eerie feel to the air as Hoa thought of how this was such a terrible first meeting with Nico's dad.

As soon as reached an appropriate distance from the throne, she bowed at a 90° angle, unsure what to do. What were you supposed to do, anyway, when you meet a god? Why would Nico's dad need her in the first place?

Hades spoke up. "You don't know why you are here, do you?"

"No," she answered, still bowing.

"You're here because my son loves you very much."

At this, Hoa's eyes widened as a huge grin spread over her face. Her heart felt warm at the mention of Nico, and a tiny blush appeared on her face.

Hades watched her with his cold eyes. "Yes, I suppose that reaction describes your love for him, too. Both of you are so similar."

Hoa tilted her head to the side slightly, confused. She was about to speak up when Hades continued.

"Both of you share the same love. Both of you are feared by others because of your heritage. Both of you are powerful. But most of all, both of you are terrified of the world around you. Rise."

Hoa rose shakily, her back hurting a bit. She stood up straight, not quite meeting Hades' gaze.

"Fortunately for you, my son loves you enough to sacrifice the reincarnation of my daughter for you."

At this, Hoa sucked in a large breath. What—

"He did the soul-for-a-soul exchange. This entails that if he kills a person who should be dead already, then he can bring someone back alive for a... compensation. Rather than choosing to revive his sister, he chose you."

Tears filled her eyes. Her hands started shaking out of relief. "Look up," Hades said.

And she did. And Hades' cold eyes seemed to soften, just the tiniest bit.

"I trust you will be good to my son?"

That was a question, which meant he needed a response.

"Yes," Hoa said. "I will."

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hi im madi, your loyal author ♥️

HOA IS BACKKKK bc neeks will literally die without her

END OF THE BOOK IS NEAR GO CHECK OUT MY BOOK IDEAS STORY

check out muse! its a jax x reader (from tadc--the amazing digital circus)

anyways

how was the chapter?

also, what are some questions of your own?

anyways, tysm for reading this crappy book! 😃