"Now, now." The bastard laughed, coming closer to where I knelt, clutching at my stomach. "There's no need to be nasty. In reality, I am doing you a favor, Persephone. You're not strong enough for this world, for this war. I am practically saving you."
Ever the savior, oh mighty Zeus. I wanted to spit at his face, but I couldn't. Not from this position.
His blue eyes crinkled in the corners as he placed his hand on top of my head. "I forgive you for going against me, Persephone. You can die in peace."
Peace? I would never know peace, and neither would he.
My bloodied hand shot up, wrapping around the back of his neck, and as I looked him in the eye, I saw it then. The tiny flicker of fear. The uncertainty and the little boy who wanted too much but didn't know how to get it. And I smiled.
I fucking smiled, because even in death, I would haunt him. I would find him in the next life or another.
"You will never know peace, Zeus," I murmured, feeling the blood slowly splitting over my lips. "You will never know love, compassion or victory." His body turned to stone as I stared into his eyes. "One day, in the future, I will come back." I grinned, seeing the full terror in his eyes. "I will come back, Zeus, and neither you nor your lackeys would be able to stop me from leveling Olympus to the ground. You won't be able to stop the inevitable."
Zeus tried pulling back, away from me, but he wasn't able to. The darkness I never allowed to consume me, to overtake the light I prided myself on, roared to life, filling my veins viciously.
"You and your entire line will suffer from my hand. You and your wife," I spat out, knowing the viper he had in his nest could hear me, "will never know tranquility, because I will be there, living in the corners of your mind. And when you least expect it, when you forget about my existence, I will be back. I will be back to destroy you all." The darkness whispered to those who wanted to hear, and this time, I wanted it.
I craved it.
I didn't fear it like I did before. And as it slithered over my hands, into him, I knew my words would forever ring in the ether. I fucking knew the curse I didn't think I was capable of would follow him through lifetimes, until the time was right. Until my soul was ready to be back.
Zeus tore away from me, his frantic eyes seeing me in a different light for the first time in his miserable life.
They all thought I was just a maiden, unable to make my own choices, desperate for the love of a man they all said had kidnapped me and forced me to be with him. Fools, all of them. Hades never had to force me. He never had to kidnap me.
I went willingly, and I always would. They all just underestimated me, because I didn't want to be a part oftheir little schemes. Because I believed in the good in people. I believed in benevolence in the Gods, but I was wrong. So, so wrong.
Zeus opened his mouth as he stood up then closed it again, and without another word, he turned around, walking away from me as I bled on the cliffs of Nevermere Island. Where I met the love of my life. Where I finally felt like I could breathe.
The whooshing sound erupted around me, signaling they were all gone, teleported back to whatever fucking hole they had crawled out from. My eyes landed on my fingers and the darkness spread through my veins, slowly eating me alive.
But the pain I felt didn't come only from the wound festering in the center of my body. It came from the knowledge that I would never get to see him again. I would never get to hold him.
Hades would blame himself for this, for my death, and I just hoped fate would be kind enough to allow us to meet again. In another life, in another place, far away from these people and these Gods and their wicked games.
"Persephone!" His voice thundered across the clearing, mixing with the violent sky. "No, no, no!"
His knees were the first things I saw as he skidded in front of me. My head was too heavy, but with the last bit of strength I looked up, seeing the turmoil in those emerald eyes.
"I'm sorry," I whispered as he hugged me to his chest, letting me rest my head against him. "I tried to fix things." I coughed, feeling blood drip down my chin. "I tried?—"
"Shhh." His broken voice wrapped around me. "Preserve your strength. Just, stay with me, okay? Stay with me." We both knew that was impossible.
His shaky hand landed on my cheek, softly caressing me as the tears I never thought I would see cascaded down his cheeks, falling onto my skin. The scent of the forest, of freshly cut grassand rain, infiltrated my nose, and suddenly, the pain and fear of the unknown was no longer what held me in its embrace.
Hades's body shook from the force of his silent sobs, but not once did he allow me to hear them.
"I love you, Persephone," he whispered, his soft lips pressing against my forehead. "I'll forever love you."
"And I you," I replied, pressing my hand to his chest. "Your face was the only thing I wanted to see," I croaked. "Your eyes the only ones I want to remember."
His forehead pressed against mine as he pulled me in tighter. "Please," he broke, "please, don't leave me. Don't leave me."
"I want to stay," I cried silently. "I want to stay more than anything else, but we both know…" I breathed in as blood filled my lungs and as the poison spread farther toward my heart. "We both know it's not possible."
"Please," he cried. "Please. I am begging. Please!" he bellowed, looking at the skies and the sunset slowly disappearing on the horizon. "I will do anything. Please!"
But those words, those pleas, none of them would work. The cold bite of death wrapped around my feet, dragging its vicious claws over my legs and toward my heart.
