Page 25 of Tempted By Hades

Persephone, observing the varied scenes, asked, “Do they stay here forever?”

Hades continued, “Yes. Some souls resided in solitary dwellings, seeking solitude even in the afterlife, while others formed small communities, recreating a semblance of the social bonds they cherished in their mortal days. Others form communities based on the time they lived.

As they continued their journey, Hades and Persephone observed the diverse expressions of the afterlife in The Meadows, where the ordinary and unremarkable found their place in the tapestry of the Underworld. Souls noticed their presence, and a subtle murmur of recognition spread among them. Souls, in various stages of the afterlife, greeted the gods with a quiet nod or a smile.

Children, their forms radiant and ethereal, noticed Persephone’s arrival and gathered around her, their eyes filled with curiosity and innocence. Enamored by her warm presence, the children clustered around her, drawn to the gentle aura that emanated from the goddess.

Persephone, touched by the ethereal children, knelt down with a warm smile. She extended her hand, and the children, sensing her kindness, approached cautiously. As they gathered around, their transparent forms filled with an otherworldly light, Persephone bent down to speak to them.

“Hello, little ones. What brings you to The Meadows?” she inquired in a soft and soothing tone.

The children, their memories of mortal life still fresh, began to share snippets of their stories, their laughter echoing in the quiet expanse. She listened attentively, offering words of comfort and understanding. Soon, though, they began to get restless as children do, she supposed, and then waved goodbye as they ran off to play.

“You’re good with children,” Hades remarked.

“It’s not that difficult to talk to them.” Brushing her hands on her thighs, she stood up. The ground beneath her feet, though made of dark, cool earth, seemed to pulse with an otherworldly energy. Unseen trees, ethereal in their existence, emitted a soft, haunting glow, casting a gentle luminescence over the landscape. Shadows, rather than being oppressive, danced gracefully, playing hide-and-seek with the radiant glow.

A gentle breeze, carrying whispers of distant echoes, brushed against her skin. It wasn’t the chilling wind one might expect in the Underworld, but rather a caress that hinted at the unseen spirits lingering in the realm. The air held a subtle fragrance, a mixture of earthy scents and the delicate perfume of spectral blossoms.

As she gazed over the landscape, Persephone noticed shimmering pools reflecting the cosmic tapestry above. These were no ordinary bodies of water; they held the essence of forgotten memories and dreams that danced in the Underworld’s eternal twilight.

“So, this is where you want to plant the asphodel?”

“Yes. I want as many as I can plant. And once it grows and takes over this place, I will eventually call it The Asphodel Meadows.”

A breath escaped her lungs, imagining this ordinary place full with pink, white and yellow flowers. It would no longer be so ordinary. “I can already imagine it. It’ll be beautiful. But I already like it here in any case.”

A dark eyebrow rose. “More than the Elysian Fields?”

“Believe it or not, I do. It’s the perfect place for the asphodel.” Once again, she soaked in her surroundings.

“I thought so too. But yeah, once you have all that asphodel growing…it’ll be wonderful, I’m sure of it.”

“Yes, I’m hoping it will be.” He glanced behind them, back toward all the souls they had passed. “There is nothing wrong with an ordinary life, to wish only for simple things and for peaceful days. Those ordinary souls deserve something extraordinary, too, even in their afterlife.”

There was something about his words that surprised Persephone. It certainly wasn’t something she had expected from the god of the Underworld. But then again, as this tour had shown her, this place turned out to be something completely different from what she’d thought she’d known. Perhaps Hades, too, had a different side to him.

“Would you like to see my home?”

“Your home?”

“Yes, my palace. It’s actually not too far, if you don’t mind the walk.”

She clasped her hands together. “I definitely want to see it.”

“Come.” He smiled at her, then offered his arm. Instead of leading her away, however, he once again transported them.

Persephone could feel the air shift once more, and for a brief moment, they were enveloped in a light fog before her feet felt the ground beneath her. Glancing around, she saw a grand palace a short distance away. However, what caught her attention was their immediate surroundings.

Though to most ordinary eyes, it would seem like any patch of land—bare soil beneath them, and a few trees planted here and there, she instantly knew something about this place was different. Unlike the common perception of the Underworld as a realm of perpetual darkness, this particular spot radiated a mesmerizing aura.

“There’s something about this place…I can’t put my finger on it, but did you—” A bark—and loud growls—interrupted her. “Orthrus!” She had been so entranced by their tour—and perhaps, she admitted to herself, her tour guide—that she hadn’t noticed that he’d wandered off. “Is that?—”

“Yes.”

The playful sounds of paws on dark soil echoed as Orthrus, with his two heads, frolicked alongside a massive, three-headed dog.

“Cerberus,” he finished.

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