Page 60 of Song of Memories

"Don't worry about it for a moment. You've already done it once before!"

"If you fuck it up, I'll disown you." Hermes added with a smirk, which Pan didn't seem to take to heart, and Eurydice assumed that was a glimpse into how Hermes preferred to parent. Persephone hugged them both tightly, patting Pan on the head affectionately. Persephone shared a special kinship with Eurydice and Pan, all of them having some sort of sacred connection to the nature they were born from.

"I'm glad it worked out, old friend." Persephone winked at Pan and looked at Eurydice. "You are a perfect fit for each other."

"It hasn't worked out just yet," Pan quipped, eyeing the long, cracked path that disappeared into the wall of stone past the gates. The gates themselves were intimidating enough, carved from wrought iron and obsidian stone, with the faces of some of the Underworld's more infamous inhabitants, including the titans. Cerberus's post just beyond the gates was empty, which meant he was likely off at home, scamming the staff for extra food. This entrance was not used for mortal souls who were arriving to the Underworld. That was handled by Charon, and this entrance was infinitely more intimidating. Eurydice was already catching whiffs of the sour scent of sulfur.

"It'll be fine." Persephone was elated as if she was already planning the wedding.

"Are you ready?" Pan helped Eurydice to her feet, and they both turned to look at the winding path ahead of them. Eurydice was looking at it with fresh eyes, every part of her feeling the need to run towards it and not look back—as long as Pan didn't either.

"As ready as I'll ever be." Eurydice's expression was tender. Pan grabbed hold of her hand and squeezed it, saying their final farewells to the gods. They were inundated with another round of well wishes, and Pan set off walking. He would be allowed to hold her hand until the path started to ascend, and he took advantage of every minute.

Eurydice didn't dare to look back herself at the fading landscape of the Underworld. She had discovered parts of herself in her journey through the land of the dead that she didn't know existed; she'd lost part of herself, too, that she wouldn't miss. Eurydice truly had died to find herself, and while she wasn't full of optimism in this moment, she was full of peace. After a lifetime and a stint of being dead, of optimism and false promises, peace was the most valuable thing in the universe to Eurydice.

The landscape around them slowly started to die; the grass withered, and the intense smell of sulfur got thicker. The shadow of the gates ebbed away until it disappeared into the darkness that was slowly consuming everything around them. The soft earthen path decayed into a cracked road of sharp stones. Eurydice sucked in a sharp breath and forced herself to exhale slowly as the memory of those jagged rocks across her skin came tumbling back. The road to the mortal world continued through a small crevice in the stone wall in front of them. As soon as Pan stepped into it, there would be no speaking to him, and he couldn't turn around until they both reached the sunlight. Pan gave Eurydice's hand another tight squeeze, without turning around, as she fell into place behind him.

"Any last minute doubts?" he asked softly, and Eurydice's heart swelled. Pan was constantly checking in with her, making sure that this was something she was willing to go through again. Even as he spoke, his eyesight stayed dead ahead.

"Not a single one," Eurydice whispered back. Pan nodded his head and stepped forward, stepping out of his sandals as he did so.

"Step into those," he commanded gently. A fresh round of tears started to gather in Eurydice’s eyes. Pan noticed her determination to always be barefoot and knew she'd woken up that morning, and like every other morning, she refused to put on sandals. "And follow me."

Eurydice did as he instructed, carefully slipping on the much larger leather sandals Pan left for her. He dropped her hand and walked forward with his head held high. Eurydice took a deep breath, steadied her nerves, and ducked inside the tight crevice and followed Pan.

The darkness enveloped her entirely, and Eurydice found herself waiting yet again for the chaos to descend. She was prepared for the panic to grip her heart now that she was actually consumed in the recesses of the deep, but it never came. The rocks didn't hurt her feet and maybe it was in her imagination, but the air was sweeter too. The sulfur didn't sting her nostrils or make her eyes water. Even the ground felt smoother as she made her way triumphantly forward.

Time started to lose all of its meaning, but Eurydice was prepared for that side effect of the path to hell. She simply surrendered to it instead of fighting it, focusing entirely on her memories of Pan and the concrete knowledge that he was walking in front of her. In the darkness, a soft, gentle sound started to separate itself from the silence. It was melodic, haunting, and Eurydice was captivated by it; it moved her forward, refreshing her hopes. Eurydice didn't know how long the music continued until she recognized the voice—Pan was singing to her.

With a melody more beautiful than anything she'd heard from Orpheus himself, more melodic than a single note from Apollo's lyre. Pan sung to her, helping Eurydice weave her way through the path and the dark caverns of the roadway. She couldn't help it; her heart swelled, and she started to smile. She knew that he wouldn't be able to hear her if she responded, but he sang; he sang nonetheless, and Eurydice knew he was doing it to remind her that he was there. Eurydice's smile grew even wider, and she laughed, the joyful, happy sound almost completely at odds with her surroundings. But then the atmosphere got a little lighter.

The dark, pitch-black world she was walking in began to turn blue, then grey. Eurydice didn't put a single boundary around the hope exploding in her chest. She had done this before, but it was going to end a second time.

Soon, before she could even realize it, Eurydice was blinded by a bright light that filled the entire cavern. The rock pathway opened up into a massive cave with a mouth that would hold half a battalion. Eurydice started runnin,g and she ran until her entire body was bathed in sunlight. The stones beneath her turned into grass—warm, soft grass that had been touched by the sun!

Eurydice looked up and as her eyes adjusted to the light... There was Pan. He was still walking, refusing to look back, until he crossed the mouth of the cave, and he was completely clear of its confines.

Eurydice's breath caught in her throat as she picked up her pace.

Not now, not now. I have to get there too... She prayed that he wouldn't slip up on the instructions. But Pan was steadfast. He didn't even look like he was breathing.

Eurydice let out a joyful shout as soon as she crossed the threshold, practically jumping onto Pan’s back.

They went tumbling into the flower beds surrounding the cave entrance, laughing like children. Eurydice was so full of joy, she thought that her chest might explode. Pan rolled them over until he was on top of her, cradling her face gently and looking her over for any injuries.

“Wild one, are you all right?” Pan inquired, pressing a series of kisses to her face. Eurydice flopped back in the grass and grinned, closing her eyes as she let the warmth from the sun and Pan's love flood her senses.

"Oh, Pan..." Eurydice smiled. "I'm better than I have ever been."

30

Six months later

Eurydice leaned over Pan's shoulder and grabbed an overflowing goblet from his hand. She ignored his squawks of protest as she sipped from it, gulping half of the cup's contents in one sip.

"Hey!" Pan whined playfully, slipping his arm around Eurydice's waist and making room for her on his lap. They were sitting at a long table set up in the middle of a field, every seat filled with a nymph, dryad, or acolyte of Dionysus and Pan. It was the full harvest moon and one of Eurydice's favorite times of the year to celebrate. The field was full of fresh grain, and the squash blossoms scattered across the table smelled delightful. The light of the moon illuminated all their bright and shining faces, and a massive bonfire was stoked to great heights just beyond the end of the table.

"You don't mind." Eurydice smiled. She kissed him on the cheek and finished off the rest of the wine. "Is there more of this?" Eurydice looked around absentmindedly for another fresh amphora on the table. The moment the words left her mouth, her cup refilled, and she squeaked in delight.

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