Page 47 of Orpheus
For failure to find my lover was not even a choice.
And soon we were reconnected much to my relief.
Stealing each other’s hearts again like cunning thieves.
Soon, we must leave this place once and for all.
For two living men do not belong here, surrounded by these ominous walls.
We both shall return to the surface where together we will roam.
Settling down to enjoy our future, in a place we’ll call home.
Eurydalos held a smirk permanently pressed on his face during my entire vocal number. I could tell he thoroughly enjoyed my hymn dedicated solely to him.
“I will forever be amazed by your musical talents, Orpheus. You could sing about the dirt on the ground and I would still be enthralled,” he complimented me with.
I felt my cheeks instantly warm and flush in embarrassment. “Oh, there is no need for flattery, my love.”
Eurydalos leaned in to peck me on the lips with a soft kiss. “You should get used to it. I will praise you for the rest of my life. It can’t be helped.” He gave me a playful wink as he stated this.
I was so lucky to have this amazing man by my side. He was everything I had ever wanted and more. What more could I ever ask for? I had found the love of my life and I could not think of anything else I would want more.
But as I held onto these endearing thoughts of my lover circulating in my head, he abruptly shot up out of our bed. “But we should take heed of the latter part of your song,” he suggested.
“Oh?” I uttered.
“I think it’s time for us to depart from this place for good. Let us return to our normal lives,” he elaborated.
I could not agree with him more. “Yes. But before we disembark from this castle and head for the upper world, there is something you must know. A warning from Hades,” I began to inform him.
“What kind of warning?” he curiously asked.
“When we journey across the Underworld, I cannot look back at you. You must follow me the entire way and never once can we lock gazes with one another. For if we do, before we reach the surface, then I will lose you, and you will remain here forever,” I told him.
“Very well. Then we must abide by Hades’s rule. I will make sure that I stay behind you the entire way,” Eurydalos replied.
It seemed like a simple request. One that the two of us could easily follow. Just have Eurydalos trail slightly behind me and I wouldn’t look back at him until we reached the surface. We should have nothing to fear. After all, we had already come this far. I doubted there was anything else that could put a stop to our future together. So, I held no reluctance with being ready to travel out of the Underworld.
“Then let us depart.”
Chapter 21
Eurydalos and I stood in the main foyer of Hades’s castle. We faced each other as I held his hands in mine. “Remember. Whatever you do, make sure you are always behind me from here on out. We cannot look at each other directly until we fully reach the surface.”
My lover nodded in confirmation. “Yes. And you need to keep reminding yourself to not glance back to check on me,” he replied. “I know you will be tempted to, but you must refrain from doing so at all costs.”
“It will be difficult, but I can commit to that,” I assuaged.
“Good. So, this is it then?” Eurydalos asked.
I lowered my chin. “Yes. Let us be on our way.”
The gigantic onyx doors to the Underworld palace opened up. I proceeded to step in front of Eurydalos and lead the way as we exited the castle. After a few paces forward, we were already in the main terrain of the Underworld. The choppy and rugged plain was full of black boulders and rocky features with geysers spurting purple and black smoke and flames from the ground, just as I had recalled from yesterday.
Based on what I last remembered before I was caught by the vines that had trapped me, I had a rough idea of the general direction we needed to head in. Eurydalos must have sensed my initial reluctance and unsureness, for I heard him call from behind me. “Are you sure you know where you are going?”
“I think so,” I simply stated.
