Ch. 116: Whispers in the Dark
The shadows seemed to pull me deeper into the unknown as I ventured farther from the square. The vibrant pulse of the city began to fade, replaced by a looming silence that made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. The weight of the cane in my hand felt heavier now, as if it too sensed the presence lingering beyond the reach of light.
Vireo’s warning echoed in my mind, but my curiosity was too strong. Something had been watching me since I had left the mansion, and I wasn’t one to leave questions unanswered. The dogs at my side pulled against their leashes, their noses twitching at the scent of something unseen. Cerius growled low, and the sound reverberated through the narrow, darkened streets like a warning.
The further we walked, the more the world around me shifted. The cobblestones beneath my feet seemed to grow colder, the air thicker with an oppressive weight. It felt as though I was walking into another realm entirely, one where the usual rules of the underworld no longer applied.
Ahead, the narrow alleyway opened up into a courtyard. There, half-shrouded in mist, stood an ancient temple, its crumbling walls covered in twisting vines that glowed faintly with an eerie blue light. The structure was old— older than anything I’d ever seen in the underworld. Its massive stone pillars were etched with runes in a language I did not recognize, and at the center of the temple, an altar stood, draped in shadows.
I stepped closer, drawn by the strange energy that pulsed from within the temple walls. As I approached, the dogs halted, their growls intensifying. They refused to go any further, digging their paws into the ground in resistance.
“You sense it too, don’t you?” I murmured, my grip tightening on the cane. There was something deeply wrong about this place— something ancient and powerful.
I felt I had just stepped into an even bigger domain than I had expected, I guess the underworld did had it’s own darkness.
The wind picked up, howling through the ruins like a mournful cry. The shadows shifted again, and I caught a glimpse of a figure standing at the entrance of the temple. Tall, gaunt, and draped in tattered robes, the figure’s face was hidden beneath a hood, but I could feel its gaze piercing through the darkness, locking onto mine.
I took a step forward, and the figure raised its hand, beckoning me to enter. To be honest I have had enough of these figures hidden behind hoods.
“Lord Hades,” a voice rasped from the shadows, dry as ancient parchment. “You have finally come.”
My heart pounded in my chest, but I kept my expression calm. “Who are you?”
“I am the keeper of forgotten truths,” the figure replied, its voice low and melodic, like the whisper of a dying breeze. “And I have waited centuries for your arrival.”
The air grew colder around me, and I could feel the weight of something pressing down on my shoulders. The dogs whimpered, backing away from the temple, their fear palpable.
“I have no patience for riddles,” I said, stepping closer to the entrance. “What do you want?”
The figure stepped out of the shadows, and I could see the features of its face— pale and gaunt, with hollow eyes that glowed faintly in the dark. It was neither alive nor dead, a creature trapped between worlds, much like the souls Vireo had spoken of.
“You have been chosen,” the figure intoned, its voice echoing off the ancient stone walls. “Chosen to fulfill a prophecy older than the underworld itself.”
My blood ran cold. “What prophecy?”
By chosen could he be talking about being reborn? I thought.
The figure raised a bony hand, pointing toward the altar at the center of the temple. “It was written in the stars long before you took the throne. A great battle looms on the horizon—one that will shake the foundations of the underworld and beyond.”
I frowned, my mind racing. “And what does this have to do with me?” Almost all Greek heroes had prophecies, to be clear I did not despise them. But in this case I was against prophecies, I belived them to be limitations, forced guidelines for the character to follow.
The figure’s hollow eyes locked onto mine. “You are the key. The one who will decide the fate of the realms. Light and shadow, life and death— your choices will determine the balance.”
A chill ran down my spine as the weight of the words settled over me. I known that my rule over the underworld came with responsibilities, but this… this was something far greater, far darker than anything I had imagined.
“The prophecy speaks of a great war,” the figure continued, its voice rising with a strange urgency. “A war between the gods, the titans, and forces even older than them. The dead will rise, and the living will fall. The world as you know it will crumble.”
“And what is my role in this war?” I asked, my voice cold and steady. I already expected as much since Greek myth revolved around wars.
The figure moved closer, its gaunt form almost floating over the ground. “You will be its architect,” it whispered. “You will be the one to unleash the dead upon the living, to shatter the veil between worlds. But in doing so, you will also be the one to determine whether life endures or fades into eternal darkness.”
I stared at the figure, my heart pounding in my chest. “What do you mean, unleash the dead?”
The figure gestured toward the altar. “The dead have been waiting for eons, bound to the underworld by ancient magic. But there will come a time when the barrier weakens, when the souls of the underworld will be free to roam the earth once more. You, Lord Hades, will hold the power to either release them or keep them contained.”
My mind raced, the weight of the revelation crashing down on me like a tidal wave. The dead… free to roam the earth? The consequences of such a thing were unimaginable. Entire civilizations would fall. The gods themselves might be powerless to stop it.
“And if I choose to keep them contained?” I asked, my voice low, clearly considering my options here.
The figure’s eyes gleamed in the darkness. “Then you will face the wrath of those who seek to control you. The old gods, the titans— they will rise against you, and you will find yourself at the center of a war unlike any other. Your allies will fall, and you will be left to stand alone, with nothing but shadows at your side.”
I clenched my jaw, the gravity of the situation sinking in. This wasn’t just a battle for the underworld— it was a battle for existence itself it seemed. But why did he repeatedly mention the titans and beings predating them? Should I be worried about that?”
“And if I release them?” I asked, though I already knew the answer.
The figure smiled, a cold and hollow expression. “Then the world as you know it will cease to be. The dead will walk among the living, and the gods will tremble. But you… you will be the one who controls it all.”
I felt the cold weight of destiny pressing down on me. My choices, my actions— everything I did from this moment forward would shape the future of not only the underworld but the entire world.
“You have a grim fate ahead of you, Lord Hades,” the figure whispered, its voice barely audible over the howling wind. “But know this: no matter which path you choose, you will face great loss. For power always comes with a price.”
The figure began to fade into the shadows, its voice trailing off into the night. “Remember the prophecy, and remember this: you cannot escape your destiny. The war is coming, and you will be at its heart.”
“Hey wait, why was I chosen?” I called out.
The figure responded. “You are the one who can bring about the change this world needs.”
As the figure disappeared, I stood alone in the courtyard, the weight of the prophecy hanging over me like a storm cloud. The dogs at my side whimpered, sensing the tension in the air.
I looked up at the darkened sky, the strange colors swirling overhead like a maelstrom of chaos. Somewhere, deep in the shadows of the underworld, something was stirring— something old and powerful, waiting for its moment to rise.
And I, Lord of the Dead, would soon be forced to make a choice.
Would I release the dead and unleash chaos upon the world? Or would I stand against the forces that sought to destroy everything, even if it meant losing everything I held dear?
Only time would tell. But one thing was clear, I was no one’s lapdog. As much as I would want to dispel this looming prophecy I could not also overlook it. But knowing I would have the power to shake the world was… Startling!
If I revive a magic castle I will mass release 10 chapters
