Ch. 52: The Burial of Hermes / The Mystery Behind Mercury
Poseidon was the man in red.
Ares, his accomplice.
And Hermes… Hermes was a victim.
A dark circle of betrayal and blood bound them all, and now, I had made it my mission to tear them apart. I was alone, but I would face it.
I paused outside my hotel room, sliding the key card through the slot. The door clicked open with a quiet hum. As I entered, I shut it softly behind me. “Finally,” I muttered, dragging a hand through my hair, tension slowly seeping from my shoulders. “I’m exhausted.”
“You’re back,” a familiar voice chimed from inside. Eris stood near the sofa, draped in one of my oversized shirts, her figure almost swallowed by the fabric. She was wearing my underwear—again. Her unbothered expression hinted at how natural she thought it was. “And before you say anything, I didn’t take the cute ones.”
I didn’t respond. Instead, I trudged past her toward the bed. She followed, her voice lighter now. “Rough day? Want to watch a movie?”
I collapsed onto the mattress, the soft surface swallowing me whole. “Pass me my laptop,” I groaned, gesturing toward my bag. Eris rolled her eyes but obliged, dropping the device onto my chest before wandering back to the sofa. “Buzz off,” I muttered, but she lingered, muttering under her breath.
The laptop whirred to life as I inserted the drive. This was the last thing Hermes had left for me—his final act of redemption. I had to know why he had died for this.
—**ENTER PASSWORD**—
Of course it was encrypted. Typical Hermes. He had protected it, trusting only me to unlock it. The password… What could it be? His last words echoed in my head. _Something he’d want me to remember…_
“Boobs! Try ‘boobs!'” Eris piped up, suddenly next to me again, leaning in far too close. Her cleavage was visible from the angle she hovered, and I grabbed her ear and twisted, sending her stumbling back.
“Ow!” she protested, rubbing her ear. “Geez, okay, I’ll stop snooping!”
But something about her suggestion sparked an idea. It wasn’t a joke. “Mercury,” I typed, and with a soft click, the drive unlocked. Two folders appeared on the screen: one marked “1,” the other “2.” Simple enough. I clicked on the first folder.
Inside was a single video.
I hesitated, my finger hovering over the trackpad. Part of me didn’t want to watch, didn’t want to confront whatever Hermes had left behind. But I needed to understand.
Click.
Hermes’ face appeared on the screen, and my heart clenched painfully. His eyes were filled with a familiar spark, that playful joy I had come to know well. Yet behind it, there was something else. Something darker.
The golden background behind him suggested this was recorded at his home, a place of wealth and splendor. Yet it couldn’t hide the sadness in his gaze.
I hit play.
“Hi, Hades. Long time no see. How’s life treating you?” He laughed, his smile infectious even through the screen. “It’s me, Hermes, your old buddy. If you’re watching this, then… I guess I’m dead. Sorry about that.”
He laughed again, but it felt hollow. I couldn’t bring myself to smile this time.
“I’ve always been a bit of a problem child, haven’t I? Zeus used to leave me in your care, and you—you never scolded me, never said much. You just let me be, even when I deserved worse. You were… You were like a father to me.”
I could feel my pulse quicken, a knot forming in my throat. Hermes’ voice cracked, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. This wasn’t the carefree god I knew.
“Listen, Hades… I need to confess something. It was me. I poisoned you.”
The world tilted. What!?
Hermes’ voice trembled. “I know, I know. It’s crazy, right? But I was the one. I thought it was a prank, just a harmless trick. I didn’t know they’d go that far. I didn’t know they’d try to kill you for real. By the time I realized it… it was too late. They came after me too.”
His laughter broke, the sound cracking like glass. “I was so glad when I saw you alive. I thought maybe I had a chance to make things right. But then they found out. They poisoned me too, and this time… I couldn’t stop it.”
Hermes wiped at his face, but the tears kept coming. I could barely keep my own composure as I watched.
“I’m sorry, Hades. I’m so sorry. There’s no forgiveness for what I did, but I had to tell you the truth. I couldn’t live with this secret. I deserve what’s coming to me.”
His smile returned, faint but sincere. “In folder two, I left you everything I uncovered about the circle—their plans, their targets. I was working for you, boss. From the very beginning, I was on your side. I just… didn’t realize how deep this went.”
Hermes sighed deeply. “Thank you for everything you did for me, Hades. I hope… I hope you live long enough to smile again, hehe. Goodbye, boss man. I hope you can forget about me.”
The screen flickered to black.
I stared at the dark screen, my vision blurred by the hot tears that had slipped down my cheeks. When had I started crying? Is this Hades’ grief I’m feeling… or mine?
Hermes had been the one to poison me. He had been responsible for my death. But even in his final moments, he sought redemption. And now, with this information, I had everything I needed to take down the circle.
But at what cost?
The time rolled by very slowly after that day, it gave me a lot of time to ponder on my next action and the sacrifices already made along the way. Hades, Hermes, and whoever the circle hurt. Was this what the Watcher meant by the world was ending?
Three days passed by, I found myself standing among the gods, all dressed in solemn black, in a temple dedicated to Hermes. His coffin lay on the ceremonial altar, bathed in the glow of light filtering down from above. The twelve Olympians gathered to pay their respects while the lesser gods were made to wait outside. It was a somber affair, yet the weight of betrayal still hung heavy in the air.
“Today we honor the loss of Hermes,” the priest intoned, his voice echoing through the sacred hall. “Messenger of the gods, mediator between the realm of the dead and the kingdom of the living. He will be missed dearly.”
I still felt he deserves more but what more can you give to the dead than respect? I clenched my fists at the thought that the killer was in the same room as I was playing innocent.
The hour crawled by, the temple emptying until only a few remained. I stood there, unmoving, staring at the coffin that held the body of a man who had been both my friend and my betrayer. My feelings were still mixed even though he did it in my favour.
A voice broke the silence.
“I am really gonna miss you king of pranks.” Said a young female voice, I raised my head to spot a young woman with red hair walking away, who was she anyway? Before I could use my eye the other person interrupted me.
“Never thought you’d attend a funeral.” Hera’s voice was cold, edged with bitterness. She stood behind me, her arms crossed, her gaze distant. “He idolized you, you know. It’s a surprise you even cared to return the gesture.”
I said nothing.
“Cold, as always,” she added. “You never change.” Why did she sound pained?
I turned to face her, my eyes narrowing. “But today is not about me, is it Hera? Show some respect.”
She chuckled, low and mocking. “Respect? For him?” She gestured toward the coffin. “He was Zeus’ bastard son, Hades. Nothing more. I don’t feel a thing from his demise.”
“Why are you here then?” I asked in a cold tone.
“Who knows, maybe some part of me wished to see what others saw in him. Maybe another part wanted to kill him with my own hands.” She turned to leave.
“Hades, was there ever any hope for us?” She asked.
I did not know what to say to her, who the hell would talk about such a thing at a family’s funeral. Our backs were to each other and she lingered a moment longer before walking away, her footsteps echoing in the empty temple.
For a long time, I stood there alone, my hand resting on the coffin. “Thank you, Hermes. Your death won’t be in vain. I swear on the Styx, I will avenge you. I’ll save Olympus from the chaos to come, even if I have to seize control of everything myself.”
With one final look, I left the temple, the cold night air greeting me as I stepped outside. Above me, the stars shone brightly, like a thousand watching eyes. Somewhere, I imagined Hermes was among them, looking down.
And I would be here, fighting the war that had already begun.
For Olympus. For Hades. For Hermes.
The circle would fall.
~ AUTHOR’S NOTE: THANK YOU FOR FOLLOWING TILL THE END OF THIS VOLUME. PLEASE SUPOORT MY BOOK WITH GIFTS, (I HAVEN’T GOTTEN A MAGIC CASTLE YET!!) THE NEXT VOLUME WILL TAKE THINGS TO A NEW LEVEL THAT WILL OPEN UP THE WORLD OF GREEK MYTHOLOGY IN A WAY NEVER SEEN. PLEASE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT MY WORK. PLSSS. THANK YOU MY WONDERFUL READERS…!
Thank You For Your Support So Far….
End Of Volume l
If I revive a magic castle I will mass release 10 chapters
