Hades

No, no, no. There is no way we could be gods. This isn’t happening. After months of seeing the fear in people’s eyes when I told them what I saw, they said I was crazy. Now, some lady shows up, claiming that we are gods?

From the looks on my brothers’ faces, they both believed her. Poseidon was trying to figure out which one of us fit into the three different descriptions. Sea, sky, and underworld. It took longer than I expected from him.

To me, it was obvious. Zeus had the looks and authority, so he was the sky. Poseidon was the brain and wisdom, and he was the ocean. I’m forever the shadow, and so I’m the ruler of the underworld.

Calypso scoffed. “Gods? There’s nothing special about us.” She pointed at Aphrodite.

“Conceited princess.” Hera, now. “Lovesick.” Hera blushed and turned the other way.

Calypso started throwing insults around. “Conflict resolver, the nervous one, the shadow, the self-proclaimed hero, grumpy, best friends, and the sensible one,” she finished, pointing at Poseidon.

Ares rolled his eyes at her while we all exchanged looks. Dionysus looked enraged.

“Who even are you?” Aphrodite asked, her voice icy and menacing. I stepped backward into the corner. Calypso was right about one thing, for sure. I am the shadow, always have been, and always will be.

Calypso slowly approached Aphrodite. She pulled out a dagger from her sweatshirt pocket. Aphrodite leaned backward, trying to get away from the blade pressing against her neck.

Calypso spoke clearly and quietly. “I’m the girl who’ll slit that pretty neck of yours.” She pulled her closer with a yank of her braid. “Don’t test me, princess.” She stepped back, smirking at Aphrodite’s shocked face.

Zeus hadn’t moved, but his hands were tightly clenched at his sides. As self-centered as my brother is, I have to give him credit for how much he cares about some people.

Suddenly, I was pulled into a world of blackness. Behind the veil was a balcony I slowly walked towards. Smoke filled my lungs and stung my eyes.

Lines of people...well, they seemed more like ghosts, were standing in long lines. Alon the edges of the lines were high walls of violent flames.

Hot breath made my body tense, and before I turned around, I was back in the temple.

Demeter was facing me, pale-faced and pointing at something behind me. I wasn’t still in that strange world, but I still could feel the same hot air on my neck.

Behind me was a panting, three-headed, panting, Greyhound. The hound had its head tilted down, but I bet at its full height, it could make the roof collapse.

Calypso rushed toward me, grabbing my arm and throwing me to the ground. I coughed, trying to catch my breath. Calypso held her dagger out as she slowly approached the magnificent beast. I got to my feet and shoved her out of the way. A small dagger wasn’t going to hurt this beast.

I stood before the giant, snarling dog and stared him down. Blue flames flickered in his dark eyes. Drool splattered on the floor. After a few moments of our staring contest, the dog whimpered as it lay down, sending a small tremble through the earth.

Carefully, I walked over to the dog and lifted its spiked collar.

“Cerberus,” I breathed out. Laying down, the three-headed dog looked so innocent. He couldn’t harm a fly. Behind me, I heard footsteps as Calypso muttered, “Time to put this dog down.”

“Don’t touch him,” I growled. She continued walking, so I rose to face her.

“So, you’re just going to keep a giant dog?”

As if to answer her, Cerberus shrunk down to the size of an average dog, despite the three heads.

Calypso looked down at her dagger hungrily. I stopped her from advancing with my outstretched arm, and she didn’t dare to move any closer to him.

Cerberus ran up to Demeter, panting and barking playfully. A smile crept up on me but vanished as soon as I saw Calypso cock her head to watch me.