Not all places in the underworld were dark and gloomy. As a place at the boundary between life and death, it strived to maintain a twilight glow rather than darkness.

If Zagreus’s castle was entirely black, Hades’s castle was a place where light and darkness coexisted. Paradoxically, due to the power of both the Queen of the Underworld and the Goddess of Spring residing there, it was also the most vibrant place within the underworld.

Even that became merely desolate during the season when the Queen departed…

Hades waited for Zagreus in the middle of the garden that had become gloomy and barren after spring’s departure.

The withered flowers and trees looked pitiful, but all this desolation reflected Hades’s heart as he waited for his wife, so it didn’t matter.

Persephone would sigh again when she returned to the underworld and saw this sight, but he knew that beyond that sigh was a subtle pleasure.

The garden withered, displaying the void of her absence—it was Hades’s heart when she was gone. She would gladly bring life back to the withered garden and sprout new flowers and trees. Just as she planted new seeds of love in his heart every year.

As he reached for a flower that had lost almost all its petals, the flower, seemingly afraid of death, fell to the ground with a soft thud. At that moment, he sensed someone behind him.

“I heard you called for me.”

Without turning around, Hades picked up the fallen flower. The flower placed on his palm immediately turned black, rotted, and in an instant became dust scattering into the air.

As he rubbed the gray powder—once a flower—between his fingers, he spoke in an icy voice.

“You left Tartarus without permission.”

His monotone voice pierced Zagreus.

“I had such high hopes when you finally said you would become the heir… But your resolve was lighter than dust, Zag.”

Hades turned to look at Zagreus with cold eyes, his fist tightly clenching the gray dust.

Since he had expected this reproach, Zagreus simply bowed his head in apology.

“That’s not it. I just had to go out briefly… I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”

He was in the middle of the succession ceremony after his resolve.

The trial involved supporting the underworld alone from the bottom of Tartarus until Hades granted permission. That was the first stage of succession, and even after that, other succession processes remained.

It wasn’t an easy task, but it wasn’t particularly difficult for Zagreus either.

As long as he didn’t leave his post, the successor’s position would pass to him without incident.

Hades stared at Zagreus with black, empty eyes and said:

“Was it because of that woman?”

…Zagreus thought Hades would know. He calmly faced the King of the Underworld.

“She belongs to another god.”

“…Since she left that god of her own accord, can’t we say she’s no longer his woman?”

At Zagreus’s response, Hades gazed into the void, appearing to sigh. He tried not to click his tongue as he addressed his son.

“Do you truly believe that?”

Of course not…

Zagreus also knew his words were merely his own wishes. He bowed his head with a deflated, hollow laugh.

“I don’t know either. But she’s in my domain. There was no way I wouldn’t find her. Father, I’ve never desired anything this much since I was born. You must know. This longing to possess something I cannot have makes me feel powerless and miserable!”

“Zagreus…”

“I fear this experience of failure will make me weak. I don’t want to lose any more, Father. Though I didn’t grasp it myself, I have no desire to let go of what has rolled into my hands.”

Black lightning flashed in Zagreus’s eyes. His words, gritted out one by one, conveyed a sizzling desire.

Hades recognized that emotion Zagreus was chewing on. And he knew how extreme the choices could be for someone with such eyes.

He too had his foolish and naive times. He couldn’t deny the time when his eyes had rolled back, splitting the earth to emerge and abduct an innocent young goddess.

‘This is undoubtedly my son.’

Hades found this fact dizzying but also deeply satisfying. The mixture of Zeus’s blood was actually a good thing. Look at this young god of the underworld, made from Persephone’s blood and flesh, imbued with Zeus’s seed, and with a soul so similar to his own.

He was undoubtedly destined to become a King of the Underworld surpassing himself.

But the problem was that thundering fool of a sea god…

“…If you truly wish to possess that woman.”

Hades blew the gray dust from his hand with his breath. The scattering gray dust formed the shape of a pomegranate before Zagreus.

Zagreus’s eyes shone clearly as he gazed at it. He reached out to grasp the answer his father showed him.

The gray dust crumbled and scattered as soon as Zagreus touched it, but when he opened his clenched fist, a small red pomegranate remained on it.

***

‘It hurts…’

Livia forced her eyes open from the pain that felt like her stomach was being torn apart. The pain was severe enough that she immediately checked her body upon waking. Fortunately, her stomach wasn’t actually torn.

However, her belly had grown even more while she slept, now looking like a round mountain even when lying down.

Panting, she placed her hand on her belly. Then she felt something beneath the thin skin pushing against her palm.

“…!”

She quickly removed her hand in surprise.

Her heart pounded with suspicion. After hesitating, Livia placed her hand on her belly again, and once more felt something tapping beneath the thin skin.

The sensation was so strange and surprising that Livia remained frozen for a while. It was such a soul-stirring, unfamiliar experience that she had no time to think about where she was or what was happening.

‘Is there really… another life in here?’

The difference between knowing something intellectually and feeling it with your soul was this profound.

Her entire body trembled like an aspen leaf. She wasn’t afraid or cold, but the trembling wouldn’t stop. Livia took a deep breath while holding the hand that had touched her belly with her other hand.

An emotion she couldn’t identify as either overwhelming joy or sadness made her feel numb.

“Oh, you’re awake?”

Livia, lost in thought, suddenly looked up at the sound of Zagreus’s voice.

Looking surprised, he rushed to Livia’s side, knelt beside the bed where she lay, and met her eyes.

“When did you wake up? Has it been long?”

“No… just now… But are these your quarters?”

“Yes. My palace. It’s a bit dark, isn’t it? But no one else is here, so it’s a good place to hide from prying eyes.”

Zagreus gazed at Livia with a gentle smile that seemed like it could melt. When he smiled, the golden lightning in his dark eyes sparkled like stars.

“Would you like something to eat… though I know you probably won’t.”

Livia chuckled at his words. Zagreus laughed with her, then glanced down at her belly that she was cradling with both hands.

“Are you okay?”

“…What do you mean?”

“The child inside seems to be troubling you…”

Of course, he already knew about Livia’s pregnancy. Well, with her belly protruding this much, it would be impossible not to notice…

“The baby isn’t troubling me, I’m the one troubling this baby.”

“What do you mean?”

“This child should be in the sea. But because of my selfishness, we’ve left the sea now, so how painful must it be.”

Livia stiffened in shock at her own words.

This child… would it be okay to be born outside of water? Even now it seemed to crave water so much; she worried whether being born outside water would harm the child.

‘Being both a god’s child and a human’s child… maybe it can endure.’

Thinking this, Livia soon shook her head.

She hadn’t been able to properly care for it throughout the pregnancy. If it had to endure suffering at the moment of birth as well, it felt like she would be committing too cruel an act against this child.

My bloodline, my flesh, a part of me…

Remembering the tapping she had felt against her hand earlier, Livia embraced her swollen belly. Her sunken eyes filled with a strange light.

“Livia?”

Zagreus, who had been watching her silence, carefully grasped her shoulder. Looking at her haggard face, he smiled kindly and said:

“You must be tired from being curled up for so long. Would you like to walk for a bit?”