The River Styx flowed silently, black and eternal, beneath the cracked obsidian archways of the Underworld. The air smelled of silence and regret. Asphodel petals drifted like forgotten memories. Jin Shang walked alone through the pale gardens of the dead—unafraid.
In this realm, everything whispered. The trees, the stones, the air itself murmured secrets no living soul should hear.
He had been summoned.
And he knew this place was not like Poseidon's court. Here, truth wore a funeral shroud. Here, Hades ruled—not through thunder, but through silence.
Jin stepped through the veil and into the throne chamber, where the air was thick with ancient power. There sat Hades, black-robed, pale-eyed, a god who looked more like a philosopher than a ruler. His gaze held both stillness and sorrow.
"You came alone," Hades said. His voice echoed like a prayer over a grave.
"I thought it fitting," Jin replied, bowing.
"Few come here by choice."
"Perhaps I'm not like the others."
A faint smile tugged at the corner of Hades' mouth. "So I've heard."
They stood in silence. No guards, no servants. Only the two of them—among the dead.
"You're not like Zeus," Jin said. "You don't posture. You don't lie. You observe."
"And you," Hades said, "are not like the rest of them. You're pretending to be loyal, but your soul screams. I hear it."
Jin didn't flinch. "Then you already know why I'm here."
Hades rose from his throne. "To play your games? To feed me lies wrapped in flattery?"
"No," Jin replied. "To ask you a question."
Hades raised an eyebrow. "Go on."
Jin walked forward slowly. "Is this all Olympus has become? A broken court ruled by secrets and treachery? A pantheon of power-hungry fools chasing phantoms while the world rots?"
The fire pits flickered.
Hades studied him with the eyes of one who had seen countless souls fall into despair.
"You speak boldly for one who only recently rose."
"I speak truth," Jin said. "Or are you too buried in death to remember what that is?"
That struck a chord. Hades stepped forward.
"You think me blind to their schemes?" he whispered. "You think I don't see how Zeus manipulates the threads? How Gaia plots with the earth while Hera poisons loyalty with ambition?"
Jin looked up at him, voice low. "Then why do you remain silent?"
"Because I am tired," Hades said. "Tired of war. Tired of gods dying for glory. Tired of mortals who worship masks instead of meaning."
Jin's tone softened. "Then help me end it."
Hades tilted his head. "End what?"
"This cycle," Jin whispered. "Of lies. Of betrayals. Of gods playing puppeteer with fate."
Hades didn't answer.
Jin took another step. "I know you see what I see. Gaia's obsession. Zeus' fear. The way they treat me… not as a comrade. Not even as a god. But a piece."
Hades' gaze sharpened. "A pawn."
"Yes," Jin said. "But what if the pawn knew the game? What if the pawn wanted to flip the board?"
The chamber went deathly still.
Jin continued, "I'm not asking you to betray Olympus. I'm asking you to prepare for what's coming. Because the storm isn't at the gates. It's already inside."
There was a long pause.
Then Hades spoke, voice quiet. "I once believed in Olympus. In unity. In divine justice. But I've watched my brothers poison everything."
"Then be different," Jin said. "When the world begins to burn, I'll remember who remained silent… and who didn't."
Hades stepped back to his throne. "Why me?"
"Because you have nothing left to lose," Jin replied. "And everything to gain."
The fire dimmed. The chamber grew colder.
Hades sat down, eyes locked with Jin's.
"I won't stop you," he said. "But I won't protect you either."
Jin bowed deeply. "That's all I need."
As he turned to leave, Hades added quietly, "What is it you truly want, Jin Shang?"
Jin paused.
He looked back, expression unreadable.
"To remind the gods that even immortality has consequences."
And with that, he vanished into the mist.
Hades sat in silence for a long time, staring into the void of the River Styx. And somewhere deep in the dark, the souls began to whisper louder.