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Her words echoed through my mind, but I kept my tone neutral, tapping at my phone to avoid lingering on the scene that had just unfolded. "Do you have any idea who this Pandora is?" My gaze shifted to her, watching for any telltale sign she was hiding something. But all I saw was exhaustion lining her face.

She sighed heavily and collapsed onto the sofa beside me, her head finding its way to my shoulder. Her long pink hair brushed my arm as her deep breathing caused her chest to rise and fall gently. "I don\'t know who she is. Olympus is a big place; I can\'t know everyone. But someone as cute as me? Preposterous.

She can\'t be allowed to upstage me."

Her attempt at humor fell flat, her weariness too palpable to ignore. I offered a word of advice: "Be careful not to get carried away by your emotions, or you\'ll get burned."

She snorted, her tone less playful and more resigned. "Okay, thanks. Haven\'t had you lecture me since I was a few hundred years old."

"You don\'t want me to?" I asked.

"No," she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper. "It\'s fine. I\'m just happy that after all this time, I finally have a shoulder to lean on." Her head dipped as she shifted closer to me, but I had already slipped out from beneath her, letting her fall back into the chair with a thump.

"And you left me," she muttered, her voice a mixture of disappointment and amusement. "You really do like to keep your distance."

Dusting myself off, I glanced back at her with a faint smirk. "I\'ve spent more time here than I planned. I need to return to the Underworld."

She rose quickly, almost as if she intended to embrace me, but I sidestepped her attempt. But she was not after that now. "Not in those clothes, you\'re not," she huffed, moving toward a row of designer outfits. "I\'ll make sure you leave with something better. Black, of course, since you seem to love it so much."

The clothes I wore, courtesy of Talos, suddenly felt out of place in the lavish setting. The Underworld awaited, but a change of attire wouldn\'t hurt.

As Aphrodite paraded an assortment of outfits before me, I found myself momentarily lost in thought. How had I ended up here, indulging in fashion advice from the Goddess of Love? I wondered if my daughter had ever been like this in high school— obsessed with the nuances of appearance, finding meaning in colors I\'d never given much thought to.

Apparently, there were many shades of black, each signifying something different. The idea struck me as odd. In my old life, clothing was just... clothing. Something functional. Yet, Aphrodite spoke about fashion like it was a language of its own.

I had always gravitated toward black for the same reasons most assumed: it symbolized death, darkness, sorrow— everything that had become a part of my world. But there was another reason, one less obvious. It allowed me to blend in, to hide in plain sight, though my blue hair often made that impossible now.

When I chose to become Hades, I expected to embody the fearsome image people conjure when they think of the Lord of the Underworld. Instead, I came as this— an unassuming figure, more subdued than menacing. My power lay in my status, not in my appearance. It made me wonder, without my title, would I still be feared?

"Hades, how about this?" Aphrodite\'s voice cut through my thoughts. She held up a long black coat with intricate white designs along the edges. It caught my eye immediately, standing out among the other pieces she\'d shown me.

"It pops, right?" she asked, her face lighting up with excitement.

I had no idea what "pops" meant in this context, but I nodded. "It\'s... good."

Aphrodite smiled, clearly pleased. "It stands out because of the white details. It\'s like light shining through the darkness. Like glimmers in the abyss. Kind of like you. You\'re misunderstood, Hades.

You block out the light because you dwell too much in the shadows. Today was different, though. You let some light in. Thank you."

(Affection Points have risen by 170.)

(Total affection points: 490.)

I could not help but raise an eyebrow at the notification that flashed before my eyes. It made me question whether there was a cap to this "affection" system, or if it was limitless, much like human nature. According to the eye, the higher their affection toward me the more information they would share with me.

People and gods regardless only share their true selves with those they trust, and it seemed Aphrodite was growing increasingly comfortable around me.

But trust was a double-edged sword. It made me wonder— was Hades\' original intention to foster loyalty through genuine care, or to cultivate the perfect puppets? Perhaps I would find out, sooner than expected.

"Oh, that reminds me," Aphrodite said suddenly, snapping her fingers as if remembering something. "I called Hermes. Figured you\'d want a quicker trip back to the Underworld, considering the time."

She was sharper than I gave her credit for. I nodded, appreciating her forethought. "I was going to call him anyway. Thank you."

Her eyes welled up, tears spilling down her cheeks. "You thanked me! I feel like crying."

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"You are crying, you dummy." I muttered under my breath.

A moment later, the air crackled with energy as if being ripped alart, and Hermes appeared beside me, throwing his arms around me before I could react. "Boss man! I thought you went back without saying goodbye!"

I tried to squirm out of his grip, but for once, I let it slide, though I quickly smacked him on the head. "Quit being an eyesore."

"Sorry!" Hermes pulled back, his cheek half-swollen from the playful smack. "I just get all emotional when I see you. So, how was it here? Where did you sleep? Why did you come to see Love? Did you come to get some clothes?

But you never struck me as the fashion type Hades."

The barrage of questions made me feel as though I had entered a whirlwind. His energy was infectious, a stark contrast to the heavy memories of his death that lingered in the back of my mind. I burned those thoughts away, focusing on the present.

"Hermes," I said, raising my chin. "Let\'s go home."

His face brightened instantly. "Have you finally agreed to adopt me? Wow!"

"Like hell I would," I thought, but before I could voice my refusal, Aphrodite chimed in.

"Why would he adopt you first?" she grumbled. "It\'s obvious I\'m the better choice."

Hermes puffed out his chest. "I\'m fast! I can be wherever he needs me in seconds."

Aphrodite crossed her arms, undeterred. "Well, I can offer him true love."

Hermes laughed loudly. "True love is a scam! There\'s nothing true about relationships— trust me, you would know that if you were ever in one."

Their back-and-forth was more playful than serious, and soon they were both laughing, forgetting what had sparked the argument in the first place. It was a strange sight—two gods, acting more like bickering siblings than celestial beings.

I was more happy that they were on good terms, this meant getting them to operate together would not prove to be an issue.

They were in perfect synchrony.

And here I was, Hades, observing it all. Perhaps Hades, in his isolation, had missed out on moments like this. But now, I had a front-row seat to the chaos.

For the first time, I wondered—what was the true story behind these bonds? What had Hades truly built, and what did it mean for me?