Chapter 12

"I'm sorry what?" I stopped and looked at him dumbfounded. "You were jumping back and forth between essence and souls and paradise and smoke and my head hurts."

"Hmm.. the big black space in the sky that no one can travel to is essence. Also known as the void because life cannot be sustained there so we remain there uninterrupted. Humans think it's the big pearly gates in the sky which it kind of is but it's not. Every soul has their own personal paradise but they have to earn it in their lifetimes, so they go through life after life till they learn the most important things of life. Humans think Essence is Heaven because it makes life easier for them. What they believe is like a shield. Does that make sense?"

"It makes more sense. I still don't understand why people are so willing to accept something false tho." We started walking again leaving the dark behind us.

"Because it's easier. Like remember how your friend Tyler died? How it was easier to just not try? Like when it came to school and living? You just stopped trying."

"Yes but that was soul crushing for me."

"It's the same for most- almost all humans to believe in something because the alternative seems soul crushing. How would you feel knowing your happiness is past thousands upon thousands of obstacle away and some of those obstacles are bigger then the largest star in the galaxy?"

"I guess I'd feel pretty unmotivated."

"It's more then that but you can say that because you have quote on quote superpowers." He laughed as he playfully pushed me.

"Well life is complicated only because people make it. If they lived with kindness at the forefront of their minds it wouldn't be so hard for anyone."

"While I do agree with that we're going to have to save it for another time. Are you ready to face my father?" We turned around and saw Poseidon standing there amused with our conversation.

"We were on our way to come get you." I stood tall with annoyance in my voice. I love Poseidon but his presence was always a bit overwhelming.

"I'm sure you were. How much longer till your human birthday again?" He looked at his wrist imitating how humans check their watch.

"Exactly a week." I rolled my eyes and turned to Death.

"Why is he here?" Poseidon asked annoyed.

"Call him a gift of your brother. Death is older then you and he has a right to see your dad you know." I crossed my arms and turned back to Poseidon.

"Shall we get started then?" He raised an eyebrow and clung to his trident.

"Yes we shall." I smirked still trying to shake the overwhelming feeling his presence gave. He extended his Trident past both Death and myself and struck the ground causing the earth to shake and split opening a staircase.

"After you my lovely." He smirked.

I rolled my eyes and started descending the stairs. The further down we walked the heat continued to rise. As we descended enough into the earth, Poseidon turned around and closed the gap in the ground leaving us in pure darkness only seeing a foot in front of us. Even with the pitch black air you could still see the outline of the stairs as it glowed from Poseidons and my auras. I inhaled a deep breath and released it slowly as I kept slowly walking downwards feeling the heat encase us more. Finally as we neared the end of the never ending stairs a light from flowing magma filled our surroundings exposing us to lava beneath our feet.

"Doesn't matter how many times I step on this crap it still burns." Death joked.

"We don't need small talk. We have a purpose so let us finish it." Poseidon walked past us with a silence from our lips following.

We walked in the silence listening to the lava crackle and gurgle. The further we walked the stiff lava seemed to loosen turning to a more liquid material. I felt the heat but kept my eyes ahead of me on Poseidon. I knew he didn't like me, he didn't want me here so I knew I could trust him to help me finish this job and get back home. He didn't believe I should be with the gods anymore till I proved myself more.

"Elea. Can you stand right here?" Poseidon stopped in his tracks and looked back at me with his blue eyes with gold encircling the ocean in his eyes.

"Please don't call me that." I took a deep breath and stepped next to him.

"Sorry, what was that human name you got accustomed too?" He smirked playfully. I rolled my eyes and lightly pushed him.

"Right here." He grabbed my shoulders and placed me directly in front of a wall of stone. All the other stones were burning red but this one was cold and black. "Now repeat after me." He whispered in my ear. I took another breath and nodded my head. "Tartarus Iliad, open thine darkness." His breath was cold on my neck, compared to the air around us. I closed my eyes and felt life in my chest spring as I opened my mouth.

"Tartarus, Iliad, open thine darkness." I released the breath I didn't realize I was holding.

I opened my eyes as my breath continued to escape me. As my breath filled the air around us a light grew in my breath and lit up the rock in front of me. Air continued to escape me leaving my heart racing not knowing if I'd ever be able to take another breath again. The light filled the rock allowing the heat to influence it and melt it leaving nothing but pure emptiness and never ending, absolute blackness.

My eyes panicked searching for something deep inside as my breath continued to leave my body filling the pitch blackness with light, the blackness only seemed to engulf my breath and light. Poseidons hands on my shoulders tighten and I felt another hand grasp onto my hand, I wanted to look but my eyes refused to leave the darkness in fear of engulfment. Before I could even react, the dark emptiness grew around my body and pulled me in, swallowing me into the blackness and leaving my lungs deflated. I closed my eyes in fear of never seeing the light again. Silence fell and the hands I had felt disappeared.

I was to scared to open my eyes as I felt weightless as if I was floating through space. Time seemed to last even longer as I felt tears fill my closed eyes. The silence was deafening not even the crackle of the lava was surrounding my ears for comfort. Without knowing what else to do I tried to inhale, not surprising nothing filled my lungs. No heat, no cold. Absolutely nothing filled my lungs, no air but I felt like I could breathe. It was suffocating but I felt able bodied regardless. I felt the weightlessness dissolve as my knees softly landed against some hot stone beneath me. I opened my eyes seeing red stone beneath me. My eyes traveled to my hands that landed on my chest.

"I'm surprised you survived coming in here kid." An old familiar voice rang in my ears. I gasped in relief of the deafening silence. I slowly lifted my gaze and stopped as soon as I saw a pair of feet at the bottom of a throne of sorts.

"..." I opened my mouth to speak but nothing came out, the same nothingness that attempted to fill my lungs.

"Elea. Come sit next to me." The voice rang again. I didn't move but gravity seemed to shift pulling me closer to him stopping at his feet.

"Look at me child." Without hesitation my gaze shifted slowly upward. He was skinny. He wore ancient Greek clothing but it was old and worn. He had a long white and grey beard. My gaze stopped at his lips. My soul began to shake at the curve in his lips exposing a grin.

"Are you scared?" He exposed his sharpened teeth while his tongue snaked out briefly flicking over his teeth in a term to frighten me more.

"No." The small word escaped my mouth before I could even think about the question.

"Then why won't you look me in the eyes." His lips closed leaving the same curved smirk. I slowly blinked my eyes and inhaled as deeply as I could and managed to inhale some kind of air.

"I'm here for one reason and one reason alone." I stood to my feet and forced my eyes to match his. Seeing into his eyes wasn't as terrifying as I had imagined. They were pure golden with a hint of red in his pupil surrounded by the bright whiteness. Staring into his eyes almost seemed like staring into the sun, it was blinding but you got accustomed to it if you could handle it. It also held more comfort then I understood.

"What is that?" He lost his smirk and sat back.

"Zeus wants you to become king of Elysium." I was surprised as the words came out of my mouth. They were not my words, I wasn't even told why I came down here, I was just told to speak with Kronos.

"Ha!" He began laughing shaking the space around us. "My son wants me to rule Elysium?" He began laughing even harder. "I was punished and placed in absolute nothing and now he wants me to rule an abode of blessing on another world?!" His laughter came to a halt and he glared at me.

"I-I'm not sure.. I was just told to come speak with you.." I searched my mind for the confidence I had when I was speaking earlier but it had abandoned me.

"I see. Come and sit here Elea." He patted a spot next to him on his large throne. My eyes fell to his hand and I held my breath as I approached and sat next to him. My eyes refused to leave him and look around.

"I really don't know why I'm here." The words escaped my mouth as I thought of them.

"I see. Why were you tasked to speak with me?" He wrapped his arm around me. His arms were mere bone but his strength was clear.

"I'm trying to get back to my family on earth. I had a human.. well.. I had a life on earth. I got married to my twin flame and had children. I was tasked to speak with you and Apollo said I'd be allowed to leave. Erebus and Nyx don't want me to leave though." The words continued to leave my mouth as if they were simply air flowing in and out of my lungs.

"I understand. So why is my son here?" He turned his head to look in front of us. I couldn't even look. I tried but my gaze refused to leave his face.

"I'm here simply to ensure you behave father." I heard Poseidons voice ring.

"And you?" He slightly turned his gaze and I knew he was now speaking with Death.

"What can I say? I missed my oldest friend." I heard his smirk. Soon a grin shined on Kronos' face and a chuckle escaped.

"So my great granddaughter was promised her life on earth while I'm forced to rule Elysium. I want to sweeten this deal. I wish to speak with Zeus about this and Death and Elea shall remain by my side until then. You are free to go." He lifted his hand and finally my gaze was freed, I turned towards Poseidon but he was gone, only Death stood there alone. I looked around to see the blackness was surrounding us but the red stone flooring was the only thing keeping us planted.

"You know Zeus will be angry." Death chuckled. "No one will be able to die without me."

"I guess Hedes will be working overtime and having to take in all souls till you can return." I looked and saw a large grin on his face.

"Excuse me but what am I supposed to do?" I let the words escape my mouth.

"Relax. Enjoy the silence and the relief of his damned presence. His aura is so overwhelming." He lost his smirk and stared into the nothingness above him.

"You don't really like your son do you?"

"Not at all. I love him but he's draining to be around. Hedes is the only one I can stand to be around but I haven't seen him since I coughed him back up." He chuckled again.

"I'm sorry. Coughed him back up?" I shivered.

"Do you not know your history?" He looked at me with slight concern.

"Uhm.. no..?" I looked back and forth to Death and him.