33 Chapter 31 Punishmen

Hades had decreed that both that bitch and I be punished for the deaths of thousands of families. Who cares about these mortals, all they do is whine about not getting enough food or complain about starving. They never consider the amount of planning and care that I put into my plants. Our punishment consisted of two phases. I first had to hear the story of each family and live through their memory of my lack of care for the world and then I have to act like a mortal for a hundred years. Like that is a punishment, all I need to do is apologize and get it over with. Then I can go back to my Kore, my maiden daughter, and all will be well. Hades that bastard had taken my daughter, who cares what the others say.

Aphrodite and I had to apologize to every family before we could even think of living like mortals. Like this would even be a punishment for us. When I met the first family they just glared at me and Aphrodite, Hades had explained to us that I have to touch each soul to view their memories. The first soul we had to touch was of a married woman who was surrounded by her husband and two kids.

"I am forced to apologize to you mortals for what I did, now can we get this over with?" Said Demeter as she goes to touch the woman's right arm as Aphrodite goes for the left. They both close their eyes and experience the world through the eyes of a mortal.

The memories flashed to the worst parts of the cold times as she had felt starvation and loss of her kids. They felt her son dying in her arms like they were there itself. It kept getting worse and worse till she felt the coldness of death itself. Their eyes went open with an expression of sadness and remorse. They truly felt loss for the first time realised there may be consequences of their actions. It took them a minute to go through their memories and they had to do this for every family with tears welling in their eyes. There were still about ten thousand families to go.

The next family was much larger as they were a farmer household. They had ten kids and all of them died of disease and starvation. They could literally feel the family dynamic fall apart and the love they shared for each other.

And so one family after another came and went, it was torture for them as they felt all the emotions that ran through the family as each one was intense as the other. Hades had created this punishment just for them, so they would learn from that actions have consequences and the only way to get through to a god, was to put them through the lives of mortals.

Ten years had passed, they had felt no end to their nightmare, only to regret their actions. They experienced the suffering of starvation and death so many times they had lost count. Their only reprieve was the wedding of Persephone and Athena with Hades. Persephone had her wedding first making her Hades's first wife.

Why did I do it? Is the question I am asking myself now. All I feel is hunger and tiredness. I know I am not hungry, but every time I experience a mortal's memories all I feel is a need for food. All I want is this to end, and from the rate that this is going I don't think it will. I feel thin and ugly for the first time in my life. I don't even remember why I wanted Demeter to suffer, or why I even wanted Hades to like me. Everything about this place feels wrong, from touching the souls of the departed to the very atmosphere. I do not know how much time has passed and it is driving me crazy. I felt that thousands of years had passed in a blink of an eye and I am no longer worshipped here.

I went to Hades's weddings as my only escape from my punishment. It was a relief unto itself as I finally was allowed ambrosia for the first time in years. Demeter looked worn out like me, and I could feel her anger at Hades during the wedding of Persephone. The look of happiness of the couple made me mad with jealousy. I wanted to start something to ruin the ceremonies, but at the same time, I do not want to be punished again. I realised it was my behaviour that had me tortured, I should really learn from my mistakes.

Hades came to me after another family of souls passed by, he told me that that was the last family that I had to apologize to and that he had felt through his power what the punishment had done to us and how we are remorseful. He is letting us go without living life as a mortal. I am finally free, but I feel so empty.

I have never felt so ashamed in my life. My actions have caused so many families to be ruined and torn apart. I don't know if I will forgive myself for this, but I must so that I can spend time with my daughter. I am finally free of this torture, but my Kore is now in the hands of my brother. I will make sure that she comes back to me no matter the cost.

The gods have insulted me for the last time. I allowed them to live on me for so long and they repay me by destroying my lands with their ignorance and implanting parasites called mortals. All they do is drink and do not care about what problems their actions cause. Today I rectify my mistake of allowing them to live on me. It is time I met with an old friend. I believe Tartarus had a crush on me, it would be insulting if I didn't seek him out for old times.

For the last fifty years, I had been having a relationship with Tartarus and fulfilling his every desire and giving me children. These Gigantes were my newest children, stronger than the Titans and more powerful as well. I blessed them with many gifts, making sure that no weapon of power may harm them and no god alone can defeat them. Each Gigantes was born to match an Olympian. Soon they will suffer for their transgressions.

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(Edited by Slammeron00)