Chapter 59: Ch. 59: Hecate’s Confession

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Ch. 59: Hecate's Confession

"Lord Hades!"

Hecate came running in a haste I could sense the worry in her voice before she came to an abrupt stop. Her voice, usually calm and measured, was laced with panic. I could sense the urgency in her tone as her gaze flickered from me to Prometheus, chained to the towering stone pillar like a sacrificial offering.

"Are you alright? I heard you scream."

I steadied myself, forcing my breathing to slow as I gathered my composure. Without a word, I turned away, brushing past her like she wasn't there. She followed close behind, like a shadow accustomed to being ignored. Sympathy, concern—none of that mattered to me, especially not from her. People wore kindness like a mask, a weapon to manipulate others.

It was better to remain detached, untouched by their attempts at humanity.

But then, something unexpected happened.

A sudden, tight grip latched onto my wrist, yanking me to a stop. My eyes narrowed as I turned to face her, my voice low and cold. "Hecate, what is the meaning of this?"

Her breathing grew heavy, her fingers tightening like a vice around my wrist. This wasn't like her. This wasn't the poised, calculated Hecate I knew. "I... I apologize, Hades," she whispered, releasing me, her hands trembling as if even that brief contact had cost her dearly.

I flexed my wrist, my eyes hardening. "See that it doesn't happen again." My voice cut through the tension like a blade, and she flinched ever so slightly before lowering her gaze.

"Yes, boss." She spoke softly, hiding her face from me as if she feared what I might see there.

As I walked back to the vehicle, I replayed the moment in my head. Hecate had never been one to overstep her bounds. She never used my name unless it was something personal to her. What was she hiding? And more importantly, why did I care?

The car ride back was long, silence filling the air between us like a thick fog. My thoughts, however, raced uncontrollably. The information I had pried from Prometheus weighed heavily on my mind, forcing me to confront the tangled mess of problems that had piled up over the last few months. One crisis after another, all of them demanding my attention, but now—now it was all about prioritization.

1. The Plot of the Circle and Poseidon.

2. The Pandora Calamity and Time Travel.

3. The Prometheus Issue.

Prometheus, at least for now, seemed a manageable threat. But with beings as powerful as gods, nothing was ever certain. Time travel, on the other hand, was a wild card, and without any real leads, it felt like trying to grasp smoke. My biggest worry, though, was Poseidon. Stopping the Circle would mean confronting him, and killing a god was no small feat.

Even if I succeeded, what would the world lose without a pillar like Poseidon? Could I live with that decision?

The burden of my thoughts pressed down on me like a weight only I could bear. I hadn't chosen this life, this rebirth into a world teetering on the edge of ruin, but I was bound to it all the same.

My phone buzzed, pulling me from my thoughts. I glanced at the screen.

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Zeus. We hadn't spoken since the party. The memory of that night was hazy, but it left a bitter taste in my mouth. Was my conviction to distance myself holding me back? Or was it self-preservation?

"Hecate," I called out, my voice cutting through the silence like a crack of thunder. We were nearing the hotel, the city lights flickering through the tinted windows. "Why are you helping me?"

Her grip on the steering wheel tightened. I could feel her unease. "What do you mean, boss?"

"You know I'm not the Hades you once served. I'm not who you think I am. So why? Are you bound to this body?" My words were measured, deliberate, pushing her to reveal something—anything.

For a moment, she said nothing, the hum of the engine the only sound between us. But then, after what felt like an eternity, she spoke.

"It's a bit late to ask that now, don't you think?" Her voice was softer, almost wistful. "Whoever you are, you're still him in some way. Hades always had this... shadow over him. You have it too."

I frowned. Why did I care about her reasons? Hecate was the only one who didn't feel like a threat, but I couldn't let that make me complacent. She was loyal, yes, but even loyalty could be dangerous in the wrong hands.

"Why did you stop me earlier?" I asked, pushing her further, testing her.

She sighed heavily, as if the weight of her answer had been sitting on her chest for far too long. "I was afraid."

"Of what?"

"Of what you're becoming," she said, her voice quieter now, like she was admitting a secret. "You've always sacrificed yourself for others, for the greater good, and each time, you've grown colder, darker. But when you woke up... something changed. Your eyes... there was more life in them.

Today, though, when you faced Prometheus, that darkness returned. It scares me."

Her words hit harder than I expected, but I kept my face unreadable. "And if I have to? If I have to do terrible things?"

Her response was immediate. "Then I'll die for you, if that's what it takes. I owe you that much."

My chest tightened at her declaration. She wasn't talking to me—she was talking to the Hades she once knew. "Hades cared for you too," I lied, testing her reaction.

She scoffed, and for a moment, I saw the Hecate I knew—sharp, unyielding. "No, he didn't. Hades respected me, and I him. That's all. But he knew you would come. He called you his replacement."

That statement sent a chill through me, but before I could ask more, the car pulled up to the hotel. We were almost there. But one more question lingered on my mind.

"What do you see when you look at me, Hecate goddess of sorcery and ghosts?" I asked, watching her closely as the car came to a slow stop.

I could remember when our eyes first met, they were a light blue contrast to mine and a purple glow I did not pay attention to at the time. It was not until now that I knew what it was-- Hecate had a special eye like mine and Prometheus.

She hesitated, running her finger around her lips as if trying to find the right words. "You know—"

BOOM!

The air exploded. A deafening roar swallowed her words, and my ears rang as the world around me blurred into chaos. Fire engulfed the vehicle in an instant, the heat searing my skin. The car lifted off the ground, flipping violently as flames licked at the windows. I saw nothing but fire, felt nothing but burning heat. We had been hit—hard.

And in that instant, everything went dark.