Chapter 20

                                    

                                          
Penthus, the embodiment of sorrow and grief. He stood there, waiting for the group to approach them, and naturally, they did.
                          
Your friends lie behind this mist." Penthus informed them. "But as you all know, good things always come with a sacrafice." 
                          
"What sacrafice are you talking about?" Chenle asked, raising an eyebrow. 
                          
"Grief, sorrow, sadness." Penthus told them. "A single sacrafice." 
                          
Is this what Mark was talking about? 
                          
Penthus offered his hand and Mark was about to take it but Haerin pushed him away, surprising the other boys. 
                          
"You've done enough, Mark." Haerin told him. "I'll do it." 
                          
"But the vision-"
                          
"Mark, she needs to do it." Haechan said, placing his hand on Mark's shoulder. "You saw her do it, which means that she needs to be the sacrafice if we want to save the others." 
                          
"Haechan's right." Jisung agreed. "If we change it, then the future will change too, so we might not be able to save them." 
                          
Mark had told them. 
                          
Haerin gritted her teeth, rolling her shoulders back. She was feeling salty that Mark had told them the truth but not her. 
                          
But then again they're best friends. 
                          
Haerin shook the thought away, taking a deep breath. 
                          
I don't have time for silly thoughts right now. 
                          
"Are you sure about this, daughter of Hades?" Penthus asked, staring into her eyes. 
                          
"Yes." Haerin replied, taking Penthus' hand. 
                          
His fingers wrapped around hers, securing her hand to his. 
                          
"Very well then." 
                          
And then the world around her faded to darkness.
                          
...
                          
A beautiful woman, holding a child in her arms was sitting on a rocking chair, a handsome man with pale skin and dark hair above her. The woman reminded Haerin of herself, their features matching. 
                          
"That's your mother." Penthus said from beside her. "And your father." 
                          
"This is a flashback, isn't it?" Haerin asked, putting her hand out and staring at it. She reached out to the ceramic mug on the wooden table beside her but her hand went right through it. 
                          
"It is indeed." Penthus told her. "One of your earliest memories, one so far back that it would be impossible to retrieve without my assistance." 
                          
Haerin nodded her head, silently watching as her parents were smiling at their tiny daughter that was cooing happily. It was a calm and peaceful sight. 
                          
Too calm and peaceful.
                          
"She's a demigod, isn't she?" Her mother asked, her smile fading. Hades nodded. 
                          
"She is, my love. She'll be a powerful one too." 
                          
Her mother turned to look at the god, and Haerin saw the fear in her eyes. "Her smell will be strong then, won't it? What will Persephone think when she finds out?" 
                          
"She won't." Hades reassured her. "I won't let her." 
                          
"Persephone... that's Hade's wife, right?" Haerin asked Penthus. The god nodded. 
                          
"She was. She too, loved Hades and wanted the god to herself. That's why Hades never had any children with mortals. That is, until he met your mother. It was love at first sight." Penthus informed her.