It was an hour or so later when Fei calmed down. She was sitting down, staring ahead with a blank expression. Dohyun put a mug filled with hot chamomile tea in front of her and then sat next to her. He couldn’t help but take this chance to fully grasp how beautiful she was. Those clear eyes that change colours every season, that small nose and rosy cheeks, the way her profile was making her slightly chubby and those pink lips...everything about her was stunning in his eyes. She was short, her blonde hair was short and she looked more like a mischievous pixie than a nymph. Her personality was hard to handle and he knew she regretted ever coming to Korea. There was a lot of resentment and pain and yet he could see she would have ended up being very different if not for her punishment. Dohyun was aware it was bad of him but he was thankful to Lee Hyang for keeping her in the country for so long. He was also thankful to Ares for having led him to her.
“Thank you. I’m fine now.” She said before taking a sip. He was watching her with many emotions running through his eyes but most especially possessiveness. “You don’t have to worry.” She added feeling like she should take his mind off whatever he was thinking.
“I’m actually relieved. You have been gathering so much pain and now you were able to get it all out. Crying doesn’t make you weak, you know.” Dohyun said softly, trying his best not to hug her. She was always so strong, so witty and ready to fight anyone but at the end of the day, she was still...quite human. The thought made him laugh to himself, drawing her attention. “Sorry. It’s just...you are a mythical creature and yet every time I see a new side of you, it makes me wonder if you aren’t actually human.”
“I’m not. But I’m not a heartless beast either.” She said sounding slightly annoyed. “I never expected to find my notebook ever again. I thought they burnt it or discarded of it one way or another.”
“Well, somehow it found its way back to you.” Dohyun said with a smile. “It’s always been in my grandfather’s house but I never thought about opening it. Not even touching it! It looked so old that I was afraid it will break in my hand.”
“It’s enchanted. I used magic in order to keep the same notebook for a long period of time. It always takes the look of the time it is in. It used to be a scroll at one point.” She explained caressing the leather cover.
“I believe this is a good time to show you this then.” Dohyun’s grandfather said, coming down the stairs with one huge scroll. He approached the table and carefully unrolled it enough to catch a glimpse of a drawing. “You do it.” He said, encouraging Fei to do the rest.
The nymph was shocked. As she unrolled it slowly, drawings appeared one after another of people from Joseon. There she was, with her colleagues, with some people from the market, with the concubines that she actually liked and even with Kim Hoon. And as she approached the end, she gave a happy sigh.
“Lee Hyang...”
It was on the night when they had a brief conversation under the cherry blossom tree. She was dressed in a more western dress and he was just...
“He really is handsome, huh?” Dohyun mumbled thoughtfully. “I guess I see what got you so interested in him. Look at that jaw and those eyes...”
Fei laughed and slapped his arm lightly.
“You two look the same.” She said knowing what he was implying.
“Exactly.” Was Dohyun’s witty answer. Fei laughed but was suddenly surprised when he grabbed her face and gave her a quick peck on the lips.
The atmosphere changed radically when he came to her but she knew that it was just a matter of time before they had to return to Seoul.
“Do you want to see my room? I lived here for most of my life.” Dohyun said already pulling her along towards the first floor.
Dohyun’s grandfather smiled as he watched the two ‘kids’ go up. And yet something was odd, he could feel it in his bones. Something bad was going to happen soon.
Dohyun’s room was full with books. Comic books, more exactly. There were shelves and shelves of manga, some DC and Marvel comics and a lot of figurines. Some were of characters that he liked, some were about mythological creatures and some were rather peculiar.
“This really feels like you for some reason.” She said taking a long look around. His sheets were with a character from a Chinese story.
“It’s not much but it’s honest work.” He said proud of his belongings. “My parents worked a lot so I spent more time here, with grandad. He is the reason why we met.”
“I know. He gave you the seed of Ares.” She said thinking about how that same seed was about to endanger his life.
Dohyun was not bothered at all by how difficult his destiny was. He wanted to use every detail, more or less, in his webtoon.
“We should leave. Icarus is breaking.”
Her tone mirrored her expression. Those pretty eyes of hers were almost grey and she looked pale. The mess in the afterlife also affected her even if not as much as it did to Minjae or Pirape.
“Let’s go then.”
Fei turned to him with a glare.
“You will have to take his place and believe me, it is not an easy task. You will have to keep everything together until I return with Atlas.” She said, her tone rising, as were her worries. “You could die.”
“I trust you. Besides, as long as I have some godly strength everything will be alright.”
Fei sighed and grabbed his arm. In one blink they were in the afterlife, at the very top of...wherever they were. He gasped at the sky, which was filled with white clouds. If he squinted he could actually see something behind them, something that was well hidden. It almost looked like a citadel but he wasn't sure.
“Come on,” she said and he followed her into a long corridor. At the end of it was not a door but a vase.
“Icarus is under the vase. It doesn’t seem like much but believe me, it holds the weight of all worlds.” Fei explained as they walked closer.
The vase was beautiful. It had geometric figures all around up to the neck, giving the idea that it was probably desiged during the times of Greek's Dark Ages. When the geometric motif was absent, the vase had stick figures showing scenes from ancient tales about the genesis. At the very top it had a few ancient engravings written in gold. It looked expensive and it seemed to have this pure white glow that was coming from the inside.
“What do I have to do?” He asked once they reached it.
“Take it from Icarus. When that happens its whole burden will fall on you. Do not put it down, you have to hold it for as long as possible.”
“How hard can it be?” Dohyun muttered but then he remembered that the gods wouldn’t have used it as punishment if it was easy.
“As you step closer, the vase will glow really bright. You have to get a good hold on it because afterwards you can’t really move.” She said sounding more and more worried. “Are you ready?”
“Not really.” Dohyun said before he stepped next to Icarus and took the vase in his hands.
Fei had to grab and pull Icarus quickly outside the close range. He was tired and his hands were black. Meanwhile, when Dohyun’s energy mixed with the vase his eyes widened as light came out of them. He was glowing and he looked like a completely different being.
“I’ll return as soon as possible. I promise.” Fei said before she dragged her worker back to the library.
Once the change was made, all worlds and beings could feel as if they could breathe again. Death looked up as he felt the barriers between the worlds close. Minjae and Pirape woke up with a jolt, scaring Eunbin who had to close the library. It was really silent and Death really looked apathetic at that moment.
Fei did not return to the library but went down, into the underworld, in order to speak with the one Olympian she trusted. She barged in without notice, but Hades seemed to be lost in his own thoughts. He was standing like a general, stiff and straight, in front of the only window in his office. He had a coldness to him that sent shivers down her spine. Hades turned his head to the nymph and Fei gulped at the fire in his eyes. He was angry.
“Dohyun took Icarus’ place. I need to-”
“Tell me, Ophelia, didn’t we concluded during your punishment that we will be honest with each other?” Hades interrupted her, his whole demeanour darkening.
He used her real name which was already a red flag.
“Yes, we did. But you never tell me everything.”
“Because you don’t need to know everything. However, I do. I am the last of the Olympians, I am the Lord of the Underworld and I saved you from immediate death. And yet I had to find out from a titan that you had always been in the possession of the greatest weapon.”
Fei’s eyes widened and instinctively stepped back. Hades glared and quicker than light, he flashed and rose her into air by her neck. Fei had no chance to fight him and win but again, out of instinct, her crystal eye came into view.
“Where is it?”
Fei’s eye was a great help because she could see that something was not quite alright with Hades. She caught sight of something moving on his arm and noticed the long nails. Hades was the type to take thorough care of himself, including manicure. Besides, she had never felt such fear around him.
“Where is it, Ophelia? Where did you hide the Thief of Words?” He asked through gritted teeth.
Fei didn’t say a word and kept a poker face. It was hard seeing how he was crushing her neck but she was not about to cower in front of a murderer.
“Let her go. Now.” Came the voice of the real Hades. Behind him were Minjae, Horace the centaur and Death. They were all glaring at the fake Hades.
Now that she turned her eyes on her capturer, she saw the elongated grey eyes of the titan. He seemed to have regained enough of his power to shapeshift for a limited amount of time.
“You don’t care about them. Not about the world and not even about your life. But you do care about that boy who took my place.” As soon as Atlas mentioned Dohyun, he saw an instant answer.
“Do not touch him. He is doing us a favour since you decided abandon your responsibility.”
“Punishment. They forced me to hold that vase for ever. I did not have a say. The world is not my responsibility.” Atlas said, triggered by how this lowly creature spoke to him when she knew nothing.
The titan’s grasp on her neck lessened but not enough for her to escape.
“You will never find it.” Fei said with hatred. “Nobody can.”
“We’ll see, won’t we? After all, how long do you think that boy can hold on for?”
With that established, the titan threw Fei at Hades’ feet harshly before he vanished like a shadow down the wall.
Hades glanced at her and rubbed his forehead. He was tired and had a major headache. Minjae came to her aid right away.
“Are you alright? Did he hurt you elsewhere?” Minjae asked, his eyes falling first on the burnt handprint around her neck.
“No.” Fei muttered feeling ashamed now that the real Hades was there.
“Are you sure he can’t find it?” Death asked being the pragmatic one.
“I didn’t lie when I said nobody can. Even I can only feel it but cannot materialize it. One needs a strong desire to have it come to him.”
“Like being desperate to revive your loved one? Or seeing your father once more?” Death asked finding that both reasons were good enough.
“No. Although they are strong, these are still selfish at the core. Orpheus wants to see his wife because he feels guilty and Icarus feels sorry. The Thief materializes to the being whose reasons are pure.” Horace explained, not able to stop glancing at Fei. “You. It seems his best bet is you.”
“Why? My reasons are just as selfish.” She said raising one eyebrow before she remembered Athena’s advice. She looked at Horace with terror and leaned against her raven. “It’s me. I have to die.”
ns 15.158.61.55da2
