CHAPTER 22
1110 Words
Annabeth / Annika’s POV
We both fell into silence.
After I teased him—and after he nearly smacked the back of my head earlier—we didn’t speak again. There wasn’t anything to do anyway, and I was starting to get seriously bored.
Excuse me, my time is precious. I still have things to do.
“What the hell—”
“So… you’re planning to kill them, right?”
He cut me off before I could even finish. My eyebrow immediately arched.
He knows that too?
“Oh? And what if I am?” I asked seriously, straightening my posture. If he tries to interfere… that’s going to be a problem.
“You know that’s wrong, don’t you?” he said, arms crossed, both brows raised at me.
I laughed.
“How is that funny?” he frowned, clearly annoyed. Of course he would be—he’s a god. He doesn’t like being looked down on.
I stopped laughing and smirked at him, though inside, irritation was already clawing at me.
“Hades… you’re seriously asking me that? Do you think a serial killer like me even cares about the difference between good and evil?”
“I know who you are. I know what you are. But Annabeth, we believe you can—”
“Or we could just start training,” I cut him off, my tone sharpening. “What? Are you not going to teach me anymore because you want to stop me from doing ‘bad things’?”
The faint sympathy on his face disappeared, replaced by annoyance—and something more focused. Determined.
Good.
“Gods and goddesses can’t interfere with human affairs,” he said firmly. “Your business is yours. If that’s what you want, then so be it. But I’m warning you, Annabeth… when you die, you may be cast into Tartarus.”
I simply nodded, brushing off his warning.
Tartarus?
I know enough.
Gaea—Earth. Uranus—Heaven. Tartarus, their sibling, born from Chaos. The deepest pit, far below even the underworld. A place so dark and endless that even Hades himself is nothing compared to it.
So what if I end up there?
I don’t care.
They say in Tartarus, you live forever… but suffer eternal pain.
And?
Even if I die again and get thrown into that abyss, I won’t regret hurting the people who hurt Annika.
They deserve it.
“Alright. Let’s begin,” he said in a serious tone.
A thrill ran through me.
Finally.
---
AFTER 3 HOURS
I was back in reality, no longer inside that strange space within my heart.
I walked through the hallway of the Bronze Building, heading toward my class. Honestly, I didn’t feel like going—training had drained me—but I remembered the plan I came up with earlier, so I forced myself to show up.
Hades’ words echoed in my mind.
---
“I suggest you read books,” he said. “The others from Olympus gave me some for you. You must read them properly, Annabeth. Every piece of information inside those books—you need to memorize it.”
“And why’s that?” I asked, raising a brow.
He shot me an irritated look. “Don’t interrupt me.”
“Tch… whatever.” I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms.
We had just finished training, and I had to admit—
Hell.
The power I displayed… it was exhilarating.
“As I was saying,” he continued, “burn those details into your head. If you want revenge, you need knowledge. That’s how you move properly.”
I frowned slightly.
“I thought you were against—”
“I am against your plan,” he cut in. “Almost all of us are. But Hera—the queen—believes you deserve happiness. She saw your suffering. And if this is what you think will make you happy… then we’ll let you be.”
He paused before adding,
“That’s why we’re helping you. Because you deserve to be happy.”
My expression went blank as I stared at him.
Relief flickered inside me…
…but so did discomfort.
“I don’t need happiness,” I said flatly. “I don’t feel happiness. I’m just… excited. Excited about something that will never make me happy.”
I exhaled slowly.
“Even if I’m the saddest person in the world, I’ll destroy what Annika and I both hate. I hate them… so I’ll kill them. No matter what. Even if it goes against everything—I’ll kill anyone who stands in my way.”
After saying all that, something still felt… off.
Uncomfortable.
Maybe I just don’t want to think about happiness—because there’s nothing there.
Hades didn’t react. Not even a flinch.
Of course.
He’s a god.
After a moment, he simply shrugged and raised his hand. Three thick books materialized in the air.
He presented them one by one.
“This,” he said, holding out a white book with a serpent engraved on its cover, “is from Athena. It’s meant to make you wise and strategic. It also contains information about beings like you.”
I took it.
Next, he handed me a brown book with a winged shoe engraved on it.
“This is from Hermes. It teaches you how to avoid… situations. Accusations, mockery, dangers—everything. In short, it teaches you how to act.”
I accepted that too, though the winged shoe design made no sense to me.
“And lastly…” He held out a black book with a flame at its center. “This one’s from Aphrodite. She said it probably won’t help with your plans—but maybe someday, you’ll want to read it.”
I took the final book.
I thought that was it—but then he summoned something else.
A silver dagger.
My name was engraved on it.
Annabeth.
He handed it to me with a faint smile. I took it immediately, examining the blade.
“Apollo said you’ll need that soon,” he explained. “So he asked his brother Hephaestus to make it. You should thank them.”
I said nothing.
He rolled his eyes, clearly understanding.
I don’t do “thank you.”
It’s not in my vocabulary.
What do they think they are—gold?
“That’s all,” he said. “Be careful. Until we meet again.”
And just like that—
he disappeared.
Leaving me there.
---
And then I returned to reality.
---
That’s what happened earlier.
Amazing, right?
That i***t Hades just vanished on me like that.
- Writer
