The Story of Phaethon - (1)

This is the Underworld, the place mortals dread the most, where they face inevitable death. It is also the domain of Hades, one of the great Three Gods who rule different parts of the world.

"Hmm...?"

Thus, this place witnesses all kinds of occurrences. Things beyond human imagination transpire here, but...

Flash!

"What on earth...!"

No one could have expected the Underworld to be illuminated so brightly.

"Hades! Hades! The entire Underworld is bathed in light!" "I can see it too!"

The goddess Lethe burst into my chamber. I quickly dressed and stepped outside to survey the situation.

"What in the world is happening?" "Has Apollo descended into the Underworld?" "Nonsense! Only Zeus's lightning could cause this!" "That's impossible! Where is Lord Hades?"

The souls, like vampires from my past life's 21st-century fiction, panicked under the sunlight. Understandably, the Underworld is so deep that no light ever reaches it.

Though there are Hestia's hearths providing faint light, the Underworld is usually dark, gloomy, and cold.

"This must be because Apollo is angry!" "Maybe Lord Zeus is fighting Lord Hades!"

The Underworld was thrown into chaos. Souls ran about, and the attendants tried to calm the situation while also seeking the gods.

And were the gods any calmer?

"What is going on here?" "Hades! Did you have a quarrel with Zeus?"

Definitely not.

The gods rushed to my office, starting with Hypnos, the god of sleep, and even the goddess Styx. No, I didn't fight with Zeus...

"Only Zeus could have caused this!"

First, I needed to calm the situation.

"Morpheus, go down to Tartarus and check if the Titans are still secure!" "Yes, sir!"

Next, I ordered the Underworld's attendants to calm the people and sent a lesser god to the mortal realm to check for any other anomalies, aside from the light.

"Lord Hades!"

...Why is the lesser god already back?

"Lord Hades! The sun... the sun is closer!"

What?

The lesser god returned, his body burned and bleeding ichor. What did he mean by the sun being closer?

"Helios is driving his chariot close to the ground! The mortal realm is already Tartarus!" "Could it be Apollo, another sun god?"

Helios. The Titan god of the sun, son of Hyperion and Theia. Helios drives the sun chariot, a task even Zeus cannot perform, and thus maintains his position as a sun god alongside Apollo.

Helios never once ceased to drive the sun chariot.

"But this is definitely not Apollo's doing! The horses of the sun chariot were out of control!"

Horses of the sun chariot, always on fire, running amok? I trust Helios's ability to control the chariot perfectly.

Perhaps he was ensnared by Aphrodite's enchantment, attacked by a Gigantes... what else?

Thankfully, the light began to recede from the Underworld, and it returned to its usual darkness. Souls and gods alike sighed in relief.

"The light is receding now. What could have caused this?" "How about sending an envoy to Olympus to find out?" "Though the situation has calmed..."

"There's no need for that. I brought the culprit."

The gods discussing the matter turned towards the deep, resonant voice.

There stood Thanatos, the black-winged god, with a grim expression, holding a freshly deceased soul.

That soul caused the Underworld to light up? All eyes focused on Thanatos, who continued with a grimace.

"...He died from Zeus's lightning while driving the sun chariot." "Mnesmosyne, please bring water from the spring of memory."

The soul, appearing no older than his late teens or early twenties, had golden hair reminiscent of Helios. Could it be?

"Gasp! Where am I? I was just..." "Yes, kid. This is the Underworld. Did you drive the sun chariot in place of Helios?" "The Underworld! Then I..." "Explain why you ended up here. Tell us how you died from falling off the sun chariot."

Still disoriented, the soul began to speak under Thanatos's stern gaze.

"I am Phaethon, son of Helios..."

We listened to his story.

Phaethon grew up with his mother, unaware of his father's identity. Upon reaching adulthood, his mother revealed that his father was the sun god Helios.

Phaethon set out to find his father, and after many travels, he met Helios, who, in his joy, swore by the River Styx to grant any wish...

"The River Styx... Oh..."

The goddess Styx beside me let out a groan, realizing the cause of this situation. Most of the gods seemed to understand as well.

I gestured for Phaethon to continue.

"Yes... I foolishly asked my father, who had sworn by the River Styx, to let me drive the sun chariot."

"What?! You crazy mortal..." "That's a chariot even Apollo or Lord Zeus can't drive! And you thought you could..." "Did you listen to Dionysus's whispers?"

The horses of the sun chariot are only controlled by Helios. Phaethon, despite his divine lineage, was a mortal raised by humans and couldn't possibly manage it.

It's obvious what happens when the sun gets too close to the ground. The mortal realm must be full of charred bodies and scorched trees.

Had Zeus not struck the chariot with his lightning, all life in the mortal realm might have perished.

"...The horses ran wild, and the earth was scorched. Eventually, I was struck by lightning and ended up here."

Phaethon began to sob softly, realizing his foolish request had cost him his life and caused great suffering.

"Hmm... Your judgment will be postponed. Wait over there."

But apart from that...

The countless lives lost due to his actions must be accounted for.

With the souls of the dead pouring into the Underworld, Phaethon was set aside for now.

His fate would be decided soon.

Shortly after, Phaethon sat kneeling in silence, awaiting his judgment. Before him was Hades, the god of the Underworld, seated at a grand desk.

The god's ominous voice resonated, piercing Phaethon's ears.

"...I will pronounce your sentence."

Other gods watched silently as Hades judged the soul who had greatly impacted the mortal world.

"Your reckless actions caused immense damage to the mortal realm. Rivers dried up, countless villages and cities burned, and innumerable lives were lost."

The son of Helios wept silently, offering no defense.

"Ignorance is not a crime. But the consequences of that ignorance must be borne."

Phaethon had already braced himself for severe punishment, having witnessed the devastation caused by the rampaging sun chariot.

"Aah! Apollo, save me!" "It's too hot... my flesh is burning..." "Water... I need water..." "Zeus, why...?"

He had seen hundreds, if not thousands, of people perish, begging for their lives as they were roasted alive. This doesn't even include the other plants, animals, nymphs, and various forms of life.

Though he couldn't have predicted such a catastrophic outcome, the price for so many lives lost had to be paid.

"You are sentenced to labor on the outskirts of the Underworld for at least several hundred years. This is the penance for extinguishing so many lives."

Several hundred years. Phaethon's lips tightened.

But that wasn't the end.

"You will also be barred from reincarnation, and even after your labor sentence, you will never receive the blessing of forgetfulness."

The blessing of forgetfulness, overseen by the goddess Lethe, is essential for mortals who have mental limits. No mortal can bear the burden of accumulating memories indefinitely.

Some gods, sympathetic to Phaethon's plight, showed slight pity, but they agreed his punishment was appropriate.

However, Hades had more to say.

"....However, considering your father Helios's negligence in leaving you unattended..."

Huh...?

"And given that you had no malicious intent and that Helios rashly swore by the River Styx, I will show a measure of mercy."

In despair, Phaethon looked up at the lord of the Underworld.

Mercy...?