The Story of Phaethon - (2)

"...I will show a measure of mercy."

Mercy for one who had killed thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of lives? What was Hades talking about?

"Those who come to the Underworld can never leave, especially one guilty of such a grave crime. However..."

Phaethon strained to listen to what would come next.

"If you wish, I can invite Helios to the Underworld for a final meeting."

The mortal and immortal realms are strictly separated. While gods can traverse freely, Phaethon, a mortal who had caused such devastation, could not.

He had not dared hope for any reduction in his punishment.

"I sent a message to Olympus and found out that Helios is mourning your loss in seclusion. However, if he can meet you one last time, he would certainly come."

"Thank... you."

Tears welled up in Phaethon's eyes. If he could see his father one last time, to apologize...

"This is not merely out of sympathy for you. If Helios remains in grief and does not drive the sun, the world will fall into chaos."

Though Hades spoke pragmatically, Phaethon understood the underlying compassion. If the sun did not rise and the night persisted, more would die, strengthening Hades' dominion.

The more lives lost in the mortal realm, the more it benefited the lord of the Underworld. This was indeed an act of mercy.

Helios' Sun Palace.

The sun god Helios, grieving his son's death, had not left his palace. With the sun chariot undriven, the world was shrouded in perpetual darkness.

"Why hasn't the sun risen today..." "Lord Helios! Please have mercy and give us light!" "Lord Zeus..." "Sigh... All our crops will die like this..."

The mortal realm was filled with the pleas of countless beings.

Finally, Zeus himself came to see him. Clearing his throat outside the palace, Zeus called out to Helios.

"Helios! Are you inside?"

But the grieving father did not respond.

"I am sorry for striking your son with lightning, but it was unavoidable."

Uncertain if Helios was listening, Zeus continued.

"The world is in disarray because you aren't driving the sun chariot. I understand your grief, but can you not fulfill your duty once more?"

Yet, the sun god remained silent. Even Zeus' apologies couldn't change Helios' heart.

"Sigh..."

Zeus considered breaking into the palace but shook his head, fearing his rash actions might worsen Helios' seclusion.

"Father! I knew you'd be here!" "Hermes, what is it?"

The god of messengers approached Zeus, who was troubled by the sun god's strike. Hermes spoke confidently.

"Uncle Hades has offered to let Helios meet Phaethon one last time. If we explain this to Helios..."

"What? My brother will allow a meeting with a dead soul...?"

Before Zeus could finish, the palace doors opened.

Out rushed a man with radiant golden hair and a golden robe, eyes ablaze with the heat of the sun.

The great sun god, Helios, emerged, having heard Hermes' words. In a rush, he approached the messenger god.

"Hermes! Is it true? Hades will let me meet my dead son!"

Light shone into the Underworld once more.

But this was different from the rampage of Phaethon's sun chariot. This light emanated from a single being, or rather, one god.

"Hades! Let me see my son!"

It wasn't long after I sent a message to Olympus that Helios arrived in the Underworld. The more intense his emotions, the more the sun's energy radiated from him.

Even I could feel the heat, and the souls had already retreated far back.

"Phaethon is over there..." "Phaethon...!"

Helios hurriedly ran to the corner where Phaethon was. Thus, father and son were reunited.

"Sniff... Father... I'm so sorry..." "No, it's all my fault. I should have brought you to Olympus as soon as you were born..." "My reckless actions caused destruction on earth... even your sun chariot...," "Enough. Stop talking. I'm just glad I could see you one last time..."

The two embraced tightly, tears flowing ceaselessly from their eyes.

"I was wrong. Please forgive me and your mother..." "No, Father..."

But their time together was limited. The living and the dead, the mortal and the immortal realms must remain strictly separate.

If I showed pity and revived Phaethon, Helios would start feeding his son nectar and ambrosia. Other gods would then plead with me to save their beloved mortals.

"It's time to say your final goodbyes. The guilty must face their punishment." "Ah..."

I stepped aside to give them their final moments.

"Sniff..."

As I stepped back, I heard the sound of someone sobbing. Following the sound, I found a beautiful goddess leaning against the fortress walls, tears streaming down her face.

Styx...?

The goddess Styx, her face wet with tears, was covering her mouth as she wept quietly. Upon sensing my presence, she quickly turned towards me.

"Ah... Hades..! Wait... don't look at me like this...!" "Is it because of the oath by the River Styx?"

The goddess fell silent. The oath by the River Styx was an absolute vow that even the gods could not break.

A token of gratitude for Styx being the first to join our side in the war against the Titans. But every time a tragedy resulted from the unbreakable oath, her heart...

"Sometimes... I wonder. If there were no oath by the River Styx..."

I could guess her unfinished thought. The tragedy of Semele and Zeus, the current situation with Phaethon, all stemmed from gods bound by the absolute oath of the River Styx.

"The tragedies that come from the oath are not your fault." "Even so... if only I had refused Zeus' proposal to use my river as the proof of the oath..."

We gods are immortal and possess powers incomparable to mortals. Even the goddess Styx, weeping before me, could destroy an entire city with a simple curse.

Yet, we are arrogant and proud. The oath we swear on the River Styx is a shackle placed upon us.

Even Zeus, the king of the gods, must uphold it without question.

But the oath by the goddess's name doesn't only bring negative consequences. I planned to tell her about that now.

"The oath by the River Styx doesn't always lead to tragedy. Today's incident is an exceptional case." "Yes...?" "Perhaps you haven't had time to listen to the prayers of the mortals recently. Shall we take a look together?"

Men and women of all ages roamed the mortal world. In my temple, Styx's statue drew many visitors.

"Why did you bring me here?" "Because... I swear by the River Styx that I love you. Will you marry me?" "Oh...!"

A man confessed his love in front of Styx's statue.

"I swear by the River Styx that I did not steal the sheep! Now it's your turn!" "I... I..." "If you have nothing to hide, swear as I did!" "The truth is... times have been tough lately..."

People using the oath by the River Styx to reveal a thief.

"I swear by the goddess Styx that even if you are called by Thanatos..." "Oh, my... What a vow to make... Hmph... Then I swear too. Even if you..." An elderly couple pledging to cherish each other until death.

"Mortals swear to reveal the truth, profess love, and share promises." "Oh..." "If there were no weight to the goddess's name, such scenes would not be possible."

Mortals who break the oath are dragged into Tartarus after death. Fearful of this, they are always cautious, yet sometimes use the oath to confirm each other's hearts.

"Mortals... often swear by my name..." "I was surprised too. Perhaps it's because your statue was placed in my temple?"

Styx, freed from the thought that her name only brought misfortune, looked up at me. Her face, clearer than before, showed a hint of a smile.

After a moment of contemplation, the goddess, with tear stains wiped clean, smiled softly. Perhaps her guilt had lessened.

"Thank you, Hades. I always thought you were just teasing me with your Helm of Darkness..." "Uh...? Testing the strength of my weapon is essential." "Pfft... Hehehe..."

I swear by the River Styx that I never teased with the Helm of Darkness.

But seeing the goddess's beautiful smile, I decided to stay silent. Approaching with a warm smile, the goddess Styx whispered closer.

"Don't tell anyone about today, okay?"

Her hand on my chest, her finger on my lips, it felt soft and ticklish.

I answered, as if enchanted by her.

"...I swear by the River Styx."