The Mercy of the Underworld
The story of Phaethon - (2)
"I'll show a bit of mercy."
Mercy? To me, who'd killed thousands—perhaps even tens of thousands—of lives? What was this about?
"Those who die and come to the Underworld can never leave it. For a grave sinner like you, it's even more impossible. However..."
Phaethon focused every ounce of his attention, straining to hear what would come next.
"If you wish, I can invite the god Helios to the Underworld so you may meet him one last time."
The world of the living and the realm of the dead were strictly separated. Though gods could come and go freely, it was impossible for a grave sinner like Phaethon—who had caused massive damage to the mortal realm—to meet anyone. He hadn't even dared hope for mercy that might lighten his punishment.
"I sent a messenger to Olympus and learned that the god Helios has shut himself away in grief over losing you. But if he could see you, he would rush to the Underworld without hesitation."
"Thank... you."
Large teardrops welled up in Phaethon's eyes and fell. If he could see his father one last time... he could at least say he was sorry...
"This isn't purely out of consideration for your circumstances. If the god Helios remains lost in sorrow and refuses to move the sun, the world will fall into chaos."
Even as the god Hades said this, Phaethon knew the truth. If the sun stopped moving and endless night brought more death, Hades' power would only grow stronger. The more lives perished in the mortal world, the greater the benefit to the master of the Underworld. This was, without question, an act of mercy.
In the Sun Palace of Helios.
The sun god Helios, devastated by the loss of his son, refused to leave his palace. With the master of the palace no longer driving the sun chariot, the mortal world remained shrouded in perpetual darkness.
"Why hasn't the sun risen again today...?"
"O god Helios! Please have mercy and grant us light!"
"Lord Zeus..."
"Sigh... At this rate, all the crops will die..."
The mortal realm was filled with desperate pleas from every living thing. In the end, Zeus himself came to visit.
Zeus cleared his throat outside the palace and called out.
"Helios! Are you in there?"
But the father who had lost his child remained stubbornly silent.
"I'm sorry I struck your son with lightning, but there was no other choice."
Whether Helios was listening or not, Zeus continued speaking.
"The world is in chaos because you won't drive the sun chariot. I understand your grief over losing your child, but won't you return to your duty?"
Yet the master of the palace maintained his silence. No matter what the one who had thrown the lightning bolt said, it wouldn't change Helios' heart.
"Haa..."
Zeus briefly considered kicking the palace doors open but shook his head. He worried that his impulsive action might only worsen Helios' seclusion.
"Father! So this is where you were!"
"Hermes, what is it?"
The one approaching Zeus, who was suffering headaches from the sun god's strike, was the messenger god. Hermes spoke with a confident expression.
"Uncle Hades says he will allow Phaethon to meet one last time. If you tell Lord Helios this properly..."
"What? My brother is letting a dead soul meet...?"
Before Zeus could finish, the doors of the Sun Palace burst open. A male god came rushing out.
A god with brilliant golden hair reminiscent of light, golden robes, and eyes burning with the heat of the sun. The great sun god, Helios, had emerged after hearing Hermes' words.
Looking extremely urgent, he rushed up to the messenger god and shouted.
"Hermes! Is that true?! Hades says he'll let me meet my dead son?!"
A bright light entered the Underworld.
But it was different from the rampage of the sun chariot Phaethon had driven. This light was emanating from a single person—no, from a single male god.
"Hades! Let me—let me meet my son!"
Helios had arrived in the Underworld not long after the messenger was sent to Olympus. The more intense his emotions grew, the more solar energy radiated from his body. The shades had already retreated far away, unable to withstand the heat that even I could faintly feel.
"Phaethon is over th—"
"Phaethon...!"
The god Helios rushed desperately toward Phaethon, who stood in a corner. And so, father and son met once more.
"Hic... Father... Ugh... I'm... truly sorry..."
"No, it's all my fault. I should have brought you to Olympus the moment you were born..."
"Because of my reckless actions, the surface world... and even your sun chariot..."
"Enough. Say no more. I'm just glad I could see you again one last time..."
The two embraced each other tightly. Tears flowed endlessly from the eyes of the father and son who had been so tragically separated.
"I was wrong. To your mother as well... Please forgive me..."
"No, Father..."
But the time they could spend together was limited. The living world and the Underworld, the dead and the living, had to remain strictly separated. If I spared Phaethon out of pity, Helios would begin feeding his child Nectar and Ambrosia... and all the other gods would come begging me to revive the mortals they cherished, just as Helios had done.
"It's time to say your final farewells. A sinner must receive his punishment."
"Ah..."
I stepped away for a moment so they could share their last goodbyes.
"Hic..."
As I stepped away, I heard someone sobbing from somewhere. The sound came from the outer edge of the fortress, so I walked in that direction.
"Hic..."
Leaning against the castle wall, a beautiful goddess was shedding tears of sorrow. It was Styx... My lady?
Styx had her hand over her mouth as she cried quietly. Her face was drenched with tears, and her hands were busy wiping away the flowing liquid. She must have sensed my presence, because she quickly turned toward me.
"Ah... Hades...! J-just a moment, please don't look here...!"
"Is it because of Helios' oath?"
The goddess Styx fell silent.
The Styx Oath was an absolute promise that not even gods could break. It was my reward to the goddess who had been the first to rush to our aid and lend her strength during the war against the Titan gods. Yet every time she witnessed the tragedies born from the Styx Oath, her heart...
"It's just... sometimes I think... if only the Styx Oath had never existed..."
I could guess the rest of what she wanted to say. The incident with Semele, mother of Dionysus, and Zeus. This recent tragedy with Phaethon. All of them were the result of gods who could not break the absolute Styx Oath.
"None of these tragedies are your fault, my lady."
"Even so... if only I had refused Zeus' suggestion to use my river as proof of the oath..."
We gods are immortal and possess power far beyond that of mortals. The goddess Styx, who was crying before me, could easily destroy an entire city with a single curse. Yet because we possess such immense power, we become arrogant and conceited. The Styx, which demands that any oath sworn upon it must be fulfilled, is a shackle placed upon us. Even the king of the gods, Zeus, must honor it without exception.
But an oath sworn in a goddess' name does not only bring negative consequences. I intended to tell Styx that very fact now.
"The Styx Oath does not always bring only tragedy. What happened today is an unusual case."
"...Pardon?"
"You seem to have been too busy lately to pay attention to the mortal world. Would you like to properly listen to the prayers of your worshippers once more?"
In the mortal realm, where countless people of all ages and genders moved about, many had gathered today as well before the statue of the goddess Styx inside my temple.
They were humans confessing truth, swearing love, and exchanging vows.
"Ah..."
"If your name carried no weight, my lady, we would never witness such scenes."
When humans broke an oath sworn upon the River Styx, they would be dragged into Tartarus after death. Out of that fear, they were always cautious—but sometimes they used it to confirm each other's hearts.
"Humans... swear oaths more often than I expected..."
"I was surprised as well. Perhaps it's because your statue has been erected?"
The goddess Styx, freed from the thought that oaths sworn in her name only brought misfortune, looked up at me. Her face, which looked much more refreshed than before, fell into brief thought. An awkward silence passed... and then the black-haired goddess, who had neatly wiped away her tear stains, offered a small smile.
Had the guilt weighing on her heart eased a little?
"Thank you, Hades... I always thought you only played pranks with your Kynee..."
"Pardon? Testing the durability of weapons is an absolutely necessary task."
"Pfft... Puhuhu..."
I swear upon the River Styx that I have never once used my Kynee for pranks. Still, I remained silent because I wanted to keep seeing the beautiful smile on the laughing goddess' face.
After covering her mouth and smiling happily for a moment, the goddess Styx drew closer. Her lips curved softly upward, and her eyes formed a seductive, charming smile.
"The fact that I was like this today... you mustn't tell anyone, understand?"
One of the goddess' palms, now pressed close to me, rested on my chest, while the index finger of her right hand touched my lips. Both her palm against my chest and her finger on my lips felt so soft that it tickled. I answered as if enchanted by her.
"....I swear upon the River Styx."