Bonus chapter as promised!
[500 PS = Another Bonus Chapter]
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I ran up the stairs with my heart racing.
Blood ran down my body and dripped onto the white stone, momentarily staining it before it vanished like magic.
"So... I'm really here, huh?"
The architecture and beauty of the place were everything I had once imagined when I played the game.
However, at the same time, the current state of the House of Hades fell short of my expectations. Everything was worn out, with dirty walls and far more shadows than there should have been.
It wasn't just the aged appearance of the place; it was the absence of life.
Where were the souls who were supposed to form a long queue to talk to Hades? Where was Nyx, the majestic goddess of the night? And what about the relentless sound of scribes working on the registers?
When I finally reached the end of the corridor, there was Hades' desk — empty.
His desk, which was huge, about three meters high, was still piled high with papers.
Why was the House of Hades like this? Where were the others? Had something happened, or was this because I was in another universe?
I looked around, trying to find any clues, but absolute silence was my only answer.
I decided that if there was no one here, it would be best to look for something in Zagreus' room. Maybe there, I could find something that would explain the situation. I remembered the approximate location thanks to the images I had of the game in my memory.
Butr just as I was about to take the first step to my right, I heard a growl coming from the darkness to my left.
As I turned to look into the shadows, a huge red figure leapt towards me. It was a blur of force and speed, and in the next moment, I was on the ground.
Something with colossal weight pinned me down. I opened my eyes, and what I saw nearly left me speechless.
Above me, three pairs of eyes glowed a spectral green. Three snouts full of sharp teeth were far too close for comfort. The animal's red fur was as vibrant as the blood that had earlier dripped from my clothes.
It was Cerberus. The legendary three-headed dog who guarded the gates of the Underworld.
"Ah, damn..." I muttered.
This Cerberus, however, was not the cuddly Cerberus that could easily be fooled with a packet of treats. This one was baring its teeth at me, radiating raw, untamed menace.
"Calm down... easy, kid! You know me, don't you? It's just... I'm... Zagreus!"
The instant those words left my mouth, Cerberus stopped growling.
All three heads tilted back, and their noses sniffed the air. He looked confused for a moment, but then something changed. That menacing growl gave way to a brief whine, and he started licking my face with his three heads.
"Hey! Hahahaha! Stop it!" I protested, laughing as I tried to push the huge snout away, but it was no use.
The three heads took turns licking my face, arms, and even my hair. The force of the licks tossed me from side to side as if I were a mere toy.
Cerberus was happy. Ridiculously, overwhelmingly happy.
"Okay, okay, I get it! You're a good boy, aren't you?" I said, laughing helplessly.
Despite everything, the warmth of his body and the sparkle in his eyes brought me unexpected comfort.
He knew me, somehow.
Or rather, he recognized the scent of Zagreus on me.
After a while, Cerberus finally stopped "bathing" me and sat down next to me, his three heads tilting in sync as he watched me curiously.
I took advantage of the pause to get up and wipe as much drool off my clothes as possible.
"You're huge, you know that?" I said as I looked at him.
"Woof!" Cerberus replied with a small bark.
Now that all that emptiness had passed, I started to think.
If Cerberus was here, maybe things weren't as bad as they seemed. If he was happy to see me, did that mean he truly recognized me — or rather, Zagreus?
Things were still very confusing about my place in this universe.
"I need answers..." I muttered and then looked at Cerberus. "Come on, kid. Take me to him. To Hades. Or to someone who can help me."
Cerberus barked again, this time more excitedly, and started running in the same direction I should have gone if he hadn't attacked me. His huge paws made the ground shake with every step, but I followed him closely.
The path led us to a second corridor, where on the right there was a door leading to the kitchen of the House of Hades, and on the left, another door marked Zagreus' room.
However, at the end of this second corridor, there was a door leading into a small garden.
"... You've got to be kidding me," I muttered, blinking a few times to make sure my vision wasn't deceiving me.
Right in the center of the garden, stretching and then jumping to try and catch a Pom of Power from a tree, was Skelly. Yes, that Skelly — the talkative skeleton with his unique sense of humor.
He was there, looking a little rash and a little desperate to get that pomegranate.
When he heard Cerberus' heavy footsteps, Skelly looked in our direction, and his eyes went wide — if that was even possible.
"Hey, Cerberus! What are you doing with that intruder?!" he exclaimed, pointing at me. "Of all the idiotic things you're capable of doing, the last one I imagined was betraying us."
Cerberus barked, and one of his heads licked me.
Skelly blinked. "Boss?" he asked, looking at me with a mix of disbelief and curiosity. It was as if he could interpret Cerberus' gesture. "No, it can't be you..."
Just like that, I finally started to piece things together.
"Skelly, you're right. I don't think I'm the Zagreus you know... But I am a Zagreus. So I need you to tell me: what happened here? Where is everyone?"
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