For Persephone

Chapter 33 – A Sin Committed (2)

Persephone looked for Ceres and she found her not far from the palace. Only her backside was showing. The thin, beautiful Goddess Ceres didn’t turn to look at her. She couldn’t see Persephone, who was wearing the Cap of Invisibility, slowly approach her from behind.

Since those who wore Hades’ invisible cap were able to avoid even Argos’ one-hundred eyes, there will be no match to be detected by someone with only two eyes.

Up and down she flicked the knife hidden in her hand.

A scream tore through the air. Persephone gathered all her strength and screamed again. The woman who had the same name as her mother. She hated her from the start.

“I’m gonna kill you, Ceres! I’m gonna kill you! Who do you think you are treating me like—”

She dragged Ceres’ ankle and threw her into the swamp she was standing nearby. Soon after, she took off her cloak and used it to wipe the blood off the invisible cap, then threw the cloak into the swamp. The way the rising swamp swallowed Ceres and the cloak looked like something being eaten by a snake.

The coldness in her heart went away and a cold chill pervaded in. When the swamp completely covered Ceres’ body, a smile spread across Persephone’s sweaty face. A realization of the aftereffects that followed satisfaction slowly began to wriggle. That woman who up until yesterday made Persephone mad was clearly a different existence than the others. She wouldn’t die that instantly.

Immortal, Ceres was immortal just like her.

‘What should I do?’

‘Will Hades forgive me? But that’s what Demeter said about the underworld. She said, ‘They will not forgive anyone who deceives death, and that is why a human named Sisyphos will face the most terrible eternal punishment.’

To make matters worse, Hades was now suspicious of her and angry at her. He can’t keep her from knowing this for good. It was almost impossible to be forgiven now.

Fortunately, this golden palace is an empty and dead place, regardless of its size. The only thing Persephone found here is a couple of dead men who often appeared from somewhere, and most of the living and breathing swamp crawling around the courtyard in front of the palace. There wasn’t a need to worry about any witnesses.

Persephone, nibbling on her bottom lip, looked down at the remains of the body in the swamp.

Dread settled in the pit of her stomach. Persephone tried to take off the invisible cap that ruined her hair but changed her mind and went out to look for Hades.

She stood at the mouth of the entrance to where Hades normally entered. Hades was with Hermes, and by their side was a strange man in a shabby prison uniform on his knees. He looked as dark as the average dead, but she could see his dignity.

Persephone, who couldn’t even get close to them, realized who the man was.

‘That’s Sisyphos.’

Demeter has repeatedly mentioned Sisyphos as an extreme example of a man who even deceived God and did anything for himself. How the god of death, Thanatos, was so badly beaten, and how Ares, angry at the deathless war, saved Thanatos; if anyone can fool Styx for his own gain, it’s him. He was nothing but scum.

And in exchange for deceiving death, he said he would fall to Tartaros.

If he falls to Tartaros in return for deceiving death, what kind of sin should Persephone pay for the murder she committed?

Frightened, Persephone squatted in a shady corner and peeped at them. Soon, the dead servants brought in an iron cage and pushed the man in. Hermes and Hades turned almost simultaneously as if they finished their business with him.

Persephone came to her senses and ran into the palace. Returning to Hades’ bedroom, after quickly hanging the invisible cap back on its original hook, she sat down in front of the mirror. To check if there was any blood splatter on her legs, to check if she left any bloody footprints. She checked thoroughly.

Her heart didn’t calm down. She sat there waiting for Hades as if nothing had happened, there was no word whether his business with Hermes was finished or not.

In the midst of that, some time went by. Kronos, betrayed by Zeus, brought him down into living in the same flow as humans. It was a petty retribution for the gods who lived close to eternity. But not to Persephone. It was so painful to think that before she came back, that bitch Ceres would dare to cross between Hades and her.

‘What should I do?’ Persephone asked in her head

‘How about this?’ The voice replied. Persephone, who was pinching her forehead and nervously chewing her lips, looked up. ‘There’s no other way.’