I've Possessed Persephone (9 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 2

Blinking repeatedly, Persephone’s vision flickered between darkness and light.

“Ugh…….”

A pained groan escaped through her lips.

‘Am I really still alive?’

Even though she was an immortal god, it was said that even gods could endure eternal pain or fall into a coma…….

‘Could I have already been dragged to the underworld?’

To open her eyelids, Persephone summoned the strength she had as a child when she ran away with Demeter’s seed pouch.

Then, she saw a fissure split open atop a towering cliff.

‘I must have fallen through the gap between the cliffs.’

Persephone, who had been staring at the sunlight pooled at her fingertips, suddenly snapped to attention.

Right. If she had fallen deep into the cliff, the chariot of the guy who would kidnap her should be nearby.

Every muscle in her body screamed in agony, but this time she squeezed out even the strength she used to secretly pick and steam Demeter’s chickpeas.

With that tremendous effort, a pitch-black chariot came into Persephone’s view.

“This, crazy…… bastard…….”

Persephone supported herself on the stone floor with her trembling arms. She muttered some colorful curses she knew besides “crazy bastard.”

Who causes a traffic accident just to kidnap the woman he loves?

‘No, if you love someone, you shouldn’t kidnap them in the first place!’

A deep sigh burst from Persephone’s mouth.

She should have realized sooner that the guy who would kidnap a woman he wanted as his wife—even by ramming her with his chariot—was Hades.

‘This, this jerk. When I get back up there later, I’m definitely telling my mom about you. Just wait.’

It was around the time Persephone, propped on the ground, was burning with fierce determination.

Rustle.

The canopy of the chariot was drawn back.

Persephone’s face instantly hardened.

As expected, a sturdy man stepped down from the chariot.

The man, slowly looking around, stopped his gaze upon spotting Persephone.

Thick shadows still cloaked the chariot, so only his silhouette was visible, but a bit of sunlight fell between her and Hades.

If he took even a single step, his appearance would be revealed under the sun.

Just as Persephone bared her teeth, about to shout for him not to come closer.

“Are you all right?”

A low voice pierced her ear like an arrow.

In Persephone’s light green eyes reflected a tall man.

The first thing she saw was the man’s face.

Pale skin from not seeing sunlight for a long time. Striking, deep-set features. And eyes that seemed to hold Nyx’s darkness itself.

Hades’ long hem spread out like the night sky.

The fine strands of his jet-black hair swayed lightly with his urgent movements.

The distance that would take her ten steps was closed in an instant.

“Can you stand, my lady?”

Persephone’s eyes shook violently upon witnessing his appearance.

‘……He’s not an old man?’

Until now, Persephone had imagined her uncle Hades as a bearded older man.

Given their generational difference, Hades was obviously much older than her.

Persephone observed Hades, who was carefully holding her shoulders.

‘Could he not be Hades?’

But it was impossible to say this handsome young man before her wasn’t the ruler of the underworld.

As a god herself, Persephone could roughly sense the aura emanating from another god.

‘A feeling that clashes with Mom’s aura yet touches it…….’

He was definitely the king of the underworld.

At that moment, perhaps finding her persistent stare odd, Hades gently cupped her cheek.

His firm yet calm voice fell softly.

“You can’t fall asleep in this state, even if you’re drowsy, all right?”

……Why is he being so kind?

Persephone, mouth agape without realizing it, suddenly smacked her lips with a “Tch!”

She had sucked back the saliva about to drool out with her breath.

Then, Hades’ eyebrow arched.

‘N-no, I shouldn’t casually smack my lips like that! I need to run!’

Seeing his puzzled expression, Persephone hurriedly stood up.

“Heh, hehe…….”

She forced a wide grin, let out a silly laugh, and wiped her mouth.

When she touched it, it was slightly wet—whether from blood or drool, she couldn’t tell.

Her thighs throbbed mercilessly too, so she seemed quite injured, but now wasn’t the time to worry about that.

She didn’t know why he was being kind to the woman he planned to kidnap, but if she didn’t seize this chance, she might never escape.

“You asked earlier if I was all right, right?”

“Yes—”

“Yes, I’m fine!”

Persephone smiled brightly and took steps backward.

Hades, having stood up, reached out his hand. But Persephone was faster in raising both of hers.

“I’m really fine!”

“……Did you just say you were fine?”

“Yes!”

“But you can barely stand and you’re staggering…….”

“No, I’m fine. Really, truly!”

Persephone deliberately answered like a parrot.

Hades’ eyes sharply scanned her. He stroked his chin, then crossed his arms as if dissatisfied.

“……Are you serious?”

A strange light swirled in his obsidian-like eyes.

Chills ran down Persephone’s spine.

‘S-surely…….’

Was that the gaze of a madman calculating the angle for kidnapping?

She didn’t know what had triggered it, but she had to escape now.

Persephone gathered all her remaining strength.

Her foot pressed against the ground behind her.

“I’m!”

One step.

“Really!”

Two steps.

“Fine!”

And three steps.

Thinking she had secured a safe distance, Persephone gradually slipped deeper into the shadows.

The farther she got from Hades, the more her shouts began to echo.

“So let’s each go our own way, okay?”

“……Each go our own way?”

“Yes, you just said ‘let’s each go our own way,’ right? That’s exactly it.”

Persephone shouted toward Hades, who was staring blankly at her. She clenched her fist in the air as if stamping approval.

“You can’t take it back later. My mom will definitely scold you. When she’s scary, she’s really terrifying…….”

“Your mother? What do you mean by that?”

Oh, right. If I say that, it’ll reveal I’m Demeter’s daughter!

“……Well, as you can see, I was born, so I must have a mother, right?”

“…….”

“It’s just in that sense.”

Persephone smiled awkwardly and pressed her lips together while still smiling.

Having nothing more to say, she turned toward the end of the crevice between the cliffs.

“Then, goodbye!”

She turned her back on the dazed Hades and ran with all her might.

She didn’t notice the confusion far beyond bewilderment in Hades’ eyes…….

* * *

This place, filled with white clouds of iridescent light, was the foothills of Mount Olympus.

A spot humans sometimes visited and left, it was also a place the god of messengers and travelers, Hermes, often frequented.

“Hm?”

Hermes, adjusting his winged sandals, suddenly looked up.

“What’s this? A messenger bird?”

He had been wondering what creature was tapping his hat, and circling above his head was a messenger bird with a dark hue.

A long shadow trailed from the tip of its tail, so this bird was probably…….

‘From the underworld.’

And the only god who would send such an urgent message from the underworld was one person.

“Yeees. Did you call, Lord Hades? Your swift messenger for all—Hermes—has received urgent news!”

Hermes, with the messenger bird perched on his finger, spoke in a bright voice.

[I have something to ask, Hermes.]

As expected, jumping straight to the point in a stiff tone was just like the king of the underworld.

Hermes grinned and rested his chin on his hand.

“As the king of the underworld, shouldn’t you easily find out who someone is?”

[……What?]

“I mean, isn’t that right? Like how you stay holed up in your palace, just drag that person into the underworld.”

As Hermes shrugged playfully.

[I have no time for jokes.]

A sinister aura crawled up his spine like a spider.

[By the way, I’m right behind you, so answer only the matter at hand.]

Hermes’ body stiffened while still smiling.

“Hey, you’re being too harsh over a little joke…….”

He shrank slightly and blinked at the empty air.

[Enough. From now on, listen to the description I give and guess who this person is.]

Ignoring the shameless Hermes, Hades continued.

[First, she was a woman with pale skin and a slender build. Her hair had decorations woven from grass and flower petals.]

“So you met her in person?”

[I told you to answer only the matter at hand.]

“……Yes. A woman with pale skin, slender, with decorations in her hair. And?”

[Pink hair, and light green eyes like spring sprouts. The color was faint, but a clear and bright shade rarely seen in the underworld.]

“Eyes ‘like spring sprouts’? That’s pretty subjective.”

[It’s just a way of speaking.]

A deep sigh came from the underworld’s messenger bird.

[And it seemed her mother was a high-ranking god. But her father was either a mortal or a minor god, as her blood was red.]

“Hmm……. So not golden blood like yours, Lord Hades.”

[Do you know who it is?]

After thinking for a moment, Hermes asked a question.

“By any chance, did you meet this person you’re describing in Sicily? You know, the place at the tip of the boot-shaped peninsula.”

[……How did you know?]

“Well, the person you described…….”

Hermes trailed off and touched his lips.

“She’s Demeter’s daughter.”

[…….]

“She’s called ‘Kore.’”

A brief silence.

At the end of it, a thin voice leaked from the messenger bird.

[……The child I hit with my chariot was Demeter’s daughter?]