'Let me make sure I understand it correctly, Thanatos. You want to take Stefania to the Penitentiary?' Hades questioned, 'and not only that, but you will also make her stay in that godforsaken place?'

'It's not that bad and besides, your kingdom is the only place, where she can be safe, at the moment.'

'That may be true but are you sure you can trust all the rulers?'

'Damn it Hades!' Thanatos shouted hitting the closest wall in Hades' office and started pacing from one place to the other, 'don't you get it? It's the only way to save them both!'

'Zeus did you good, I must say. But you don't need to break my walls just because you can't show your emotions outside of this castle.'

Thanatos closed his eyes, leaning his head on one of the walls, exhaling to calm his senses.

It was pure torture.

His breathing laboured as he swallowed the imaginary thick lump in his throat. Even after all the centuries existing with the curse, Thanatos hoped to change the unchangeable, yet it was a paradox, pure paradox.

'Tell me, have you ever been in a situation which had no escape before, Hades?'

'There is no such thing as no escape, my friend. There is always a way, you just need to find it.'

Thanatos laughed humourlessly, 'then you never have been in a comparable situation at all.

'I try my hardest to protect her, with the curse and the magical pledge her mother made me promise, but I can never be the good guy for her or anyone else. It breaks my heart but whatever I do, it can have no different results apart from bad, especially when Poseidon is involved in this as well and his interest will understandably be his son.

'He cares just about as much about Amara as I care about Hayden which is not too much and it makes me angry how he is manipulating me to do his bidding!

'Hayden is his son, why should I or Amara for that matter, be forced to help him? What, just because some prophecy says so for fuck's sake?' Thanatos's tone heightened significantly, 'why Hades?' this time, he asked in a mere whisper.

His heart was racing, for, he desperately wanted to find a way for him and Stefania to escape this whole mission, yet Poseidon was a significantly more powerful creature that Thanatos.

'Oh Stefania, how much will you break me before I will be allowed to forget the love I feel for you?' He asked himself.

Just the thought of the blue-eyed woman warmed his stoned heart.

'I'll pour you a drink mate, as your depressing stance made me need one as well.'

Hades clapped him on a back and walked to the red wooden cabinet standing on his left side. He pulled the door open, the handle a dark red colour and dragged out a crystal glass bottle with bright red liquid in it. He poured a full glass each, passing one to Thanatos who at once took a long sip, not even blinking an eye.

'Careful my friend, that stuff can kill a mortal,' Hades joked with a chuckle and also took a fairly long drag.

The previous conversation avoided, yet burned a hole in the pure air.

'You do make the best Fotia Vino I must say,' Thanatos complemented and chucked the rest of the glass down his throat, feeling the slight soothing burn.

Fotia Vino or in translation, Fire wine was an alcoholic beverage made from Fotia fruit only found in Mavros. The bright red fruit was naturally on fire all year round and took two whole years to be ripe and ready to eat. By the time the ripening process ended, the fruit dripped with alcohol, the alcohol levels measuring more than three-hundred per cent.

Naturally, that was impossible for any mortal beverage, yet immortals required a lot more to feel the desired effect, for mortal alcohol might have as well been water.

'I must disappoint you, but I can't take the credit here. Perses makes a killer Fotia and he gladly shared a few bottles with me.'

Thanatos lifted his empty glass with a smirk, 'to Perses then,' he cheered and passed Hades' the empty glass.

He in return poured another round, the liquid reaching almost the top of the glass. It would not take long before it would start pouring over the top. Hades passed him the almost full glass and clicked them together, 'Cheers to Perses then,' he said, his voice deep.

He then threw the glass back in one swift go. Thanatos copied the motion and once again they had their glasses empty and their conversation resumed once again.

'So, Thanatos, back to our previous discussion. I hope you have a plan in place for this mission. Don't count on Poseidon in this because you are right, his interests are on his son and that is understandable. You cannot trust a parent, for, he will choose the life of his son at all costs.

You are the only one that can protect Amara and will protect her, I have a feeling, and you know very well, Penitentiary is not the nicest of places. If you think Amara saw if all, just because she is a soul gatherer you are greatly mistaken.'

The air around the two changed extremely with the revelation and cold sweat ran down Thanatos' back. His heartbeat doubled as he had to return to his worries once again, for he knew the Penitentiary was a place not fit for anyone, even the dirtiest of rodents.

And Stefania, his dearest Stefania, was furthest from a rodent.

She was but the brightest Angel to his darkest Evil.

And the simple thought, he should leave her in that bloodthirsty place, is ripping his soul into miniature pieces, beyond repair.

He must, however.

That knowledge, nothing but caused his suffering.

For, Hayden must be saved, that is all Poseidon cares about no matter who he placed in danger.

And that knowledge, nothing but killed his meaningless soul.

'Truthfully Hades?' Thanatos rhetorically asked with a small pause to take a breath, 'it kills me inside, but I have to do so.

'Poseidon forced my hand by revealing her true memories and I could no longer protect her mind from outside forces and she was never trained to control her own mind from invasion.

'He gave me no choice and therefore I rushed to get her here as quickly as it was possible,' Thanatos' words rushed from his mouth quickly.

He blinked back the build-up of tears and stared at the floor, contemplating the unfairness of the situation.

'I didn't sense anyone suspicious entering with you and no one notified me of any suspicious activity,' Hades said answering both of their unasked questions, 'Can you confirm as well you haven't seen anyone?' questioned Hades.

'I am sure, but at the same time, everything is possible. I am more than certain someone already knows of her thoughts and therefore her origin and her existence. I just hope Zeus doesn't know yet because I still don't have a plan if that happens.'

'Maybe you are right indeed. Penitentiary is the only place in this universe where no one else can enter without permission but me And of course you and Poseidon but what Poseidon doesn't know is that if I don't want him to enter he does not. I cannot do the same with you because you are indeed the death Pantheon. I just wanted to tell you just in case Poseidon becomes someone who we cannot trust.

'I also forgot to include Cronus, but as we know it, my father is safely imprisoned in Tartarus.'

'Yes, that was the only good thing your dearest brother Zeus ever did, even when his reasons were purely selfish.'

'Yes,' Hades chuckled as he stared into the distance, lost in his memories, Thanatos guessed, 'Zeus never did anything out of the good of his heart. He saw the throne and he got it, no matter the cost.

'But truly Thanatos, count me in with this. I need to stay here but I will help as much as it is possible to assist from the distance.'

Thanatos smiled sincerely, 'Thank you,' he had said and frowned once again.

'I will give you an advice,' Hades said, 'whilst you are in this castle you can show your emotions so, why don't you talk to Amara in private, explaining as much as you can before you leave?'

Thanatos nodded still frowning.

Hades shook his head slightly, but did not continue their conversation, 'Come Thanatos. Let us find the ladies. I am sure you want to be on your way,' Hades urged him and clapped him on his right shoulder.

'And please talk to her, it might not be as bad as you think, she did not look like she completely hated you, especially when she was grasping your hand as if her life depended on it,' Hades smirked.

'If only,' Thanatos thought to himself, his heart full of helplessness.