The grand Gothic hall was bathed in the dim, eternal light of the Underworld. Twin obsidian thrones rose from a dais draped in crimson velvet, their stark forms softened only by the dancing shadows cast by a massive chandelier of frozen starlight. Hecate sat upon the right-hand throne, her purple eyes tracking the messenger who strode into her court as if he owned it.
"I demand to see Hades," the man stated, his voice echoing in the cavernous space. He didn't bow, his posture radiating the arrogance of one who believed his master's name was shield enough.
Hecate's fingers stilled on the carved armrest of her throne. "My husband is occupied," she replied, her tone dangerously level. "You will deliver your message to me."
The messenger's lips curled in a smirk loud enough for the entire court to hear. "So he cowers? Hiding behind his wife's skirts?"
The temperature in the throne room plummeted. The celestial lights flickered as a wave of silver-black energy erupted from Hecate, slamming the messenger to the marble floor. The crack of his knees against the unyielding stone echoed in the sudden silence.
"The crime of insulting the Crown in its own hall," Hecate declared, her voice colder than the void between stars. "Sentence: eternal torment. Guards."
The man sputtered, blood trickling from his lips. "I am Zeus's herald! You'll face his wrath—"
A guard's armored fist shattered the rest of his words into a gurgle. Two more guards hauled the struggling messenger away by his hair, his muffled protests fading into the corridors of judgment.
Hecate took a slow, measured breath, the only sign of the fury still simmering beneath her calm exterior. "Sebastian."
Her steward appeared instantly, kneeling before the dais. "My Queen."
"Recall the Underworld Legion. Immediately."
Sebastian's eyes widened. "My lady, Lord Hades swore a Styx oath to protect Styx's children—"
"Do you believe I lack the power to unbind what my husband has sworn?" Her voice cut through his objection like a shard of ice. "Or do you think it acceptable that Olympus insults us in our own home while using our soldiers as fodder?"
Sebastian bowed his head deeply. "My apologies, Your Majesty. It will be done."
"Leave me."
---
Hades watched as Brontos set the final golden rune into place at the boundary of the giant chasm. As the ancient stone clicked into position, the runes flared with primordial energy, and the violent blue vortex at the center of the chasm slowed, then stilled, leaving only a faint, contained shimmer.
Brontos let out a heavy, exhausted breath, his shoulders slumping. "It is stable. The chasm is sealed."
"Well done, Uncle," Hades said, genuine respect in his voice.
An Infrazel worker approached and bowed. "My Lord, the labyrinth is complete."
"Show me."
They followed him to where the other architects waited. Gygas stepped forward, presenting a shimmering parchment. "The master map, my lord. The labyrinth nullifies divine energy and obscures dimensional travel. Only authorized signatures can bypass its defenses." He hesitated. "There is one... design constraint. While entry via teleportation is possible, exit is not. The nullification field that contains the monsters also prevents escape by any means but the main gate. To seal teleportation would weaken the entire structure."
"This is acceptable," Hades assured him. "Containment is the priority."
Gygas led them through the massive entrance. Hades conjured a protective shield around the group as they stepped into the second corridor. With a snap of his fingers, he created a floating orb of light that illuminated a horrifying gauntlet.
Click.
A volley of darts tipped with glowing poison shot from hidden ports, embedding themselves in the far wall with sickening thuds. Massive, oscillating scythes swept through the air in complex patterns. "Corridor Two," Gygas announced with grim pride. "A simple welcome for our guests."
The third corridor held a placid-looking pool. Gygas tossed a discarded steel hammer into it. The tool quickly dissolving into nothing before it could splash and sink beneath the surface. "Strong concentrated acid," Gygas explained. "The doors seal, and the room fills."
They moved to the fourth chamber, which erupted in blinding, purifying light the moment they entered. "This one cleanses curses and burns the unclean," Gygas shouted over the hum of divine energy.
The fifth room was a shifting maze of walls that moved like living things. "Dimensional distortion," Gygas chuckled. "It rewrites itself based on the intruder's own fears. There is no path through. Only an endless loop of terror."
Hades ignored his uncle's glee and teleported the group directly to the sixth chamber. It was utterly black and silent, but as they stood there, faint whispers began to coil around them, plucking at memories of loss and failure. "The nightmare room," Gygas whispered. "It makes your own mind the weapon."
The final corridor held a massive, metallic slime that shifted form constantly. "The warden," Gygas said. "It adapts to any opponent's weakness. Strong enough to challenge a mid-level Chief God."
Back outside, Gygas delivered his final report. "The labyrinth is self-sustaining. It feeds on the energy and corpses of the monsters trapped within. The walls are fused with residue primordial essence and Tartarus stone. It is nearly indestructible. But walls between corridor are not that durable because of lack of material. It can contain anything up to a mid-level Chief God, and will significantly slow anything stronger."
Hades nodded, his mind already calculating. "You have all exceeded expectations. Rest now." He snapped his fingers, and the weary architects vanished, teleported to the comforts of the upper realms.
---
In the command tent, Metis and Prometheus studied their war maps. "We've weakened them enough," Metis said, tracing a path up Mount Othrys. "It's time for the final assault."
Prometheus shook his head. "The Cardinal Titans in their own domain are a different matter. Pallas alone could—"
A messenger burst in, breathless. "Lord Prometheus! The messenger sent to the Underworld—Queen Hecate has sentenced him to eternal torture!"
Before they could process this, another scout arrived. "The Underworld Legion has withdrawn from the front lines!"
Metis stared. "A betrayal?"
"Or a response to your constant manipulations and harrasment" Prometheus countered sharply. "Did you think they wouldn't notice how you've used them?"
Before Metis could retort, a third messenger announced the arrival of Zeus and Poseidon.
They found the brothers outside, where Zeus was clapping a stoic Kratos on the shoulder. "Crimson Death! The Titans will fall before your axe, I swear it."
Kratos merely nodded. "The honor is mine, my lord."
Metis stepped between them. "Zeus, we have a problem." She delivered the news of the messenger and the withdrawn legion with clinical precision.
For a moment, Zeus's expression darkened, his knuckles whitening around his hilt of sword. But instead of the expected explosion, a dangerous calm settled over him. "So," he said, his voice low and measured. "My brother finally shows his teeth." He turned to the assembled commanders, his gaze sweeping over them. "The Underworld has withdrawn its support. This changes nothing for tomorrow's assault—we will end this war, but it changes everything for what comes after."
He raised his voice to a thunderous declaration that shook the very air. "Tomorrow, we climb Mount Othrys! Tomorrow, we end the Titan reign!"
But as the cheers went up, his eyes met Poseidon's, and in that silent exchange, a new understanding passed between them: the war against the Titans was only the beginning. The next war would be against the brother.