The reflection over the hourglass mirrored Hades's face but upside down, casting his enchanting smile into something darker than it appeared to the naked eye. He didn't release Cerberus from the magic that had halted him, nor the flow of time around them, causing for the sand inside the hourglass to continue stall.
Instead, he leaned forward with languid ease and studied the sharp gleam of his nails, admiring the view as if it were art. The air hung heavy, the silence of the frozen room swallowing even the faintest hum of sound, and the candles trembled but did not burn.
"Did Thanatos tell you that my mate was going to kill me?" Hades inquired, voice smooth and unhurried. And though Cerberus had sworn back at home never to spill a single secret related to Hades's death, just to savor his torment, in the end, his curiosity triumphed. He needed to know why this man remained so calm, so certain he would triumph over death itself.
