In the majestic and solemn palace of Hades, the eternally burning dark blue flames projected the figures of Hades and Themis onto the cold obsidian walls, swaying like a silent drama.
"So, after the soul crosses the River Styx, the first thing to do is to be judged."
Hades's voice echoed in the empty hall, cold and clear, with echoes unique to the Underworld.
"Instead of letting it wander or determining its destination solely by the force of life."
Themis, the blindfolded goddess of justice, even in the Underworld, still stood tall, and the golden scales in her hand, symbolizing absolute justice, radiated a soft and firm light.
She nodded slightly, her white robe silently brushing the floor.
"Exactly, Your Majesty, King of Hades." Her voice was smooth and powerful, like the law itself, undeniable.
"The merits and deeds of a life must be evaluated. A just judgment is the beginning of order and the cornerstone of the rest or punishment of the dead. Chaos and disorder should not be the norm in the Underworld, even if it symbolizes the end."
She 'looked' at Hades, and though her eyes were hidden, her perception seemed able to pierce all illusions and reach the essence.
"I can integrate the principles of law into the laws of the Underworld and establish a court of judgment. An impartial judge will decree that the dead be punished according to their actions in life, whether it be leading them to Elysium or casting them into Tartarus."
A flicker of approval appeared in Hades's deep violet eyes.
This was precisely what he needed—a perfect, self-consistent, and absolutely just system, not a crude order maintained solely by violence and power.
"Good," he confirmed briefly.
"The Underworld will be the place where the law is practiced most rigorously. Your authority will be held here with the highest respect and reinforcement, goddess Themis. I swear in the name of Hades that as long as the Underworld exists for even a day, the law of justice will never be violated, and your judgment will be final."
This was not simple cooperation, but a strong covenant.
Hades granted Themis absolute freedom and authority to exercise power in the Underworld, and Themis, with her undeniable justice, laid the most solid foundation of legitimacy for Hades's rule in the Underworld.
However, at this moment of solemn covenant-making, an invisible yet real pressure, like a cold polar wind, quietly infiltrated the palace.
The source of the pressure came from Metis, the Queen of the Underworld, who stood silently behind Hades's throne.
She still wore the dark purple gown woven from the night dew and starlight of the Underworld, her face beautiful, and her wise eyes like the deepest ocean.
But at this moment, as they discussed the law with Themis, there was not the slightest trace of rational light in those eyes, but rather a viscous, dark concentration.
Her gaze, like a physical chain, firmly traced Hades.
From the corners of his mouth that slightly moved as he spoke with Themis, to his lowered eyelashes as he listened, not a single centimeter was missed.
The emotion contained in this gaze was too intense, too exclusive, almost beyond appreciation and love, more like a cold mark, silently proclaiming ownership to all beings.
Even with his back turned to her, Hades could clearly feel the gaze on his back.
His expression remained unchanged, and his conversation with Themis still proceeded smoothly, but only he knew that beneath this calm exterior, an imperceptible tension always lingered.
This was not fear, but an instinctive perception of this possessive nature, too heavy and even somewhat distorted.
Although Themis could not see it, she was in charge of justice and celestial principles, and her perception of atmosphere and 'boundaries' far exceeded that of ordinary beings.
The intense gaze from the side of the Underworld, almost squeezing the air, caused her discomfort, violating the principle of 'moderation'.
This was not part of the healthy order she recognized.
After finalizing the general structure of the judgment court, Themis stopped the matter at the right moment.
She turned slightly towards Hades, her tone remaining respectful, but with a hint of barely perceptible aloofness and a reminder:
"Your Majesty, the cornerstone of the law is initially laid; the specific details can be elaborated for me later."
"You and Her Majesty must still have important matters to attend to, so I will no longer disturb you."
Her words were tactful, but Hades immediately understood.
He nodded slightly: "Farewell, goddess Themis."
Themis said no more, took her scales, bowed slightly, and transformed into a phantom radiating the radiance of reason, quietly leaving the main hall of Hades, leaving the increasingly suffocating silence to the King of Hades on the throne and the Queen of Hades behind him.
Only the two of them remained in the corridor... and the pervasive, intense presence of Metis.
Themis's departure seemed like a signal.
Metis slowly stepped out from the shadows, her steps soundless, as if gliding on the waters of the Styx.
She did not say a word, just approached Hades's throne, extended her cold and soft hands, gently wrapped them around his neck from behind, and pressed her cheek against his.
Her embrace seemed intimate, but in fact held an irresistible force, as if she wanted to completely integrate into his bones and blood.
"I understand..." Metis's voice sounded in Hades's ear, like a dream, but with a cold sharpness.
"The goddess of justice, she reminded me and you, my Hades."
She tightened her arms and hugged him more firmly, as if trying to squeeze out every possible gap.
"She reminded me that my gaze is too... focused." She laughed, and in this laugh, there was not a trace of lightness, only a paranoid satisfaction.
"She reminded you that I exist... Perhaps too 'close'."
Hades did not move, nor did he break free. He still sat upright, as silent as the Underworld itself.
He sensed the aura of 'Primordial Night' from Metis's body, originating from Nyx, intertwining with her own powers of [Wisdom] and [Dark Water], forming a dangerous and fascinating vortex.
"But she doesn't understand..." Metis continued to whisper, her voice becoming softer and quieter, but imprinting itself ever more clearly on Hades's divine perception.
"For us, how can there be 'too much'? The eternal throne needs eternal companionship, and the kingdom of darkness needs a single starlight. My gaze, my embrace, my... everything—these are merely the necessary guarantees that this 'eternity' will never fade."
"Any estrangement is the beginning of betrayal." Her voice gradually turned into a cold and determined breath, lingering.
"And I will never allow anything to happen. Absolutely not."
Hades slowly closed his eyes, feeling the cold touch on his neck and the soft yet possessive body behind him.
The silence of Hades enveloped him, and Metis's paranoia haunted him. In this extreme contradiction, he seemed to see a picture of power, order, and twisted eros, intertwined in the long and eternal future.
He did not answer, only in the suffocating embrace, like ice that never melts in the depths of Hades.