Father asked one more time. I knew he was reluctant to let me go. I would've felt the same way if the situation reversed. The world was cruel to our kind, The Stavros, just like the other gods and goddesses were cruel to my dad, Hades. Manipulation and years of brainwashing made them unable to see what was true and what wasn't.

When Heracles or known as Hercules by the world, was sent in a suicide mission by King Eurystheus to bring back Hades' mighty and ferocious pet dog as proof of his strength and fearlessness, who helped him through if not Hades. My father was the one who gave Hercules the permission to bring Cerberus as a trophy as long as the three-headed beast wouldn't be harmed. It was Hades who paid a visit to Hera, the culprit behind all these missions, and made it clear to her that there would be direct consequences for her if she would ever send Hercules on any such errand again.

However, the world believed what they wanted to believe, heard what they wanted to hear, and most of all they saw what they wanted to see. So, when they saw Hades with the Helm of Darkness, they simply associated dark with bad. Sure, Underworld wasn't exactly a tourist place, the place everyone wanted to visit but someone had to do it. Someone had to be there to get the job done, just like Poseidon with the sea and Zeus with the sky.

No one liked debt collector but debt must be collected and someone had to do it. Yet, no one saw this purpose and mechanism. Once they decided Hades was bad, they killed all the living Stavros. They even killed their own family who had a click with a Stavros. This was the real reason Pure Royals' numbers were smaller than the other Royal Families.

I let out a deep sigh and glanced up at my father. "Yes," my voice was fuelled with determination. I needed to stop hiding, I needed to go back and face him. I couldn't stay here now that I finally regained my memory. "He's waiting."

Hades waved his hand and in split second his sword was there in his hand. He looked at me with so much sadness that broke my heart. "Are you ready, my dear?"

A fleeting thought popped into my head. "Father, I need to ask you something else."

"By all means, my dear, ask and you shall have it."

I wrapped my arms around him, careful not to touch his sword. When I finally let go I gave him a small smile and said, "I want to go back as Camila Stavros or Avery Montgomery, whatever that poor girl's name is. And I don't want to lose my memory. I want to remember everything here. I want to remember you." My voice broke when I said the last part.

All these last thousand years, every time I went back to the world, I always forgot who I was here. A few times, I even hated myself for being the descendants of Hades when I was chased, captured, and tortured. Of course, when I went back to the Underworld, I remembered everything and my father, as forgiving as always, forgave me saying those words were unintentional.

This time, I wanted to be different, I'd make it right. I wanted people to stop portraying him as the bad guy. I wanted people to know how loving and good he actually was. I didn't care if I would be struck by lightning for angering Zeus or drowned in Tsunami for breaking the promises made with Poseidon. It was time to be brave. Time to stop being a coward. I've died multiple times, in multiple ways, I could do this.

His hand reached out and cupped my face. "I love you."

I closed my eyes and when I opened them again, they weren't my father's dark eyes that looking back at me. It was a pair of dark green eyes, one that reminded me of the grass after the rain.

His voice laced with amusement and joy. He looked shocked to find me here. I really couldn't blame him. If my girlfriend who has died a few months ago suddenly walked towards me, looking pretty much alive, I would've died standing.

I closed the distance between us and ran into his open arms. He kept saying my name over and over again as if he couldn't believe it was real. That I was real.

"Hi," I greeted him. I honestly didn't know what to say. It felt like days down there in the underworld, when it was actually months here. "Are you growing a beard? It's no longer November, you should shave them." I rubbed my hand on his growing beard. It made him look older than his actual age.

"I would've cleaned myself up if I knew you'd come—," he abruptly stopped to cup my face. He kissed me until we both were breathless. "I'm not dreaming, aren't I?"

"You're not," I could feel tears in my eyes as my voice cracked. "I'm real. This is real. We're finally together again."

He closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against mine. "I miss you, Ave. I miss you so damn much."

As I took a deep breath, I could smell his usual mint and coffee smell. It felt like coming home. "I miss you too."

We stood there for what felt like forever until a noise coming from the door brought us back to reality. It was the sound of a glass breaking.

I opened my eyes and watched my best friend standing by the door, shattered glass was on the floor by her feet. Her mouth was opened, forming a small o, while her eyes widened in shock.

Careful not to scare her, I walked closer to her and led her away from the mess on the floor. She followed me to the couch like a rag doll with no life. Her eyes kept looking at me like she couldn't decide if I was real or not.

"Kris?" I called her once I made her sit. "It's me. Don't you miss me?"

Tears fell upon her cheeks, streaming down like a river flow. In split seconds, I was hugged by her. So tightly, it was almost hard for me to breathe. "Ave—Cam! Of course, I miss you. Oh my God, is this really you or am I hallucinating just like Vlad did?"

I let out a chuckle. "It's really me. You're not hallucinating," when she finally let me go, I turned to Vlad and asked, "since when did you start hallucinating about me? Is this your way to cope without my presence?" I teased him.

"Okay, now I know for sure that it's you," Kris brushed her tears away with the back of her sleeves. "But, how did you come back? I saw you were buried. Hell, I even gave a speech at your funeral."

"It's a long story," I gave her an apologetic smile. I honestly didn't feel like telling anyone about my whole life story, one that's only existed in this world but underworld as well. Now that I came back with my memory, I knew everything. I remembered every life I've been through as a Stavros, not just this life but many life before this.

Two strong arms suddenly wrapped around my body from behind. I looked up just in time for him to kiss the top of my head. "I could care less about the story," Vlad said. "All I want is to spend today with you. I've been alone for eleven months, I think I deserve at least a day alone with you."

Kris stood and raised her hands in defeat. "Alright, that's my cue to leave. I'm going to call Diego and see if he can come and pick me up. Seems like you're in a good hand now," she gave Vlad a pointed look before turning her attention to me. She hugged me one more time before scurried away.

"What was that?" I immediately asked once Kris was out of earshot. I felt like I missed something just now. The look Kris gave him was more like a warning.

Vlad let out a deep exasperated sigh. "When you're gone, I've tried everything to bring you back," he took my hand and rubbed it softly. "When all my efforts failed miserably, I decided that if I can't bring you back then I'll join you."

I looked at him, completely confused. "Join me? But I was in the underworld, no living creatures can walk past the gate. You would have to—"

Realization hit me, and stopped me just in time before I said 'die first'.

"Yeah," Vlad gave me a helpless smile as he rolled up his sleeves. "I've tried everything. I'd do anything to be with you." On his wrists, there were multiple scars.

Looking at those cuts broke my heart.