Yue's POV

"And they're still gone!?" I fold my legs across the desk, my aggravation growing by the second as I tuck away what's left of Adam's files.

"Y-yes, I'm afraid that they still are" Ryan informs me.

"Even after what you and the other two betas have told me, I feel like I'm missing out on something" I abruptly rise from my chair, grabbing a coat and throwing it over my shoulders.

Extending my hand towards my mate, "Come Melanie" I wait to listen for her footsteps. Satisfied by the small sparks that release from our connecting touch.

"Where are we going?" She looks up at me with a bright smile.

"To the Underworld, or at least get away from this draining pack house. No offence" I wink to Ryan before passing him, setting him in an awestruck motion.

Closing the door behind me only to hear his sudden steps attempt to catch up to me, "You've only ever visited it once before! Are you sure Cerberus will remember you!?" He screams but I wave it off, there's not much else I can do aside from going there. Everything else is either too far or doesn't interest me.

-

"So this is the shattered frame, huh" I slide my hand over the vine covered frame of the portal, throwing my head behind it to see that it indeed looks like a piece taken out of reality. "Stay next to me" I tighten my hand around Melanie as she gives me a concerning look.

Placing a foot on the inside I immediately feel the air change, for some reason this world just makes me breathe manually as stupid as that sounds. Each breath of mine just feels like I'm fighting for grasps of oxygen, maybe it's cause I don't come here all that often. "How you holding up?" I ask her, hoping that she doesn't feel the same as me.

"I'm fine...but can we hurry to the palace?" Her eyes dart around the place, looking around out of worry rather than interest.

"A noticeable difference being that Cerberus oddly isn't sitting in front of the gates, what changed?" Just as I call that out, a deep gust of wind breathes down our backs, urging us to turn around and face it.

"I've remained close as to not let just anyone pass through this since the last time." The middle head sounds out through a grumble, "Chris' orders" The one on the right blows on us again.

"We're friends of Athena's, we're just heading through. Okay?" I try to walk off but the middle one speaks again.

"We thought the last one was also a friend" He leans closer to Melanie, prompting me to stand in front of her. "And that got us in trouble" The left one laughs, smiling at my sturdy stature. "If I weren't to let you pass, do you truly intend to fight me?" He stomps with a paw, throwing us into the air briefly as Melanie steadily shakes behind me.

"If that's what I need to" I call out knowing damn well I have no chance against this thing, nonetheless know anyone that could even stand up to it.

"Are you about to be killed out of curiosity? Al-ph-a" The left one sounds out mockingly, leaning closer as if to threaten me but I stand my ground. Closing my eyes when his hot breath hits my face.

The head's advancement stopped by a commanding voice, "Kneel" I poke an eye open, urging Melanie to walk on from behind me and towards the vocal.

"Naturally" The middle head sounds almost disappointed as the body sits back into a resting position.

"Sorry, he gets bored sitting here alone" Chris' figure walks along the beach to greet us. "But why are you actually here?" He playfully flicks Melanie's head after crouching down to her.

"I want to know what's going on, why haven't they returned yet?" I walk to him. Noticing the severe height difference that I hadn't taken into account before.

"Beats me, you heard what happened a while ago though right?" He urges me to walk on towards the palace.

"Alex and Yasmine practically yapped my ear off about shadow this shadow that, and threw around some names but it went from one ear and out the other if I'm honest." I shake my hair out of my eyes, stomping my way up the up hill trek. Turning around to see Melanie now on his shoulder, grabbing onto his head for support. "Must be nice" I state sarcastically towards her gleaming facial expression.

"Well from what I can recall and from what Anubis has constantly reminded me was to not fuck with that one door, and there's these things...they existed before the gods even. But they themselves appear to be just lost figures that are looking for a space to live in-"

"Which lead that thing to attack my beta?" I interrupt.

"Yes" He releases with a sigh. "Ignore the mess" He grumbles out, confusing me.

Turning my back around to face the front gate I look in to see pieces of floating brick gradually reconstructing the pathway and pillars surrounding the entrance. "What's happening here?" I ask.

"It was way worse when it actually happened but to cut the explanation short, Anubis said something about the Underworld being sentient in its own way unlike the Overworld and Elysia. When it was formed it was imbued with something that allowed every material here to essentially have a role to play when constructing itself, so now it just maintains this form unless me or Athena want it changed I guess." He sets down Melanie beside him.

"Elysia, Axel and the Underworld." I call out.

"You already knew that name?" He acts surprised.

"I've read here and there, Eden had some interesting books that she left behind in the Rainmaker's pack, I'm surprised Athena didn't immediately hog them all up down here when they moved over. The heavens Eylsia, the overworld we call home being Axel and well...this place the Underworld." I poke pieces of the stone, throwing them out of place and disrupting the healing process out of interest, oops.

I guiltily look around to see if anyone was watching only to see Melanie doing the same thing as Chris eyes us with amusement. "You two remind me of Percy and Adam if I do say so myself, you're around the same ages and yet all four of you act like children."

"You and Athena aren't the exact same!?" I defend myself.

"Hmm...nope, Athena's always had to pick up after Adam and I had to pick up after my own Alpha all this time. We were forced to mature I guess you could say. " He reminds me he used to be a beta, something that completely slipped my mind.

"Keyon?" I ask with hesitation.

"Yeah, Alpha Keyon." He flicks some stones, similarly to us but almost as if out of spite of something. "I never did get to say goodbye to him" He continues on. "The dumbass was always getting himself in trouble, especially when he was younger. I heard from Percy that Minerva wasn't as gift-less as we all thought" He kicks a decently sized rock that was lifting from below his foot, shattering the stone as it continues floating towards the mending pillar.

"The replacement Luna?" I ask, already knowing the answer.

"She was in his head, not much I could do about it in the time even if I knew but that most definitely doesn't help me sleep at night"

"How do you even tell when it's night here?" I look towards the roof, the glowing green crystals flashing above me with no sighs of the sky.

"When those crystals go black it's nighttime outside from what I noticed, but for the most part that was one of the hardest things to just to. Although I never really did have a sleep schedule when I was living overworld" He laughs out, going a bit past us.

"What's this?" Melanie arches her hand through an open wooden door frame.

"Don't touch it!" I run towards her, picking her up from the ground and backing away from it.

"Isn't this the thing that-that black stuff came out of, what Alex told me about?" I continue backing away from it, stopping when Chris' over-sized hand presses against my back in comfort,

"That's the thing, I wanted to tell them." He walks towards the door, passing through the frame and standing inside of the warped reality. Extending a hand towards me I reach my hand to his with hesitation until he grabs my arm and pulls me into his chest.

Sneezing my way of his grasp I regain my senses to look around the space, "A sneeze? Seriously? That's a new one" He acts offended as I stare with bewilderment to the primordial world around me, "What the hell is this place?" I stare around at the ancient styled plants and minerals running through the walls and flooring.

"That's the thing...whatever was here before, it's gone. I'm not sure how safe it is, but when Theta returned back in. It didn't peek through the door anymore, eventually all the black vines extending from the door simply returned deeper into this place, that's the only thing I can think of anyway." He finishes explaining, making some distance between us two as he looks around as well.

"What's that light?" Melanie calls out, pointing towards a giant beam of light in the sky.

I look towards Chris for an answer but he raises his shoulders in just the same amount of confusion as me, "I have no clue" he comments.

"Didn't you head towards it?" I ask, leaning towards the giant stoned entrance.

"I did...but it's a maze, and I'm most certainly not good with them. And before you ask, yes I tried to climb over but the walls. They aren't made of stone." He explains, prompting me to move closer to it.

I dust off the surface of the wall, revealing engravings that make the stone look more like scales of something. "Here lies the ring of the world, the sibling of the Wolf and the Queen of Decay...Jo-r-mu-what?" Melanie tries to sound out with frustration, making me laugh as she reads the stone tablet along the floor.

"Jorm-un-gan-" I shake my head, realizing what she was trying to pronounce.

"It can't be..." Chris walks over to us, leaning towards the tablet. "I..." He stutters a bit with a loss of breath.

"What's wrong?"

"I may be wrong on this, but I believe this may be the closest thing I have to family." He lines his hand along the scaled rock.

"And that means?" I tilt my head, waiting for his response.

"Hel was the only one with an appearance like ours, or rather like yours." He points towards my human form, "But Fenrir, my uncle. Was in the shape of a Lycan while their brother...was a snake, the other uncle." He smiles as if solving his amusement.

"And this is a good thing?" I try to match his emotions.

"I don't know, I really don't" He continues to eye it.

"Well how big exactly was this? Fenrir practically touched the clouds as is."

"The World Serpent, he was apparently big enough to wrap his entire body around the world. I wish I could of met him." He puts his head down in disappointment, surprising me.

"Would that of been a good thing? Considering Fenrir and Hel's record?" I question.

"He was the only one out of the three who wasn't interested in anything, he wasn't good or bad. He just did his own thing I guess." He states.

"Wait how come you know this?"

"Hel's memories came to the new shelf in the library recently and I've been reading through it. I've only barely started it so I can't say much else, but I definitely recognize that name, Jormungandr. As for what that light is, I'm sure we'll find out soon enough."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Cause I can feel Athena returning, unless the others aren't with her."

"Telepathy huh" I say with semi-jealousy.

"I guess so, but it more so feels like a unique bond we just have. Possibly the underworld acknowledging us being together and warning me me to hastily finish up with my work before she bullies me into submission." He rubs the back of his head with an awkward smile.

"Ah, the true Alpha in the relationship is revealed. Beta" I mock, making my way outwards through the door after he bows his head through it. "C'mon Melanie, we'll come back here soon enough" I affirm to her as she stops looking around to meet my gaze.

"Sure!" She cheers, running towards me and into my arms. "Let's explore more of the palace before we leave though!" She jumps out of my arms and past Chris.

"Sorry, it's still her first time here and who wouldn't react like this" I reason with him.

"Can't blame her, basically everyone's done the same so far!" His deep laugh bellows from his chest.