The gates of the Underworld did not open with sound or grandeur.
They simply recognized the presence of their master and yielded without resistance.
The air shimmered as Hades crossed the threshold, no longer veiled in shadows or illusion.
For the first time in many years, the Lord of the Dead walked openly through his own dominion.
And on his arms, his child, born from the union of the three realms.
*
The Core Section of the Underworld was unlike the desolate outskirts where sinners wailed or souls wandered aimlessly.
Here, cities floated in the dark sky, tethered to one another by bridges of starlight and mist.
Massive fortresses and palaces constructed from black marble and stygian glass hovered in the endless twilight, their structures glowing faintly with runes of old magic.
This was where gods, divine spirits, and great souls dwelled—a divine capital for the ruler of the dead.
