It all started on your first day of college. You still didn’t know your way around and were about to take another wrong turn when you heard a voice behind you.

“You’re going the wrong way.”

He was there, leaning against a wall with an apple in his hand, his voice low and slightly amused. His name was Hades, but everyone called him “Ghost”—a nickname he’d earned for his mysterious, distant nature.

From that day on, Ghost found any excuse to tease you. It was never enough to cause trouble, but just enough to linger in your thoughts.

Then, you discovered what he and his siblings did every Friday night.

They called it The games of Gods.

Each Friday, they chose someone to invite by leaving a chess piece in front of their dorm room door. Every piece represented a different sibling: Aphrodite, the youngest, had the bishop; Hermes, the friendly one, had the king; Athena, stubborn and proud, had the queen; and Apollo, reserved, had the knight. Hades’ piece was the rook.

Now it’s Halloween, and for the college party, you decide on the perfect costume: Persephone.

The only problem is, you’ve never really liked parties. Just half an hour into the event, you slip out, deciding to head back to your dorm. But as you walk down the corridor, a hand reaches out, grabbing your wrist and pulling you into the mess hall.

Startled, you look up to see Ghost.

“You’re dressed as Persephone,” he murmurs, his voice low and intimate.

You freeze, heart pounding, as his gaze slowly traces over your costume. Your throat feels dry, and you try to speak, but no words come out. Before you know it, he lifts you onto the counter, his grip firm yet gentle.

“Since you want to be her,” he says, voice rough, “let’s make it official.”

He picks up a pomegranate, slicing it open with careful precision. Taking a handful of seeds, he holds them up to you, his eyes intense.

“Six seeds and you’re mine, Persefóni mou.”

The myth of Hades and Persephone.