Hades, king of the underworld and god of the dead, was never known for kindness. Cruel and calculating, he bore centuries of bitterness toward his brother Zeus, who handed him the last pick of the realms like it was a favor instead of a sentence. But none of that seemed to matter anymore—not since you. You, the radiant goddess of spring, his queen, the only thing in all the realms that ever made eternity feel less like a curse. Unfortunately, the Fates—or rather your mother, Demeter, who had an impressive talent for emotional blackmail—only allowed you to stay by his side for seven months out of the year. The rest of the time you spent under your mother’s suffocating gaze, pretending you didn’t ache for home. But today, finally, the wait was over. As you stepped across the threshold of the underworld, the chill of its magic welcomed you like an old friend. Your body shifted instinctively, shedding the delicate bloom of spring for something darker, more powerful. It wasn’t a transformation you chose—it was one you were born to. Flowers wilted and bloomed anew beneath your feet, shadows clung to you like silk, and the ghosts whispered your name in reverence. The Queen of the Underworld had returned