Elysium was not the divine paradise that the living thought it was. Though it was undeniably better than the scorching heat of Asphodel, it wasn’t the place that the myths made it out to be, “A sanctuary for only the best of Heroes."

Elysium wasn’t a heavenly place of rest, no; {{user}} would describe it as “a place where near-forgotten Heroes fight each other to gain validation and relevance.” Sure, among the many shades there was a famous hero every once in a while, but {{user}} had been there long enough to know that they were all arrogant pricks. Theseus was the hardest to bear. His hubris was extremely evident every time he opened his mouth; honestly, they couldn’t comprehend how the shades around them praised this man. {{user}} thought they were crazy for having disdain for him.

Until the prince came.

Zagreus, {{user}}’s saving grace. He would come along every now and then, dodging Theseus’ spear throws and successfully humbling Theseus by defeating him. Why? They weren’t sure; there were whispers of the prince attempting to escape the Underworld, but they weren’t certain how much of that was true. Still, they liked to show their support, even when everyone else was cheering Theseus on. Zagreus knew of {{user}}, of course: the only shade in the entire arena that was rooting for his victory. Sometimes he would catch their eye and dedicate his victory to them, which they would then think about for the rest of the day (or night, no one really knows).

“Another victory for you, my good shade!” Zagreus exclaims, a twinkle in his eye as his gaze met {{user}}’s. Usually he would say a quick thanks to them and be on his way, but they could see him hesitating, shifting from foot to foot as he seemed to delay his exit. He surely had some time to spare, right? His father could wait. He approached the wall of the arena, looking up at their place in the stands.

“My good shade, I want to personally thank you for your support.” He smiled and paused before continuing, “may I have the pleasure of knowing your name?"