-Persephone's POV-

A surge of agony ripped through Persephone's body, her gut wrenched apart like it was twisting inside of her with a jagged blade. She couldn't see anything but the darkness around her consumed her immortal body like fire, her skin felt like lava but she was freezing in this empty void people called a dream.

Persephone stood on flat concrete with water swimming around her ankles, she took a step forward and her clear reflection ripped apart. She scanned the dark area when a glint of light hit her eyes, she figured it was a piece of glass or crystal and walked towards it cautiously. She approached the glint and it belonged to a long mirror which was positioned in the middle of the room. Persephone knew she was asleep, but this felt like anything other than a dream.

"Come closer," a raspy voice hissed. It startled the wits out of Persephone.

"Who's there?" She asked aloud but no response come back. Persephone approached the mirror and her reflection appeared before her. Her body was covered with a long white piece of fabric that trailed along the wet floor.

"So, you're Persephone," the voice spoke again.

Persephone gaped at the sight in the mirror; a woman stood tall and proud with armour made of ash and eyes of the devil. "Who are you?" She asked the mysterious woman that reminded Persephone of Hades.

"I am Kore," she answered. "I am you."

Persephone puzzled. "I don't understand."

"You don't remember?" Asked Kore.

"What-" Abruptly her mind was shredded from all thoughts and images of her garden, the evil ghoul and Hades popped in front of her. Persephone held onto her heaving chest that burned terribly from anger or sadness she did not know. But when she saw herself driven mad from grief and enter the fiery depths of hell only to return as the devil that controlled it. She saw herself rise from the ashes of her garden as Kore and defeat the evil ghoul her mother sent.

"That's it," smirked Kore. "Feel the anger, so I can emerge again."

Persephone's legs weakened and she dropped into the puddle underneath her. She grieved her garden that was gifted to her by the love of her life, and her mother destroyed it for her own selfish gain. Persephone then saw Hades walk through the flames and sooth Kore back to her original state as his Seph.

"Hades," she whispered his name and all despair she felt vanished.

Kore watched Persephone with those devilish eyes.

Persephone may be afraid but she was still thankful of Kore. "Thank you for killing that ghoul," she said.

Kore paced inside the mirror that kept her bound. "I didn't do it for you," she answered. "I just wanted to kill."

"For whatever reason you did it, I don't care," said Persephone. "And that ghoul deserved much worse in my opinion."

Kore laughed and her sharp fangs revealed under the thin beam of light, Persephone heard her name being called out and that was all she remembered when her eyes snapped open to dark room again.

"You're awake," a voice that she loved spoke to her first.

Persephone stared at an unfamiliar moss ceiling not being able to face her husband after what happened. "You were right about her," her voice choked.

"Shhh," Hades soothed her. "Don't think about your mother right now."

Hot tears spilled without restraint. "She destroyed my garden and hurt Cerberus."

Suddenly, a shadow moved around her feet and the chirpy three-headed hound awoke.

"He didn't leave your side all week," said Hades.

"All week?" Puzzled Persephone.

"You've been asleep for a week," said Hades. "And I feel like the garden moved in here."

Persephone got up from under the sheets and finally saw the surroundings; Hades and Cerberus were with her inside of a nest of thick thorny vines. "What happened?"

"After I brought you back from the garden," said Hades. "You went into deep sleep, but you'd wake up with night terrors and each time you'd bury yourself inside of this shell of flowers. Only Cerberus and me were able to penetrate through."

"Why would I do this?" She muttered.

Hades laid his arm over her waist. "My thought is you were angry, scared and very angry," he laughed. "I've never seen you like that before."

"I never thought I could get that angry," remarked Persephone before she grew stern. "What happened to me in the garden."

"You transformed," said Hades. "Mono explained that it was just a state that emerged to protect you."

"Kore," mumbled Persephone. "That was what she called herself."

"Kore," repeated Hades. "How peculiar, but fascinating as well."

"How could something just appear out of me?" Asked Persephone.

Hades shook his head. "I'm not sure," he answered after some thought. "You'll have to meet Mono to know about this transformation."

"We have to go to him then," said Persephone eagerly.

Hades held her down. "You still need to rest."

"I've been resting for a week," retorted Persephone. "Take me to him."

"I would take you, but first you need to free us," Hades waved to the cage around them.

"Right," Persephone unravelled the vines and broke them free from the cocoon. She swung her legs off the bed and stood up without thinking about repercussions. Her feet slipped from under her and she slammed into a study chest and strong arms.

"Careful," scolded Hades. "I told you to rest."

"I'm fine," she mumbled.

"No, you're not," he retorted. "You're going to take a hot shower and eat before we go to Mono."

"But-"

"I don't want to hear it," snapped Hades. "You may be eager to know about your new powers, but I just got you back."

"What do you mean?" She asked him.

He bent down and circled his arms around her back and knees, he easily lifted her off the ground and strode towards the bathroom. "I thought you were going to die," whispered Hades.

"Hades," she muffled his name but his eyes stayed away from hers. She could feel that he was upset and scared. It hurt her to know that she had worried him so much that real fear marred his handsome face with deep lines and a frown.

Hades slowly laid her feet onto the cold marble floor, the bath was already ready and the steam of the hot water fogged up the room. Persephone anchored herself with the help of Hades arms that never moved too far away from her body.

"I have never been so afraid," admitted Hades. "When I saw you alone in that fire, I thought that was the end. I was so angry that I wasn't there to protect you and that you had to go through all of that by yourself." Hades untied the bow that bound her thin chemise to her body, Hades pushed the straps off her slender shoulders and the piece of cloth pooled onto the floor. "After I took you from the ashes, you were asleep and never came back to me," he spoke with a gentle tone that shred through her heart. "I didn't know what to do except call out for you."

"I heard you," she reassured him. "I heard you call out my name, that's why I woke up."

Hades gazed into her eyes, he uncoiled her braid and let the heavy mass fall freely down her bare back. His hands rested on her hips and he guided her towards the pool, with his help she slipped into the hot water that slightly burned her flesh but it felt heavenly. Hades removed his clothes and stepped in after her, he sat on the step and cradled her close to him.

"When I saw the fire burn your flesh," gritted Hades. "I couldn't even feel my heart because it was breaking apart. I was so angry at myself because the last moment I spent with you was after fighting."

"I know, Hades-"

"Let me finish," he interrupted and she sealed her lips together. "We had that ridiculous fight and then you were gone from my side." Hades hold on her body tightened. "I held you after you had transformed and your eyes were pale with no light. And then you left me again when you fell asleep. I love you so much, Seph that it scares me-" his words faded apart.

Persephone laid her hand on his heart. "My last thought before I stepped into that fire was you, Hades," she said. "My body somehow knew that the fire wouldn't kill me because you controlled it."

"How could you know that, Seph?" Hades didn't believe her.

Persephone gazed into his eyes. "I've told you this before," she said. "Nothing of yours can hurt me and I walked into fire to prove it to you." Hades closed his eyes in defeat, he laid his forehead against hers and basked in this moment.

Hades hand skimmed her cheek and cupped her nape, he angled her face upwards and sealed her lips with his own. The kiss was slow and tantalizing enough to make her lose all the senses in her body, she couldn't feel anything but his soft lips remembering the contours of hers. But as she circled her arms around his neck, the kiss grew hungrier. Hades consumed their kiss with a fiery heat that nothing ever matched for her, she needed his fire and darkness to bring her back to their world again. She ran her fingers through his hair and heard his deep groan that set her body aflame, his soft touch grew rough and she begged for more.

Hades bit her lower lip and swallowed her soft moans, she straddled his hips and felt his erection against her hot core- that was always ready for him. Hades lifted them out of the pool and took her back to bedroom just to show her how much he missed her.