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Hades is the god of the underworld.

He is usually represented as a vigorous bearded man.

His symbols are the scepter and horn of plenty.

He's also often depicted with the three-headed dog,

Cerberus.

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I sat up, causing the bedsheet to gather around my waist. I leaned against the headboard while placing a hand on my beating heart. I glanced around, expecting a Sin to jump out of the shadows, but the room remained silent as ever.

I slid towards the side of the bed and took a deep breath. Picking a black band from my dresser, I tied my hair into a bun. My cheeks heated up at the thought of Liam releasing my hairdo. Knowing a dream could affect the real world was still a mystery.

I tightened my robe before leaving the room. Tonight has been a rollercoaster and I was searching for a place to clear my head. I barely noticed my bare feet caressing the cold floor as I strode down the hallway. I passed by Zion's room, knowing he's probably asleep.

My thoughts strayed to his brother.
Pedro didn't look too good. He was skinnier than the last I saw him and his eyes were an unnatural blue instead of brown.

Things weren't matching up.

And what creeped me out more was the ancient water well that stood close to him. Shrouded in darkness, it kept emitting ghoulish vibes. Wyatt said Pedro was tied to it for a limited amount of days.

What had he meant? And what does an ancient well have to do with it? Is it real? And if yes, where is it?

Another thing that bothered me was Wyatt's message. A message informing Zion that his new target is Hunter. It was meant to rile him up and make him lose focus. But keeping it a secret wasn't a good choice either. I'll have to tell the others about the dream the moment they wake up. But could it be that Wyatt and Henry need Hunter because of Hades? Or are they trying to capture the big three?

Either way, I can't let them have Hunter. As annoying as he looks he still carries one of the three most powerful greek gods. But his lack of emerging abilities has made him completely vulnerable.

I stepped into the living room and froze on the spot. My eyes widened in alarm. The place was coated in darkness except for the light-emitting from a flat tv screen. It displayed a paused game of what I assume will be a zombie apocalypse.

Hunter sat on a long sofa before the screen, His chestnut hair was ruffled up as it reflected the blue light from the television. He relaxed in a black t-shirt and shorts, oblivious to my presence.

Dimitri was fast asleep on the same couch with his head on Hunter's lap. It would've looked cute if not for Hunter's weird actions. The triplet's hand hovered over Dimitri's face as he slept peacefully. Hunter's fingers -- blackened at the tip and ending in long black nails -- resembled the corpse of a dead body. They moved methodically like they were conjuring a trance.

My heart caught in my throat, not believing my eyes. Horrified, I stepped back and a floorboard creaked.

His head snapped up. And his eyes, now a bright yellow, focused on me. I was used to his amber eyes but this time, it was different. They illuminated an odd golden aura.

I stared, trying not to back out. Surprisingly, my voice came out steady. "What are you doing to Dimitri?"

For a moment Hunter stared at me like I was a stranger. It felt completely different from the Hunter I knew. He blinked and the expression disappeared.

He curled his lips in annoyance. "Funny, I didn't expect you to be awake."

He turned back to Dimitri and I watched as the dark skin and nails disappeared right before my eyes. "If you think I'll hurt him, you're on the wrong side of the planet."

Hunter's personality was back but it was still a far cry from the Hunter I first noticed. And now that he wore a t-shirt, the greek mark on his neck stood on full display. I couldn't make out the letters.

Has he bonded with one of the sins? Could it be Braid-guy?

"It'll be great if you stop effing staring?" Hunter reached for his gamepad before glancing at his paused game.

My hands fisted at my side. "You were using an ability. Who taught you that?"

He pressed a button and his game resumed. His fingers carefully padded over the buttons. "You want a conversation? Fine. But first, why are you awake so early in the morning? It's 3 Am."

I folded my arms and stared at the screen as his avatar shot Zombies with a rifle gun. "I couldn't sleep. Had a weird dream."

Hunter was fully immersed in his game. His fingers moved like a pro as he furrowed his eyebrows in concentration. His tongue barely stuck out from between his lips.

"If you're worried about Dimitri, relax. I would never hurt him." He paused his game before turning to me with a lopsided grin. "But I could hurt you."

I saw this coming from a mile away.
It wasn't even surprising. In fact, I've been preparing myself for it. "If you're trying to torment me, someone else has beaten you to it."

I nearly spilled the juice concerning the dream I had. But it came to a sudden halt when I remembered Zion. He had asked us to keep Hunter in the dark when it comes to certain information. It's mainly to protect him. And to a certain point, I agree.

If Hunter participates in all our godly endeavors, other greek beings will notice him. And I don't think Zion with handle it too well if his third brother is in danger.

Not to mention Wyatt and Henry have a pendant made especially for Hades. And despite the beef we have against each other, Hunter is still Zion's little brother. And Pedro will want me to protect him. So that's exactly what I'll do.

But first I need to clear some doubts. "What abilities were you using? And how do I know you weren't casting a spell?"

Hunter glared at me like I was some prude. "I don't know. If you see a normal Dimitri by morning--"

"Promise me."

"What?"

"Swear you're telling the truth. And that Dimitri isn't in any real danger." There's one thing Hunter doesn't know-- Greek beings were bound by their oath. So if he's lying, he wouldn't be able to finish the words.

"I swear I didn't hurt him. Happy?"

I frowned. So if he wasn't hurting Dimitri, what the heck was he doing?

Hunter scoffed. "You're worse than the dead people in my dreams."

My brain short-circuited. "What?"

He's already dreaming about the underworld.

Hunter kept on with his game. "Yes, dead people. Which includes ghosts and spirits. Doesn't it ring a bell? Or are you that dumb?"

I gritted my teeth. Forget my promise to Pedro. I'm going to strangle this asshole. "Oh yeah. Well, legend says only people without a life play games till dawn."

Hunter's jaw dropped as he stared at me. He barely recognized his game character run off a cliff. I smiled smugly.

"Oh yeah? Well, your ass is flatter than the sheet I write on."

I gasped. "Take that back!"

"Never."

That's it! I'm going to strangle him! At least I'm saving the world by getting rid of this little shithole. Before my fingers could squeeze the life out of him, my eyes paused on his tattoo.

That reminds me...

"What's that on your neck?"

Hunter's eyes went wide as his hand gravitated towards the greek mark. His face scrunched in uncertainty as he winced out. "Uh...Dimitri gave it to me?"

I rose an eyebrow. "Dimitri?"

He scowled, taking in my puzzled expression. "Something tells me I shouldn't have told you that."

I ignored him. "Do you know what it is?"

Hunter shrugged. "Dimitri said he could do a tattoo with his abilities so I let him."

My jaw dropped but I instantly closed it.

What the heck? He doesn't know what the mark does? And why will Dimitri keep something so important from him? Is it a different mark?

Seeing Dimitri sound asleep, I couldn't help but think he's hiding something. He always puts up a goofy face and does weird things, but in the end, he carries a sort of military aura like a man on a mission. It gives off an unsettled feeling.

Is there a reason he offered to mark Hunter?

Wyatt's words throbbed out like a sore thumb; Tell Dimitri...he'll fail this time.

I shook the thought out and pointed at Hunter's lap. "He's drooling on you."

The triplet looked down. A slip of saliva wiggled its way from the corner of Dimitri's lips and into his black shorts.

"Gross!" Hunter shot to his feet, causing his friend to hit the ground hard.

"Ow!" Dimitri clutched his head and squinted at us with sleepy eyes. After a moment, he slumped to the floor and curled around himself, falling back to sleep.

Hunter rolled his eyes and grabbed the collar of his friend's shirt. "I'm going to bed."

He threw his gamepad on the sofa and dragged Dimitri's limp body out of the room. At the door, he grabbed Dimitri around the armpit and hauled him up. His sneakers still dragged against the floorboard.

"You can have the damn hall to yourself," Hunter muttered angrily as he dragged his companion away. Just before they turned down a corner, Dimitri opened his eyes and winked.

I froze in mid-shock. His action looked way too energetic for someone who was sleeping a while ago. Was he awake this whole time? Did he listen to the conversation I had with Hunter?

My cheeks grew warm at the thought but I shook it off. I had plans for the day and that involves going to star-crossed inc. We need Eros' help if we're going to save Pedro. But one thing had me worried. If I was going to star-crossed inc, I'll be entering dangerous territory.

The territory of a certain sin.

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