Keith had no idea who the voice belonged to. The only thing he did know was that he had heard it before and probably should know who it belonged to, but he really couldn't place it and neither did help him the appearance of the stranger. He was clad in a long dark coat, hiding any physical traits. He could be everyone and anyone. The only one he did remind Keith off was perhaps the grim reaper and he surely didn't know that guy or maybe he did now, considering where he was? However shouldn't Persy rather be a reaper than this guy? But she had told him she was a devil, didn't she? On the other hand he had no idea what anything here was, so why waste his thoughts on it. All it did was confuse him even further.

"Who are you?" Keith asked.

"I hoped you guess my name, but apparently not," the dark figure replied chuckling and stepped closer to Keith. He had no idea what it was, but he had a very strong feeling that he couldn't trust him whoever he was, even less than Persephone. She might have lied to him, but she hadn't hurt him in anyway. This guy however would, if Keith gave him the chance that much was clear to him.

"Charon, stop this. We're not here for that," Persephone answered stepping in between Keith and the Reaper guy. Making him wonder if he was indeed right and there was more to this Charon than Keith could see on the first glance or why else should Persy move in front of him?

"I know no one ever visits me of their own free will and why should you be an exception? So entertain me and show me why I should bring you to the Gate."

"We will," Persephone said and with a little snap of her fingers she made a guitar appear that looked suspiciously like Keith's, which she handed him. Keith nearly was thankful to feel the familiar weight of his guitar in his hands. Everything had been totally insane until now and this was finally something he knew and which felt like home to him. He really needed to pass these tests whatever they might be and get back. This place might have its advantages, but there was no place like home.

"That is definitely a nice trick, can you teach me that sometime too, before I go back?" Keith asked her.

She rolled her eyes. Persephone definitely had stopped being the seductive temptation, but why should she? She had Keith where she wanted him. He needed to pass these tests to get home and a long life and she needed them for some mythological feud. It was actually a win win situation, but could it really be that easy? Or would Persy maybe screw him over in the end? No matter what he did he probably needed to stay on alert as good as he could.

"I could, but then you would have to work for me and I thought you wanted to stay alive. So play some guitar and we can move on," she replied.

"You're even more exigent than Mick..." Keith mumbled and strung the chords of the guitar. At first it surprised him a tad that it was perfectly tuned without any adjustment from him, but he supposed the Devil is in the detail or in this case the Devil took care of every detail.

Charon chuckled. "I suppose he's your choice rather than Raphael's. His wasn't as amusing."

"Does that mean, I'm not the first you try to drag down here? I thought you would get erased and your existence was on the line!" Keith exclaimed in Persephone's direction frowning. He had at least hoped that the information Charlie had given him wasn't flawed, but apparently not even Reason could be trusted.

"You're her first, but not Raphael's." Charon explained. "Thirty years ago or something, somebody else tried to get down in his name with a guitarist. Hmm... I can't remember the lad's name. He was a blues musician, died at 27, dark skinned..." 

"Robert Johnson?" Keith exclaimed shocked. He had of course heard the legend about the famous blues musician who had apparently made a deal with the devil, but he hadn't believed it for a second, well neither had he really believed in Hell and where did that lead him to? He probably needed to rethink his views if he ever got home... Even if he had to admit that he had actually learned quiet a lot over the last few hours, especially this now. If this was true and Robert Johnson had been here as well, Keith was one of the only people who knew what really happened to him.

"That was his name! Poor lad didn't make it really far, but damn could he play... And Gabriel's choice too. Hmm... that wasn't too long ago. A year, two or three? Time passes so strangely down here."

Keith frowned. A few years ago? Could he maybe knew him as well, there had been a few musicians that had died in that time span to be sure who Charon was talking about without asking. It was rather sad to remember how many people had died in the last couple of years.

"Who?" Keith simply asked.

"I don't ask their names, I listen to music and what I've seen of you is not much yet. I would start if I were you," Charon answered and Keith's wariness for him was back. He definitely wasn't someone to cross and Keith probably really should get going and play him something, but he didn't really know what song fitted such a circumstance. What song do you play to entertain an ancient mythical being that liked music?

"What-"

"Just play something!" Persephone interrupted him annoyed. Keith seriously started to dislike her and started to be glad that he didn't ask for a night with her. He only knew her a few hours and was already growing tired of her ways. "We don't have all eternity." Judging from her tone he wasn't the only one who was growing tired.

"Jeez... "Keith mumbled and started to play a melody he had been working on for some time now. It wasn't anywhere near finished yet, but it felt right to play and if he was judging Charon's body language correctly, he liked it and Keith guessed that was the point. Maybe it would even be a hit if he ever got home and the time to finish it.

"That was alright, I'll take you to the first Circle," Charon interrupted him clapping and again Keith sighed relieved, even Persy seemed calmer and less bitchy. Maybe Keith did her wrong, she had a lot to lose as well if he should fail. So it was hardly a surprise if the girl is tense then.

Charon stopped his clapping and a light opened up a path behind him. It wasn't much, hardly enough to recognise anything, but Keith could clearly make out the shape of a boat that gently rocked in the waves. When his gaze fell on the water Keith was thankful for the spare light source, it looked grey and dead and he had no interest in finding out what more. Not knowing was a gift sometimes.

The ferryman was the first to get on the boat and held his hand out for Persephone. His hand was human, but that was the only calming quality about it. It looked as grey and lifeless as the water did and surely not welcoming. Persy seemed to think the same, because she ignored it and climbed on the boat like she had done this a million times and with the same gracefulness she did everything else. Keith was the last one and what felt like the millionth time he nearly fell. Hell wasn't doing him any favours at all. He could just hope that he would do these tests better than moving around.

"Can I ask you now a few questions or do you throw me off of the boat then?" He asked as he sat down next to Persephone on the boat. Charon was standing and piloting the boat, which slid through the water without any struggles at all. Keith could see waves, but he didn't feel them. He nearly wanted to ask what it was about the river, but thought better about it. Maybe Persephone wasn't even in the mood to answer at all, who knew with her.

She smiled a bit, making Keith wonder even more. He had no idea what he should think of her. She was seductive, manipulative and a liar even bitchy, but at the same time she held something very sad about her. "Remember I need you, so throwing you into the Styx wouldn't help me and you already know everything. I can't tell you much more, but ask away."

"How did you end up being a Devil?"

Persy sighed and looked away. "I don't know, we lose all our human memories once we start, they would only make it harder..."

Keith didn't believe her, but beside a feeling he had no prove and even if she was what should he tell her? I know you're lying, stop this farce and tell me the truth? Sure that would go over well. She might need him, but Keith didn't trust her enough to test his limits out. Who knew what she would do to him then? She definitely held the power in their partnership, so it was probably better for him to change the topic.

"Makes sense I suppose, so eh you and Charlie? I mean the Reason."

"We're good friends and nothing more," she said visibly relaxing. "We couldn't even be anything more. The Reason is only an idea. You might love an idea, but you can never be with it."

"So you're single?" Keith wondered, ignoring this ominous idea business.

Persephone was about to reply, when Charon interrupted her chuckling. "If you start like that you'll never pass the lust test, but in your defence most don't. You might think she's tempting, but she's nothing compared to the tests. They'll reveal your deepest and darkest fears and secrets."

"Great..."Keith mumbled. That definitely didn't sound good, but he hardly had suspected anything less. However it got him curious as well, if Charlie was his Reason, who would symbolise lust, greed, pride and all the other things for him? There were a few people that came to his mind, but nobody he really would have bet his money on and what was he even supposed to do with this information? He could picture that he had to resist whatever temptation they throw his way in the lust test, but what about pride and the others? Nobody had really mentioned what he actually had to do, only that he had to pass some tests.

"We're here," exclaimed Charon whose voice brought Keith back from his thoughts. He looked up and indeed right before them was land. Contrary to Charon everything here looked so bright and full of life that it nearly hurt Keith's eyes after all this darkness. Persephone stepped out without any word and Keith followed her example. Just as he wanted to turn around to mumble a thanks to Charon, he remarked that the ferryman was already gone and with him the darkness. Persephone and him were standing in the middle of a glowing field of sunflowers, with a blue sky above them and nothing more as far as his eyes could see.

"And what are we looking for now?" he asked.

"A gate," Persephone answered him and hurried on. Forcing Keith again to tumble after her like a helpless puppy. At least this time he had no problem around, the field might have been annoying to walk around in, but there was nothing trying to make him fall.

"And how does it look like, here is nothing..."He asked after they had walked some distance, where everything was exactly the same. He had no idea how Persy orientated herself in here or maybe she walked as aimlessly around like he did, even if Keith seriously hoped that she had some special Devil orientation skill.

"It's over there..."She replied pointing just a bit ahead of them. Meaning that she probably did knew where to walk to. Keith looked ahead, but the only thing he could see was a mirror in the middle of a clearing in the field.

"That's a mirror," he pointed out.

"Obviously, but it's also the gate, so take a look through it," she said and stepped aside to give Keith enough space to move in front of it.

Hesitantly, Keith stepped closer, only to move back immediately again and in the process feel nearly over his own two feet. "What the fuck is this?" he exclaimed.

"That's you. Well future you, if you're successful," Persephone explained.

Keith snorted. "Seriously? Damn I look bad."

"This is what awaits you if you pass all the tests" Persephone said gesturing to the mirror. "And if you don't like it you can always turn around, give up and leave a beautiful corpse. Choose wisely"He rolled his eyes as if she had left him much choice at all. 

"I want to live"

"So be it," Persephone said and a strange force pulled Keith inside the mirror. Out of reflex he closed his eyes until he felt as if his body had just crashed on solid ground, but it probably had. Hell definitely liked to make him fall. 

"Fuck. I'm really getting tired of this shit..." he mumbled as he got up. Keith looked around and started to have a really unwell feeling in his stomach. He knew too well where he was and he didn't like it one bit.

"Although it hasn't really started yet," somebody exclaimed from behind him and Keith turned around to come face to face with a person he really didn't like to see.

"Brian."

Thank you for reading, voting and commenting.

I think there are 4 or 5 more chapters until the Epilogue. I really want to finish this, so I'll try to update this at least once a week if I can.