THE SOUND OF SWIFT FOOTSTEPS is all that could be heard breaking the eerie silence. A soft golden glow that the owner produced a stark contrast to the blackened surroundings. Silent creatures spied around corners, trying to grab a glimpse of the powerful figure, their eyes the only thing visible.

Three women swooped over the head of the visitor, yelling obscenities to the stranger.

"What do we have here sisters?"

"It looks like we have a stray soul!"

"Oh, Lord Hades will be so proud we have found this soul who braves the Underworld!"

The stranger ignored the three and kept on the route to his destination. Footsteps faster now, the man now more determined to reach his destination. The three women lagged before eventually fleeing once he pushed open the doors to the palace.

The doors slammed against the walls with a thundering boom. The man sitting on the throne looked up, seeming bored, before sighing and turning away.

"Hades."

Hades ignored the stranger.

"Hades," the stranger repeated more firm with his tone.

Hades snapped, rolling his eyes. "Oh, what do you want now?"

"Where is he?"

"Where is who?"

"Quit playing stupid," the stranger snapped, "Where. Is. He?"

"You will need to be more specific Apollo, you have had many male lovers in your time."

Apollo gazed up at Hades on the throne, his face stony but eyes betraying his despair.

"Icarus. Where is he? His soul, it's missing from the Elysium fields."

"If his soul is not there, it is not there, what do you expect me to tell you?"

Apollo's face dropped, his eyes turning glassy and his posture dropping. His voice cracking as he spoke. "Is- Isn't there anything you can do?"

Hades' eyes softened as he looked at his nephew. "I can summon Thanatos and ask him if he knows anything, but I can't make any promises that it will be pleasant news."

"Thank you.... I- I just need to know that he's okay... wherever he is..."

Hades lifted a slim hand and snapped his fingers. Nothing happened. He snapped them again. Still nothing. Hades gave an irritated sigh and went to yell, but before he could, he was cut off.

"Boo," Thanatos said monotone, appearing from behind Hades.

They stepped out from behind the throne and Apollo's eyes widened. Thanatos wasn't the same angsty 'teen' he was 500 years ago. He was a lot more mature now.

"What do you need Hades?"

"First of all, it took long enough," Hades shot a pointed look in the god's direction. "Second of all, I need any info you have on the soul of Icarus. He's gone missing from the Elysium Fields."

Thanatos' brow furrowed in confusion. He muttered a few inaudible sentences before taking out a phone.

Apollo did a double-take. "You use a phone to log souls?"

"Yeah, I may be a god but I'm not uncivilized."

"Oh."

Thanatos tapped on his phone a few times, making noises of puzzlement.

"That's strange..."

"What? What is it? Have you found him?"

"I've got everything to do with his soul until five years ago, then everything is blank. When did you last see him?"

"I- I saw him about two weeks ago? Maybe a month ago?"

"Hm... strange... Well, I have no info on where he could be, sorry I couldn't help you Apollo."

"Oh..." Apollo's face fell, his body going limp, "Thank you anyway Thanatos."

"Look, if I get any information that the fates allow me to disclose, you'll be the first one to know."

Apollo nodded, his head spinning with so many possibilities.

Where is he? He shouldn't be able to leave Elysium.

His footsteps echoed as he walked out of the palace, his hand waving a lazy Goodbye behind him. More creatures had crowded near the gates, braver now that they noticed that the god's golden glow was significantly duller than it was when he entered the palace.

He walked a few more strides outside of the palace before glancing around his surroundings to make sure there were no stray souls or unlucky mortals. Satisfied that it was only himself and the creatures, he started to glow, his skin turning white like hot metal.

One by one, the weaker creatures disintegrated. Suddenly, Apollo erupted in a powerful eruption, like a star collapsing upon itself. His body glowed an impossible white, to the point that it would hurt to gaze upon him.

Just as quickly as he began to glow, the light faded again. The cavern was now empty apart from the glittering silver dust left behind.