“I am Hades. And you are mine now.” | Greek mythology, Ascension, epic fantasy, book excerpt, local author

What happens in this part of the story?

In this part of the story, Hades leaves the Underworld for the first time and walks among humans. As the world recovers from the fear that once gripped them, he uses that very emotion as a source of his power. Unnoticed and almost invisible, he observes people and the world he soon plans to change.

Excerpt from the book

Inside the vault, the robbers frantically grabbed bundles of cash, stuffing their backpacks to the brim. Their movements grew faster, almost manic, knowing their time was running out. “Faster, faster!!!” one of them shouted, while another struggled to close an overstuffed bag.

When they filled their bags, they left the vault and headed back up to the floor where the others were waiting. The tension upstairs was almost tangible. The hostages still lay on the floor, trembling with fear, while three of the robbers with guns paced around them. One woman sobbed quietly, trying not to draw attention.

“We need to get out of here fast!” the gang leader said, furtively watching the police through the window as they set up barricades in front of the bank. His voice trembled with nerves as he searched for a way to avoid the inevitable clash.

But before they could devise a plan, a figure appeared behind them who was not part of the group. Hades stood in the dark corner of the room, silent as a shadow, his arms crossed over his chest. His black coat seemed to absorb the light in the room, and his eyes glinted with a sinister sheen.

“You’ve really put in a lot of effort!!!” Hades spoke, his voice rumbling like thunder. The robbers flinched and turned toward him, instinctively raising their weapons. The hostages lifted their heads, staring at the stranger with a mix of fear and confusion. Hades took a step forward. “But today is not your day,” he said with a smile that chilled the blood. “This day is a day of revenge, and it belongs to me.”

Before the robbers could pull their triggers, the light in the room suddenly dimmed, and a cold wind swept through the space. Hades’ presence became unbearable as the robbers trembled in fear, realizing they were facing something far more terrifying than the police. All five of them reflexively raised their weapons and opened fire on Hades. The gunshots echoed through the room, but the bullets simply bounced off him, dissolving into a cloud of black smoke. Not a single scratch marked his body.

Instead of reacting with fear, he smiled – a smile that was anything but human. His elegant black coat began to transform, turning into armor that looked as though it had been forged from darkness itself.

“What is this?! What are you?!” shouted one of the robbers, his voice shaking as he emptied his magazine.

Hades took a step forward, unfazed by the gunfire, and spoke in a voice that rumbled like thunder: “I am Hades, God of the underworld! And now, you are mine!”

With a single sharp breath, he exhaled a dense black smoke – the darkness of the deepest abyss. The robber didn’t even have time to move before the smoke filled his lungs. His body convulsed, his eyes turning an eerie, pitch-black color. “What is your name, mortal?” Hades asked, standing over him, his voice cold and cutting.

“Hector,” the robber managed to whisper, his body stiffening like a puppet on strings.

Hades smiled darkly. “Hector, like the Trojan prince? Interesting. You will serve me well,” he said, raising a hand and pressing his finger to the man’s forehead. “From now on, your will is my will.” Hector nodded mechanically as black mist coiled around his body. The remaining four robbers could not believe what they were witnessing.

“Murderer! Demon!” one of them shouted, opening fire again – but Hades barely moved. In the next instant, he appeared right in front of another robber, as if he had emerged straight from the shadows.

“Your resistance is meaningless,” Hades said before repeating the same process...

This is only part of the story…

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