Once Upon A Time |𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗣𝗟𝗘𝗧𝗘𝗗| (#Wattys2021)

| triginta tres |

She's gone. She's really gone.

Sitting down in the place where it all started. The garden that I loathe.

I feel empty.

"Hades, if you want to you can go inside, I think it's going to rain—"

"Let me be. I'm staying." I said firmly.

Zeus sighed and signaled the rest to leave me be.

I felt the clouds turn dark. It was my doing. The dark aura inside me had strengthen. It was fueled by agony. It has been a year and yet, I am still hoping everything was just a nightmare and I'm supposed to wake up.

But it wasn't.

She was gone.

My tears are no longer existing. I cried too much that I just turned numb.

Why did she need to sacrifice herself for others? Why did she have this certain urge to be a hero. She saved Julienne's life indeed, but the day she was gone, I died too. I am breathing yet I am living. She was a hero that wasn't recognized. She had been a hero to many and yet.. this happened.

It's true.

The saying that "If the queen is gone, the whole kingdom will shall fall down.".

I couldn't even look at Julienne. It was too painful. I couldn't care less about the new Goddess Viperine. I couldn't even care less about my own kingdom. Yet my kingdom was now stronger than ever. The excruciating pain was used as a fuel to strengthen it. But the souls can tell, their king is not his old self anymore.

Thanatos couldn't even look me in the eye. The rage and the pain was too unbearable to see, he said. I couldn't blame him. My people began to be worried but again, I couldn't care less. I have been squeezing the brother's grimm to tell me how to bring her back but even them, the old keeper, did not have any idea.

"My queen, I am lost." I whispered looking down on the ground. Kneeling.

"Please come back to me." I begged.

The pain that I am feeling, it was incomparable. Not even when Persephone cheated on me for the first time. This pain, it happened because I am hers. The last words she said was she loves me.

She loves me.

And I treasure her words. I treasure her.

My wife.

As the rain fell down, I felt drops on my face. There I was surprised, I was crying after a month. When I thought I couldn't cry anymore, I did. My hands were on the ground. My palms fisted.

I just want my happiness back.

Please bring her back.

"BRING HER BACK!!!" I screamed.

Dark thunders started roaring in the heavens.

Too much pain. Too fucking much.

Is it too much to ask? To bring my sunshine back?

I focused all of my magic and teleported to our room. Wet and broken. Emotionless and nonchalant. Looking at the bed we once shared. I sat down and held her pillow which smelled like her. She's everything I ever wanted.