Hades

XXVIII

Ella's point of view 

There he stood, in a meadow full of flowers. Smiling sweetly towards me with his arms wide beckoning me to come to him; pomegranate juice dripping from his lips. 

I jerked awake suddenly, sitting up straight upon the soft bed. My heart stammered within my chest as I tried desperately to calm my ragged breath. I leaned against the headboard with my hand pressed gently against my heart. I willed my heart to slow down as the memories of the dream played within my mind. The taste of pomegranate juice filled my mouth and tingled my tastebuds, reminding me of what I had seen. 

I opened my eye slightly, still leaning against the headboard. My head was dizzy from the details that whirled around within it. Instead of replaying the scene within my head, I pushed it to the furthest corner of my mind. A sick feeling began in the pit of my stomach but I chose to ignore it. Instead, I took in the room before me. Hades slept soundly beside me, his black curls fell gently across his face covering his eyes.

The room was dark but I knew that we were in our room within the castle. The thick beige curtains shielded my view of the castle grounds but I knew that the sun had not yet risen. The castle was far too quiet, not yet buzzing with the sound of the many people that spent their days within it.

 I remained against the headboard until soft glimmers of sunlight peaked through the gaps of the curtain. The castle had awoken and the sound pulled me from the bed. 

The steaming water of the shower had done nothing to calm my muscles, instead only frustrating me further. All the while the haunting taste of pomegranates remained on my lips no matter how much I rinsed my mouth. I decided after the fourth attempt that I would simply have to ignore it.

Instead of leaving the bathroom, I remained in front of the large mirror. Something in the fogged glass had caught my attention in passing. I grabbed one of the many towels that lay stacked within the vanity cupboard and wiped away the fog. 

Instead of the usual face that stared back at me, someone different was reflected within the mirror. My mind struggled to understand if it was most definitely me that stood before the mirror, the girl that stared back at me was slightly different to me.  

Her fair face now held more colour and sharpness than before and her eyes shone brighter, the golden speckles within them glinted almost in the light. They held a sharpness within them that could intrigue any soul. Her hair was longer and thicker, rich with strands of gold and hints of auburn. The aura that surrounded her was strange. A mixture of power and beauty, as well as strength and calmness. 

Her presence stunned me momentarily. I reached out my hand towards the mirror as if trying to touch the goddess before me. However, her hand reached out for me as I did for her. Our fingers desperately wanting to touch one another, but failing as we both touched the cool glass. 

This was not a strange goddess-like lady within the mirror, but instead myself. I stood silently, my mouth slightly agape as I stared down at the woman, her expression matching my own. I could not help but stagger backwards away from the mirror. 

I held onto the wall as I watched myself more intently. This was not the same person that left Olympus last night. The same person who stood sheepishly before Zeus. The same person who stood stiffly in a room full of gods. This was someone else, someone who demanded attention and respect. 

Both aspects of myself had seemingly changed overnight, morphing into something that seemed so distant from my past self yet more accurate of who I was deep down. My physical appearance as well as my mental state had changed. 

I no longer looked like a simple human compared to the gods that surrounded me. I no longer held the intrusive thoughts that seemed to plague my mind with doubts of the prophecy.