Just when I was going to get some answers from the strange woman "CHAOS BRIDE" I had to get interrupted by—
CLICK! CLICK!
"H-- Hermes!?"
Hermes stood there looking down, the opposite of his true personality. There were dark rings under his eyes, it looked like he hadn't had decent sleep in a while. Like he was kept late at night for some reason. But what was he doing here, how did he find out where I was--?
"Hades, I messed up bad. There's something I have to tell you--" His voice sounded broken, this was not the Hermes I knew, just what had happened to him for him to change like this?
I could sense the urgency in the air, Hermes had something he wanted to say.
My eyes started to buzz again, that was when I knew something was wrong.
--THE CHARACTER (HERMES) IS FEELING GUILTY--
--THE CHARACTER (HERMES) IS ABOUT TO MAKE A CONFESSION--
"A-- A confession?" I could not help but blurt out.
I noticed tears starting to form in Hermes' eyes, what the hell did he want to say to me that was so important?
"It was me!!" Hermes yelled out in my face.
Now what was I supposed to make out of that fact? What was him? Did he have something to do with the calamity? This could also be a prank from the Hermes, he was know for his pranks--

--THE CHARACTER "HERMES" IS DEEPLY GRIEVED--
--or not.
"Hermes, what did you do?" I tried to reach out to him but he pulled back instead like he was scared of me or scared of what I would do if found out about whatever he had to say. "Hermes?"
Hermes stared me in the eye and I felt his wave of emotions flooding me, it was like someone on the edge of dying. How do I know? Because I've almost commited suicide at a time in my life too. I had just lost everything I had to my wife and I felt low, I didn't see any other means but I was to weak to do it.
Hermes was at the same boat but I won't let that happen, I won't let one of my favorite Olympian gods die.
"Hades, I did something bad—" whatever Hermes was about to say I didn't hear the end of it as someone stormed in our of nowhere and slapped Hermes in the face ending out short exchange with a dramatic entrance.
"Damn! What is the meaning of this?" I almost lost my composure, I could not help but feel I just lost some very valuable information.
Hecate stood there standing over Hermes who was staggering to get back to his feet. "What a sorry state for the messanger god, you're a mess." Hecate sounded enraged more than usual, I could not help but feel there was a personal feud between the two. I inquired of my eye for confirmation.
--THE CHARACTER "HECATE" IS ENRAGED--
--THE CHARACTER "HECATE" IS GRIEVED--
Wow! It seems everyone is sharing in this grief game or something. "Hey Hecate what's all this?" I asked but she was not paying attention to me for a reason.
Hermes rubbed his cheek and looked at me with even more pained eyes. "I.... Need to talk with Hades."
Yes, talk with me. I'm practically right here.
"No! You're drunk!" Hecate interrupted. I swear I wanted to punch her. "You are one of the twelve Olympian gods, you should not be seen in this state. What do you want people to think then? What of the symbol you represent?"
Hermes screamed at the tip of his voice, so loud I felt the raw rage revebrating from it. "F**K IT! I don't cae about any of that, I'm tired of all the lies and manipulation here. I miss when we were all one big happy family or was that all a lie too? If Hades of all people could change then why can't I?"


Just what was going on now, was there another side plot I was missing? Hermes surely knows something, I just have to tell Hecate off that way I can. "S**t!" I cursed under my breath as I ran back into the room, I had forgotten about Chaos Bride. We were having a vidoe call before Hermes interrupted.
"Please still be on!" I prayed as I reached for the phone on my bed and ....
VIDEO CALL (CHAOS BRIDE)
4 MINUTES AGO
"Damnit!!" I already missed her. What are the chances of me ever getting a another chance like this again? I strode over to the door, there was no way I would miss my chance with Hermes.
By the time I got there Hecate was still standing where I had left her but Hermes-- Hermes was gone.
Curses! Everything was getting out of hand really fast.
"You just missed him boss, he had to go sober up before the party tonight? I never imagined Hermes to be a drunk." What the hell are you saying, you f**king chased him away you witch. The only chance I would ever get to talk to him again would be at the party. —Dammit all—.
I can't help but feel like a puppet in a show, all strings attached. There was nothing I could do to get out of it if things kept escalating at this rate.
"Not a word more!" I silences Hecate before she spoke and walked into my room.
—THE CHARACTER "HECATE" IS FEELING DEEP GUILT—
I slammed the door behind me and dropped on my butt, I burried my head between my laps and sighed. I've just about had enough, why were there so many lies and secrets everywhere? There was not a single person I could call an ally here and just when I was learning to trust someone again.
I only had a few more hours before the party would begin, I had not gained any bit of useful information enough to prevent the first calamity. Since the name "ERIS" was not on the guest list perhaps I was wrong about the event happening. It was originally an event on the wedding of Peleus and Thetis in the myth. That means I misread the situation by a long shot.
Then what calamity will occur at the 2000th birthday of Zeus?

Charmed Cast: The Stars We've Lost Over The Years
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I hated being at a stalemate. It seemed the only thing to do was to go to the party and watch things play out, worst comes to worst I would have to take action.
I wore one of my finest black suits, washed my hair— still getting used to having a really long hair by the way. I was looking my finest for the occasion but not to get carried away I would have to be alert for what exactly?
Boy, was I clueless. I was doomed!
VRRRROOOM!!
The fine black car pulled up before the huge palace of the pantheon of gods, Hecate opened the door and I alighted from it, my fine black shoe pressing down on the long red carpet. This was it-- I too one final breath and started to advance towards the entrance.
By the sides of the carpet were restraints and bouncers who kept the photographers and reporters at bah, flashes of white slightly blinded me.
Sometimes I forget how much fame and power I have from being a god. They all wanted a picture of me, especially since I was the one god who rarely left his domain. No doubt I would make the cover of the paper the next morning, but none of that would matter if I failed to save the goddamn world.
"Lord Hades, please a word."
"Lord Hades, any comment following your return?"
Now the chatter was starting to get annoying. "Why is this damn red carpet to long?" I hissed under my breath.
A short while later there was an explosion, I tucked my hands in my pocket and raised my head to the sky where rays of red, gold and purple exploded continuously— the fireworks were a marvel and breathtaking. I was glad I got to be reborn.
I reached the door where two huge rock like creatures stood there as guards checking the invites before letting anyone in. Not like they could then me down but I held my invite just in case. A short while after I was inside the biggest hall of my life, it was buzzing with life. There were gods, winged creatures, heroes of legends, magical creatures. It was a beauty.
And the food was— MWAH! Words could not describe it. I took a glass of whatever wine they were passing around as I advanced down the crowd of well dresses guests hoping I would not run into anyone to early but I knew that was just a wish I would never have come true.
"Woohoo big brother Hades you made it here at last!" And there he was, the number one on my hate list— ARES, THE GOD OF WAR. He wore a pretty messed up outfit with a lot of flashy colour. His nose and ears were pierced with diamond rings, I for one would call him a devil rather than a god. "Love my drip?"
I groaned internally, just why did I have to run into him of all people? Wait! Was he waiting for me? I noticed a fine young woman clutching tight to his arm, she wore a lovely purple dress that covered her legs.
Lucky him— this is me being sarcastic.
I think Ares might have noticed my eye on his +1 and he felt the need to brag. "Oh, this is my date. She's a really beauty, you know what I mean."
I looked at her more closely and gasped— CHAOS BRIDE!! There she was standing her cheeks red as she waved at me. "Hi~ Lord Hades, it's a pleasure meeting you in person."
What the hell? Ares was the god of war— was that what the "CHAOS" was for? Right under my nose. She real got me good, but I would not miss the chance to find out who she really was.
My eye buzzed and I gasped once more. N-- no way.... I was played the whole time!
How did things come to this again? Ares was simply introducing his date, not "CHAOS BRIDE," but her real name. But he didn't need to because I knew who she was even before he said it.
"Oh, this is my date. She's a real beauty, you know what I mean," Ares joked. "Her name is— ERIS!"
F-- It was all under my nose again. So deep under there was no way I would ever know. And if Eris was here, then that would mean she was trying to prevent me from hindering her plans. That would also mean that I was right—it really is the apple of discord plot!
So I had met Eris all along, but I could work this to my advantage. She just played herself into my hands. Perhaps I can convince her not to trigger the calamity.
Looking at her closer, I could tell she was panicking inside even without the use of the eye. All I would have to do was restrict her through the entire night. I sometimes hate my mind for overthinking things, but I was not confident I could confront her— for all I knew, she might not be Chaos Bride but an associate of hers.
Now I was seriously regretting not answering the call earlier. Curse you, Hermes. Where is Hermes anyway?
"Hi~ Lord Hades, it's a pleasure meeting you in person," Chaos Bride, or should I say Eris—I still wasn't sure if she was Chaos Bride—said. Damn, I feel played.
ERIS: GODDESS OF STRIFE
LIKABILITY TO HADES -200
ROLE TO HADES - UNRESOLVED
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CONFLICT - NONE
I realized what I needed to do: talk to her privately. Hard to do that when you're at the biggest party of the millennium.
"Big brother Hades, you kind of zoned out for a moment there," Ares chuckled nervously. He seemed afraid for some reason. Did I look weird or something? "That was scary, man. It felt like you were thinking about death just now."
I shifted my gaze away from Eris and looked at Ares. "Don't spite me!" I cast him a threatening glance and walked past them both. This was not the right time to confront her about the apple.
I was relaxed since her name did not appear on the list of invited guests, but I forgot the +1; invited guests can bring an extra person to the party. I brought along my assistant, Hecate, but still, Eris' arrival clearly caught me off guard. Everything was coming together; all I had to do was play my cards right.
"My lord, are you perhaps troubled? I noticed you were a bit startled by that goddess," Hecate opined. I swear I keep forgetting how sensitive she is. I still haven't forgiven her for screwing up my lead with Hermes. Come to think of it, where is he anyway?
The crowd started to murmur loudly. I could barely make anything out of it. I could see a gleaming light coming from up ahead. There was only one person I knew who could make a flashy entrance like that—it's the birthday boy.
Bolts of lightning started to sizzle in the air. There were light booms and crackles—the crowd was amazed. I, for one, was deeply concerned if it was safe to throw lightning bolts indoors. I might be immortal, but I'm not shock-proof. Zeus walked down from the long flight of stairs, dressed in a flawless white suit with gold buttons.
He wore a pair of gold shoes and a gold mask over his eyes; his hair fell down his back and sparkled wonderfully—why do I feel like he's running for pageant queen?
I swear if I had a pair of sunglasses, I would have dazzled them on. What caught my eye was in fact something more beautiful than the elaborate display of my baby brother—the second figure accompanying him. Dressed in a fine milky dress was a real queen, her powerful yellow eyes shot out with a piercing intensity that entranced me, her long yellow hair carefully packed behind her back.
She had her arms wrapped around Zeus' arm.
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Didn't need a wild guess to tell who that was—HERA, THE QUEEN OF THE GODS. Man, was she a beauty. Kind of made me wish I was still single.
It took all of my willpower to look away. I had to not make it seem obvious. Staying on track was the priority here; can't have a beautiful goddess ruining my day.
"Good day, people of Olympus! Who's ready for a paaaaaaaartyyy!!!!" Zeus boomed, and a loud cheer followed. Just reminding me of how much I hated crowds. And why does he have to be so damn childish? The stories always said he was old and wise; this one's the exact opposite. At least I get to enjoy my first-ever gods-only party in peace.
"And there is my big bro Hades!!" I spoke too soon. Zeus came up from nowhere and threw his arm around me. "I'm so happy you came. I would have been grieved if you didn't. It's all the better with you here."
Just how did he spot me in this huge crowd? Oh right! It's not like anyone here has blue hair and dresses as if they are attending a funeral. "Um—hey, Zeus." Still not used to calling him that. "I see you've been well."
Zeus snickered as he swiped a cupcake from one of the waiters passing by. "More or less. Sorry about last time with the wound. Hope it didn't hurt too bad."
A little too late for that. I've been asleep for two hundred years. Back on Earth, that is two lifetimes. Another thing caught my eye—Hermes, not so far off in the crowd. All I had to do was ditch the glam prince. As if it would be that easy.
Zeus pulled me off in a different direction away from my goal. From my knowledge, very few people found me—the god of death—not scary. Hecate, Hermes, but Zeus tops the chart. This guy is not afraid of anything under the sun. "Now hasn't it been a while since you've seen Hera?"
Wait, Hera? And before I knew it, I was before the queen of the gods. She stood there, giving off a beautiful aroma that almost made me smile. Good thing Hades used to be a sadist; I managed to maintain my composure. Just to be clear, I wasn't flustered. It's not like I haven't spoken to a beautiful young-looking woman who is actually over a millennium old before.
Boy, was I kidding. Of course, I was flustered. How many men my age have fantasized about standing before a literal goddess and just saying, "Hi!" Shit! Did I just say my thoughts out loud? Should I talk with her casually or—let me try the eye first, just in case.
INFORMATION ABOUT THE CHARACTER CANNOT BE DISPLAYED DUE TO WEAK LEVEL OF THE EYE.
Curses, she put on the firewall. Now, what do I say? Hera's lips parted and broke off into a light smile that made my heart sing. "Hades..."
Now, why did she just end things there? Why do women always have to be so damn complicated? Since she called me so casually, I guess I do have to take the same approach. "Hera, it has been a while." Not really my best line again—when you come to know me pretty well, I have a lot of terrible first lines in my vocabulary.
Hera rubbed her temples softly with her thumbs. I had a bad feeling about that because Zeus just backed off and said, "Then you two can catch up. I have to go find Poseidon. He's probably holed up somewhere here." And then the god of Olympus vanished into the crowd, leaving me alone with Hera, who was now glaring at me like that one candy left on the counter at Christmas.
"It has been over a thousand years since you last spoke to me, Hades. So I guess it really has been a while." Despite her strict tone, her voice really was a melody to my heart.
Now, what do I say? Just why did Hades have to be a mess with his family? I'm practically turning into a life coach right about now. "He—ra, I'm sorry. I must have been busy back then." Maybe I said something wrong, or it was the approach I took, but she gasped and cupped her hands under her breasts.
"Y—you're sorry?" I think I saw her cheeks redden, or perhaps it was the lighting.
There was another long silence that I was yet again forced to fix. "Yeah, what about it?"
She looked away from me as she spoke. "Nothing. Just never heard you commit to your mistakes before." Well, I have been getting that a lot lately. "So did you just come here for Zeus, or did you have another reason in mind?"
I looked at her with an annoyed glance, good thing she wasn't paying attention to me. Like, what the hell does she expect me to be looking for here? I can't even have fun because I have to stop some no-good goddess from causing a war over an apple. "I just came to settle some matters. After it's done, I'll leave."
"Oh, right?" Hera dropped her head and said in a sad tone, "Enjoy the party then." She said this without a moment's notice as she started to walk away.
I would have liked to hang out with Hera more, but I had to find Eris first, which makes me feel stupid for losing her in the first place if I had to find her later.
My eye started to whirr again—I wasn't even doing anything.
THE CHARACTER "HERA" HAS HIGH AFFINITY FOR YOU.
What the hell? I thought the eye didn't work on her. Now it's telling me that Hera has high—my hands dropped by my side and my jaw fell wide open. Don't tell me, does Hera have feelings for me?
It's never one problem at a time, is it? It's always one thing after another. I couldn't let myself get carried away. I took out my phone and dialed Chaos Bride twice, but there was no response. I turned back to where I had seen Hermes earlier, and he was gone. Hecate was gone too.
I was foolish to get swept away by all the celebration—now chaos could strike in any direction, and I would have no way to stop it.
Talk about a hiccup~!: When Playing Cards, Watch Out For The Joker!
There was a lot of chatter and festivities but I could not get absorbed by it at the moment. I searched in every direction for Eris, I had to stop her before she would trigger the calamity. The fear that I would fail to stop her had me troubled, if only I could find her.
I stopped and took a while to think things through, perhaps what I really needed to find was not to find Eris but instead to find Hera, Aphrodite and Athena— being the most beautiful goddesses there was no way I would miss them. They would certainly draw some attention to them, if I find them before Eris does I can stop her. Now I felt like a fool for not recalling which way Hera went.
I paced through the crowd in a calm manner not to draw any unneeded attention to myself, I looked everywhere to try and find them. I tried using the eye but to no use, I kept recieving many random names giving me a big headache as a result. I was taxed for time as it was, I could hardly concentrate now.
"Please..." I took out my phone and dialed her number again-- it rang a few times. I held my breath just as the call was about to timeout when the line connected. I raised it to my ear but it was silent, or rather the hall was too loud. "Hello, are you there? Eris, it's you isn't it?"
"...."
"I TOLD YOU NOT TO COME DIDN'T I?"
I heard her voice as clear as day or maybe because my hearing was heightened. She sounded different, colder— I had a bad gut feeling about this. She was talking, all I had to do was keep her talking. "You weren't exactly specific now we're you?
It would have done me better to tell me you were coming too, maybe build out trust more." From what I could interprete she was calling from a place without noise meaning she was far from the main party. Since there was no way she could leave the only possible way she could have gone was up the stairs.
"YOU ARE ALSO NOT SOMEONE TO PUT SOME TRUST IN, OF ALL THE THREE YOU ARE BY FAR THE WORST. YOU CLAIM TO BE BLAMELESS WHEREAS YOU HIDE A DARK PAST SO SICK IT TURNS YOU ROTTEN."
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Now where was all of this coming from? That rotten gut feeling I had was starting to spread quickly. I quickened my pace up the stairs to the next floor, not many people were on the way but it was still a long climb. "Eris what are you saying? Who put you up to this?" Perhaps I should not have added that last part but I had to keep her talking.
"FOR SOMEONE WHO HAS VERY LITTLE TIME ON HIS HANDS I ADVICE YOU REFRAIN FROM YOUR INVESTIGATION, BUT I WILL GIVE YOU A PIECE OF ADVICE..." I reached the top to the stairs, there was a long hall that led to the right and left, just which way would she be? "LEAVE THE PARTY AND— STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM HERMES!!!"
That tone, she definitely meant something by it, and now Hermes is in the mix, makes me wonder what had him so troubled earlier that he could cry. Did he want to warn me? "What does Hermes have to do with this?" I asked a bit anxiously while I still battled on whether to turn left or right.
Something caught my eye, to the right was a sign that said men. Was the men's bathroom that way? I guess that mean the left was for female, I can't enter the females bathroom-- but I can wait at the hall and prevent her from getting to the party.
"JUST TAKE MY ADVICE, IT WOULD BE BETTER THAT WAY."
I could hear her breathing, shallow like she was thinking of something. Could she be having second thoughts? Maybe I can talk her out of this. My only shot-- "Eris listen, whatever you do please don't hand out the golden apple. It will cause chaos."
I was expecting a gasp or an exclamation but she was mute. That was a bad sign that she had adapted to my knowledge of the apple, too quickly at that. Did she have knowledge of this beforehand? How can she be so damn collected when she's clearly been found out? There's no way I can figure out what's going on in her head now and that worries me.
"AAH~ YOU REALLY ARE A DETECTIVE AREN'T YOU?" Damnit, my back was feeling all wriggly now, she's too calm with that response. Does she have a back up plan. "BUT HOW CAN YOU KNOW OF SOMETHING EVEN ARES HAS NO KNOWLEDGE OF? ARE YOU BY CHANCE ABLE TO READ MINDS?"
I calmed myself and stood before the bathroom door, I softened my voice to cover any hesitation I might show. "Tell me then, why are you doing this?" She made one mistake, she already revealed that Ares was involved and Hermes must have been involved— at least to some extent. I just needed her to keep spilling the beans.
I heard her sigh deeply, was that a sign that she was breaking? Or was she just thinking up another lie? "YOU ARE AWFULLY TALKATIVE FOR THE GOD OF DEATH--" She was avoiding the question, did I hit a soft spot? "SINCE YOU KNOW OF THE APPLE YOU MUST KNOW OF MY GOAL TOO. WHY DO YOU WISH TO STOP IT?"
She's changing the topic, she's scared— no, vulnerable! But I still don't have enough going, is she working alone or is there yet another hive mind. There was also the possibility that Ares could be behind it all, he was the god of war. A war between the three goddesses would have benefited him but in what way. Just as I was about to get lost in thought, I heard the door knob creak.
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It was coming from my phone and the door. She was stepping out, I had her just where I wanted.
"HADES--" She said as she pushed the door open gently, I hid in the blindspot and positioned myself to arrest her in the act. "YOU — LOSE!!" What was that feeling just now? I felt like I had just stumbled into a great wall that came out of nowhere. What came out of the door was an old man wearing a black suit and red tie and not Eris.
"N-- no." Just where did I have it wrong? I clearly had her on the ropes, don't tell me she purposely lured me away from the hall. That-- no, I was the one walking into the trap like a blinc sheep. "Dammit!"
I turned around and darted down the way I came from, the hall was clearly a bit long. My heart was racing, pounding, I could not tell where I had gone wrong. Surely I knew there were gaps in my plan but I made sure to cover them up quite good— NO WAIT!!
I screeched to a halt, my hands flexed reflexively by my side. My right eye twitched as I carefully replayed everything that had happened in my mind, there was always an order, the truth was under my nose all along. And why would I miss the most important information here--?
My eyes blazed blue as I gritted my teeth. "Just why would an old man be leaving the woman's toilet?" I darted back to the hall intersection, I knew I had to go back to the start of I was to clear things up. "No!" I stopped when I noticed one of the party attendants taking down the female sign that pointed in the direction of the toilet.
On sighting me he gasped. "Sorry for the inconvenience there but some idiot switched the signs, good thing you actually went to the male's toilet right away. Or perhaps you were headed to the female's toilet, who am I to care right?
For the love of-- everything broke down in my mine. I had been played clearly, I looked down the stairway where a figure reached down to the base dressed in a waiters uniform, from her hair colour I knew who it was— Eris! She had me.
PING!
"CHECKMATE..."— RECIEVED (0 SECOND AGO)
Move! I told myself but my body could not, I was paralyzed head down. Why! For the first time I had just tasted true defeat, my mind could not comprehend it. The fact that Eris— knew I would disrupt her plans, no! She didn't know, she just opined that I could pose a threat so she removed me from the way using underhanded means.
Very befitting of the goddess of strife, but why the change of wear? Did she want to go unnoticed or did she do it to lose me?
What do I do now? I have to stop her or the calamity will happen, I have to prevent the original flow of the story or Olympus will fall. I have to--
"Dammit!" I leaped over a few flight of stairs and stated racing down as fast as I could for the bottom, my eyes blazing with raw vigour, my heart pounding hard. "I can't lose!" I breathed out my resolve and prepared for whatever I would do to stop her, no matter how dark it may be.
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