Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

The tears burn and his chest burn just as much. 

The hollow feeling within his chest increased with each passing second and the tears continued to leave hot trails behind on his cheeks. His vision was blurred over until everything was nothing but hazy outlines. Unable to take it anymore, Mark gave out a shuddering breath and turned his emergency lights on, before pulling off to the side of the road. 

As he shifted the car into park, his hand immediately went up to his chest, clenching it tightly. 

It hurt so much. 

Leaning his head on the steering wheel of the car, Mark decided that he had held in the pain for long enough. It was time to let it all out. He couldn’t contain it any longer. And that’s what he did, he let all the pent up emotions that had accumulated in the past couple of days out. 

He cried until there weren’t any tears left to be shed and he screamed until his throat was scraped raw. He cursed every single god out there for what they have taken away from him; for taking away the only chance he had at happiness. They took away the one person that was his everything . 

Lucas had meant the entire world to him. 

Growing up, Lucas was the only person Mark knew and he was someone he was close with aside from his own mother. All of his childhood memories were filled with Lucas. Mark couldn’t think of a single moment in his life where Lucas wasn’t in the picture. Lucas was there when they first started school together. Lucas was there when he got kicked out of school when those freak accidents started to happen. Lucas was there when he found out that he was a demigod; half mortal, half god. 

Lucas was there with him every step of the way. And to think that he wasn’t going to be there by Mark’s side anymore, hurt. It hurt a lot. 

They were almost lovers, Mark would like to think. 

He wasn’t sure when his feelings for the taller boy became more than just platonic, but they did. It began with the fluttering butterflies in his stomach whenever Lucas would look his way. Then it became the desire to always be with him, no matter how long or where, Mark just wanted to be in his presence. 

They were each other’s equal halves. Lucas and Mark knew everything about each other like the back of their hands. 

So, it wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair for the gods to take away his only chance at happiness before he even got a chance to try.

But then again, it was also his fault too. Mark could never muster up enough courage to confess. And whenever he did, the timing was never right. 

That was the other problem, timing. Oh, timing was such a bitch . 

By the time that Mark had realized his feelings and gathered the courage he needed, it was far too late. 

The day that Lucas and Jungwoo had come out to everyone that they were dating, Mark felt like a part of him was ripped away. But seeing how happy Lucas was with Jungwoo, he didn’t have the heart to be bitter or give Lucas the cold shoulder like he had wanted to. Just seeing how happy Lucas was with Jungwoo made him happy too, even if Mark had wished that he was the source of Lucas’s happiness instead. 

Now that he was gone, Mark didn’t know what happiness was anymore. 

.

He wasn’t sure how long he sat there, in his car, pulled over on the side of the road, crying his eyes out. Mark figured that it had been long enough because as he raised his head from the steering wheel, the sun had already began to settle in the horizon, the sky turning a dark purple. Rubbing his eyes with the back of his hands, Mark tried his best to wipe away the remnants of his tears. Then taking a deep breath, he sat there for a moment to recollect himself before shifting the car back into drive and merging back onto the highway. 

Mark had always loved driving late at night, with his windows pulled down and his favorite songs softly playing in the background. Late night drives like these helped him clear his mind. Being alone like this gave him a sense of peace and the illusion that everything was alright in the world, even when it wasn’t. He made trips like these at least once a week because he needed it. His mental well being needed this.

With the wind ripping through his hair and the coldness of the night caressing his cheeks, a sudden realization passed through him. 

Orpheus and Eurydice.

The idea had dawned on him so suddenly that he had almost slammed on the brakes, stopping the car right in the middle of the highway. 

Heart drumming in his chest and the blood pumping in his ears, a smile graced his lips. Letting out a chuckle in disbelief, Mark couldn’t believe that he hadn’t thought of this any sooner. He was so stupid. 

There was a way to get Lucas back. 

He could get Lucas back the same way that Orpheus had tried to do with Eurydice. Orpheus wasn’t successful, but Mark had the upper hand this time around because he knew what to do and how. 

Without a second thought, Mark changed the course of his car and took the next exit he saw. He couldn’t possibly go home right then, not when he found a solution to his current heartache. 

Feeling more energized than ever before, Mark took a familiar route through the outskirts of town, leading him deeper into the forest. If he remembered correctly, there was an entrance to the labyrinth that would lead him to one of the few doors that was opened to the Underworld. He had stumbled into it with another demigod once, when they were on their mission to the east to track down some hellhounds. Mark could only hope and pray that the entrance would still be there because the labyrinth was a living maze. This meant that it was constantly rebuilding itself and with that, entrances and exits could disappear in a matter of minutes. The last time he had tried to enter was years ago. 

But something deep within his gut told him that it was there, he just knew it. 

As the paved road turned into nothing but dirt and gravel, Mark figured that he would have to make the rest of the journey on foot. There was no way he could continue driving in his car based on how narrow the road had become as the forest got more and more dense. Pulling his car to a steady stop, he parked it in the shadows of the trees. 

Upon stepping out of the car, Mark realized how stupid he was in making such a rash decision to head straight here after the funeral. For one, he was not dressed appropriately at all to enter the labyrinth nor the Underworld on this journey to get Lucas back. A black suit was not definitely good battle gear. And speaking of battle gear, he had none, literally none. All of his stuff was back at camp.

“You’re so dumb, Mark fucking Lee…” he mumbled under his breath as he ran a tired hand down his face, slowly becoming more and more frustrated with himself. 

As he stood there in the middle of the open forest, he contemplated on his life decisions greatly. His solution was great, but his planning skills were awful . 

Running an annoyed hand through his hair, Mark let out another groan as he leaned against his car, trying to figure out yet another solution to his current predicament. “Think man, think.”

Then just as he was about to give up on the idea entirely, Mark suddenly remembered that he had some gear in his trunk. If he remembered correctly, after a surprise monster attack on campus, he and Lucas had thought of putting together a mini battle kit for the trunk of their cars. Mentally hitting himself for not thinking about it earlier, Mark popped the trunk open and hastily rummaged through it.

Shoving aside all of his messy books and extra hoodies, Mark dug his hands deep into the back, reaching for a box. With a tug, he pulled it out from under all the mess that he called his trunk. Spotting the mini sword that he had gotten in case of emergencies from Jaehyun, he smiled. Upon rummaging through the kit, Mark was pleasantly surprised to find that there were a lot of things in that tiny box. He managed to round up a pretty decent amount of stuff for his journey into the Underworld; some worn out armor, a camp t shirt, a pair of sweatpants, some healing potions, ambrosia, and a compass. There were a lot of other things that he could have really used but he’d just have to make do with what he found. It was a whole lot better than nothing anyways. 

Closing the trunk of his car, Mark geared himself up. Then locking his car, Mark stood there for a moment. His car looked completely out of place in the middle of the forest. He was far enough in that he was sure that no one would come around and slash his tires or break into his car, but it was better to be safe than sorry. So taking a step back, Mark mumbled a quick chant in latin requesting for the help of the nature nymphs to conceal it, to protect it while he was gone. Because he did not spend his entire summer saving on a car just for it to be destroyed while he was away.

He watched as the nature nymphs came out from their hiding spots, greeting him as they appeared. 

“Please watch over my car for me. I’ll be back for it.” Mark requested, clasping his hands together in front of him in a pleading manner. 

“Do not fret. We will keep your belongings safe for you, Young Lord.” One nature nymph answered, a soft smile on her face. “Rest assured that it will still be here when you return from your journey.” 

“Thank you.” 

Giving them one last glance, he waved them goodbye before trailing deeper into the forest.

If his memory served him right, the labyrinth’s entrance was just south of the trail, hidden behind a set of stone boulders. He watched as the pointer on the compass spun around rapidly before it found its desired direction, pointing him to the right. Following its direction, Mark continued on. 

It didn’t take long before the familiar clearing came into view, the set of boulders appearing right before him. Seeing that the compass had done its job, Mark pocketed the item. Then walking towards the boulders, he placed his palm on its cold, hard surface. Putting strength into it, he tried to push it open but it was to no avail, the boulder stayed put. As he stepped back and surveyed the area, he noticed something engraved on the side of the boulder. Dusting it off, he found that it was a faintly glowing delta symbol. Trusting his instincts, he pressed his fingers against it.  

With a hissing sound, the delta fully activated, glowing a brillant blue as the boulder slid open. Waving his hands in front of him, trying to clear all the dust and cobwebs, Mark took one last glance at the world around him before he dived into the darkness. 

.

Mark wasn't sure how much time had passed, but he felt like he’s been walking for years. With little to no light in the corridors, he had some difficulty maneuvering around the labyrinth. The more he continued on, the harder it was getting to distinguish between what was reality and what wasn’t. The labyrinth wasn’t a place for people like him. The labyrinth was a place for the darkest of monsters and secrets. Demigods hardly entered places like this because often times it ruined their sense of reality and it made them delusional. 

Although he felt the beginning of his sense of reality began to slip from him, Mark chanted a short spell underneath his breath. As the last words of the spell left his lips, he waited for his mind to clear and return back to normal. In seconds, the cloudiness that had made his mind muddy and distorted instantly cleared.

Glancing down at the spinning compass in his hand again, he watched as the needle spun around once more before redirecting itself to the left, its golden needle reflecting in the darkness. Following its direction, Mark headed down the left corridor. When he headed down the corridor though, Mark felt a cold chill run down the back of his spine, goosebumps flaring up on his arms. 

And then he heard a voice.

Stopping abruptly, Mark reached for the handle of his sword.

For however long he had been walking, he hadn't encountered a single soul, dead or alive. Nor had he heard anything from a monster or other rogue travelers. 

Mark honestly wasn’t expecting to encounter anything down there. 

Hands gripping his sword tightly, Mark began inching his way towards the edge of the corridors, placing his back against the cold, stone walls. As he did so, more voices began to reach his ears, sending his heart into a frenzy in his chest. Staying hidden within the shadows, he strained his ears to listen to what they were saying. 

“How dare you look at us directly in the eye, Lost Soul ?”

“Well, you asked to see my face, how else am I supposed to let you see my face without looking at you in the eye?”

“Spunky are you now? Low class souls like you deserve to be punished for talking back and disrespecting us like this.” 

The lighting within the labyrinth was almost nonexistent but Mark caught sight of the gleam of a sword being unsheathed from its case as the sickening sound of metal scraping against metal reached his ear. 

Acting without much thought, Mark pushed himself off from behind the wall he was hiding from. Then calling out to them, he commanded, his words echoing as he spoke. “Put down your sword.”  

The talking ceased instantly at sound his command causing the whole corridor to become eerily silent. But as fast as the talking stopped though, it resumed just as fast. “Who are you?”

“Put down your sword,” Mark said, repeating himself, his tone filled with authority. 

“ Who are you to tell us what to do?” 

His heart was pounding in his chest as blood pumping loudly in his ear. Mark could feel himself slowly becoming more agitated as they refused to abide by his commands. Walking closer to where they were, he caught sight of the boy that they were threatening. His footsteps faltered for a second when he made eye contact with the boy because by the hands of Aphrodite, the boy was beautiful .

Even though it was dark in the labyrinth, the boy was practically radiating and basked in a golden hue. It was like the boy embodied the sun itself, shining so brightly. His skin must have been kissed by the sun because it was warm and tan. Even with a sword pointed at his throat, his eyes shone with the intensity of a million burning stars. His lips were plush and plump even as he pressed them together in a thin line. 

Noticing this, Mark shook his head, trying to pull himself out of his starstruck moment. 

Quick to recollect his composure, Mark moved his eyes away from the boy and back to the attackers. He took into account their attire, obsidian black garments with gold detailing, realizing that they were part of the Hades’s royal army. Mark let out a sigh. He felt a little better now as he realized who he had sent his commands towards. 

With confidence surging through his veins, Mark straightened his back as his grip on his sword tightened. Then stepping out of the shadows, making himself visible, Mark said, “It matters not who I am. What matters is that you need to lower your swords, now. ” 

As he revealed himself to them, a collective gasp reached his ears. 

The guards drop to their knees at the sight of him, their heads bowed low, and their swords clashing to the ground. They shook with fear and he watched as one of the guards tried to say something but he ended up clamping his mouth shut instead, which was a smart move. 

Seeing that he had finally gotten their full attention, Mark stepped closer to them. Then using the tip of his sword to lift one of the guard’s chin up, he said, “I don’t think that your King would appreciate to know what you’re doing here, guard.”

“We were just…”

Mark shook his head causing the guard to shut his mouth instantly, fear clouding in his eyes. “There is no justification for what you have done here. I know for a fact that within the oath that you took to become the Kings’ guards, it clearly mentions no direct contact with anyone, from souls to people, unless otherwise ordered by the King himself.”

Head lowering even further, the guard pleaded for his mercy and apologized profusely. 

Seeing as though they know not to cause anymore trouble around here, Mark lowered his sword from their throats. The moment he sheathed his sword back into its holder, the guards bow to him again, before scrambling away to their original posts. 

Once they were out of sight, Mark sighed deeply. He had barely begun his journey and it was already troublesome. He could only imagine how much worse it was going to get from here.

For a second, Mark forgot that there was still another presence within the corridor, so when they called out for him, his hand went straight for his sword again. 

“Thank you…”

When he realized that it was just the soul that he had just saved from the guards, he removed his hand from the handle of his sword. Then shrugging he said, “It’s no big deal. I don’t like seeing people bully others anyways.” Staring back at the boy, once again being mesmerized by his beauty, Mark asked, “Are you okay?” 

“I’m fine.” 

Mark watched as the soul struggled to get up and he immediately steps forward to help. Thankfully he did this because not more than a second later, the soul stumbled from the pain and nearly fell face first into the ground. Catching them with ease, Mark was surprised to feel how real and warm the soul was. Souls weren’t supposed to be able to touch living things as they are in a dimension where they’re partially dead. But as he held the soul in his arms, Mark marveled in the way he was able to hold onto them so tightly.

The other thing that took him by surprise is how beautiful the boy was in his arms. Did he mention this already? Because he swore that he felt his heart skip a beat as he made direct eye contact with the boy. Feeling himself drown completely in those honey brown eyes, Mark was barely able to say anything. 

Once he realized that he’s been staring, he cleared his throat awkwardly. “Uh, um that’s good. I’m Mark by the way.”

“Donghyuck,” the boy replied back. Then he grew a bit bashful as he looked down at the ground, “Thanks for saving me back there…”

“Oh, it’s no problem.” Mark reassured him. 

“You’re a demigod, aren’t you? What are you doing down here? You shouldn’t be here, it’s dangerous.”

Shrugging in a nonchalant manner, Mark sighed. “Yes, and I know but I have some business per say…”

“Here in the labyrinth? Leading to the Underworld? What kind of business could a demigod, like you, have here?” Donghyuck asked with wide eyes, disbelief lacing every word that left his mouth. 

No one dared to travel through this cursed place, so of course it didn’t make sense why Mark would have any business to deal with in such a place. 

“It’s kind of a long story,” Mark began, his tone growing sad. “But I’m here to get a friend back.”

“A friend?” Donghyuck’s brows furrowed in confusion at the boy’s words. “Most of us are just souls around here unless you’re looking for a monster that’s a friend.”

Mark shakes his head, a sliver of a smile on his lips. “No. I’m here to get a soul back.”

Donghyuck's mouth parted as he finally understood what’s going on. “Oh, like an Orpheus and Eurydice kind of thing.”

“Yeah…”

“Is this friend just a friend or are they a friend ?”

“The second version but at the same time, not really.” Mark sighed. Shrugging his shoulders yet again, he added. “It’s complicated.”

“Completely understandable.” 

. 

Although Donghyuck was rather talkative, a lot more talkative than what Mark would have preferred, he was pretty good company. Donghyuck’s constant rambles and questions about the world above kept Mark on his toes. Donghyuck definitely made the journey a little less boring and a little more interesting, not that the journey was anything less than interesting. He was going to the Underworld to retrieve the soul of his best friend, who was also his crush, for crying out loud. That was definitely not anything remotely mundane. 

Halfway through another one of Donghyuck’s rambles, Mark got curious, so he asked without much thought, “How did you end up here?” The moment that his mind fully registered what he just said, Mark eyes widened as he hurriedly tried to redeem himself. “Ah, shit. Maybe that wasn’t the right question to ask… Sorry.”

To Mark’s surprise, Donghyuck simply let out a soft chuckle. Then with a wave of his hand, he said, “You’re good. I’m used to being asked that question anyways. Not really much of a taboo topic anymore.” 

“That’s good, I guess…,” Mark offered, a nervous laugh leaving his lips. 

“But I sold my soul to Charon.” 

Mouth falling agape as he stared back at Donghyuck in shock. His mind just about short circuited as Donghyuck’s words began to deep into his brain. Then as he fully comprehended his words, Mark shouted, “You what ?”

Donghyuck was quick to shush him as he covered Mark’s open mouth with his hand. Voice dropped to a whisper, he hissed out, “Not so loud you big dumbass. You’re lucky you haven’t attracted any monsters yet with your demigod stench! So let’s keep it that way.” 

Lowering his volume down to match Donghyuck, he whispered fiercely, “Were you out of your damn mind? Of all things you could have done, why the hell would you have sold your soul to Charon? That’s like top level stupid.” 

“Hey, I was an angsty, emo teenager when I did it. I wasn’t exactly in my best mind, okay?” 

“Like you aren’t a teenager still now,” Mark huffed out. 

“Well duh, I’m still a teenager. I died when I was nineteen. Souls don’t age. Our minds do though.” Donghyuck argued back as he crossed his arms, rolling his eyes as he did so. “But I made a deal with Charon to save someone and my naive nineteen year old self didn’t make him swear it on the River Styx so yeah…”

Shaking his head, Mark sighed. “That’s like a major rookie mistake. Always make them swear on the River Styx, especially when you’re dealing with powerful beings like that.” 

“Well, no one gave me a run down of how to be a demigod.” Donghyuck argued. “There weren’t any classes or camps you could go to like you guys have now a day.” 

“Who’s your godly parents then?”

With a smile appearing on his lips, Donghyuck tilted his head to the side. Then in a teasing tone, he said, “Oh, you couldn’t tell who my father is?”

Brows knitted together, confusion evident on his face, Mark shook his head no. “Should I?”

“Oh, come on, Mark. I know you have eyes, use them!” Donghyuck laughed, his melodic voice echoing in the corridors. “Like come, I can’t be that hard to figure out? No one has failed to guess who my father is without any help.”

All that Mark gave him in return was silence, his lips pressed together as he gazed back at him, staring at the boy before him. He thought hard and long about who Donghyuck’s father could have been but nothing really came to mind. 

Seeing his struggle, Donghyuck pouted. “What are the demigod classes teaching you kids these days? You can’t even judge who my godly parent is? That’s just down right sad and embarrassing.” Then giving Mark a rather unamused look, he said, “My dad is Apollo.” 

Apollo, Mark thought. The longer he continued to stare at the beautiful boy before him, the more it made sense that Apollo was his father. For the god of sun and light, amongst other things, Donghyuck truly embodied all of those attributes. Donghyuck glowed brightly, honey brown eyes calling for his attention. Flecks of gold danced in them as they pulled him in. He looked soft and delicate like the sunlight that filtered through the clouds in the sky. But Mark knew that underneath all that honey skin and soft curls, Donghyuck was capable of burning things straight to the ground if he wanted to, like the fire that is the sun. 

Donghyuck was like the sun. He was the sun. 

As all the pieces slowly began to click into place, Donghyuck couldn’t help but let out another chuckle. “Makes sense right, dumbass?”

“Yeah. Sorry, this labyrinth is starting to mess with my head.” 

“Speaking of which,” Donghyuck began to say as he picked up his pace urging for Mark to follow along. “We should hurry up and get out of this maze to the doors of the Underworld. It’s not wise to spend a lot of time in this place.” 

Silently agreeing with him, Mark picked up his pace so that he was in front. He was more than happy to get out of this place because the labyrinth really wasn’t a place to stick around in. He was also happy that Donghyuck hadn’t bothered to ask who his godly parent was either. Because in all honesty, it was not a topic that he liked to talk about. 

.

He had been taught about the labyrinth and he’s even done essays on it before, but none of that truly prepared him for his travels in it. It was mentioned in every textbook that he had read that the labyrinths were constantly changing, always evolving and growing. It was a piece of architecture that had a mind of its own. 

Just when he had gotten used to the stuffinees of the dark corridors, the maze did a complete three sixty and soon he found himself walking through a narrow sewer tunnel, only for it to turn into an abandoned basement of what seemed like a tattoo parlor a couple feet later. The pathway beneath their feet turned from cracked bricks to wet mud to hard cement. The change in scenery gave Mark a headache. Just when he was slowly getting used to the buzzing neon lights of the parlor, the next turn that they did led them back into the dark corridors again, much to his dismay. 

The bricks that lined the walls and floors seemed ancient. When Mark had begun to use the left wall as a guide through the maze, he felt how cracked and brittle the bricks were. It seemed like the entire corridor would collapse any second, which fueled his desire to move past this section of the labyrinth as quickly as possible. And it seemed like Donghyuck had thought the same too because each time that Mark would stall for a moment, deciding which direction he should go, searching blindingly in the dark for the connecting corridor, Donghyuck would always urge him to keep moving. 

Mark stumbled forward when he felt the left wall disappear from beneath his hand. When this happened, he immediately called out for Donghyuck, eyes searching for the lost soul. But it was pointless because everything around him was blanketed in pure darkness. He was sure that even if his pupil would dilate any further, he still wouldn’t be able to see a single thing.

After a few moments of blindly grasping and searching for the wall, Mark sighed. It was only then that he realized that he didn’t feel Donghyuck’s presence right behind him anymore. Spinning on his heels, he prayed that he was just being paranoid and that Donghyuck was still there.

Except he wasn’t. 

Calling out for the lost soul, Mark began to wave his hands around, hoping to magically catch a hold of the boy somehow. “Donghyuck?”

He waited for a reply, but none came. 

Fear clawing at his heart and his heart hammering within his chest, he called out for him again. “Donghyuck?” 

All that answered him was the sound of his shrill voice, echoing and disappearing into the dark, just as Donghyuck did. 

The blood pumping in his ears was so intense that Mark felt himself begin to get a little light-headed. The fear that was coursing through his body at that very second was a sensation that he hadn’t felt in a long, long time. Not since he was ten and he experienced his first monster attack. His hands clenched and unclenched themselves at his side, becoming clammier with each passing second. The back of his shirt was drenched in sweat as he continued to search for Donghyuck. 

He waved his hands out in front of him, hoping that his hands would magically come in contact with Donghyuck. But he touched nothing but air. Even when he moved back and forth, hands continuously searching for the boy, Mark was met with nothing. 

His voice was thick with fear as he called out into the empty void again, “Donghyuck?”

This time, the sound of footsteps hitting the brick floors reached his ears. Head snapping up in the direction that he heard it from, he opened his mouth to say something but someone else beated him to it.

“Looking for your Lost Soul , young demigod?” 

The cold air that he felt against the nape of his neck sent a shiver down his spine, almost rooting him in place. But fighting against every instinct to run away as far as he could, Mark inhaled quietly before he turned around to face the newcomer. As he turned on his heels, Mark braced himself for whatever was about to come next. To his surprise, there wasn’t anyone or anything behind him. 

For a second, the fear that had held him captive and unable to do anything dissipated as confusion took its place. And when he opened his mouth to question the voice that had called out to him, it beat him to it again. 

“I can see you, but you can’t see me.”

“Who are you?” Mark questioned, the fear now gone from his system. His hand immediately went for the sword at his side as he searched for the direction of the voice. He spun on his heels, eyes searching blindly for the voice. 

“You can hear me only because I speak back when I am spoken to.” 

Lips pressed together tightly, Mark couldn't help but begin to feel at a complete loss at what the voice was telling him. None of their words make any sense. Was any of this real? Was there even really anyone or anything talking to him? Or was it just a fragment of his imagination or from his paranoia talking to him? 

“I am speaking to you, aren’t I? So answer me, where is Donghyuck?” He called out. 

“You will only find your Lost Soul after you figure out who or what I am.”

“How am I supposed to figure out who you are when you don’t show yourself?” 

“I can see you, but you can’t see me. You can hear me only because I speak back when I am spoken to.” 

Sighing loudly, Mark felt himself begin to get more agitated as the conversation progressed. Whoever or whatever that was talking to him kept on repeating the same words over and over again, like it was a mantra of some sort. Gripping his sword handle even tighter, he bit out, “Give me back Donghyuck, or else.”

“Rest assured, young demigod, your Lost Soul will see no harm, as long as you figure out my identity.” The voice answered back to him, their voice echoing as they spoke. “Now listen closely, this will be the only hint I will give you this time around. Next time, you are completely on your own.

“I can see you, but you can’t see me. You can hear me only because I speak back when I am spoken to.” 

Mark wanted to groan out loud and pull out his hair as the voice repeated the same two sentences again. What was so important about those two sentences that the voice kept on saying it? Obviously, he couldn’t see it because for one, it was dark as Tartus in this portion of the labyrinth and two, it was hiding from his sight. Then what in the world did it mean that he could only hear it because it spoke back when it was spoken to? That made absolutely no sense to him. Absolutely none. 

Those two sentences swirled around in his head until the headache from earlier began to rise again. He thought long and hard about those words. Mark raked his brain for an answer. He thought back to all of his history classes on the labyrinth. But he couldn’t come up with anything, his mind drew a complete blank. 

Thinking back to the words that the voice had said, Mark began to mumble the two sentences under his breath, hoping that if he heard it, he would be able to figure it out. “I can see you, but you can’t see me. You can hear me only because I speak back when I am spoken to.” He repeated this over and over again, each time increasing in volume as he did so. As he did this the dead silence that surrounded him was wiped out as his voice echoed loudly back at him, mixing up his words into a jumble mess. 

Then it clicked.

“I can see you, but you can’t see me. You can hear me only because I speak back when I am spoken to.” 

An echo. 

Heart beating feverishly as he came to this conclusion, Mark shouted out his answer into the dark, relishing in the way his words echoed back at him. With a smile he answered, “You’re an echo. That’s why you can see me but I can’t see you. You’re not tangible. And you only speak back when I speak because you repeat what I say.” 

He held his breath as he waited for the voice to speak up. He was nervous but Mark felt confident in his answer.

“Well done, young demigod. The answer to the riddle is an echo.” The voice replied. 

Oh, so it was a riddle, Mark thought.

It made a lot more sense now that the lines that the voice kept on repeating to him were lines of a riddle that he needed to solve. At the mention of riddles, Mark finally made the connection that he wasn’t able to make before. The labyrinth was a maze with the purpose of confusing travelers to its death so that they can never find its center, where it was believed to hold a great treasure. Riddles were part of the maze, it was the key to crossing from one part of it to another. There were doorkeepers that you had to pass in order to continue on. It seemed like this was the first one that Mark had to encounter. 

“Since I’ve answered your riddle correctly, give me Donghyuck back and let us pass.” Mark said. 

“I’m afraid I can not let you go just yet. That’s just the first riddle that you have to solve. Young demigod, you should know by now that things are in twos around here. You can travel back or forward. You can travel left or right. Therefore, you must solve two riddles before I can let you pass with your Lost Soul.” 

“That’s the dumbest thing I have ever heard of.” Mark huffed out, rolling his eyes in annoyance. 

“Answer this next one correctly, and I shall let you both pass.” 

“Swear it on the Styx River.” Mark quipped. He felt incredibly stupid that he didn’t make the voice promise this earlier. It was a rookie mistake that he did, one that he had even lectured Donghyuck on, only for him to not follow it himself. 

“Ah, I see you have learned from your mistake, young demigod. I swear it on the Styx River that I will let the two of you pass after you answer my next riddle correctly.” 

“Alright, what is the stupid riddle? Give it to me.” 

“You can’t see me or feel me. You can’t hear me or smell me. I can lie behind you or under your feet. I can be all around you or none at all. What am I?” 

This time around, the answer comes to him before the voice is even finished with telling him the riddle. Without missing a beat, Mark answered back, “The dark. Another intangible thing, that’s why I can’t see, feel, hear, or smell it. The dark can lie behind or under me as a shadow. And it can surround me just like right now. There’s nothing but darkness all around me.” 

“You are correct.” 

As soon as those words reached his ears, the darkness disappeared immediately as the lights of the corridor flickered on. He has been in the dark for so long that he was almost blinded when the lights turned on. Holding a hand up to shield his eyes from the sudden change in light, Mark squinted at the man before him. 

The first thing he noticed was that the man before him had two faces, one protruding to the left and the right. And as Mark took notice of his position in front of two corridors, it registered to him that the man was none other than Janus, the god of doorways and passages. He was the keeper of the current corridors that they were traveling in. 

Mark was about to point this out when he felt someone tackle him, arms wrapping tightly around his figure, and efficiently knocking the breath out of him. When he had managed to stop Donghyuck from completely pancaking him to the ground, Mark looked up, eyes searching for the god, but he was already gone, as if he was never there in the first place. 

Donghyuck buried his face into his neck, his entire body shaking as he whispered, “You’re okay. You’re still here.”

Taken aback by the sudden affection, Mark could only stand there, frozen in place. 

“I was so scared, you have no idea.” Donghyuck mumbled, his arms tightening around Mark. “I wasn’t scared for me, I was scared for you.” 

Mark felt his heart crack just a little as he listened to the words that fell from Donghyuck’s lips. Unable to stop himself this time, he lifted his arms and pulled Donghyuck closer, returning the boy’s embrace. 

He shouldn’t have been surprised, but he still was when he pressed his hands against Donghyuck’s lower back and was met with something solid. For a soul, Mark had thought that he couldn’t hold Donghyuck the way that he was currently. Or for Donghyuck to be hugging him the way the boy was currently. He had figured that his hand would have passed right through him. Mark was glad that it wasn’t the case because the warmth that radiated from Donghyuck, the heat that seeped through his clothes from him, set his heart and mind at ease. 

“I’m already dead. I’m a lost soul. If anything happened to me, it wouldn’t have mattered. But if something were to happen to you…”

Trying his best to break the gloomy mood, Mark let out a small chuckle, ruffling Donghyuck’s hair as he did so. “I’m not that special either, Hyuck. If I die, then I die. It’s not that big of a deal. It’s a common occurrence with us demigods, I’m sure you know that.” 

“I know, but you can’t die yet. You have so much ahead of you.” Donghyuck argued, his voice overcoming with emotion. Pulling back from the embrace, Donghyuck stared at Mark directly in the eyes, his eyes shining. “You have so many things to be alive and to live for.” 

“Death doesn’t care about unfinished goals or future plans. He comes for you when he deems it fit, it doesn’t matter if your time isn’t up yet, he doesn’t care.” Mark told him, a feeble attempt in trying to lighten up the boy’s mood. But if anything, it made the whole situation worse because now, Donghyuck looked like he was on the verge of bawling his eyes out. 

As he was about to say something else to stop Donghyuck from crying, Donghyuck beat him to it. Shaking his head firmly, Donghyuck pulled Mark back into his arms, saying, “No. I refuse to let Death or anyone else take you away that easily. You will travel to the Underworld and get your friend’s soul back and live that life that you’re meant to live until the end of time. I lost my chance at living my dreams, I won’t allow them to take away your chance too.” 

Mark could only stare at the boy in his arms, lips slightly parted, his heart heavy. It seemed like there was much more to Donghyuck’s story than what the boy had chosen to tell him. He had figured that much since the beginning. It wasn’t as simple as Donghyuck had tried to brush it off as. 

.

Donghyuck wouldn’t let go of his hand ever since they had left the corridors that Janus had guarded. Each time that Mark began to walk too fast and their hands would slip from each other’s hold, the boy was quick to grasp on it even tighter. And when this had happened, Mark felt his heart skip a beat and butterflies fluttering in his stomach. It was a sensation that he hadn’t felt in such a long time, so he welcomed it, the corners of his lips curling upwards into a small smile. 

He didn’t mind that both of them were dripping in sweat from the humidity underground. Mark really didn’t mind that Donghyuck’s hand was clammy, making it hard to hold onto. Because he figured that his hand was just as bad, if not worse. It kept him focused, when he had to put in a little extra effort to maintain their intertwined hands. 

Unlike the first time that he had embarked on their journey through the labyrinth, Donghyuck was uncharacteristically quiet this time around. He hadn’t spoken a single word ever since they entered back into the labyrinth. 

Mark had sneaked some glances his way, feeling a little unnerved by the sudden lack of conversation and the silence. He tried to catch Donghyuck’s eyes at least once, to see what was going on in that pretty head of his. But each time that their eyes even came close to making contact, Donghyuck was rather quick in averting his gaze elsewhere. 

They’ve been walking for some time now. The brick walls that they’ve gotten accustomed to, materialized into black obsidian walls as they reached another split corridor. Even with the amount of times that he had experienced the changes of the maze’s structure, Mark still wasn’t prepared for it. They had entered into what seemed to be a small foyer, because in the center of the room was a foundation. 

As the warm, stuffy air that had enveloped them turned frigid, Mark knew that they were getting close to the entrance of the Underworld. 

He watched as the needle of the compass spin around wildly once, before it settled on the right corridor. Taking one glance at the directed corridor, Mark knew that once they entered the Underworld, there was going to be a whole another set of problems that they'll have to face. With how tired and drained he felt, Mark knew that if he didn’t get at least a couple hours of rest, there wasn’t any way he was going to be able to protect the two of them once they crossed until the Underworld. 

Sighing, he snapped the compass shut in his hand before turning around to face Donghyuck. “We should take a break and try to replenish our energy. There’s going to be a ton more obstacles that we’ll have to face once we cross. It’s not the best idea to rush head first into the Underworld with our current state.” 

Donghyuck nodded. “Yeah, it would be smart to get some rest before we move on any further.” 

Mark was quick to set up a makeshift bed with the spare blanket he had packed. Spreading it out on top of the cold tiled floors, he motioned for Donghyuck to sleep. “I’ll take the first watch. You can take the second watch.” 

“No, you rest first. You’ve done a lot today. More than me at least, anyways.” Donghyuck argued. Pushing Mark’s body towards the makeshift bed, he said, “You sleep. I’m a soul, I don’t really need to sleep. I’ll take the first watch.” 

Shaking his head, Mark grasped the boy’s wrist, pulling him down with him. “No, you rest, I’ll take first watch.” 

“Mark. Seriously, I’m okay. I’m not even tired. You on the other hand, I know you’re tired. So stop arguing with me and go to sleep.” 

“I’m telling you that I am fine—.” 

Before he could argue against him anymore, Donghyuck let out a loud groan before tackling him down. Mark was beyond shocked at what had just happened, so he took advantage of it and settled himself in Mark’s lap. Then he proceeded to bury his face into Mark’s chest, mumbling, “Fine. You can take the first watch.”  

As soon as those words left his mouth, it didn’t take the boy more than a minute before he was knocked out. Even when Donghyuck’s breath became steady, puffs of warm air hitting his collarbone, Mark still couldn’t relax. His entire body was tense and he could barely breathe. 

How could he when there was a pretty boy, sleeping against his chest? 

He would only hope that Donghyuck was deep in his sleep because if not, he was sure the boy could hear and feel the way his heart was ready to burst out from his chest. 

It took five minutes before his body would loosen up. Then it took him another five minutes to relax completely. Once he finally came around the initial shock and fully comprehended the situation at hand, Mark breathed out a long sigh before wrapping his arms around the sleeping boy in his lap. 

It hadn't been more than twelve hours since he met the boy in his arms, but Donghyuck had already managed to squeeze past the walls around his heart and made himself at home within it. Donghyuck honestly came to him like a whirlwind, fast and unexpected. He appeared in ways he least expected, but he was glad nevertheless for the appearance of Donghyuck on this journey. Mark wasn’t sure if he would have made it this far if he wasn’t lucky enough to have Donghyuck as a companion. 

He had heard of stories about how travelers that accidentally wandered into the labyrinth, both mortals and divine beings, never came back out as the same person. The labyrinth was a wicked and cursed place. It played plenty of tricks on the mind of those that entered its walls, dragging them into the darkest depths of insanity. No one ever came back out of it in their right minds. Especially not those that spent an extended amount of time stuck in it. 

The ones that ever survived and made it out alive with their insanity still intact were those that had the help of the Gods or those that traveled through labyrinth together in teams. But traveling as a team also had its setbacks, especially if the team was larger in size. He heard that those who tried to travel through the labyrinth with more than three people on their team, rarely came back out with the same starting number of people they came in with. 

Traveling alone wasn’t a good idea but traveling with more than three was a horrible idea. 

But two was a good number, Mark thought. As he gazed down at the sleeping boy in his arm, he nodded to himself; two was a good number. Because good things come in pairs. 

Donghyuck was the sun, Mark was the moon. 

Donghyuck was light, he was darkness. 

Donghyuck was warm, he was cold. 

They fitted together like two missing halves.  

Donghyuck stirred in his arms as he tried to adjust himself into a more comfortable position. And that comfortable position seemed to be getting closer to Mark as much as possible. The boy continued to snuggle deeper into his chest as if he wanted to melt into him completely. Seeing his desire to take all of the warmth that Mark could give him, he tightened his arms around him. Then reaching up to thread his fingers through Donghyuck’s locks, Mark smiled at the way Donghyuck let out a content sigh at his touch. 

.

Mark’s arms were still wrapped securely around Donghyuck’s body when the boy finally woke up. With a yawn, he tried to stretch his body out but in the process of doing so, he smacked Mark hard in the face, earning him an annoyed groan. “Well, hello to you too.” 

Pulling his arms back into his lap, his lips parted in shock, Donghyuck sputtered out an apology. “Oh, my Gods. I’m so sorry. I didn’t think you would be that close.”

“How could you not know?” Mark argued. “You’re the one that made yourself right at home in my lap before you went to sleep.”

“Well, I don’t know. I thought you would have shoved me off once I was asleep or something.”

“Even if I wanted to, you literally clung to me like your life depended on it.” 

“Actually, it kind of does.” Donghyuck began to point out. Twirling his thumbs together in his lap, he said,  “Out of the two of us, you’re the only one that’s armed and ready to fight. And you know how to travel through the maze. You’re pretty much my only chance at going back home. Well, at least to where a lost soul like me can call home that is. Without you, I would have been long gone and dead. Like actually dead.” 

Mark felt his heart tighten up in his chest, his throat running dry. It was almost hard to breathe as he looked at the way Donghyuck was attempting to hide himself from him as he said those words. Even though Donghyuck was right there in his arms, Mark felt like he was a thousand miles away. 

Clearing his throat, he took one of Donghyuck’s hands into his. Closing his hand around it, he whispered softly, “Hey. I’m not going anywhere without you, okay? We’re in this together.” 

“Can you promise that?” Donghyuck asked him, voice wavering, eyes searching for the validity in his words. 

“I promise. On the River Styx.”

Letting out a small, dry chuckle, Donghyuck said, “That’s pretty serious to be swearing on the River Styx for something as small as this.”

“Because I am serious. And this is a big deal.” Mark continued to argue. Grasping Donghyuck’s hands even tighter, he tried to catch his wandering eyes. When he was finally able to get Donghyuck to look at him in the eyes, Mark told him sincerely, “I’m not leaving anywhere without you, you hear me? There is a reason why our paths have crossed on this journey of mine. And I know for a fact that it is not a mistake. If anything, it is far from it. It’s fate. It’s a matter of fate that I met you.” 

“Aw, isn’t that cute? Aren’t they cute, Jeno?” A voice spoke out, ruining the moment that Mark was sharing with Donghyuck. 

They hadn’t been expecting anyone, so the sudden intrusion had caught them off guard. But Mark’s the first to recover though as he slid Donghyuck off his lap and behind him. Hand immediately reaching for his sword, he crouched in front of Donghyuck protectively. 

The pink haired boy that had spoken gave them a wide smile, his eyes crinkling at the corners. Shaking his head, he shared a knowing look with Jeno before saying, “Oh, no need to be so defensive. We’re demigods just like you two.” 

“Just because we’re the same doesn’t mean anything,” Mark bit out, his hold on his sword tightening. He knew better than to trust just any demigod that he crossed paths with. Demigods could be as bad as any monster he had fought, or sometimes even worse. 

“So hostile, Mark. Come on now, let’s be friends.” 

“No, thank you.” 

“Fine, how about this. Let me introduce myself first, then we’ll go about our friendship from there.” The boy suggested, the smile still on his lips. “I’m Jaemin and my mom is Aphrodite.” Then pointing at the dark haired boy beside him, he said, “And that’s Jeno. His mom is Athena.” 

Aphrodite and Athena, Mark mused. Jaemin did look like he was a child of the goddess of love and beauty. The boy looked like a complete angel with his pearly white smile and twinkling eyes. His cotton candy hair and long eyelashes were mesmerizing, definitely something that he had gotten from his godly mother. Jeno, who stood beside him, looked just as equally attractive. The pair of glasses that he had perched on his nose added to the cuteness that he held. Mark thought that he looked like a samoyed puppy as he stood there smiling, his eyes disappearing into half moon crescents.

The longer that he continued to stare back at the two smiling boys in front of him, the more loose his grip on his sword became. As if he had read Mark’s mind, Donghyuck pulled on the hem of his shirt gently. Words only audible to the two of him, Donghyuck mumbled out, “I think that if they were going to kill or attack us, they would have done that already.”

Nodding in agreement, Mark replied, “Yeah. I think so too. But what are they doing down here, though?”

“Oh, if you were wondering, Mother sent me here for a mini quest. Jeno just wanted to tag along with me.” Jaemin answered as he spared a loving look at his boyfriend. Twirling the golden arrow in his hand, he added, “Mother wanted me to quicken up the process that’s all. Since it wasn’t like I was doing anything, I figured why not?”

“Process. What process?” Mark asked, his lips settling into a firm line. He had a feeling that he wasn’t going to like what was going to happen next. His stomach churned nervously as he went back to his sword, repositioning himself protectively in front of Donghyuck again. 

Waving his hand dismissively, Jaemin laughed. “It’s nothing serious. Just something my mother has been rather interested in, that’s all. Absolutely nothing to worry about. I promise.”

“What are you talking about?” 

“No, no. I ask the questions around here, Mark. Not the other way around, if you haven’t already noticed.” Jaemin told him. Throwing an arm around his boyfriend’s shoulder, he asked, eyes still twinkling with mirth, “Isn’t that right, Jeno, babe?”

Jeno nodded, “Yup. Nothing to worry about. Just some silly riddles for you to solve.” 

“Why do we need to solve your riddles? What is there in return for us?” This time it was Donghyuck who spoke out. He gripped onto the hem of Mark’s shirt even tighter before he straightened up, asking, “There must be a price that we must pay if we don’t answer the riddles correctly, no?”

“Ah, for a child of Apollo, you surely are a lot smarter than what they portray you to be, Donghyuck.” Jaemin pointed out. As he continued to twirl the golden arrow between his fingers, he began to walk closer to them, with Jeno following right behind him. “But yes, you are correct. If you answer my riddles correctly, Aphrodite will praise you well.”

“And if we don’t?”

Shaking his head, Jaemin let out a snort. Giving them a lopsided smile, he said, “Let’s not talk about that. It’ll ruin the mood.”

“Fine,” Mark huffed out as he released the hold he had on his sword. Running a tired hand through his hair in an annoyed manner, he crossed his arms. “Alright, what’s the stupid riddle? We have other places to be at than here solving your riddles.” 

“Alright, I’ll go easy on you since it’s the first question.” 

“Whatever.”

“What’s a ghost's favorite dessert?”

Mark nearly choked on his own spit as he listened to the riddle. This had to be a joke, Mark thought. Because there was no way that that was the riddle. Especially one from a goddess. It seemed like Donghyuck felt the same way before he gave Jaemin an odd look before mouthing, ‘What?’ to him. 

Clearing his throat, Mark directed his attention back to the smiling pink haired boy. “Um, that was the riddle?”

“Yeah, now what’s your answer? What’s a ghost's favorite dessert?” 

Mark was extremely confused but he gave Jaemin an answer regardless, although a tad bit hesitant. “Uh, ice cream…?”

“Ding, ding!” Jaemin shouted, his energetic voice bouncing off of the walls. “We have a winner winner chicken dinner, folks! The answer was in fact ice cream. What’s a ghost favorite dessert? It’s ‘ I scream’ . Get it?” It seemed like he had found the answer to the riddle very funny because after he said that, Jaemin was bending over and clutching his stomach from laughter. Jeno gave him a soft pat on the back as he too smiled along. 

During the time that it took for Jaemin to recover from his laughing fit, Donghyuck whispered, “You’re hearing and seeing what I’m seeing, right?”

Mark nodded. “Dude is on a whole nother level of crazy. Like mentally crazy.”

“But, honestly speaking,” Donghyuck began to say, a smile slipping into his words. “That riddle was kind of funny.”

“I mean, I guess…”

Wiping away the tears at the corners of his eyes, Jaemin gave a sniffle as he recomposed himself. Accepting the tissue that Jeno had magically gotten out of the thin air, he said. “Alright, on to the next one.” 

“It’s not something that can be bought, yet it can be stolen with a single glance. It’s something that is worthless to one, but priceless to two. What is it?” 

The wording of the riddle reminded Mark of the ones that Janus had asked. If he was assuming correctly, the riddle that Jaemin had just asked was referring to something that was intangible. But what can’t be bought but can be stolen with a single glance? That didn’t make any sense. If it was priceless to two but worthless to one, then it had to be something that could be shared. Mark had figured that much. 

It seemed like Donghyuck was just as puzzled as he was because the younger boy shared a look with him before giving him a shrug. As his eyes made contact with Donghyuck, though, his heart fluttered within his chest as the answer came to him. 

He felt the heat rise up to his cheeks and the tips of his ears as he mumbled out, “It’s love…”

Mark absolutely hated the way Jaemin’s eyes practically sparkled as he gave his answer. He did not like the mischief that was swirling around in his eyes at all. Nothing good was going to come with it, Mark knew that much. 

And he was correct because not a second later, Jaemin shouted out obnoxiously, a hand held to his ear, “What was that? What did you say? I couldn’t hear you.” 

He knew for a fact that Jaemin had heard his answer but the boy was just egging him on, making him feel even more embarrassed than he already was. 

With a sigh and his cheeks burning even hotter, Mark repeated himself. “The answer to the riddle is love. Love is what can’t be bought but it can be stolen with a single glance. It’s worthless to one but priceless to two. With one, it’s just an unrequited love but with two, it’s something much greater.” 

“Man, you’re just on fire today, Mark Lee.” Jaemin laughed. “You are correct once again!” 

Beside him, he could feel Donghyuck’s eyes on him and it burned. He felt like his entire body was catching on fire and the longer that Donghyuck continued to stare, the hotter he felt. Pulling at the collar of his shirt, Mark tried his best to calm his racing heart. Not giving Donghyuck a single glance, he cleared his throat and averted his whole attention towards Jaemin and Jeno. “Is that it? Can we go now? We kind of have other places to be at too, you know?”

As he began to gather up all of their belongings, Jaemin grasped his wrist tightly, ceasing his movement. With wide eyes, Mark immediately tried to pull his hand out from Jaemin’s grasp but that simply urged the pink haired boy to hold on even tighter. Donghyuck was too stunned to be much of any help. 

His eyes flickered to Jeno, who was still standing in the same spot that he had last seen them. Jeno still had a smile on his lips as he gave Mark a small curt nod. Then looking at Jaemin, who was way too close for his liking, he gave up on trying to figure out how the boy had gotten over here so fast.

“Don’t pack up yet,” Jaemin laughed, his grip on Mark’s wrist still vice tight. “We’re not finished yet.” 

Sighing, he tossed his backpack back onto the ground. Then standing back up and yanking his wrist out of Jaemin’s hold, he groaned, “What more do you want from us? More riddles? Fine, give them to me. I’ll answer them.”

“I wouldn’t be so confident if I were you, Mark.” Jaemin quipped. “The next one that I’m going to ask is going to be nothing in comparison to the ones that you’ve solved.”  

“Then try me.” Mark huffed out. 

“Which one will you choose, Mark Lee?” 

“What?” 

“Which one will you choose?”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Mark exclaimed. None of the words that Jaemin was saying made any sense. He didn’t have a single clue of what the boy was asking from him. Choose what? What was there to choose? As he was about to voice this out loud, he found his words die in the back of his throat.

During the time that Mark was wasting thinking about what Jaemin was asking him, Jaemin had taken advantage of his confusion and drew his bow. Where Jaemin had gotten it, Mark wasn’t sure, because last time he checked, the boy only had one golden arrow in his hands. Now the boy had a quiver of him and the arrow in his bow poised and ready to shoot. 

Mark watched as Jaemin’s eyes stayed on him for a moment longer before they flickered over to where Donghyuck was, his bow following right along. He barely had any time to think when Jaemin shouted at him, a smile still ever presented on his lips, “Which one will you choose, Mark Lee?” 

Everything that happened next was all but a blur to him. 

His heart thudded in his chest as adrenaline coursed through his veins. Mark could hardly breathe when Jaemin shot his arrow, aiming towards Donghyuck. His body acted completely on his own as he pushed Donghyuck out of the way and replaced him in his spot. He distinctively remembered Donghyuck calling out his name but he wasn’t sure because his ears were ringing from the blood pumping in his ear as the arrow came soaring towards him.