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The River Styx flowed endlessly, tirelessly carrying souls to their final destination. Thanatos stood in his usual corner at the end of West Hall, watching the occasional disturbances appear within the water. The peaceful atmosphere of the house made him retreat into his mind. The soothing sound of silence gave him a blissful moment in isolation. The moment felt like it lasted for eternity. Than sighed swiftly to help melt his thoughts away, but this time, they never went. There was enough stillness in the air to give an unsettling feeling. The past couple of days or nights have been filled with such chaos. The overtime hours made from Demeter's never-ending winter and Ares' lust for war did not ease what was going on within the House of Hades. But while Thanatos stared deeply into the River Styx at that moment, everything felt as if it all came to a screeching halt. However, he knew exactly why not even a song from Orpheus can fill the empty sound.
It has been quite a while since he last saw Zagreus. His talkative, chaotic nature filled the void of silent busy work from the shades. Now, all he could hear is the hushed murmurers of the residents of the Underworld. The last time Thanatos spoke to the Prince was during one of his escape attempts. The calming blue tint of Elysium eased the look of Zagreus' gruesome wounds upon the eyes of Death itself. Some of those scars were gained during their competition. Than always scolded Zag for sacrificing his well being for their little game, but still rewards him with a Centaur Heart for winning. They had a neutral conversation per usual, but just before Death Incarnate teleported away to continue his work, he caught a glimpse of Zagreus' smiling face. However, it wasn't just the normal heartful smirk he usually wears. That smile had a hint of confidence, it gave a reassuring hue that oddly relieved some of Than's stress. Thanatos hasn't seen that look for a long time, but he wasn't expecting that to be the last time he saw or heard from Zagreus in a while.
Thanatos still failed to understand the reason behind Zagreus' prolonged disappearance. He heard rumors about the Prince defeating his father, sending him rolling down the River of Styx, stunning anyone who looked in his direction. Thanatos considered asking Hades about whether he was slain by his own son, but he dared not ask such a sensitive topic to his Lord. Than had no other choice but to believe that the rumors were true, Zagreus was never absent for this long. What was worrying Death Incarnate was the difficulty he had tracking him down no matter how much power and energy he put into his search. This issue would only make sense if Zagreus did escape, but Than did not understand why it was so difficult compared to having the Prince at home. The closest intel Than could get was a faint feeling buried deep within his chest. He knew that Zagreus was somewhere, but that somewhere could be anywhere within the realm between heaven and hell. It gnawed at his heart so much that it pained him. Thanatos was the only one willing to find the Prince of the Underworld, and he was failing miserably. This overwhelming feeling quickly shrouded his mind, he knew that he could not rest easily without knowing about Zag's whereabouts. The grip Than had on his crossed arms were so tight, he almost broke through his skin and drew blood. He refused to simply forget Zagreus the way everyone did to the Queen, Persephone. He will not allow it.
On a sudden whim, Thanatos disappeared into a black cloud that gave a green hue. The dim green light reappeared within the Prince's bedchambers. Zagreus wasn't hiding in his room all this time. Thanatos expected as much since he knew Zagreus was an outgoing person, it was normal for this room to be vacant most of the time. Despite coming here multiple times, Thanatos never consisted going beyond this room, into the courtyard. It always felt locked off since Zagreus bedchamber was meant to be private area. Without hesitation, Thanatos cautiously walked in. It took the soothing air of the courtyard and the beautiful view of Tartarus for him to realize that not even death himself had any idea what he was doing. He was never the one to e stubborn, but he pressed, hoping that his secrecy would help him find any leads. He quickly discovered a box standing idly, glistening with a light pink hue. Inside contained many keepsakes and companions from the multitude of people that Zagreus befriended. Seeing Mort resting conformably in own little space made Than's heart sink to his stomach. Not only was Zagreus wondering the surface, he was traveling without Thanatos to watch over him. He held little Mort close to his chest, the chances of finding Zagreus easily vanquished along with his secrecy.
"I see that you are worried about him, my child." Nyx's chilling voice echoed.
"Mother-" Thanatos turned and backed away. "I...apologize for trespassing. I was just...I'll return to my work immediately."
"I believe that Zagreus is safe upon the surface." Nyx kept the subject. "If that was not the case, he would have returned home."
Thanatos couldn't grasp why he was going such great lengths to find Zagreus if he wasn't in danger, but he spoke nonetheless. "Zagreus... he's free from the dangers that reside here, but... he's out there, wondering the realm, alone. I fear that his safety will eventually be jeopardized if I... if someone failed to keep an eye on him. Unless, you are already aware of his location."
"Zagreus' search for Persephone should lead him to where I allowed her to live peacefully. Reach the entrance of the realm and go beyond the frozen overlook. Await the first glimpse of the sun to your left...then onward through the cold. If you lack the sense of his presence there, then I fear that you have to continue on with your search. You do not need to go such great lengths to find him my child, but I understand that the bond you share spans far beyond this realm and I am sure he is worried about you as much as you are to him. I wish you the best of fortune on your search and for you to return safely as well."
"...Thank you, mother. I will return soon..."
With his mother's blessing and Mort and scythe in hand, Thanatos sent himself straight to the surface. The chilled air brushed up against his chilled and the ground glistened with pure white snow. The unfrozen ponds calmly rippled, reflecting the image of Death Incarnate darkened silhouette. The sun slowly rose behind the waves of the ocean. The thought of Zagreus finally gaining the ability to see such beauty soothed Thanatos out of the panic feeling he had earlier. The sun gave a calming warmth so endearing that not even the harsh winter of Demeter can bury it.
Onward through the cold. Somewhere within the glazed plains, Thanatos would find Zagreus with his mother, idly admiring the beauty of the surface world. He knew the finite boundaries and how magnificent it was. The air, the nature, the silence would give anyone a sense freedom and peace. Many mortals would isolate themselves to such places to do anything to their hearts content. That sense of free will would give them a sense of happiness that they usually don't obtain when they are at home. Many run out, enthusiastic about what ever the land had to give them in the near future. It had a sense of wonder, it gave joy to anyone who dared to run into the heart of nature. However, some try to take in too much of the sight, running out to the point where they can't find their way back home. Sometimes, Thanatos had to find these lost souls to take them away from the land they held dear.
After a while, the snowy place stopped, revealing a healthy coat of grass beneath it. There was a humble cottage surrounded by a beautiful array of crops and plants. Everything swayed to the gentle breeze of the spring air. The sudden switch in temperature could be enough to make anyone grow ill, which began to weigh on Thanatos. The sudden tiredness he felt didn't stop him from searching the area. The garden was vacant and the cottage was unlocked. Every room inside was empty, devoid of the wholesome a home should have. No one was there, despite following Nyx's directions, he still had no choice but to search some place else. The heavy feeling of weariness weighed on Thanatos and the faint sense of Zagreus' whereabouts was starting to fade. But Than refused to go back home, he wasn't ready to say goodbye.
The inconsistency of the surface left Thanatos no other choice but to guess where Zagreus would be located. He teleported throughout the surface realm, constantly fading in and out of a cloud of black smoke. Everywhere death appeared, there was emptiness waiting for him instead. Each place he teleported to slowly made his head throb in pain. Eventually, he stopped teleporting as the blood under his skin began to run cold. He deiced to stick to hovering forward, hoping to find a nearby village that Zagreus may have wondered off to. At that moment, Than even considered trying to find his way to the home of the Olympians, but he didn't have the strength to find it. Trying to chase to rabbits will cause both of them to escape, and Than is having difficulties trying to catch one.
As time passed on, so did Thanatos' well being. His headache turned into a migraine, his chest began to pain him, and his eyes never felt so heavy. He knew that this would happen if he stayed for too long, but something kept him from returning home defeated. To be inexorably drawn to life, the need to be united with life for eternity. Even the Fates themselves would had saw this event occur eventually. Death always yearned for life, but life would never reciprocate. Life will persist without death, leaving it behind despite the strong connection they share. Death always found its way to catch up with life eventually, it was inevitable. However, it felt like life was moving too far ahead, which made it almost impossible for death to catch up. Thanatos collapse to the ground beneath him. His scythe weakly fell with him while Mort rested under his dying hand. With heavy breaths, Than took in his chthonic companion and held it close as the dirt beneath him began to get soiled. He doesn't what to lose Mort they same way he lost Zagreus, without a proper goodbye. Tears slowly poured out of out of Thanatos' golden eyes as red water began to sprout out from beneath him. He feared that this day would come, that one day Zagreus would abandon him and throw away their relationship for eternity. Thanatos never realized the boost of life that the Prince had given him throughout his life, and he never would had recognized it if he never experienced death with a heavy heart. He was naturally drawn to Zagreus. He needed him, but it was apparent that Zagreus might had not felt the same way.
Thanatos' vision became darker and darker as he slowly sunk into the River Styx. The water never felt any warmer compared to how it felt at that moment. He let himself succumb to hell's waters as he drew breath. As he became shrouded in darkness, he promised himself that despite the painful outcome in his search, he will attempt to find Zagreus again. He could care less weather or not Zagreus wanted to see him again, Thanatos did not want to rest until he was confident that he was able to keep the Prince safe. His yearning caused him to experience the cycle of life. To the surface, to the House, to the surface, then to the River of Styx. Over and over, he never lost that determination, for Zagreus was the only what caused Than to live his life instead of dedicating it all to his work. Zagreus' freedom bounded Thanatos to an endless routine, he refused to let life run away form him forever. Because no matter how far apart they were, they were inexorably drawn to each other.