Chapter Text
“Zagreus...Slow down!” A young Thanatos huffed and stumbled over his own feet.
“Keep up, Than! Super Mort, away!” Young Zagreus teased as he raised Than’s stuffed animal, Mort, high above his head. “Nyoom!” Zagreus ran at the speed of lightning, Mort’s ears flopped in the wind.
“And please be careful!” Than hesitated when he watched his friend glide down the stairs. Thanatos grabbed the railing beside him and gently trailed behind.
“It’s gonna be fine! Mort has all the superpowers in the world! Nothing can hurt him!” Zagreus jumped over the last two steps on the staircase and spun in circles when he reached the ground floor of the foyer.
“I was talking about you--ack!” When Thanatos planted his feet onto the ground, Zagreus rushed Mort into the poor boy’s face, his nose gracing the plush nose of his favorite toy.
“Boop!” Zagreus shouted before he pulled Mort away, raised him into the sky once, and sprinted deeper into the foyer. Thanatos signed before he called out to him, then he gave chase when Zagreus got too far away from him. The foyer felt like a world of its own. Accents of gold swallowed the two boys, but their innocent laughter echoed into the halls.
Zagreus spotted a pair of doors that had a beautiful design embedded within their center. The doors called to him, so he thought. He crashed through the doors with Mort as his leader, as if Mort shoved the doors open with sheer will power. The room inside caught Zag’s eye for a moment, long enough for Thanatos to launch a sneak attack on him. Thanatos successfully got Mort back, but Zagreus was interested in other things anyway.
“Look at this, Than!” Young Zagreus skipped towards the back of the room and paid no mind to the furniture around him. “What is this?”
“I think that’s called a piano, Zag.” Thanatos sighed before he tilted his head. “Wait, we’ve been here before! You should know about the piano already!”
Zagreus laughed. “I do know! That’s why I’m going to sing you a song!”
Thanatos groaned at his own denseness when he watched Zagreus jump on the piano bench. He grabbed a chair and dragged it beside Zagreus to sit. Once he settled down, Zagreus prepared himself. He raised his arms and gently laid his fingertips on the keys. He closed his eyes and sighed to steady his breathing. Then, he thrusted his fingers down onto the keys and the piano let out a disgusting noise.
“Mary had a little lamb...little lamb...big old lamb...grandpa lamb...baby land...aaaaah!” Zagreus screeched, banging on the keys repeatedly to resemble some sort of song. Despite the ear bleeding performance, Thanatos couldn’t help but laugh at the sheer chaos of it all. The repulsive sounds that came from the piano masked the creek of the door. A heavy air seeped in and doom loomed from above. Thanatos grew silent at the sense of danger, but before he could speak, danger had spoken first.
“Zagreus!” Fear tightened in Zagreus’ throat and shot down to his heart. His hands shook and strayed away from the keys. His neck panned his head until a towering man stood in the corner of his eye.
“Face me, now.”
Young Zagreus swallowed, he felt his spit clog in his throat. He slowly scooted on the piano bench to face his angry father. The man stood tall in his burgundy suit. Accents of gold, ruby, and emerald graced is suit jacket and matching tie. Beautiful rings wrapped around his tightly clenched fingers. His twisted beard felt so much longer than usual.
“How many times do I have to tell you to control yourself?” Hades' voice was sharp enough to cut through diamond. “If you can’t act mature around a blasted piano, then your inheritance of my company will be its downfall.”
Zag’s eyes stung as they darted to the floor. The silence had never felt so painful. Thanatos clutched Mort to his chest, ready to be kicked out of the room, to leave Zag to be punished alone. But Hades loosened his body, his chest shrunk as he signed.
“You interrupted my meeting for the last time, boy...If you want to play the piano while I work, you will learn to play properly.”
The two boys didn’t understand what that meant at first. But time did not give them time to think, for the next Saturday rushed to the present, and then, the doorbell rang. No one ever stops at the house during the weekends, apart from Hades’ weekly business guests. The boys stopped running and playing when the sound of the doorbell creeped into their ears.
“I got it!” A stuttering feminine voice shouted from the stairs. A green haired woman bolted to the door, almost dropping a broom as she ran.
Thanatos hugged Mort tightly. He didn’t like this.
“Why is Dusa so excited to open the door…?” Than whispered to Zag.
“I don’t know.” Zagreus muttered back.
Dusa opened the door. Behind it stood a beautiful, dark skinned woman with dark, curly hair slicked back into a bun. She gave a calm smile to Dusa. They spoke for a moment, but the boys were too far away to hear. Zagreus wanted to step closer, but Thanatos held him back. Then Hades passed them from the Hall, down the foyer, then to the door. They muttered to each other because he let the woman in.
She looked around the foyer in awe as Hades gave his usual spiel about the house, it’s rules, the bathroom, and other stuff. The two boys caught her attention when they grew close. She placed her hands on her knees and bent down with a welcoming aura. Hades made his way behind young Thanatos and placed a hand on his shoulder as he backed away from his friend.
“Zagreus, this is Lady Eurydice and you shall address her as such.” Hades explained. “She will be your Piano Instructor for the days to come.”
“Aw, hello there!” Her smile grew. It felt like a warm welcome in the morning. “Your father told me how much you loved to play the piano.”
Zagreus gave a confused expression, at first. She had a colorful, yet mature demeanor. But the soft smile made the genuine glow in her eyes shine brighter. The air that Zag breathed when she was near made him feel like he hugged his beloved mother after a long day at school.
“I shall take you to the Music Room to begin the lesson. I am short on time, and I’d rather not cut into yours.” Hades interrupted again.
Mrs. Eurydice straightened her back and held out a hand, yet her face did not change. Zagreus had a slight smile and placed his tiny hand within her gentle ones. A wave of acceptance and wonder had washed over the young Zagreus. The two followed Hades into the East Hall and to the Music Room. A small Thanatos was left behind, desperately clung onto Mort as the foyer fell to a cold silence.
Hades vanished when they dropped the newly found student and his teacher in the music room. And the two of them went straight into practice. Right thumb at C. 1, 2, 3...Hot Cross Buns. Throughout the entire practice, Mrs. Eurydice always kept that reassuring smile. And it stayed that way for a couple of weeks. And despite all of the mistakes, throughout all the distractions and the creaking of the door behind them, Mrs. Eurydice always found a way to keep Zagreus engaged with each and every lesson.
During one obstructive practice, however, the creaking did not stop. Every couple of minutes, the door would move, interrupting Zagreus as he played. Mrs. Eurydice kept her composure. She told Zagreus to play the piano, not to look back, but Zag couldn’t focus. He kept glancing and squirming, as if there was a monster. It made his fingers tremble. Then, a specific creak from the door made Mrs. Eurydice turned her head. When she saw who was behind the door, she couldn’t help but laugh.
“You don’t have to hide behind the door!” She said, “Come in, come in!”
She signaled a wave and Zagreus turned his head to the door once more. There was a brief pause before the door slowly opened, and Zag’s eyes lit up. Thanatos carefully stumbled in, Mort clutched tightly to his chest. He made himself known, only to try to hide behind the coffee table. Mrs. Eurydice stood from the piano bench, grabbed a nearby chair, and placed it beside the piano.
“What’s your name, hon?”
“...T-Thanatos…” Than stuttered, his voice caught up in his throat.
“Well, Thanatos, would you like to sing with us?”
Thanatos stared at Mrs. Eurydice for a moment, staking in her radiant smile. His shoulder rose when he tucked his head, his long hair fell before his face. He scooted his feet around the coffee table and to the chair she offered him. Once he settled into the seat, Mrs. Eurydice went back to hers.
“Say, Zagreus.” She continued seamlessly, “Why don’t you show Thanatos what you’ve learned so far?”
Thanatos’ gaze switched between Mrs. Eurydice and Zagreus. Than’s worry was plastered all over his face. Zag gave a childish smile before preparing himself. He breathed in, and then put, gently placing his fingertips on the keyboard. Then, he started to play…badly.
“Mary had a little lamb, little lamb, grandpa lamb!” That alone was able to make Young Thanatos snicker and loosen the tension, but Mrs. Eurydice was not amused.
“Zagreus.” Her tone was slightly sharper than usual. Zagreus retracted his hands from the piano immediately. He knew he crossed a line, prepared to get scolded in his father’s signature approach, but Mrs. Eurydice’s voice was as soothing as the ocean.
“Don’t throw away everything you learned here, not for others.” Her words sank into Zag’s heart for a moment. “You worked hard for this song, don’t you want to share it with your friend?”
Zagreus nodded solemnly, but eagerly. Sharing his milestones was not much of a tradition in his household, and thus, it was never a serious topic. He played the song the way it was intended. He played it to perfection. Thanatos couldn’t help but gaze in awe, he had never seen Zagreus improve so quickly.
“Beautiful!” Mrs. Eurydice’s smile shined brighter than the sun at times, especially at that moment, when she turned to Than. “Say, Thanatos, since Zagreus is playing the song, will you help me sing the lyrics?”
“E-erm…” A harsh chill ran down Thanatos’ spine. His hands never felt so clammy on poor little Mort before. He looked at his friend with a nervous expression plastered on his face. But Young Zagreus gave a big grin in return.
“It’s okay, Than! We can be, like...a band or something!”
Than’s face softened...he thought for a moment before squeezing out an approval. Zagreus wanted to form a band, and a band he shall get. Zagreus wants to be happy, so happiness he shall get. He sang with Mrs. Eurydice, in a timid way, at first. But she was overjoyed to hear his voice while Zag played. It felt weird, but in a good way. It was fun, and Mrs. Eurydice made sure that it stayed that way.
Than would sing with her from then on, his voice grew louder and louder, coated in confidence. And Zagreus would soon follow, he eventually found his voice as his growing fingers tapped the keys of the piano. As the two of them aged, so did the lessons. Mrs. Eurydice taught them, and they learned quickly. That was how it went for a while. Mrs. Eurydice brought in a song, one day. An old song that stood the test of time. A song from the 1930s named Lullaby of the Leaves. A lullaby for leaves, Zag argued. Mrs. Eurydice begged to differ, for the song was playful, gentle, perfect for the two boys to practice together. So, Thanatos sat beside Zagreus on the piano bench. They tried it. They stumbled at first, but the song still felt beautiful, despite the mistakes and pauses made along the way. It soon fell together, they learned to harmonize. They would sit closer together when they played that song. It was beautiful...so beautiful. It almost brought Mrs. Eurydice to tears.
And soon, their final moments with Mrs. Eurydice had come to an end. When their last lesson came and went, Zagreus followed her while she made her way to the door. Hades told the boy that Mrs. Eurydice was no longer needed, for Zagreus will begin to start preparing for his heritage. But, with a foot out of the door, Mrs. Eurydice bent down and held Zagreus’ shoulders.
“You have a talent, Zagreus. The piano is second nature to you. Please keep playing, for your sake. One day, I want to see you perform.” Her voice, her smile, her touch, it shot through Zag’s heart like a dagger. He weeped a little as she said those words, for those were the last words Zag remembered her saying before she turned her back to him and left his life.
In her place stood two prominent figures in his life. One was a blond man and hand-picked employee of Hades: Achilles…Sir Achilles…as Hades ordered Zagreus to refer to him by. Every morning, Zag would wake up at the crack of dawn to attend his classes until the evening, with only an hour to rest throughout the day. As he grew older, science and math turned into business and programming. Zagreus protested against the long hours. Even Achilles himself seemed to me weary at times, but he kept fighting, and encouraged Zag to do the same.
After classes and another break, Zagreus would meet a blue haired girl who looked to be the same age as Thanatos. Her eyes here are intense, despite being so young. Hades introduced her as the “Prestigious Megaera.” She worked under Hades from then on, as an intern, and as a tutor to Zagreus. He would learn the ins and outs of his future company under her guidance. For when he steps into the age of work, he would take her place as intern. The smaller age gap between them allowed them to develop some sort of friendship. Zag would derail their study topics and they would talk about their personal lives and interests until Meg dragged them both back on track.
Zagreus didn’t stop playing, and Thanatos kept singing. When the moon hovered high within the night, they would wander into the music room and sing a song or two. Oddly enough, Zagreus began to sink deeper into older songs. Songs where nothing was heard, but a piano, and a voice. Than and Zag enjoyed all the songs that Zag would pick to learn, but none felt so weighted as Lullaby of the Leaves. The first time they revisited the song, Zagreus could never forget that day. Oh how Thanatos’ voice had matured. Both of their voices changed, but Thanatos’ voice was gentle as he spoke and turned angelic as he sang. So gentle, so calm, it left a soothing, warm, fluttering feeling in Zag’s chest. He couldn’t help but stare at Thanatos as he closed his eyes to get lost in the sounds of the piano. It felt addicting, yet, it always put Zagreus in a content mood whenever he was feeling down. He would ask, sometimes beg for Thanatos to sing that song, and Thanatos would do so. That song alone was enough to comfort them and each other. It was enough to make them happy. It was enough to let him enjoy the little time that they had.
Ah, where did the time go? Where did it go? Oh, yes. It went to their futures.
When Thanatos reached high school, his mother, Nyx, offered to put him in the choir program for his beautiful voice. Thanatos was hesitant at first, but Zagreus’ undying whining and support made him cave in. It went well at first, but when Zagreus homeschooling advanced to high school level, Thanatos’ voice had died out. He simply stopped singing, and refused to sing.
“I don’t have time to sing with you anymore, Zag.” He would say. “I have to start focusing on school and college. I will be working under my mother in a few years.” And he did as such.
College. Zagreus always dreamed of going to college. He would find himself there, study, be responsible for himself, independent. He would live on a beautiful campus and under college student responsibilities. He would make friends and start his future. Those were the days that Zagreus worked hard for. He dedicated himself to his studies up until Achilles spoke to Zagreus on a gloomy Monday.
“I no longer have anything to teach you, lad.” He said to the young adult, “Go. Make your father proud.”
He expected for Hades to cover all of the college applications, but Hades didn’t follow through with it. Zagreus assumed that Hades expected him to do it himself, since he was inheriting the company and “needed to be responsible for once.” He picked a few schools that he really liked, some were from the college visits he went on with Than before Than moved onto a campus. It was one of the last things they did together before Than left Zagreus for college. Zag could almost thank the heavens that he did.
But trying to make a college application alone proved to be extremely difficult. Poor Zagreus didn’t even know where to begin. First, he pleaded to Achilles, for he was his former teacher. But Achilles gave a blunt smile when the question arose. He told the young heir that college “wasn’t important for him,” then he refused to say anything else. So, he turned to his tutor, Megaera. She had been alternating between her school and Zag’s home. She never let go of that internship, especially since money was involved. But when Zag asked for help with his college worries, Meg grew silent, distant. She often avoided his questions, told him that it “wasn’t her place” to help Zagreus with applications. It aggravated him and he lost his patience. Zagreus went up to his father for help, but Hades only gave him pain in return.
“Stupid boy. Must you forget you are the heir to this company? You have no need for college, so it is a waste of my efforts and my money. Instead, you will work under me as an intern, until you are ready to take my business into your own hands.”
Those words sank deep into Zagreus’ skin and poisoned his mind. His body grew heavy and his blood ran cold from then on. Instead, he would retreat to the piano, its entrancing sounds eased his soul for a moment. He could forget the world if given the chance, for the sounds of that Grand Piano would drown his ears. It felt good, like a warm touch from a loving hand. His special piano, the instrument so dear to him. He never wanted to leave its side, as long as the music he played eased the pain he endured. And thus, his attendance as an intern became a horrifying sight to behold.
As his mentor, Meg was ordered to find the heir and drag him to his internship, no matter the method. He did not understand why he felt that way. His future was guaranteed. He had money and power under his father’s name. His success was being served to him on a silver platter, but he would rather push on black and white keys. He felt the weight push down on him while he kept his back straight as he walked. He carried this weight throughout the summer, until the leaves turned brown.
The wind ran cold on the day Thanatos was supposed to stay at Hades’ mansion. Zag waited for this day to come. He missed his friend dearly. He prepared his clothes and what we planned on saying when they first saw each other. He expected to talk with Than from the moment he stepped foot into the foyer and feel all of his troubles melt away. Then, they would talk for hours on end until exhaustion overtook them. And perhaps, if Zagreus was lucky that they, they would wander to the piano room together and sing. Then, everything would get better, back to the way things used to be. It was planned to be the perfect day.
Zagreus stood before the front door five minutes before five o’clock. His body felt heavy as his chest tightened. Zag wasn’t off to a great start, but he made himself push through it. He wanted this to be perfect, a break from this toll he had. Four minutes left and Zagreus began to pace, circling his spot. He fiddled with his lips and squeezed out his breaths. But he was okay, everything was going to be okay. Three minutes left, Zag heard a noise. He expected to be a creak of the door, but…
“So, I guess you decided not to hide under your piano this time.” He heard Megaera’s voice, and everything began to crumble.
Meg spoke in a degrading cold tone as she pressured Zagreus into abandoning his little plan to fulfill his responsibilities. The stress of it all rolled up his spine, the tension in his back polluted his entire body. Moderate demands turned into a heated argument. A heated argument crumbed into shouting and insults. Their vile words echoed throughout the foyer, which dragged out anyone who was close enough to hear. Mrs. Dusa stood behind a pillar in horror as Hades led his business group to the commotion. Many of Hades’ employees began talking amongst themselves. They talked about Zagreus behind covered mouths. It made Zagreus’ head spin. He could hear them, but he could comprehend anything, despite the dagger he felt piercing his chest. Zagreus couldn’t even comprehend the words coming out of his own mouth. Part of him questioned if he was saying anything at all, for he was met with the harsh, dead stare of Megaera sinking into his image. Achilles wanted to interrupt, derail, anything, but his authority, his boss, decided to take matters into his own hands.
Hades stormed up behind the black haired man and everyone fell silent. Tension wrapped around Zagreus' throat and pulled at him tightly, as if death loomed his shadow over him.
“All of you. Dismissed.” Hades commanded, his voice polluted with rage. “I must have a word with Zagreus. Alone.”
One by one, everyone took their leave. Megaera scoffed at Zagreus one last time before she trailed off. Mrs. Dusa shivered her way in the hall so she could pretend to keep busy. Riled with guilt, Achilles glanced toward Zagreus once more. His eyes puddled between sadness and disappointment as he dragged himself through the front door and out of the house with the rest of the businessmen.
“Face me. Now.” Hades growled.
Zagreus pivoted his body to face his father head on. His hands clutched his clothes and bunched it into his fists. “Why do you hold meetings in your own home anyway? This has been going on for years, but you have your own building for your business. Don’t you think that this is a little unprofessional-”
“Silence, boy.” Hades’ tone was caught between a shout and a hiss. Zagreus felt his words clog his throat. “You have been nothing but an embarrassment to this company and our family. Never have I expected to have a son as unintelligible self-centered as you. Your short temple will not be tolerated within my company and I obviously have not done enough to make you understand that the future of many citizens will one day lie within your hands.”
Zagreus started directly into Hades’ eyes. He felt his chest sting and tears coat his eyes. But he must not look away. He needed to distance himself from fear. He took Hades’ words through one ear and tried to shove them out the other, but they lingered longer than Zagreus anticipated.
“Until you decide to mentally mature up to your age, I am revoking your role as intern.” His father continued. “Do I make myself clear?” Zagreus choked as he tried to speak, his throat strained as if nails clawed against his skin. Hades didn’t need for his son to respond to him, for he took his silence as acceptance.
Then, the front door opened one last time and a calm, stern voice. A tall man with short silver hair made haste through the door with a phone pressed against his ear. Thanatos. Years had passed since they had last seen each other. He looked older with his turtleneck sweater, trench coat, and luggage. But Zagreus could help but feel nostalgic when Than pushed his bang back. He glanced up to Hades with a brief “Good afternoon.” Hades simply nodded in response, not to disturb his call. Then…Thanatos' golden eyes, they met with Zagreus’. Zagreus quickly straightened his back and drummed his right fingers on his left knuckles. He wanted to speak. He wanted to run up to Than and hug him with all of his strength. But he felt a weak feeling wash over him. Thanatos gave a small, almost unrecognizable gesture, and strutted up the stairs, presumably to the guest room. Zagreus felt his breath hitch as his eyes glossed and stared at the polished floors. Eventually Hades had strayed away from the foyer, and Zagreus was left there, alone in his thoughts.
The voice in his head seemed so loud, it almost made his forehead ache. He stood there for a while, he wondered if fate cursed him to be so dysfunctional. Nothing can go right by his hand, and nothing pleasant seemed to stay for long. It hurt. Zagreus didn’t know why, but it hurt. He told himself, over and over, that not everything is about him, but he yearns for something to brighten his day. He needed to hear something, to feel something he desired. He needed to hear something, anything to help him fade into the background, so everyone can be better off without him.