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The Prince knew he had to make it out. He had a few failed attempts under his belt, but he could still tally his total tries on one hand when he finally made it past his father. Zagreus met his mother for the first time. Their meeting was much shorter than he had hoped it would be.
Then Zagreus died. Nothing killed him on the surface with his mother. The Styx just came to claim him. The familiar feeling of her crimson water lapping at his heels crept in, like a limb falling asleep. The sensation overtook him. His own body was betraying him, pieces of him slowly stopped working. Then all at once everything simply stopped. He was helpless in the waters of the Styx for just one moment before he simply was nothing at all.
He rose out of the Styx frustrated. Spoke to Hypnos, Achilles, his father, and Nyx. Their conversations passed through in a haze. Zagreus felt as though he was being pulled along by strings, his body almost moving on its own. He died. He made it out and he still died. He was never getting out of here, not permanently. He would see his mother again, the stubborn Prince could accept no other answer, but he would never be able to stay with her. He was stuck down below. With his father.
He spent some time in his chambers. Paralyzed with the overwhelming feeling of helplessness. What was he meant to do? Fighting his way through hell again and again, killing his father again and again. He was already tired of dying. It seemed that it was his fate. That he had no other choice.
Zagreus knew of what his father and uncles had done. What the titans had done before them. Seemed like it ran in his family. Persephone had told him that his father shared his fate. Zagreus had not told her that he had killed his father to get to her. She had not known how right she was.
Zagreus wanted to scream until his throat was raw. He wanted to punch the wall until his knuckles were bloody. He wanted to bite and kick. Zagreus wanted to destroy everything. Instead he just stared at his wall.
Hades often said that there was no escape, but once when Zagreus was just entering into his adolescence his father had added something under his breath. Hades had muttered “You think I haven’t tried?” Zagreus was not comforted by their shared curse.
Of course Hades had kept this from him. He could not risk the possibility that this same curse would not effect his son. That Zagreus would leave just as his mother had before him.
Even Nyx had known there was no out for Zagreus. She wanted to believe there could be. At least that is what she’d told him. Little good that did. He would have liked to be prepared for this disappointment.
Maybe given time and knowledge Zagreus would find a way to leave. Maybe eventually someone could find a loophole. Maybe the Prince could get lucky. He doubted it. Zagreus unclenched his jaw, relaxed his fists.
He would rest. For a few days. Then he would try again. He would talk to Nyx and Achilles. Zagreus was nothing if not determined.
______
When the Prince began his next escape attempt there was a new god offering him a boon. A frosty older goddess, Demeter, goddess of the seasons. Her standoffish impression did not leave Zagreus wanting to engage with her at length, but perhaps she would eventually warm up to him. Or he’d warm up to her.
He would continue his fight; thankful he had not run into Sisyphus or Euridice as he crossed into the threshold of Elysium. The facsimile of the sun shone down on him. Before he had known what the sun actually felt like the light of Ixion had never bothered him, now he found himself longing for the warmth. He found himself sick of the blue hue that almost everything in Elysium had.
The fight through the next few chambers would be quick. Zagreus saw the entrance to Patroclus’s glade and took it. He had not used any of his death defiances but he figured that the extra attack that the jerky would provide would be worth it. The Prince was also a curious sort, and had been informed somewhat by Achilles who Patroclus was. Who Patroclus was to Achilles in particular. Meddling aside, the break would also be appreciated.
The shade had been standoffish to Zagreus, but he got the feeling that Patroclus had experienced some great tragedy in life or death and he was willing to push.
Patroclus’s was talking to himself, or maybe to the statue in the chamber. This was only their second meeting but Zagreus had found him the exact same way the first time.
“You again.” Patroclus commented, idly glancing up at the Prince from the spot he occupied near the river Lethe.
“Yeah, me. Looks like I will be passing through here more often.” Zagreus tried not to sound bitter, “But, uh. You’re Patroclus right? Achilles mentioned you in his codex.” Patroclus seemed to still at the name.
“Achilles. There’s a name I haven’t heard in some time. Do you know him?” He asked.
“Yes, he trained me. He works for my father in his house.” Thinking on it, the Prince added “My father is Hades, I suppose there isn’t reason that you would know that.”
Zagreus could not read the look on Patroclus’s face. He was clearly deep in thought, though the nature of those thoughts was lost on the Prince.
“Interesting. I guess I have something to ponder. Take this and leave me please. I will probably have some questions when next we meet.”
______
Zagreus would pass through one other chamber, then be greeted by the familiar sound of a gong and flash of green light.
“Thought you could just get away from me did you?” Thanatos was angry. Not nearly as angry as Zagreus.
“Thanatos. I was hoping you would not come after me too.” Zagreus said. Than hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to say.
“I’m not. Your father’s forces are coming. Let’s see who can take down the most then we’ll talk.” Thanatos said.
Zagreus ended up winning by a narrow margin. Thanatos approached Zagreus and offered him something in his hand. Zagreus looked down to see a centaur heart cupped in Thanatos’s hand. He took it.
“You left. Without so much as saying goodbye. I suppose you’d thought I would catch up to you. No escaping death and all.” Thanatos said.
“I couldn’t stay here when I knew that my mother was up there. That there was even a possibility I could belong somewhere without ridicule. You were gone Thanatos. How should I have said goodbye. How long should I have suffered indefinitely without knowing when you were coming so I could say good bye.” Zagreus was angry. He generally tried not to be around others when he was this upset, but Thanatos had approached Zagreus in his grief and his control had slipped.
“I don’t know Zagreus. What do you want from me.” Thanatos was visibly frustrated. His jaw was tight and his fists closed tighter around his scythe.
“I made it out Than. I met my mother, and then I died anyway. Did you know? Did you know that no matter what I do I can never actually leave this place. Did everyone know but me?” Zagreus fought to keep himself from yelling. He sounded angrier than he would like. Surprise painted Thanatos’s face.
“You met her? What happened.” Thanatos asked.
“I already told you what happened. I died Than. I just died. The Styx swallowed me up in the middle of her garden. I can’t be on the surface, not for long”
“I had no idea. I’m sorry Zagreus.” Thanatos paused a moment. “Why are you still trying to escape?”
“I’m suffering down here no matter what. Might as well be some light at the end of the tunnel. Something to look forward to. I can’t keep living for nothing.” Zagreus said.
“I see. I have to go.” Zagreus grabbed Thanatos by the wrist before he could leave.
“Wait. Promise me that you won’t leave for so long again. I can’t be alone like that right now.” Zagreus said.
“I promise. I am sorry. I really am.” Thanatos said. Zagreus let him go.
Thanatos left.