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It wasn’t every day that Grace barged into Persephone’s office. In fact, she never came over unless Persephone invited her.
So when the muse opened the door to Persephone’s office looking distraught, she knew something had to be up.
“Grace?” The Underworld’s queen asked, looking up from her paperwork and pausing when she saw Freddie’s hat clutched in the muse’s hands. “Is everything alright?”
“What’s Oblivion?” Grace questioned, her voice sounding wary.
Persephone’s eyes went wide. “Why are you asking about Oblivion?”
“Orpheus came back and told me about it.”
“Orpheus? Back in the mortal world?”
Grace nodded.
“Stay right here,” Persephone said, standing up. “I think we're both going to need a drink for this.”
…
“So what you’re saying is Hermes went into the Underworld, coaxed Orpheus back, tried to get him to live a little, and in the end, he chose to be with Eurydice?”
Grace nodded, fiddling with the rim of the hat in her hands.
"Why does that make complete sense?" Persephone finished the rest of her drink and sighed. “So, what does this all have to do with Oblivion?”
Grace took a breath. “He mentioned something about going to Oblivion to dance with Eurydice. So after we talked and he properly left I went to Hermes to ask a few questions and they mentioned something about the Underworld being completely barren of shades except for Orpheus.” She paused to wipe a few stray tears away. “So I went back to my apartment to look through Fred’s old Greek mythology books to see if I could find anything and…” She trailed off, burying her face in her hands. “Just… what is it?”
Persephone swallowed. “It’s a river.”
Grace finally looked Persephone in the eye. “There’s got to be more to it than that.”
Persephone sighed again, pouring herself another drink. “It’s a river that makes people forget their life. In turn, they are reincarnated and brought back to the mortal world.”
“So that’s it? You just drink from this river and become someone new? Your past self just gets wiped away?” Grace was fully crying now, gripping Freddie’s hat so tight that Persephone thought it might break.
“Yes. As complex as it might seem, death does have its simplicities. Where your consciousness goes, well we would have to die to find that out. Now then,” Persephone downed her drink, expecting this next part to be emotional. “Why are you asking me about Oblivion of all things?”
Grace forced herself to regulate her breathing. “Hermes mentioned something that Orpheus said in passing: that all of the Underworld’s shades faded into Oblivion.”
Something clicked in Persephone’s mind and she gripped her glass.
“So,” Grace continued, not bothering anymore with trying to wipe away her tears. “That means Freddie and Calliope are gone .”
A loaded silence filled the room as Persephone processed the words. She poured herself another drink and passed the bottle to Grace who shook her head.
“There’s not anything we can do, is there?” Grace asked.
Persephone shook her head, unable to find the words.
“Did you know?” Grace questioned, anger creeping into her voice.
“What?”
“Did you know that they faded away?” Grace replied. “You are the queen of the Underworld, after all. Shouldn’t you be in the loop of what’s going on down there?”
Persephone sighed. “We’ve all been busy since your trial. Besides the fact that we are being bombarded with reporters wanting to know everything there is to know about the Idols, I have to deal with a club to run. A club that has had a great boom in business since last we spoke.”
Grace swallowed, the tension not fading from her face.
“I haven’t been able to go down there as much as I might have liked. Hermes has done a few trips now and then, but I only sent them to give a message to Charon. After all, they are the messenger god.” She waited a moment, seeing if the muse had anything else to say. “For what it’s worth,” Persephone began again. “I’m sorry.”
Grace didn’t say anything. She stood up and left, slamming the door shut behind her, and leaving the queen alone.
…
Persephone didn’t know how much time had passed since Grace had left. She had been sitting in her desk chair, an empty glass in hand, staring at the floor.
That means Freddie and Calliope are gone.
She shook her head and set down her glass, finally letting her tears fall.
Two years ago she lost Calliope for the first time, and Persephone spent two years doing nothing instead of apologizing.
Two months ago she lost Calliope for a second time, and two months ago she was able to apologize and say a proper goodbye, even if she might see her again with her duties as the Underworld’s queen.
She tapped her phone and checked the time, sobbing when she saw it.
Two hours ago she lost Calliope for the third and final time.
Persephone forced herself up and out of her chair and moved over to the black and white painting on her wall. She placed a hand on it and gazed up at the familiar woman captured within.
“I’m so sorry,” was all she managed to say between tears. “I love you.”
…
Grace didn’t stop moving until she got back to her apartment and locked the door behind her. Everything felt so different despite nothing changing. It seemed so much more quiet and empty then in previous months. She should be crying at this point, but since everything with Hermes and the revelations with Persephone, Grace was out of tears.
Instead she walked over to the photograph on the wall, clutching the hat tighter in her hands.
Two months ago she lost Freddie for the first time, only to find her again a few hours later.
Two months ago she lost Freddie for the second time, saying a proper goodbye to her in the Underworld.
Two hours ago she lost Freddie for the third and final time, her shade fading into Oblivion with all of the others.
Grace raised a hand to the photograph, gently brushing it with her thumb as the eidolon thrummed in her chest. Gold light slowly began to dance around the room, and the Muse looked into the smiling face of her lost love.
“In my heart, you’ll remain,” She sang, echoing her words from the auditorium. “I do not sail in vain.”