chapter 25

 Kaatje had so many questions to ask, so many things she wanted to see, but knew she could get the former very easily, but assumed Hades’ powers could not go as far as time travel. She wanted to see the faces of her parents, and currently from what she heard, her father had the colouring of a villain.

They decided on strolling around the hallways with no real destination in mind instead of going back to Hades’ resting room

 ‘So my father really wanted my mom to kill me?’ She was gravely disappointed.

Hades scoffed. ‘And any other child that came before you, he was ver power-hungry. Of course, that was a choice they did not dare go against since it was the will of the devil. No one could do anything about- what the devil says, goes. It is all a business transaction to him; he offers an attractive bargain, at first it delivers as ridiculously easy, as something you cannot let wither from you, but in the long run, you will realise your mistakes, and the moment you try to think alike like the devil, he strikes up a detrimental offer in which this time you have no choice but to do.’

 ‘What were their names?’

 ‘Your mother’s name was Sansei and your father’s was Alexander.’

Sansei and Alexander,

Kaatje ingrained the names to her brain already. 

 ‘I don’t know if you actually know the reason, but do you know why my mother suddenly wanted to keep a baby?’

 ‘Naturally, it was bound to happen that got lonely of living an immortal life with Alexander. From what I had seen, Sansei had a deep rooted love for Alexander. He was the one who convinced Sansei to go on with the initiation process and she agreed since of course, it was her lover requesting something so trivial yet lasting from her. Many centuries later, Sansei wanted a child. Whichever child she carried, Alexander would murder it. It happened so much until Sansei decided to run and hide. She was successful enough to birth you but she had to give you away when she knew the dangers that lied ahead.’

Kaatje felt unfortunate to have come off from a blood like her father’s, yet she was not sure if Hades was telling the truth, but then again, she wondered why he would want to lie against them.

 ‘Do you have… maybe pictures of them?’

She watched Hades from the corner of her eye as he squinted.

 ‘You mean the digital visuals of the now century?’

Close enough, Kaatje thought. ‘Yes, something like that.’

His mouth curved downwards for a while then widened to a smile. ‘I can do something much better, follow me.’

 Hades began taking long strides and Kaatje hurriedly pursued him to the farthest end of the hallway, it was the last deserted door there.

The door opened by itself and they both entered.

It was not quite what Kaatje expected. It was plain white, everything and quite empty.

 ‘Is this what you wanted to show me?’

 ‘Just follow on Kaatje.’

She did as he said until they reached the centre of the room.

Startling her, Hades stomped the ground beneath and it illuminated with hot gold liquid passing from each of the four corners of the room and then all connected to meet at one single spot- where his feet was. The ground rumbled mildly, but Kaatje was able to keep her balance despite the shock. 

 ‘What’s happening?’

The room turned translucent. What Kaatje could see outside of it was a dark abysmal space with twinkles very similar to a real outer space environment.

 ‘Whoa’

Hades clapped both of his palms sternly with one motion and two figures emerged.

One was a man- looked to be in his mid-thirties with unruly dark hair that spread down to his shoulder, a crooked nose stood confidently on his strong features that his bushy brows made look even more intimidating. The first thing Kaatje found as a giveaway sign that she was the true daughter of this man was the bright hazel eyes. On a good day, anyone would find the man standing dressed in plain white attire to be daunting, nevertheless attractive. His mouth carried a soft smirk.

The woman next to him was by at least by two to three inches taller than him. Her skin was the same as Kaatje’s. The black curls that decorated her scalp and lengthened to no were further than her neck fit her sharp angled face. Her eyes were as brown as chocolate and lips as full as ripe fruit. She was also adorned in the similar white cloth.

They were an uncommon looking couple when standing together, yet somehow, Kaatje could feel the love between them. Kaatje was unable to peel her eyes off them until her eyes drifted below and found their tiniest fingers linked together.

Slow, hot tears poured out of her eyes when her mother’s flaccid lips curved for a wide green. She too found herself laughing and grinning.

 ‘Can I touch them?’ She asked Hades.

 ‘No you cannot Kaatje, they are gone.’

More tears followed out of her eyes but she did not blink at all.

 ‘They truly loved each other.’ 

Even after what Kaatje has listened to about her parents, especially her father, she still believes in the love they share. She still believed that despite her father’s change of priorities, he still valued Sansei. If only he saw the light, the light would have guided him back to the arms of the one he hold dear in his heart.

 ‘We won’t be long here Kaatje.’

 ‘Can they talk?’ It was as if Kaatje didn’t hear what Hades told her.

But he replied her either ways. ‘No Kaatje, they cannot. Kaatje, I do not want you disturbed by a feeling of longing for them, this would mean you should come out of your head now and let us retire.’

Kaatje found this connection just by merely looking at them. 

Indubitably, she valued her mother-daughter relationship with her late foster mother, but her ancestry was always questioned when she was seen alone talk more of when she was with her foster mother. But now, it was like looking at a missing puzzle in the eye and being asked to leave the missing pieces for another time yet you know you will never have that chance to come for it.

 ‘Let us go.’ She simply stated.

Kaatje was drained of any physical and emotional energy she had before. All she wanted to do was withdraw to bed and sleep the pain off.