The world isn't as vibrant as they would like you to believe. Women have their hair in a stylized mess and wear baggy clothing. Now there are those who opt for a lot of color in their garments, but others have a denim on denim look that peaked the interest of Dr. Price. He walks down the street, briefcase in one hand and a strong coffee in the other. So far, today was just another average day with memories of a past that teased him.

          Due to the lack of worship, the Gods have been reduced to simple reincarnations. Thankfully, they carry with them the memories of each life they lived before. Each God and Goddess had to make their own way in life, trying to recruit their own followers to worship them so they could grow in power. They weren't made to live among the mortals of this realm, the Realm of Man. Centuries ago Zeus was brought down from his throne in Olympus, plunging all of his kind with him to the soil of Earth. 

          Not all Gods were given a fair chance, however. When Olympus fell, Hades remembered the fear that ignited his heart. Lightning filled the skies, clouding the Realm of Gods in chaos. This fear was not born for his own life, but for the life of his beloved, Persephone. As he traveled across Olympus in its final hours, he never found her. He heard stories of how she escaped, but he could only hope they were true. The memories of that event, however, are very blurry to him. He wants to blame the many reincarnations he'd been through, but he knew it was of a curse put upon him.

          Hades and Persephone were cursed when Olympus fell. Only one of them would be allowed to remember their divine pasts as they lived. Each time they reincarnated was a threat one of them would be lost to the other forever. They have gone through life, constantly searching for one another. After years of searching for who cursed them, trying to remember even the smallest details, he gave up. He had wanted nothing more than to find Persephone, so over time he dedicated himself to searching for her with every life that he carried her memory. 

          He started to approach a small clinical building that called the corner of this intersection home. He wasted no time entering the building, considering he was already running behind. Every morning he started his day with a cup of coffee from a small café down the street. With it being the only one in town, he usually had to wait in a decently long line to get it. He didn't really get it for the taste or energy it promised, it only reminded him of the warm brew of nectar that Persephone use to bring him. She would always make sure he started his day warm despite the cold that lingered in the part of the Underworld they called home.

          The door swung open, his briefcase hitting the glass to announce his arrival. As he cleared the doorway, he noticed a woman behind a glass window. She was sitting in a chair, her barley blonde hair curled and fluffed out to appear bigger than it actually was. She was taking notes in a small notepad when she heard him enter the waiting room. She looked up and was quick to offer him a quirky kind of smile, one that made it clear they were familiar with each other. "Good morning, Dr. Price!" She greeted, her words warm with the nature of a morning person.

           Michael Price was the mortal name he was given in this life. In this version of himself, he had the memories of his past lives and despite the occasional gaps in his memory, he was certain of who he was. He was the God of the Underworld himself, Hades. That only meant that his beloved Persephone was in this world, unaware of him or their marriage. He was a it surprised that his nurse was here before he was. She didn't have to get here as early as she did, but she took the extra time to ready the office for the day. "Good morning Miss Williams. I see you've beat me here once again." He offered her a casual smile, one warm with years of friendship shared between them.

          Jessica Williams was a long-time friend of Hades in this life. They had known each other since grade school, and she was the reason he decided to take over this clinic. She had been inspired by his studies, ready to take them on as her own and become a nurse in the field. She hated the dungy clothes, but wanted to be close to her best friend. When he heard their hometown's best doctor retired, he came back at her request to take over. 

          Sometimes he wondered if she did these things for a reason. He assumed it was because she cared for him in more than a friendly way, but how could he entertain the idea of dating someone. If only she knew that he promised his life and heart to another, no matter the time they were born to. He would only love Persephone, which is why despite her efforts to win his favor he found himself pushing her away most of  their lives. 

          "It's not really hard to beat ya when you stop every morning for that awful coffee." She teased, reaching for his briefcase so that she could go ahead and start getting ready for the day. Hades handed it over without a fuss, as she insisted to do this every morning. Hades assumed this small act of persistence was another attempt at flirtation. "I quite enjoy this coffee. It's always-"

          "Always a warm start to your day, I know." She finished, her eyes rolling as she put the briefcase by his desk and started to laugh a bit to herself. He joined her in the laughter, offering only a strained chuckle since she didn't know the true meaning behind his morning routine. He lowered himself to his chair, gently placing his cup on a coaster that called the right side of his dark wood desk home. He fixed a few papers on his desk and opened a drawer to grab his nametag.

          She walked past him, moving swiftly so that she could reach the waiting room's nurse area to grab her pen and notepad. The air that followed her caused a quick breeze to run by Hades, and he was assaulted by the floral scent of her perfume. "Jessica, when will you stop with that perfume." She came back, raising an eyebrow at him as she pointed the pen at him. "When you stop with that awful coffee. What's your damage? This perfume happens to by my favorite, you know." 

          In truth, Hades didn't hate the smell. The scent she claimed to be her favorite reminded him of the memories he had with Persephone. She was always bringing new life to the Underworld with her flowers and fruits. When she left the Underworld to be with her mother, she was known to help bury those that had improper burials so they could pass to their enteral resting places. She couldn't bear to leave souls behind to haunt the mortal realm. Her kindness is what made him fall in love with her. Her beauty had caught his attention, but her love for others and himself thawed his heart. He missed her so badly that even a familiar smell forced him to remember that he hadn't been able to share this life with her so far.

          "What are the appointments for today?" He tried to change the subject quickly, not really wanting to explain himself because she wouldn't understand. However, Jessica looked at him with her piercing blue eyes and challenged his attitude just as quickly as he changed the subject. However after a brief moment of consideration, she came to realize he was right about getting started for the day. It was surely going to be a long one. She straightened her back, corrected her posture and  continued without questioning his mood swing. She looked down at her notepad, holding the pen to her lips as she glanced down the words written down from the day before.

          "You have an appoint at 8 this morning, so they should be arriving soon. I've already gotten the room ready for them." She continued down her list, but Hades started to drift to other matters of the mind. He sat there quietly  and found himself planning out the rest of his day. Tonight he was going to see his brother, Poseidon. During their first Reincarnation, his younger brother had promised to help him find Persephone. That was when he discovered the curse that had been placed on them. Hades had never known pain until he looked into the eyes of his Queen and she did not know him.

          At the start, Hades had insisted they meet every day of the week. He was desperate to find Persephone and protect her until the God who cursed them could be found. However his brother had his own Zeus given job he was responsible for every lifetime he had. He also made sure to recruit his own followers so he could regain some of his lost divine power. Hades wasn't that kind of God. He gave up his powers long ago, because what good were they if he couldn't use them to find the one who held his heart? Jessica finished speaking some time ago, and the room was growing quiet as Hades swam through own his thoughts. 

          She hesitated only for a moment before reaching her hand towards him, gently placing it over his own hand in an attempt to bring him back. She looked at him with genuine concern, one that she knew was warranted. "You're seeing your brother today, huh?" In this life, Hades and Poseidon had been born to the same mortal mother. The only problem was they were adopted out to different families at a young age. The story they use for those outside of their divine world is they are estranged. They know little of each other until recently discovering their shared birth mother.

          Jessica was another person who believed this story, and why she was so concerned. To her, this was their weekly visit to try and get to know each other and it would make him a bit moody. In reality, he was just trying to find his beloved, his lost Goddess. It had never taken them this long to discover where she was, and that made him nervous. She could be in a life that she needed to be saved from, or even being held captive by another God who wished to use her against him. He could only think of the worst scenarios for a Goddess who was unaware of who she was. He just wanted to make sure she was safe.

          Her hand was warm and small compared to his larger ones. The sight made him remember a moment with his love, and the pain flooded his heart again. He pulled his hand away from hers, not really looking her in the eye in an attempt to push her away again. This was a terrible pattern to have with someone who just wanted to make sure you were okay, but Hades couldn't help it. Jessica reminded him too much of Persephone. 

          "I'll be fine, Jessica. I just hope my brother and I can figure out what kind of siblings we are going to be to each other." He rose himself from his seat and moved past her, trying to make sure there was enough space between them so she wouldn't get any wrong ideas. Her gaze traveled after him, concern shining in her eyes and creasing a few worry lines into her face. He grabbed his white coat from a hook on the wall. As he put it on, he looked at her and tried to give a better example of what happy could look like. He wanted to make sure she started the day in a better mood than himself. "Let's get going Miss Williams."