Enveloped in darkness, Ye-ji couldn’t make anything out. Her arms stretched out in front of her, she tried to feel her way around the enclosed space. Yet, no matter how much she felt around, her fingers were left hanging in mid-air. All Ye-ji could sense was her heart pulsating against her chest, thrumming with increasing panic and anxiety. Where was she?

“H-Hello?”

A low chuckle sounded to her right before she heard a snap of a finger. And just like that, Ye-ji was transported to a grandiose hall where a lone man was seated on a throne made of human bones. Ye-ji froze like a deer in headlights as she stared at the mysterious hooded figure whose eyes glowed a golden hue. His ashy skin glimmered under the low light, enhancing his toned muscles and jagged runes running down his forearms and torso. Silently, the man rose from his seat, carefully stepping away from his throne.

“Ye-ji Park, was it?”

“... Who are you?”

“Pardon the late introduction. I am Hades, ruler of the Underworld.”

“W-Why am I here? What do you want?!” Ye-ji asked, backing away from the immortal being.

“I wanted to meet you, but I won’t get into the politics of the afterlife.” Hades shrugged, standing face-to-face with the spooked mortal, “I am in need of your… aid.”

“With what?” Ye-ji raised an eyebrow. What would a god need her help for?

“Your friend has slipped under my radar, and I need you to bring her back to me. It’s important.”

“And why would I do that? It’s your fault for losing her in the first place.”

“Well, I thought you’d be interested since you were desperately looking for her earlier. I guess that friendship of yours is as shallow as a dish.” Hades snided, turning his back on Ye-ji, “This was a complete waste of time. I suppose I should revise her records and report her as missing–.”

“Missing? What’ll happen to her if you do that? Will you be able to find her more easily then?” 

Hades paused, side-glancing Ye-ji, “I thought you didn’t care about bringing her back.”

“Don’t put words in my mouth! Explain what’ll happen if you report her as missing!” 

“Why should I? You rejected my request, so I have no obligation to explain myself.” 

“You kidnapped me and then demanded that I help you with zero explanation of what’s going on. I’d be an idiot to readily agree, don’t you think?”

Hades pursed his lips, unable to argue back. What a smartass. Why can’t she just do as she’s told?! Annoyed, but needing her cooperation, the ruler of the Underworld let out an awkward cough, “Ahem. It’s a bit different from what you’re thinking. When a soul is reported missing, any god or demon who wishes to devour that soul may do so— effectively erasing its existence.”

“But… That doesn’t make any sense. Why would they–?”

“Because such souls eventually cease to exist after they roam the afterlife for a period of time. So why wait when we can at least gain energy and power by devouring the soul?”

“Then, are you saying Hee-yoon will…?” Ye-ji trailed off, her hands trembling at the horrifying reality.

“Who knows? Fortunately, her soul’s still tied to her body on Earth, so it’ll be difficult for a demon or god to consume her right away. But that doesn’t mean she’ll be safe, wherever she is.”

“She’s still alive?” Ye-ji’s eyes widened, hope shimmering in her eyes.

“You and your little friend are in a coma at the moment. The accident was pretty severe, so give or take, you’ll be here for at least six months in Earth's time.”

Ye-ji blinked, unable to formulate a response. Six months? That was such a long time… Wait, did this mean that everyone in a coma was in the afterlife, just waiting to see if they would live or die? Dang, that’s depressing as hell. But I guess I should be counting my lucky stars that we’re still alive. 

“Uh… So, if you don’t report her as missing, then Hee-yoon’s safe, right?”

“Not necessarily. The other gods of the Underworld are aware that she’s gone missing. It’s only a matter of time that other creatures of the netherworld learn that there’s a soul aimlessly roaming around. If that happens, I’ll have no choice but to list her as missing.” 

“What?! How does that make any sense? YOU lost her. Why does she have to suffer the consequences for YOUR incompetence?!” Ye-ji snapped, horrified at the fate awaiting her best friend. 

“That’s why I’m asking for your help, to prevent what I described from happening. And for your information,” Hades stepped closer, peering into Ye-ji’s rage-filled eyes, “although I’m a god, it doesn’t mean I’m perfect. I make mistakes just like you.”

“Don’t make excuses. You messed up and want me to sort it out. What a riot.” Ye-jin scoffed, scanning the deity from head to toe with a judging gaze, “Plus, how do I know that you won’t consume her? You could just be using me to get to her!”

The stunned ruler stared at Ye-ji for a minute before he let out an exasperated sigh. This lowly thing was starting to get on his nerves. How dare she lecture him and mock his attempt to fix the situation? I’ve never seen such blatant disrespect. Should I just kill her? 

Hades held out his hand to summon his bident, but decided against it. No, that’ll just make things more difficult for me. I’m better off trying to earn her trust. Hovering a hand on top of one of the runes etched into his left forearm, the deity began to chant an archaic incantation. A flash of blue flames flared out of his hand, burning away the engraved rune. Ye-ji watched in amazement as a glowing blue orb descended in front of her.

“Hold out your hand.”

Reluctantly, Ye-ji did as she was told. She expected the orb to scorch her, but surprisingly, it felt warm to the touch. The ball of light quickly dispersed under her touch, leaving a single golden ear cuff in her palm. Confused, she glanced at Hades, wondering why he was giving her a random piece of jewelry.

“Um….”

“It’s an ancient artifact that will protect you if you are ever in danger, which also includes me as a potential threat. It can only be used three times, so use it wisely.” Noticing Ye-ji’s skeptical expression, Hades rolled his eyes, “If you don’t trust me, ask God to confirm its purpose.”

“I’ll take your word for it… For now.”

“Look, I only wish to protect your friend from harm. As unlucky as it may be, you’re the only person that she’ll trust. Believe me, you weren’t the first choice on my list of people I’d send after that child.”

“…? Who’s the first choice?” Ye-ji frowned, offended that there would be someone more suitable to help her friend. 

“I would’ve asked her parents, but they’ve already passed on. The next choice was Song Yoo, but he’s scheduled to reincarnate today—.”

“What a load of bullshit.” Ye-ji hissed, irritated upon hearing the actor’s name. Of course he’d be on the list,  but why was he listed higher than her?!

“Figured you’d say that. So, yeah. You were fourth on the list.”

“… What’ll happen to me if I decide to help you? Will I also be deemed ‘missing,’ too?”

“Of course not. I swear under my name that I’ll do anything in my power to keep you and your friend safe.” Holding his hand out for a handshake, he expectedly gazed at the wary woman, “So, the choice is yours. Will you help me?”

~~***~~

Zadkiel anxiously paced in front of the sealed dimension that was protected by an ancient barrier that even the dominion angel couldn't recognize. He never expected Hades to come fetch Ye-ji personally. What if the immortal being was threatening that poor woman? It wouldn’t be surprising considering that the god of the Underworld was infamous for his lack of empathy and unrelenting nature.

“Should I try to break down this barrier–?”

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

“My Lord!” Zadkiel kneeled before his creator. I couldn’t detect his presence at all… Is this a side effect of this barrier?

“It’s plausible. This barrier alters one’s senses to confuse them. Quite effective if you need to make a quick getaway.”

“... I apologize. I should have kept a closer eye on the portal.”

“You wouldn’t have been able to stop him from entering. He is a god, and my brother, after all.” God smiled at Zadkiel before his violet gaze shifted back to the dimensional void. “I suggest you come out now, dear brother. I also have something I’d like to discuss with her.”

As soon as God spoke, the barrier that was holding up the void melted away, revealing its occupants. Hades cheekily waved at his older brother, a triumphant smile lighting his face. 

“Sorry for barging in, but as you can see, I had some pressing matters to take care of.”

“If it’s regarding Hee-yoon Lee, she is safe.”

“Hm. Only time will tell if she is truly ‘safe.’ Well, I’ve finished what I set out to do. See you around.” With a snap of his finger, Hades disappeared into a blue flame, which quickly flickered out on its own.

“Thank you for bringing her to me. You may return to your duties.”

“Yes, sire.” Zadkiel bowed to God, casting one more glance at Ye-ji before he too disappeared into thin air.

“Nice to meet you, Ye-ji. I’m sorry you’ve been dragged into this mess.” God smiled apologetically. “I’m sure this is a lot to take in all at once. But I assure you that Hades will not harm that child. He takes his responsibilities as ruler of the Underworld quite seriously.”

“You already know what we talked about in there?”

“I can surmise that he’s informed you of what will happen to Hee-yoon if she cannot be found.” God hesitated, his gaze filled with uncertainty as he asked, “Have you decided to help him?”

“I don’t know yet.” Ye-ji wrung her hands, guilt welling up inside of her as she stammered to explain herself, “I-I don’t want to lose her. She’s my best friend, and one of the few people I can trust to have my back. I know it’s wrong, but I’m scared of what’s going to happen… to me.”

Ye-ji stared at her feet, tears welling up in her eyes. She sounded so pathetic. If Heeyoon had been in her shoes, Ye-ji knew her best friend would have agreed to help in a heartbeat. But she wasn’t Hee-yoon, who was headstrong to a fault. Ye-ji had a life she wanted to get back to. She loved her career, her family and friends, and the simple home she had made all on her own. So how could she let all of that go with no hesitation? With no fear?

“No one will blame you for being scared of the unknown. There’s nothing wrong with that.” God softly spoke, sitting down next to Ye-ji, who was curled up next to the elevator.

“But what if something happens to Hee-yoon because I chose not to help Hades?”

“Even if something happens, you’re not responsible. She’s made her choice, and you, yours. No one can be— Actually, if there is someone to blame, blame Hades. He’s the one who lost that child in the first place.”

Ye-ji silently wiped away her tears, taking a few moments to calm down before she snuck a glance at God. “May I ask you something?”

“What is it?”

“… If I take Hee-yoon back with me, will things ever get back to normal?”

It was now God’s turn to go quiet. The divine being didn’t know how to respond to Ye-ji’s question. He could never find the right words to questions like these. There was no exact formula for how one’s life would turn out. Every choice led to a different outcome, a different consequence. Even now, the creator hoped he had made the right decision by sending Heeyoon to that alternate reality.

Rising from his seat, God stretched his back, “I hope so. But you won’t be able to take her with you right now.”

“Why not?” 

“She reincarnated to be with Song Yoo—.” 

“What?!” Ye-ji screeched, her eyes wavering with fear. 

She could never forget how Hee-yoon had spiraled into depression after Song Yoo’s death. Every passing day for the next two years had been filled with dread that Hee-yoon would wither away. How could Ye-ji let history repeat itself?

“That ‘history’ won’t happen again.” God firmly held Ye-ji’s gaze as he summoned the elevator again.

“… Why should I trust you?”

“You don’t have to trust me. But why don’t you go and witness it for yourself? Once you make your decision, whether it’s to return to Earth or to stay in that world with Heeyoon, I will adhere to your wishes.”

Holding the elevator doors wide open, God smiled at the round-eyed soul, 

 “The choice is yours.”

**NOTE: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.**