I sat on the cold tile, hands shaking, heart racing.
I didn't move for a long time. The apartment felt empty. Silent. Too quiet.
I didn't know how to feel...
Should I feel anger?
Guilt?
Every possible negative emotion was swirling up inside me, tightening my chest.
Eventually, after I notified the chef, the time came to force myself up. I had to go to the funeral.
The Greek Orthodox church was small, but grand in its own way.
Stained glass windows caught the weak winter sun, painting red, blue, and gold patterns across the floor.
The smell of incense hung heavy in the air, thick and sweet.
The coffin sat at the front. Open.
She looked peaceful, like she was sleeping. Her small, stubborn smile, the tilt of her chin—gone. Now motionless and pale.
Distant family and strangers murmured prayers. The priest's voice was deep and steady, chanting the "Kyrie eleison" over and over.
My mind kept flashing to her coughing at home, her fragile body, my failures. I should have been there. I should have—
I pressed my hands to my face. I tried not to cry in front of everyone.
Tried not to scream at the unfairness of it all. Tried not to feel like the world was laughing at me.
Outside the priest's voice and the soft murmur of prayer something felt… wrong. A shadow flickered in the corner of my eye. I blinked. Nothing.
Probably exhaustion.
The air felt heavy, like someone—or something—was watching. My stomach clenched.
I looked at her face one last time.
"I'm sorry, Eleni" I whispered.
"I'll bring you back. Somehow."
That hope was the only thing that kept me going.
The hope that this cruel god was at least honest and powerful enough to grant me this... whatever the cost.
The ceremony went on. People lit candles. The coffin was lowered. Words like "rest in peace" and "may God grant you eternal life" filled the room. I nodded along.
Then I saw it.
A figure at the back of the church. Not human.
Limbs too long, shadowy. Features blurred, but I could feel its eyes on me. Everyone else passed by, not seeing a thing. Only I could.
I froze.
Just keep breathing.
I saw a god yesterday...
Words floating...
There are definitely other things out there....
I tried to focus on the priest again. Tried to say a silent prayer. But the figure moved. A long step closer, then another. Shadows seemed to bend toward it. The incense hung heavier in the air. My throat went dry.
A faint pulse began in my skull. Like a heartbeat, but not mine. It throbbed in my temples and behind my eyes. I stumbled to the nearest pew, clutching the edge for support.
[Activation detected…]
My stomach dropped. My hands shook harder.
[Initialization…complete.]
The world shifted for a fraction of a second. The shadow flickered again, then vanished. My pulse hammered in my ears.
[System detected: compatible.]
I sank to my knees, dizzy. A strange energy ran through me. a distant gaze.
[Patron: HADES — observation: active.]
[Contractual bond: active. First contract pending.]
The priest finished the final prayer. Candles flickered. But there was something else here, watching. Something alive.
I whispered her name again.
"Eleni… I'll bring you back. Somehow."
I clenched my fist.
Outside, winter hit my face like a slap. Cold. The streets hummed with life. But I could see the cracks. Shadows stretching too long. Shapes in the crowd that weren't human. Something moving just beyond the edge of my vision.
And the pulse in my head, faint and insistent, whispered again:
You are marked. You are watched. Prepare.