Wandering alone in the darkness, deep down in the netherworld, is Hades, Goddess of the Underworld. She walks slowly but determinded with her head held high. A majestic crown, made out of the feathers of harpies, rests on her long black curls. The train of her beautiful dress flows behind her, glowing in the dark, while she walks around her kingdom. Her light footsteps don't make any sound, no one can see her, nor hear her, unless she wants them to. In the distance, she hears the growl of Cerberus, her three-headed hound, trusted with the task of guarding the diamond gate to her palace. Cerberus's growl can make the most toughest man shiver out of terror, but not Hades. The hound, as scary as he may look, is her only companion in this dark, joyless place where the dead slowly fade into nothingness. The Underworld, her kingdom, her home. She, Hades, guardian of Hell, collector of souls, rules this place. Five rivers, three realms and a palace, with rooms made out of silver and gold, so magnificent that even the beauty of Olympus can't compare. All hers, everything there is, from the deepest depth of Tartarus to the last drop of the river Styx, it all belongs to the Goddess herself.
And yet, she can't help but feel lonely. Especially now, that her wife Persephone joined her mother Demeter again in the mortal realm. During these six months, where the goddess of the harvest and the goddess of spring were reunited, the earth blossoms, the harvest is rich and the sun shines again. But down in the underworld, the earth is not blossoming, no flower shows its face, the sun doesn't shine. The kingdom stays cold and dark. There is only one small part in the land of the dead, where nature shows its face. Just behind the palace is a small garden, filled with beautiful flowers, colorful trees and even a waterfall. This garden was created by Hades for her queen, but without her, she didn't dare visit the garden. Its wonders would only mock her pain. Persephone, queen of the underworld, the love of her life! Oh, how she misses her so! Only Persephone could make this hell a home.
Frustration grows in Hades's heart. Annoyed, she tries to focus her thoughts on something else, something pleasant which was surprisingly difficult while being surrounded by dead people. She places her gaze on Tartarus, the place where justice is placed upon the sinners and disgraceful. A sight that would normally heighten her spirits, but unfortunately today that was not the case. It displeases her that she feels this way. After all, she is a Goddess, one of the three most powerful gods, part of the twelve Olympians. How dare she feel such pathetic emotions! Loneliness and weakness don't have a place in her kingdom of power. She is Hades, wielder of the bident, a weapon so powerful that it can shatter everything in its path. She deserves respect, she deserves to be worshipped like her siblings, but instead she is feared by the humans, so much so that they don't even dare say her name. How can she be the ruler of the Underworld, have her own kingdom, and yet doesn't receive the same admiration like the other gods. The world of the dead is a miserable place and Hades is only a constant reminder of the faith every human shares, no matter how rich, tall, strong or important you think you are. She knows how much death scares those foolish mortals.
Still, she's not the god of Death, that's Thanatos. She doesn't kill anyone unless she absolutly has to. She is not this horrible monster everyone makes her out to be. You can earn her respect if you truly desire it. Proof yourself worthy and she helps you with your quest. Yes, that's her, the goddess of many names. Aidoneus, the unseen, Pluto, the wealthy one, Orcus, the killer. She is cruel, she is fair, she is beautiful, she is powerful, she is the queen of the Dead. Wasn't it her that brought Cronus to his knees, brought him to justice, her own father, and wasn't it her that agreed to take the Titan with her to the Underworld, imprison him in the darkest pit of Tartarus. The earth trembles under her feet, her anger seems to project itself on the kingdom. Fear spreads in every soul that crosses her path. No, no, she has to calm herself, no need to get angry, no time to dwell in dark thoughts.
She watches the ferryman Charon bring new souls across the river and pities the ones left behind, trapped forever between two worlds, feeling lost and alone. Hades, goddess of the Underworld, ruler of Hell, and yet just a lost soul like many of us.