Dying the second time was nothing like the first time.

When Seolhyun opened her eyes, she knew she was in the Underworld, and she knew she was dead. Not like when she was stabbed by Seunghyub. Nope. She was as dead as everyone else around her.

She also didn’t end up on the banks of Ephti River waiting for Charon with all the other dead fellas; there would’ve been a lot of them there after all the fighting.

Her death was just all kinds of special.

When she opened her eyes, she was standing in the middle of Hades’ palace. The first things Seolhyun saw upon dying, though, were Persephone’s s and s.

Something seemed wrong about that being the first thing she saw in the afterlife.

She was too dumbstruck by the whole dying thing to do or say much of anything. Hades was already back, and when Persephone dropped her arm over her shoulders, she was too out of it to be freaked out about the Goddess being so close to her.

“Where’s Apollo?” Seolhyun asked, because she wanted to see him, needed to see him.

The arrogance that was typically present on Hades’ face was gone as he shook his head. “He will come when he can.”

Seolhyun didn’t like that answer.

Apollo should be here, not Hades. Apollo had promised to take care of her, but she had ended up dead in Hades’ palace, staring at the translucent, shimmery dress of Persephone. This was not what she’d expected when he’d sworn to make sure she was okay.

Hades strolled up to Seolhyun and clasped her cheeks. She flinched out of habit. “You did an amazing thing today. We will forever be in your debt.”

She jumped on that. “Then bring me back to life.”

He shook his head and smiled sadly. “I cannot grant such things.”

So she jumped on it again. “Then release Hyejeong from her promise.”

And he shook his head once more. “I cannot grant that either, love.”

“You can’t do anything?” Seolhyun demanded. “You’re a God and you’re–”

“It all is done, Seolhyun. It is over.” Looking at his wife, Hades nodded. “Take her to her final resting place.”

Her final resting place?

Seolhyun shuddered.

Persephone ushered her out the back of the palace, and at first Seolhyun was absolutely stunned by what she saw. It wasn’t like any part of the Underworld she’d seen before.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Persephone asked. “This is the beginning of Elysium, and it goes as far as the eyes can see. Like Tartarus, it is ever-changing, fitting to each person’s version of paradise.”

Elysium was… it was striking, and it looked so real, so normal, that Seolhyun’s heart ached at the sight. The sky was beautiful; cloudless blue and bright. The air was warm, scent of jasmine.

Did she find her peace?

“Your paradise will be what you decide, Seolhyun, and you can share it with others,” Persephone explained as Seolhyun stared over the lush rolling hills and, beyond, the rooftops of many homes. In the valley below, the tips of exotic-looking trees swayed, playing peek-a-boo with crystal clear waters below them. “It will be your choice.”

Her choice?

Seolhyun’s choice had been not to die.

Persephone took her hand, and the ground seemed to swallow themdri up. A second later, they were standing in an empty field cluttered with white and yellow daisies.

“This will be your paradise,” she said, and vanished.

And that was… that. She’d left her in an empty field.

Seolhyun stood there for an ungodly amount of time, until the sky overhead started to darken and tiny, brilliant stars appeared to blanket the deep blue of night. She learned a couple of things about being dead during that time.

Her lungs worked like they had when she was alive, because she kept feeling the air catch in . She could still cry, because quiet tears tracked her cheeks. She’d always though the sobbing, body-shaking tears were the worst, but she was wrong. Quiet tears fell in a way that scarred her soul and seemed to never end.

She’d also learned that, in death, she could still feel lonely.

But finally, after what already felt like an eternity, Seolhyun found her paradise. She closed her eyes, willing the tears to stop, and for some reason, she thought about Ephti Island, of the rolling waves and the clean, warm sand. In her head, she heard the seagulls and felt the wet spray of the ocean against her cheeks. And she thought of the small but perfect cottage.

Opening her eyes, she let out a little yelp of surprise.

She was back in Busan. She had to be, because the ocean rolled calmly before her, its waves a deep, dark blue in the night, and sand was under her feet. She could smell the sea salt and feel the dampness on her cheeks.

She spun around and cried out when she saw the cottage; a light was on in the window, glowing a soft yellow. She took off, slipping over the sand at breakneck speed. The door was unlocked, and the wood was warm and real, so real, in her hand. She threw the door open and realized that, even dead, her heart beat in her chest like she’d gulped a gallon of energy drinks.

Upon seeing the living room, Seolhyun pressed a hand to her chest. It was exactly how she remembered; a small, efficient kitchen to the right, a large couch and TV, and very minimal design. In a daze, she walked back the short, narrow hall, passing a bathroom and then entering into the spacious bedroom.

The bed was hers; the black sheets, the pillows, and the scent of the sea and something earthy of burning leaves.

But she wasn’t here.

Because she was alive and Seolhyun, well, she was dead.

Seolhyun spent hours in that bedroom, soaking up the girl’s scent, before she pulled herself away. She opened the back door at the end of the hall and saw the garden; an exact replica of the one on Ephti Island, the very one where she had met Grandma Choa.

Ripe blossoms and rich soils, trees she couldn’t begin to even name, and enough flowers to start a botanical garden. There was even an old stone bench.

Seolhyun turned back around, staring at the cottage.

Once she’d found her paradise and the sun came back up the following day, the others around her had become visible; Mortals’ houses and apartment buildings of all different sizes, and sprawling cities. And sunny palm trees and snow-capped mountain tops. It was a painful memory of every place in the world.

But that wasn’t all.

Paradise was simplistic, centering around needs but not wants. Over the course of time that seemed longer than normal days and nights, Seolhyun learned how paradise operated.

What you needed, you got. It was as simple as that.

If she needed to be hungry, she would be hungry. And if she needed a juicy steak, it would simply appear after closing her eyes. If she didn’t need to eat, there were no stomach pains. If she needed to wear jeans or a dress, all she had to do was open the closet, and there they would be.

Apparently when you died, you got an afterlife make-over.

Seolhyun’s hair was long again; it was the length it had been before Ares had given her the haircut. Reaching the middle of her back, the ends were neat, and the strands were shiny and soft. At first, she’d been obsessed with her hair, touching it to make sure it was still there, picking it up and waving it across her face.

Well, when you’re dead, it’s not like you have much else to do.

Up until that very moment, Seolhyun was still surprised by what she saw. Leaning in until her eyes almost crossed, she studied her reflection in the mirror. The fine network of faint pink scars was gone. They were also gone from her body. She’d been restored, but the afterlife makeover had gone further than that. The Demon tags she’d received when she was in Gimhae, those patches of pale white skin on her neck and arms, were healed completely. And if she pulled up her shirt, the jagged scar left behind from Seunghyub’s blade and the first time she’d died was gone too.

Underworld was like a scar-be-gone.

Except that special one.

Seolhyun rocked back on her heels of her bare feet, sighing.

Strangely, what took the most for her to get used to were her eyes. They were different. The irises were brown, like they had been before she’d Awakened, but there was a thin line of amber around the pupils. She didn’t know what that meant or why they were like that.

And she… she would’ve been so happy to see Seolhyun’s eyes brown again.

The inside of Seolhyun’s throat thickened immediately, and she squeezed her eyes shut. I will not cry. I will not cry. Crying was bad in the Underworld, she’d discovered. Once you started, it was hard to stop and could become a one-way ticket to the Vale of Mourning. And that didn’t sound like fun.

Tears pricked at Seolhyun’s eyes nonetheless.

She knew she shouldn’t cry, but it was hard because she missed her uncle and her dad. She missed Jisoo, Jennie, and Dawon. She missed Jimin and how easy it was for her to annoy her. But she yearned for Hyejeong something fierce. With each passing second, it only got stronger, more intense. It didn’t fade, Seolhyun’s longing for her, and she didn’t think it ever would.

“Seolhyun?”

Looking away from the mirror, she turned to the girl lying on her bed. Her shoulder-length black hair was pulled back into a ponytail, but shorter strands had escaped, falling across her tanned cheeks.

Every day since the first day after she’d died, Chanmi had been here for her. She’d spent time with her mom, with Lisa, and even with Rose, but she’d seen Chanmi the most. She felt bad for up so much of her time, because she was sure Chanmi and Lisa were trying to reunite for every free moment they had, but Seolhyun didn’t know what she would do without her.

“Come here,” Chanmi said, patting the spot next to her.

Seolhyun shuffled over and sat beside her. “Lisa’s going to cut me if you keep hanging out with me without her.”

Chanmi laughed, and each time she did, Seolhyun had to smile. She’d missed that laugh as much as she now missed life. “She’s not going to cut you.”

“I’m up all your time.”

“No, you’re not.” Chanmi reached over, tugging on the hem of Seolhyun’s shirt. “And she understands. Dying isn’t easy, Seolhyun. Not for anyone, and definitely not for you.”

Seolhyun arched a brow.

Chanmi tugged on the hem again. “Why don’t you come with me tonight? Me. You. Lisa. And Rose. Like old times. Rowoon, Taeyang, and Hwiyoung would be there too. There’s this club I found a few weeks ago, near the palms. I think it belongs to some Genuine whose idea of a ‘happily ever after’ is a nonstop party.”

Elysium was as close to living as you could get, and there were a lot of things to do, people to meet, and what not.

Seolhyun shrugged a shoulder.

“I think it would be good for you, Seolhyun. I mean it.”

“I know.” And Seolhyun also knew where this conversation was heading.

Chanmi didn’t disappoint. “You need to get out and be happy. I know it’s hard, but I’m worried about you. I’m scared. You could end up in the Vale, and there’s no coming back from that.”

“I don’t want you to be scared,” Seolhyun said, staring at her fingernails. They’d never been this smooth and buffed in her previous life. “But Apollo lied to me. He said he would take care of me.”

Chanmi didn’t say anything because this wasn’t the first time Seolhyun had said it to her. She’d been saying it like every day.

“And where has he been?” Seolhyun asked, lifting her gaze. Sympathy crossed Chanmi’s boyishly face. “Not once has he visited me. I feel like he used me, which was stupid, because he’s a God and that’s all they do, but I…” she trailed off, shaking her head. “I’m sorry. It’s the Seolhyun Twenty-Four Hour Whine channel.”

“It’s okay. Don’t apologize.” Chanmi patted the spot again. “Lie down with me?”

Stretching out beside her, Seolhyun stared at the ceiling. “This reminds me of our…”

“Last time together topside?” she supplied, and then laughed when Seolhyun cringed. “At least you don’t smell this time around.”

Seolhyun laughed as she shot her a glare. “You jerk. I didn’t smell then.”

“Hell you didn’t. You hadn’t showered in days.” Chanmi rolled onto her side, grinning. Her eyes literally glimmered. “You were stinky.”

“That’s so wrong.”

“Love you,” she replied.

Seolhyun’s smile spread, and honestly, if she could spend eternity with Chanmi, she might be okay. She might not go into the Vale, but that wasn’t fair to put that on her. Chanmi had made a life for herself… in the afterlife, but Seolhyun snuggled closer to her, into her open arms, and closed her eyes.

“It’ll get easier,” she promised. “It does.”

Seolhyun wanted to believe her, but she wanted Hyejeong and she wanted life, and paradise simply could not provide those two things.

***

Seolhyun wasn’t a big fan of the Ephensy garden when she was alive, but she kept finding herself in this one now. There was something calming and peaceful among the flowers. She kept coming back to the old stone bench, especially in the mornings. Maybe she thought Grandma Choa would magically appear and give her another messed-up prophecy for old time’s sake. That would be fun.

Or not.

Making her way down the marble pathway, her gaze skipped over the intricate designs in the sidewalk. Somehow she hadn’t noticed this before, but the carvings were the marks of the Elpis. Interesting.

She rounded the thick nightshade bush and lifted her gaze. She drew up short, eyes widening.

The bench wasn’t empty today.

Apollo sat there, hands clasped between his knees. “It’s about time,” he said. “I’ve been waiting for about an hour.”

Seolhyun stared at him, hanging open. “I… I slept in.”

He tilted his head to the side. “I hear you’ve been sleeping a lot.”

Seolhyun snapped out of it. “Where have you been?”

“I’ve been busy.” He stood, towering over her. “I came as soon as I could.”

“As soon as you could?” Seolhyun repeated dumbly. “It’s been more than a week!”

Apollo folded his arms. “Time moves differently here, Seolhyun. An hour or two here is a second in the Mortal realm. It hasn’t been that long.”

“Since I died?” Seolhyun crossed her arms, mimicking his stance. “I thought you were supposed to take care of me.”

“I did.”

Seolhyun stared at him for a moment, and then she exploded. “You threw a knife at me!”

“I did,” he replied calmly.

It had done something else entirely, as there were faint white marks on her chest, and those marks formed a shape. A straight line about five inches long with two lines looping around it, at the top, the design almost looked like tiny wings.

“It is my mark. One of them.” He said, smiling slightly.

“You hit me with the knife!”

“I did. I took care of you.”

Seolhyun’s eyes narrowed. “I’m dead. I’m not quite sure how that’s taking care of me.”

Apollo sighed. “As I told my father, unbinding you myself would not be easy. I wish I hadn’t had to do it that way. The last thing I wanted was to cause you pain. I didn’t enjoy any part of that. Well, besides the scary look on Athena’s face…”

Seolhyun’s head got tangled up on that, but there was something else important. “What about Jennie? She was hurt very badly. She…”

“She’s in Olympus. Healing.”

Seolhyun closed her eyes, but was unable to un-see the condition she’d been in. “Will I see her again? Soon?”

“Yes.”

That was a relief, kind of. She hurt for her, and Seolhyun needed to see her with her own eyes to believe that she was okay.

Apollo unfolded his arms and strolled up to her. He patted her on the head. Actually patted Seolhyun on the freaking head. “Come on. We have something we need to do.”

Seolhyun turned, half-tempted to spin-kick him in the head, and while she was sure she could break out some of the moves, she didn’t have any leftover of super cool Elpis powers. Spin-kicking a God probably wouldn’t end well.

Apollo glanced over his shoulder, exasperated. “Are you coming? Time is ticking.”

“Oh, I think I have, like, an eternity worth of time.” Seolhyun wanted to stay where she was, because she was feeling pretty damn childish, but she groaned and then followed him. “Where are we going?”

“You’ll see.”

Seolhyun made a face at him as she struggled to keep up with his long-legged steps. Pissed as she was at him, she remained sullenly quiet as they walked. They made it to the edge of the garden before she couldn’t hold back her questions.

“How is everyone?”

He looked at Seolhyun sideways. “How do you think?”

Seolhyun’s palms tingled, and anger heated her cheeks. “A part of me knew that this would be the outcome, but I hoped it would be different. I hoped because of what you said and what I was being asked to do. You let me down, Apollo. So the least you could do is give me a straight answer.”

His brown eyes deepened. Seolhyun knew she’d struck a score, but she didn’t care. What could he do? Kill her? A quiet voice whispered in the back of her head that he could drop her unhappy in Tartarus, but she doubted he’d ever do that, no matter how much she ticked him off.

Apollo sighed. “They’re not happy. Your uncle holed himself up in a room and drank himself into a stupor. Jisoo? Inconsolable. Your father? I’d never thought I saw that man cry. I think you know how Jimin feels. Maybe you don’t– not to the full extent, anyway. And Hyejeong?” He paused, and the back of Seolhyun’s eyes burned. “I have never seen someone break the way she did. And she broke. Set half the damn Ephensy on fire. If her sister hadn’t showed up when she had, I’m positive that she would’ve stayed in the burning building. Is that what you wanted to know? Did it make you feel better, Seolhyun?”

“No,” Seolhyun whispered, her chest aching as if someone had split her wide open. Tears welled up and spilled down her cheeks. She wiped at them hastily. “That didn’t make me feel better at all.”

“I didn’t think it would, but you insisted.” Apollo headed around the front of the cottage, the cottage Seolhyun wasn’t sure she could even look at now. “People loved you, still love you. Mourning is never easy. But they will heal, and they will continue to live.”

And Seolhyun wanted that, she wanted them to move on. Even as badly as she wanted to see them again, she didn’t want them here. They deserved to live.

“The concoction is no more,” Apollo said. “I thought you’d like to know that.”

Seolhyun looked up at Apollo as they crossed the beach, the sand warm under her bare feet. “Thank you.”

“Some of the servants will have lasting effects from being on the concoction for so long, but many are functioning well. Many are presented with options they’ve never had before.” He stopped, several feet from the edge of the lapping waves. “After Ares’ defeat, an emergency Council meeting was called. Jisoo was given a spot on the Council.”

Seolhyun’s mouth dropped open. “Are you serious? Our Jisoo? Oh my Gods, that’s… wow, that’s awesome. How did it happen?”

A small grin appeared on his lips. “Only a few days have passed, but a lot has happened. Hyejeong took her spot on the Council as well.”

Seolhyun in a shallow breath as pride swelled through her. “She did? Her parents…”

“She did. With her vote, among others, they officially revoked the Breed Law and gave those rights I promised you back to the Myxs.”

Oh, my Gods, Seolhyun felt like she needed to sit down. This was major.

“She also gave up her seat afterward. She gave her seat to Jisoo. That girl can take it whenever she’s ready.”

Seolhyun’s eyes widened. “Wh-what? I mean, that’s great, but why would she do that?” Then fear poured into her chest like ice. “Oh Gods, Hyejeong’s going to be okay, right? She’s not going to do anything stupid–”

“She’s not going to do anything stupid. She will be okay,” Apollo responded. “Change is coming for our society, Seolhyun. It will take some time, but it will happen. Just like you will come to accept your new path.”

Thrown off by that last statement, Seolhyun took a step back, away from Apollo. “My new path?”

“Yes, it’s time that you start to move on.”

She gaped at him. “I just died!”

“And apparently enough time has passed for you to get ticked off about me not coming to visit you immediately.” Apollo smiled widely at Seolhyun’s death glare. “Remember what the Myxs usually did with those who died?”

“What?” The change of subject left her spinning.

“You guys used spirit boats as a way of moving on, didn’t you?”

Seolhyun frowned. “We did separately after the funeral. I did for Chanmi and my mom. Were you peeping on me then, Apollo?”

He ignored that. “I think you need to do the same thing for yourself.”

“What the what?” Seolhyun stared at him, stunned into stupidity. “You want me to set a spirit boat into the ocean that’s meant for me?”

Apollo nodded once more. “I think it’s the perfect idea. It will be symbolic and hopefully a new start for yourself.”

Several seconds passed while Seolhyun waited for him to yell ‘just kidding’ and slap her on the shoulder, but he didn’t. “You’re serious.”

“Do I look like I’m joking?”

Actually, he looked like he wanted to hit her. “But that is so… weird.”

“It is not weird.” His gaze dropped over her. “But you should be dressed nicer than this, like you were when you did it before.”

Seolhyun’s mouth opened, but before she could utter a word, Apollo snapped his fingers, and her clothes changed. They changed while on her body. Jeans and sweatshirt, her choice of afterlife attire, turned into the black tube dress she’d worn the day Chanmi and she had set the little spirit boats free for her mom.

Smoothing her hands over the soft material, she lifted her gaze. “That’s… that’s creepy, because there had to be a split second when I was , old man, so don’t do that again.”

He shrugged and then held out his once-empty palm. Not so empty now. A spirit boat rested in his hand, candle and all.

Seolhyun hesitated. “You’re really going to make me do this.”

“Yes.”

Fighting the urge to roll her eyes, Seolhyun recognized that Apollo wasn’t going to be swayed on this matter. And it was strange. Ever since Apollo had killed her, she’d imagined letting loose on him hundreds of times, but now that he was here, holding a damn spirit boat in hands, she didn’t have it in her.

Maybe because she had agreed to become the God Killer, knowing how it would probably end.

Shaking her head, she took it from Apollo. The moment her fingers wrapped around it, a tiny flame encased the wick of the white candle. She held the fragile spirit boat in her hands. “You know this is twisted, right?”

“You need to let go of your old life, Seolhyun.”

“My only life,” she muttered.

Apollo didn’t respond to that.

Exhaling harshly, she turned toward the ocean. Sun glinted off the waves, and she knew the water would be warm and foamy, because that was how she liked it. But walking out to those waves with a spirit boat meant for herself wasn’t as easy as anyone would think.

She stood there for several moments, so many thoughts racing through her head as a soft breeze rolled off the ocean and stirred her hair. Could she really do this without laughing or crying? Because she wasn’t sure if it was funny or just really sad. And was she ready for this? Contrary to Apollo’s annoying opinion, she did just die. Was she ready to move on? Did she want to?

That was a tough question.

She wasn’t sure that a spirit boat would be the answer, but it wouldn’t hurt to try. And who cared if she felt a little stupid for doing it? She was dead. Not like anyone was going to judge her here.

Taking a deep breath, Seolhyun forced her legs forward. The sand gave way under her feet, and water tickled her toes. She kept going until the water foamed just below her knees. She stopped, staring down at her boat. She’d done this before. Hadn’t she said that her mom was in a better place? She was, Seolhyun saw her yesterday. They pulled weeds in the garden together. So wasn’t she herself in a better place now? No more looming threats of death or dismemberment. No more messed-up Fate or duty. No more loss.

There was just the loss she’d already suffered.

Letting out a sigh, Seolhyun bent down and placed the spirit boat in the ocean. Her fingers lingered for a second, and she said the only thing she could think of saying. “Goodbye.”

And so she let the boat go.

Straightening, she watched the waves carry it off, further and further out until she couldn’t see the boat anymore. She wasn’t sure she felt any better, but she thought it was a step in the right direction.

She turned around, about to yell back at Apollo and ask him if he was happy now, but as her gaze flickered over the God, something else caught her attention.

Her heart stopped.

Uh, dead or not, it was possible.

Air froze in her lungs. Seolhyun couldn’t blink, because she was terrified that if she did, what she was seeing would vanish, because it couldn’t be real.

She couldn’t be real.

Hyejeong stood at the shoreline, the water curling around her ankles, dampening the hems of the jeans she wore. The breeze caught the edges of her white shirt, lifting them slightly, and played with her locks of dark, wavy hair. Rays of sun kissed her broad cheeks, and from that distance, Seolhyun could see that her eyes were a breathtaking, fierce silver. She was smiling.

She was smiling at Seolhyun.

“Hey,” Hyejeong said, and oh my Gods, it was her voice. A voice Seolhyun had thought she wouldn’t hear again for a very long time; or maybe never again.

She placed her hand against her chest as worked. “Is this… is this real?”

Hyejeong’s smile spread. “This is real, baby.”

Seolhyun couldn’t move.

“Seolhyun,” she called, laughing softly.

“How are you here? Oh my Gods…” Seolhyun’s gaze darted to Apollo. “Is she dead? You said she would be okay! That she wouldn’t do anything–”

“I’m not dead,” Hyejeong interrupted, stepping forward. Waves lapped up her calves. “Come out of the water and we’ll explain.”

Seolhyun was held immobile for another second or two, and then it seemed to sink in. Hyejeong was here. A cry parted her lips as she sprang into action. Holding her hair back from her face, she half-stumbled and half-ran toward the beach. Hyejeong came forward, meeting Seolhyun halfway.

Throwing herself at her, Seolhyun nearly knocked her down, but Hyejeong regained her footing, wrapping her arms around Seolhyun’s waist as she pulled her against her chest. The feel of her, warm and real, against her chest was wonderful and sent a thrill through Seolhyun. Her scent, the mixture of sea and soap, filled her.

It also ripped her right open.

Tears fell from Seolhyun’s eyes as she burrowed against Hyejeong’s chest, squeezing her so tightly she was surprised she wasn’t hurting her. Though Hyejeong held her the same way, whispering in her ear the words Seolhyun couldn’t understand above her sobs. And she was speaking, but the words didn’t make much sense.

But finally, Hyejeong’s hand slid up to her cheek, leaving a trail of fire in its wake, and she made this deep sound in her chest a second before her lips brushed across hers. Another cry came from the depths of Seolhyun’s soul, and the kiss deepened. The kiss reached into her, wrapped its way around her heart. And she kissed her back, tasting the salt of her tears and of the sea on her lips.

Apollo cleared his throat.

Slowly, as if they had all the time in the world and didn’t have an audience, Hyejeong slowed the kiss down at her own pace, nipping at Seolhyun’s lower lip as she lifted her head. Seolhyun was breathless as she opened her eyes.

Hyejeong kissed her forehead and then eased her down onto her feet. Keeping an arm around Seolhyun’s waist and tucking her close to her body, she turned them toward Apollo and they went back to the sand.

The God was smiling. Not the creepy smile that he usually graced the world with, but a real one.

“How?” Seolhyun asked, clutching the front of Hyejeong’s shirt as if she planned to hold her there. “How is this possible? Is she visiting me? Is she–?”

Hyejeong chuckled as she smoothed her free hand under Seolhyun’s chin. “I’m not visiting.”

Seolhyun’s heart almost imploded at that, but she didn’t understand.

Apollo took pity on her. “Remember when I told you that I would take care of you? It was a promise I wasn’t going to break, but this… this is not all me.”

“It’s not?” Seolhyun still held onto Hyejeong’s shirt.

“I knew that this could be the outcome long before you agreed to it,” he explained. “A lot of things in life aren’t fair, and there are lessons to be learned from that, but there was no lesson to be gained in your death. So when I took you to Olympus after your first fight with Ares, I made sure that, no matter what happened, you would be rewarded.”

“By giving me Hyejeong?” Seolhyun asked, and well, while she really appreciated that, it didn’t seem fair to Hyejeong. Elysium was nice and all, but it was the Underworld.

“No,” Apollo said. “I gave your mother a drink to give you. Remember? I told her it would help you heal?”

Seolhyun remembered that. “It tasted good, but… strange.”

That smile was back, tipping his lips up at the corner. “It wasn’t a normal drink. It was Ambrosia.”

Seolhyun’s lips slowly parted as she stared at him. Ambrosia? No wonders that it’s her mom’s favorite flower… The nectar of the Gods? Those who were gifted with Ambrosia became immortal. “I don’t understand. I’m dead. That couldn’t–”

“You had a Mortal death, Seolhyun, but you are not truly dead, not like those around you. By setting the spirit boat free, you set the next stage of your existence into play. You are immortal. To get technical, you are now a Demigod.”

Seolhyun’s jaw was on the sand. There were no words. None at all.

“Human illness will no longer touch you. Mortal wounds will not kill you. But for every gift, there has to be an exchange,” Apollo continued. “You did have a Mortal death, and my brethren were not aware of what I’d done. They say it will upset the strands of Fate if there is not an exchange. Follow me?”

Uh, no, but Seolhyun nodded.

“You will have to spend six months in the Underworld, six months Underworld time, and then you will be allowed to spend six months Mortal time, in the Mortal realm.”

“Like Persephone?” Seolhyun shook her head when he nodded. “Holy Gods, I don’t know what to say. Thank you and– wait!” Her heart jumped as she looked up at Hyejeong. “If I’m immortal, then what about Hyejeong? She can’t stay in the Underworld for six months. I don’t understand.” Not that she was ungrateful, but she was thoroughly confused. Hyejeong had said she wasn’t visiting, and Seolhyun knew she was missing something. “Someone help me?”

“That’s the other half,” Hyejeong said, dropping her chin and kissing the top of Seolhyun’s head.

“And that had nothing to do with me,” Apollo said. “I would’ve made sure that Hyejeong could visit you when she could and for however long she could be here, but this… this is all because of Jimin.”

Seolhyun blinked. “Jimin?”

“If you’re surprised, just imagine how I felt.” Hyejeong’s arm tightened. “Jimin made a deal with Apollo and Hades before I even knew what was going down.”

“What deal?” Seolhyun looked at Apollo. “What deal did Jimin make?”

“First, you must understand that Jimin never should’ve been, Seolhyun. You were always meant to be the only Elpis, since you came from my lineage, and Jimin knew that. To her, for you to be the one who died, she couldn’t live with that,” Apollo explained, and Seolhyun’s skin chilled. “When she came to me, I told her that you would be fine. I told her that you’d been given Ambrosia, and I explained the exchange to her. I even told her that you would see Hyejeong again, and that in the end, you were being taken care of and you would be happy, but that wasn’t enough for her.”

Seolhyun fought a tear she didn’t realize she was holding.

“She knew that, when Hyejeong died, her soul would go to Hades, and who knows what mood Hades would be in when that day came. And in the end, you would out-live Hyejeong. You would have to watch her grow old and die while you stayed the same during those years she aged. Jimin didn’t want that for you.”

Hyejeong’s hand smoothed over Seolhyun’s cheek as she spoke next. “Jimin offered an exchange. She offered her servitude to the Gods, which is needed, since no one can find Perses and none of the Olympians can kill Jimin.”

“We need her on our side, so we were willing to deal,” Apollo confirmed. “She offered her servitude and obedience in exchange for an Ambrosia for Hyejeong. And then she offered to Hades to take Hyejeong’s place once she died. And as you would guess, Hades was over the moon with the prospect. We accepted.”

Seolhyun’s eyes widened. She didn’t know what to say. Jimin… oh my Gods, Jimin… “She gave up her life to the Gods, basically?” And knowing Jimin, that would drive her absolutely crazy. “And when she dies?” Seolhyun shook her head, beyond words.

What Jimin had done was unbelievable. She’d sacrificed so much. She cared for her so much. She knew Seolhyun would be eternally happy with Hyejeong by her side.

Her heart was pumping fast. She wanted to cry again. She probably had. And she wanted to laugh, and she wanted to find Jimin and shake her because she hadn’t needed to do this. She shouldn’t have. Her future with Hyejeong wasn’t more important than her own future, no matter how badly Seolhyun wanted that.

She was blown away.

“Jimin didn’t want you to know she did this, and while I have honored most of her requests, I felt you needed to know what she has done for you. She gave you this, Seolhyun. She gave Hyejeong this. And I know it is hard for you to accept. And it was hard for Hyejeong to fully accept, surprisingly,” Apollo added dryly. “But it was Jimin’s decision, and it cannot be undone. And when you go topside in six months, you should find her and thank her.”

Seolhyun was actually going to hug and squeeze and love the girl. Then smack her. And then hug and squeeze and love her again.

“We are not sure what it does with your connection. You are no longer the God Killer, as you did die a Mortal death, but this has never been done before.” Apollo shrugged. “You may still be connected once you’re in the Mortal realm. You may not be. We don’t know.”

There was so much Seolhyun wanted to say. Her head was spinning. She hadn’t expected any of this, especially not what Jimin had done. She had given them everything. She couldn’t imagine how she could repay her, but Seolhyun would find a way one day.

Apollo’s smile was soft then, the most human thing she’d ever seen from the God. “Her journey is not over, Seolhyun. And neither is yours. Or Hyejeong’s. Remember that.”

Choked up in a ridiculous way, Seolhyun nodded and then, without any warning, Apollo faded out. She stared at the spot where he’d stood for a long moment, then turned into Hyejeong’s embrace.

One side of her lips curved up. “We owe Jimin a lot.”

“Everything,” Seolhyun agreed, her fingers still digging into the front of Hyejeong’s shirt. “We owe her everything.”

Hyejeong lowered her head, brushing her lips over Seolhyun’s. immediately opened to hers. She sank into her, ready to–

“Oh. I almost forgot.”

Seolhyun jumped a good four inches off the ground at the sound of Apollo’s voice, which was right in her ear. “Oh, my Gods, will you ever stop doing that?”

“No. Make sure you give Hades some hell while you’re down here.” He winked, and then he disappeared again.

Hyejeong looked from where Apollo had been, then to Seolhyun, and then laughed. “Do they have bells in Elysium?”

A laugh bubbled up in Seolhyun’s throat. “Yeah, I’m sure they do. You kind of need something, and it appears. Like, if you want to eat some Jjajangmyun, you get Jjajangmyun.”

“Really?” Hyejeong laughed again, looping her arm around Seolhyun’s waist. “What about Big Macs?”

“Yep. Even Big Macs.”

“Wow. This must really be paradise for you then.”

The knot of emotion was back in Seolhyun’s throat again. “It… really isn’t. I’ve missed you terribly. I…” She stopped herself.

Hyejeong pressed her lips together as she smoothed her thumb along Seolhyun’s jaw.

Seolhyun bit down on her lip, hoping this didn’t make her come across like a total creeper. “It made me happy, and it felt… it felt like you, so it turned out to be a part of my paradise.”

Hyejeong’s hand slipped down her arm, and she threaded her fingers through hers. When she spoke, her voice was rough with emotion. “Show me?”

Seolhyun led her into the cottage, and as she looked around, seeing