Being immortal wasn't fun, as many believed. Persephone knew all about it.

She presumed that she'd be happier about her immortality if she hadn't been doomed to stay in the Underworld half the year, together with her husband. It was not only a curse, but it also limited her powers. She felt weak and sickly during he stay there and she disliked every single second of it.
Hades wasn't necessarily unkind to her, as you might think. He was caring and tried to bring flowers to her whenever he could. But living things aren't supposed to survive in the Underworld and it took the flowers only a matter of hours before they turned into little piles of ash.
Despite that, they had a reviving purpose and to Persephone, they were like drugs. They didn't actually make her high – that was a feeling only humans could indulge themselves in – but they did give her strength. Together with her mother, they were the goddesses of agriculture, of plants and flowers and that was her strength. Together with her husband, they were the gods of the Underworld, but she had found that it gave Hades a lot more strength when she was with him than it gave her strength.
Whenever Persephone stayed in the Underworld, her mother, Demeter, wept and mourned for her daughter. The plants died and winter came during those six months. Whenever she came back up, the plants returned and the farmers could grow their crops. Mother and daughter were one, and when one of them cried, the other did so too.
The world wasn't completely the same if Demeter and Persephone were separated and neither goddesses felt complete without the other.

Due to the excessively dying of the plants and otherwise dooming the future of the earth, Hades had agreed upon a deal. Persephone was allowed to go up for six months every year but had to return for the remaining six.
The compromise was quickly made and since that time, Persephone returned to earth six months a year – also known as spring and summer.
Her months on earth and on Mount Olympus were the best of the year. Persephone preferred to spend them among humans. The other gods and goddesses were often even naggier and more annoying than the Lord of the Underworld. The only immortal she spends time with was her mother, Demeter, but even those visits didn't last long. Persephone liked walking among the mortals. She liked it because they were so normal. Normal because all they ever worried about were their schooling and their jobs and what to eat for dinner. They didn’t look further than the next day and couldn’t recall what they did the previous day. It seemed like a peaceful life.
Their souls weren't doomed like hers and they didn't have to worry about such things. All they did was spend their lives happily and then die. It was perfect.
And even though they contributed to the perdition of the earth with their filthy cars, they managed to make up for it with their kindness and good hearts. Most of the time they didn't even know what they were doing, so for Persephone, it felt like she was getting angry at a child. They didn't know nor could understand the impact of their choices and it would be in vain to try and explain it to them.
On top of that, the earth would recover, with or without humans. Persephone and Demeter would personally make sure of that.
Only Persephone was a lot more open-minded about that than her mother was. Whilst Demeter bore a grudge towards mankind, Persephone liked to surround herself with people. Again and again, they proved to her that they had a kind heart. And yes, there were a few exceptions, but even the gods had their bad days. Humanity couldn't be blamed for the few humans who were spoiled, rotten, especially not because they were created by Zeus. If the gods turned their backs towards humankind, then they needed to look at themselves thoroughly first.

Since Persephone didn’t like to be in Mount Olympus when she was free from the Underworld, she liked to take form as a girl. A young woman. A goddess was ageless, but the woman she took form in was in her early twenties, it seemed. With long, brown wavy hair, flowing down her back and eyes of the same brown colour. High cheekbones, almond-shaped eyes and pink lips. Cute when she laughed, gorgeous when she did not. Persephone went by the name Krystal on earth. Krystal Jung. Or, Jung Soojung.
Persephone did not care whether or not she was desirable or not, but the looks men – and sometimes even women – gave her when she walked by were enough to indicate that she wasn’t a common beauty. She knew she shouldn’t stir the hearts of mortals, but sometimes it felt good to be liked. Perhaps that’s how Zeus felt whenever he jumped in bed with some girl, she wondered. The only difference between Persephone and Zeus was that she had a lot less demi-god children than him and the last few centuries she had almost not had contact with anyone.
Even though she spent the most time on earth out of all the gods and goddesses, she had the fewest kids. It wasn’t like she didn’t like the company of people – in fact, she loved it when she could be around them, even if it was just to talk about the weather – it simply happened that her heart wasn’t shaken often. Most of the time, she focused on the beauties of Mother Nature and loved to get indulged into the wonders that the humans called plants instead of the longing gaze the mortals gave her.
At least, that was until a certain person changed that.

It was the first day of August and with that, Persephone’s – or Krystal’s – last month on earth started. August was one of the most beautiful months but also one of the saddest. Persephone knew that the end of her stay on earth neared and that she’d have to leave for the Underworld soon again. The Underworld which bleached her, which robbed her of her power and which sickened her physically and mentally… She always dreaded the day she had to go back.
Therefore, Persephone decided to spend most of her days in the area around Los Angeles. There was a beautiful park full of blooming flowers near a residential district which had caught her attention at the end of June. Persephone had stayed around ever since, visiting the park at least once every few days, every day if she could. Now that the end was nearing, she wanted to enjoy it as much and as long as she could.
Even though she spent much time in the park, she never noticed the young woman staring at her from across the street, not even once. At least, not until she sat down next to her on the wooden bench. It had made the goddess look up confusedly since she had not expected that anyone would come near her. Not only were there a dozen other empty benches, but she had also experienced that mortals often thought of her as unapproachable, whether it was because of the harsh expression that was displayed on her face whenever she eased her muscles or the fact that she always was alone and wore kind of outdated fashion was still a mystery to her. On top of that, her physical appearance either attracted the wrong, rude kind of people or no one at all. They all seemed to be a bit scared of her.
But not this woman. Not her.
She had sat down next to her and was now watching her with an alert, curious gaze. There was a broad, somewhat cheeky smile on her face.
“What are you doing?” she asked her. Persephone blinked, still somewhat startled about the sudden appearance of the young woman.
“Watching the flowers,” she replied carefully.
Persephone let her gaze run over the young woman’s face when she turned to watch the same flowers she had looked at a few moments ago. She had jet black short hair, which you didn’t see often. Only the last few centuries the number of women with short hair had grown a bit, but it still was uncommon, Persephone had noticed.
A sharp jawline, high cheek bones, deep, brown twinkling eyes. Her smile was broad and somewhat cheeky like she had just done something she wasn’t allowed to behind the back of authorities. She wore comfortable, masculine clothes, but they seemed to fit her better than they would on any man. None of that was remarkable separately but combined they created this special vibe that even Persephone was intrigued by. It didn’t happen often that a goddess was intrigued, especially not Persephone.
Eventually, the girl turned her head to the brunette again.
“Aren’t flowers supposed to make you happy? You look so sad,” she commented. Her broad grin had weakened until a small smile and the twinkle in her eyes expressed worry. Worry. She worried about Persephone, a complete stranger. This girl was a perfect example of a human with a good heart. Why else would she bother to worry about a stranger’s well-being?
Persephone smiled weakly.
“Isn’t it a shame that they’ll disappear soon?” she asked, as she turned her head towards the sea of tiny forget-me-nots.
“It is,” the woman agreed. “But they will return next year. You don’t have to be sad because of that.”
Persephone sighed.
“But still… half a year, isn’t that too long?” she muttered.
“It is long, yes… but they will always return, you can be happy about that. It’s the circle of life.”
Persephone looked up. The girl met her gaze and smiled friendly. The goddess let out a small sigh.
“I suppose so,” she said. “And there’s nothing we can do about it…”
They sat in silence, watching the flowers, for a couple of minutes. Persephone pulled her legs up to her chin and wrapped her arms around them. None of them spoke and even though they had just met, Persephone did not think of the silence as uncomfortable. There was no need to say something and she was glad that she didn’t have to. Somehow, the presence of the woman next to her reassured and calmed her more than she would have expected her to.

Eventually, the short-haired stranger stood up. Persephone’s head snapped up, following her motions.
“If you want, I can show you a much more cheerful place than this,” she offered, whilst sticking out her hand in Persephone’s direction. She motioned that she should grab it. The cheesy grin on her face made the offer almost irresistible and caused the goddess to almost immediately take it.
“Please,” she said. Please, show me more of your world.
And she did.

The woman took her with her towards her car. Persephone knew that normal human-beings didn’t get into a car with a stranger. Mothers warned their children about abductors, people who’d hurt them. But she was a goddess and could not die. She could do whatever she wanted without dying. Nothing on earth was dangerous enough to do that and she, therefore, did not feel fear nor any nerves when she got in the car with the stranger. Instead, she was excited. Her belly twisted and turned and there was a constant smile on her face, even though she tried to suppress it.
They drove and drove. The radio was on and the girl could sing along to almost every song that came on. Her voice was beautiful and high and it reminded her of the Muses. If only they knew, Persephone thought amusedly, that they are not the only ones with a voice of gold.
It took them hours to arrive. They had left Los Angeles long after them. Persephone had not seen a house in the last half hour. Eventually, they stopped at an abandoned parking lot. There was a sign with ‘Angeles National Forest’, but it was so old that the letters were barely distinguishable from the piece of wood.
The girl parked her car and they got out. She reached her hand to the goddess. For a moment, all she could do was stare. But her hand seemed to live on its own and it connected with thestranger’s. Together they walked into the forest, their fingers intertwined.

Their weight made the already fallen leaves under their feet crunch as they walked. For a long time, they moved in silence. Persephone enjoyed the trip. The air was fresh – fresher than in the city. Nature was incredible and if you listened carefully, you could hear a duet of blue jays and the rhythmic ticking of woodpeckers. It was calming and it made Persephone forget that she was about to leave for the Underworld soon for a few moments.
At a certain moment, they left the trail.
“Do you know where we are going?” she asked. Her question only made the beautiful stranger chuckle. She shook her head slightly.
“Of course.”
And so, Persephone followed her, still holding her hand. Together they hiked through the woods – her long, white dress wasn’t made for such things and they were slowed down by the impractical piece of clothing – never letting each other’s hand go.
Eventually, after half an hour, the girl stopped. She placed her hands in front of Persephone’s eyes. The goddess could hear her chuckle.
“Trust me.”
And she did.
Persephone was led step by step forwards by the woman. She was clutching her hand, just to be able to hold onto something. The girl shushed her, telling her that they were almost there and that she only needed to wait a little more.
Persephone heard leaves rustle and felt branches streak against her arm. The two hands were taken away from her eyes.
When she opened her eyes, tears welled up.

They stood at the edge of a large open space in the midst of the woods. The first thing Persephone saw was a sea of purple. When her eyes grew accustomed to the light, she noticed that it was an ocean of periwinkle-coloured flowers. They were surrounded by salvias, anemones, wild indigo, blue-eyed grass, wild hyacinths and more. The colours were overwhelming and almost hurt her eyes. Tears ran freely over her cheeks as she slowly stepped forwards, careful not to step on one of the plants. Persephone didn’t bother to cover them.
She slowly walked towards the middle of the field, mesmerized and dazed by all of the impressions. She almost forgot how to breathe.
At a certain moment, she felt the girl’s hand slip into hers.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?”
Persephone could only nod, unable to speak, as her eyes darted from one place to the other.
The field was surrounded by closely placed together trees. The sun, which had burned hotly all day, was starting to set, causing beams of sunlight to peek through the gaps between the trees. It caused the purple to come out even better.

At a certain moment, Persephone had kneeled to study one of the flowers better, still with a lump in . She went from kneeling to lying and soon the young woman joined her. Together they laid on their backs in the field. They were watching the flowers, which swayed from left to right when a slight breeze rushed along. They watched how the sun was setting and how the sky turned blood red, orange and yellow before growing darker and darker until there was nothing but a black sky and twinkling stars.
When the sun had almost disappeared, the short-haired stranger propped herself up on one elbow, turning on her side so she could eye Persephone. The goddess turned her gaze from the sky to her and met her smile with an equal genuine, although weaker, smile.
“What’s your name?” the girl asked her.
“Krystal,” Persephone muttered, although it took her a second longer than a normal person would. To most people, she did not have to think twice when she had to introduce herself as Krystal Jung, but some were testing her ability to keep her true identity a secret because they made her feel so comfortable and safe. This girl was one of them.
It always amused Persephone that a human could make her feel safe. Shouldn’t it be the other way around?
“I’m Amber,” she introduced herself. “Nice to meet you, Krystal.”
“Likewise.”

After that day, they often met in the field. Amber wasn’t always there to take her, although they often went together. The girl turned out to be quite busy and more often than not, they met in the field.
The first time Amber and Persephone met in the field, she had stayed after Amber had left, wanting to enjoy the flowers a bit during night time. But as soon as her beautiful stranger had left, the flowers turned a lot less beautiful. Persephone had blamed it on the fading light, but her heart knew it was something else. If you lived as long as she had, you started to recognize the feeling of falling in love. She was not afraid to admit it so – many gods and goddesses fell in love and they seemed to be even more prone to it than humans – but she was scared about where it would lead her.
She did not try to stay in the field when Amber was not there after that. Instead, she went to towns nearby. In her opinion, the smallest towns were the most beautiful, but she never wandered off further than a couple of hours from the field so that she could rush back when she got a text from Amber.

With every meeting, she came to know a little more about the person who had stolen her heart.
She was a singer – that explained the voice as pure as that from an angel – and she was in the United States for a longer period because the group she belonged to had little activities at the moment. Amber showed her their music videos and Persephone couldn’t help to smile the whole way through. It was almost an art to see her Amber like that, especially the live versions. She looked so alive; she looked so happy. She saw that happiness mirrored in her eyes when they were together. That sparkle, that twinkle, caused Persephone to fall even more for her.
A mortal writer had compared falling in love to falling asleep; first slowly, then all at once. That wasn’t entirely true, or perhaps it was different because she was an immortal being. It felt more like accelerating in a car. At first, you drive with 20 miles per hour, but as you accelerate, you start to fall faster. That was what it felt like.
It felt like coming too close to a black hole. The closer you came, the faster you went until you hit the speed of light and got in because of the immense gravity.
Amber had had this special energy around her that had pulled Persephone into her car at their first meeting. After that, she was only pulled harder and faster towards her. With every second they spent together, her heart started tolongue more for her.

And when she left, she did not feel whole anymore. Persephone reckoned that this was the same her mother felt when she went off to be with her husband in his realm. She, too, felt lost and robbed of her powers in the Underworld, but she had always known that it affected her mother more than it affected her. Now, she finally understood what Demeter was going through because she experienced it first-hand with Amber Liu.
Persephone started to pity Zeus and envy Hera. If Zeus felt like this every time he went to earth and fathered a son or a daughter with a human, then how was he still able to function? If his heart felt as heavy as Persephone’s did when he was forced to leave his new-born on earth without someone to take care of it, how was he able to rule?
She envied Hera because she never fell in love. She had barely ever broken the rule to not hook-up with a human. Persephone wished she could block herself so easily from people. Or perhaps she could – because there had not been many to capture her heart – but Amber was just an entirely different story. Everything about the girl screamed that she was different and exactly that difference from everyone else was the thing that pulled Persephone in deeper and deeper until she drowned. And she liked to drown, that was the weird thing.

Persephone went home with Amber one time. When she wasn’t in Korea, she stayed at her old home, which she had been embarrassed about, but Persephone did not mind.
No one was home when they had arrived. The women had spent their day on Amber’s old room – it had been incredibly adorable to see the young version of her – whilst Amber had played on her keyboard. She was originally a singer but had shown interest in writing songs. She sang a little bit of the song she was working on now, which was called ‘Queen of Flowers’.
Persephone had had to wipe away a tear, just like she had had to on the first time Amber had shown her the field with the periwinkle flowers.

Persephone was not the one who made the first move. She had promised herself long ago that she would not because she wanted to protect her status as a goddess and keep herself and the other person from getting hurt. If she was still able to turn them down, she would do that as well, but she knew from the start that if Amber ever laid a hand on her with an intention that was romantic rather than platonic, that she would not be able to withstand it.
Their first kiss happened in the field. Amber had brought a picnic blanket to prevent their clothes from getting dirty from the wet soil. It had recently rained, which caused the grass to be covered in dew when they arrived early in the morning and an amazing smell to spread through the air. Nothing – literally nothing – on earth smelled better than wet earth in the morning. The rising sun was still weak and made Amber’s face glow up when she had propped herself up on one elbow to watch Persephone. At first, she had not noticed the desirable gaze the dark-haired girl looked at her with, but when she turned her head to meet her with a smile, it slowly faded from her face. Amber was frowning as she studied her like she was a hard maths piece she had to solve.
“What’s wrong?” she asked her. Amber slowly shook her head.
“I was just wondering…” she murmured. “I was thinking about how I know almost nothing about you, and yet I come here every day to be with you, without getting to know you better.”
Persephone laid her hand over Amber’s, pinching it reassuringly.
“Does that bother you?” she asked, tilting her head a bit to the left.
“Yes and no,” Amber answered with a sigh, “I want to know what’s going on inside your head. Not being able to interpret youis making me uneasy, to say the least.”
“Why would you feel uneasy around me? Have I ever done anything to make you feel bad?” Persephone asked her. She did not bother to push herself up to meet Amber’s height. She wanted to stay lower than her, she wanted to give Amber the power to decide. It was a rare sight, even for a rather humble goddess like Persephone to lower herself beneath a human. But Amber was worth every second.
“No, of course not,” Amber replied immediately, in shock that Persephone would even dare to ask such a thing. “It’s just that I want to get to know you. I want to know everything. What you like to do when you’re not here, with me… What you dream about… What your ambitions are… I mean, I don’t even know your favourite colour… You know so much about me, but I have no idea who you are.”
Persephone smiled.
“And yet here you are. If this frustrates you so much, then why would you stay?”
Amber stared at her for a long time. Persephone reckoned that she must be thinking hard whether to get up and leave or stay here with her, but in fact, she was thinking hard about whether to kiss or not kiss her. The temptations, the need to fill a lonely heart, won over the logic to turn away and Amber bowed down.
Persephone had gasped when their lips made contact. If she hadn’t kept her eyes open – because the kiss had overwhelmed her, to say the least – in the first few seconds of the kiss, she wouldn’t have known that Amber was this close. She had placed her lips so slightly upon Persephone’s that she was barely able to feel it. But as soon as she noticed that Persephone wasn’t going to pull back, she deepened the kiss, pushing the goddess’s mouth open with hers and curling her hand around her neck to keep her steady. Persephone cupped her cheek with her hand as their lips moved against each other; at first softly but the kissing turned more eager when they both started to feel how good it was to let out these butterflies which had been tormenting them since the moment they had first laid eyes upon each other.
Persephone did not need oxygen to keep her alive, but Amber did and they had to break up when Amber was getting light-headed. They stayed close when the kiss ended – their foreheads leaning against each other and their lips close enough to resume the kiss immediately if needed to be – but distanced themselves far enough to be able to talk. Amber was panting against her lips and nothing in the world had felt better than that. Persephone’s heart was racing and her mind was clouded by the smell of wet soil combined with Amber’s own smell – a mixture of something sweet that reminded her of tropical beaches and something salty that was unmistakably a leftover of the ocean running in her veins. She smelled like a summer breeze; she smelled like freedom.
“It’s periwinkle,” Persephone muttered, as a smile started to grow on her lips.
“What?” Amber said, still confused about the kiss. Their eyes met and Persephone laughed – a sound like ringing bells – when she saw how thirsty Amber looked. She kissed her cheek and moved to her ear after that.
“My favourite colour. Periwinkle.”

After that, whenever they met, their meet-ups were mostly spent staring at each other instead of the flowers. They shared kisses and cuddles, curled up against each other when it was cold and swam in a small lake nearby when it was scorching hot.
They spent their time together as a couple and with every get-together, Persephone became more and more convinced that Amber loved her too. She also noticed that with every kiss they shared, the ending of August came nearer too.
Eventually, she was forced to tell Amber about what was going to come. She reacted with incomprehension and sadness when Persephone told her that at the end of August – when all the flowers would die – she had to leave. She let Amber pull her own conclusions about why she needed to leave because it would not do her or Persephone any good if she explained that she, in fact, was a millennia old goddess who could roam the earth for eternity. No one wanted to hear that; no one would believe that.
Amber begged her to stay, offering her to stay at her place if that was what she needed. She was allowed to come with her to Korea or take shelter at her parents’ house if she wanted to. Persephone declined her offers with much difficulty.

Amber’s ever so cheerful mood was ruined drastically after that and there was nothing Persephone could do to turn her back into the happy young woman that she was before. Every kiss felt like it was their last one and it pained her heart to see Amber like that.
“Why can’t you tell me why you have to leave?” Amber had asked her. “It seems like you’d rather stay here; you hate it to leave. Why would you leave if you hate it there?”
Persephone had taken her hand in hers and pressed a kiss on the back.
“I have to,” she simply said, but Amber had shaken her head because she sensed – knew – that it wasn’t simple at all.
“You don’t have to. No one forces you. Do you expect me to sit still and watch you go whilst it pains you so much to leave? Do you think it doesn’t hurt me, even more, to see you like that? I can handle waiting for you; I’m glad to wait for you if you promise to return, but it hurts me to know that you won’t be happy there.”
Persephone took her face in her hands and kissed her long and tenderly. When they broke apart, she smiled, albeit weakly.
“I will have something to look forward to. Next year, I will be able to return, if you want.”
“Are you crazy? Of course I want to!” Amber exclaimed. She placed her hand upon Persephone’s, which was still cupping her cheek sweetly.
“Then we have a deal? I will come back if you wait for me,” the goddess suggested. Her heart beat loud and fast against her ribs during the seconds that passed which took Amber to answer. It felt like an eternity.
But when she saw that famous cheeky smile, she knew everything was good.
Amber bowed forwards and kissed her again.
“Deal.”

Despite their agreement, they weren’t less sad at the day Persephone was supposed to leave.
At the first of September, she felt the Underworld move under her feet. She knew her husband was waiting for her. All she had to do now was say goodbye to Amber.
To make it appear more normal, she let her drop her off at the airport. Perhaps it would make more sense. It would at least seem more human and it would help Amber cope for sure.
She let Amber drive her and take out her suitcase with belongings – new clothes she had bought from stores to make her appear normal – from the trunk when they arrived. The girl had been awkwardly quiet during the ride, but she had gripped the wheel tightly until her knuckles had turned white. Her jaw had been tensed and she didn’t sing along to the songs on the radio, even when her favourite song got .
Persephone felt sad about going back to the Underworld, but she felt even sadder to see Amber like that. She knew how much it’d hurt her to leave her alone, but she simply did not have a choice. This agreement between her, Hades and Demeter was as old as the gods themselves and there was nothing she could do about it. She had tried to withstand and oppose against in the first few decennia, but fighting tired her – yes, even goddesses grew tired – and she had eventually budged. Broken, she had simply given in. It’d be the best for everyone if she just willingly went with her husband.
They said goodbye together in hushed voices, almost inaudibly. Their mind had long ago accepted that they would not see each other for a long time, but their hearts still ached for each other. Amber locked her in a tight embrace, one that made Persephone feel lonely already. She nuzzled her face into the girl’s neck, breathing in her scent, trailing her hands over her body to remember every inch.
They didn’t kiss on the lips – the airport was too public for them to really get lost in each other – and instead Amber let her lips trail a path from her jawline to her collarbone. Quick, feather light kisses that weren’t ual and invisible to the eyes of the people who passed.
When they bowed back, Persephone saw that Amber had to blink away tears, even though she tried to hide it. The goddess cupped her cheeks with her hands and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
“I will be back,” she promised her. “Watch out for me. When the first flowers appear in spring, I will be there.”
Persephone hugged her one last time before she retreated. Amber could not smile back when Persephone showed her one last smile before she turned around and blended into the human mass of the airport.

Almost as soon as Amber was out of sight, she felt a strong hand lock around her upper arm. Persephone did not have to look up to see who it was: she recognized the smell of burned charcoal and cypress from a mile away.
When she looked up, she saw that her husband had taken the form of a young man. A little taller than she was – he always wanted to be taller than her, no matter how tall she made herself – with deep, dark eyes and black hair that fell in front of his face. He was attractive, with a sharp jawline and plump lips that would be able to form a nice smile, if he wanted to. Only Hades barely smiled and that gave him a dark look. Together with a long, dark grey coat, a black turtleneck and grey jeans, he truly seemed like the Lord of the Underworld.
He didn’t greet her but simply intertwined his fingers with hers. It felt strange and unnatural after having done that with Amber so many times.
“We should not engage with mortals,” he only said. Persephone raised her eyebrows.
“Because we are superior?” she asked mockingly.
“Exactly.”
Hades led her away from the human mass and she walked along, knowing that he sought a spot where no one would be able to see them.
“What differentiates us, hmm? We are only immortal humans, nothing more, nothing less. We have proven countless of times to fall in lovelike them, to be vengeful like them, to be selfish like them. We are nothing better.”
They had had this conversation often. Her husband believed that the gods were indeed superior to the people on earth. Persephone, on the other hand, was more open-minded, especially after encountering Amber. Perhaps it was because her husband only saw death and grieve and never left his dark world. Maybe he’d never be able to see the beauties of this world; the beauty of humans.
“But we don’t forget,” Hades said. “We are the eternity, Persephone. These creatures only temporary. Let this girl be an example for you. Next year, when you will return, she will have forgotten all about you. She will not remember you and will move on with her life because that’s what humans do. But I do. I will always care and remember you. I will always be there for you. That is what makes us superior.”
Persephone sighed, slowly shaking her head. She already missed Amber – she missed her a lot.
They managed to escape the human mass and find a quiet hallway. With a flick of his hand, Hades made a hole appearin the floor, with a staircase that ascended into the darkness.
“Now come, my love. I have your supper ready and your bed is made the way you like it,” Hades purred. “Come.”
He led her down the stairs. As soon as they had disappeared, the hole closed and there was no sign that there had ever been two immortals.

Six months passed and as soon as Persephone was allowed to go up again, she ran. It was early spring and the seeds had grown out until juvenile plants.
It took another week before Amber showed up in the field, but their reunification was as glorious as the fall of the Persian empire. They spent the entire spring and summer together. Persephone even went back with her to Korea and spent her time there. There was no way that she would leave Amber now that she was back again.

They managed to keep up their relationship for three years. Three times, Persephone disappeared into the Underworld and returned six months after that. Amber still didn’t know who she was and Persephone preferred it that way. After the second time, she didn’t ask any more if she wouldn’t tell her where she went during those six months. Persephone had thought that she had given up and just accepted that she wasn’t able to stop her. It neither laid in Amber’s nature to stop her. Persephone loved her for that.
But when she returned for the fourth time, Amber wasn’t there March 20th; the beginning of spring. It was remarkable; after three years, Amber knew when and where Persephone would be without having to think twice.
Only a few weeks after, she returned to the field, with a face that had fallen with grieve. The goddess immediately knew something was up when she wouldn’t run towards her, tears running down her cheeks because she had missed her so much. The smile which she bore on her face slowly faded. A frown appeared on her face when she noticed that Amber stayed away from her and watched her from across the field.
When Persephone walked towards her, Amber didn’t walk up to her to meet her in the middle. She let her come towards her and pointed her gaze towards her shoes when they met. The brunette placed her hand on her cheek, but she leaned away instead of leaning in and quickly, she took her hand back.
“What’s wrong?” she immediately asked. Subtlety wasn’t her strongest point; she had never been taught to. She guessed it would also be better to immediately address the problem, instead of ignoring it.
“I found someone…” Amber muttered, not daring to look Persephone in the eye. “A girl. And she makes me happy, Krystal.”
Persephone blinked confusedly but then nodded. A small sigh escaped her lips and she hoped Amber hadn’t noticed it.
“I-” she stammered. “I get it.”
Amber looked up, her eyebrows knitted together in a frown.
“Is that all you have to say?” she asked.
“What else do you want me to say?” Persephone asked. Her voice was flatter than usual, perhaps because she had already accepted it. She knew that one day they had to break apart.Because of death and otherwise, because Amber’s heart had moved on. You could not uphold a relationship if you weren’t there half of the time. Persephone would be able to uphold it – she was immortal, she’d have eternity to be with her lover – but Amber would not. She had thought about this moment long ago, knowing it would happen sooner or later. Now that it was here, she was able to accept it quickly. That did not mean her heart didn’t ache like it was just ripped into a thousand pieces.
“I don’t know. Something,” Amber exclaimed grimly. “Something more than that. I waited for you, Krystal, I waited. I longed for you and when I kissed that girl it felt as much as a relief as it made me feel guilty. Because I want you but I want you the whole year round, I can’t bear it to have to let you go like that. And now you just tell me that ‘you get it’ and you’re able to let me go? I waited for you, I held myself back for you and you’re just letting me go? Do you I mean nothing to you?”
Amber’s words stung – they hurt her more than anything had ever hurt her. She knew that she should fight for her and dear Zeus, she wanted to so badly. They still loved each other; their relationship was worth saving. But the deal with Hades… She would not be able to. She couldn’t break it, she wasn’t strong enough.
So instead, she smiled weakly and took Amber’s face in her hands. Amber did not shy away, but the look she gave her was full of hurt and resistance.
“My dear Amber,” Persephone purred. “Don’t wait for me, don’t dwell on me. Be with her and be happy. We were not meant to last, we both knew that. After all, I have to-”
“-leave when the flowers do, yes, I know the tale,” Amber said sourly. She shook her head and sighed in distress. “Honestly, I gave so much of myself to you and I have no clue who you actually are. It’s like I didn’t mean anything to you at all, otherwise, you would’ve told me more.”
Persephone shook her head slowly.
“You don’t even know how wrong you are. I love you, Amber Liu, but would you wait for me your entire life? Would you wait months after months for my return? Even if I promise to be here, every year again, would you still wait for me? My act to let you go is an act of selflessness so that you can be unconditionally happy with someone who doesn’t cause you pain every time they leave. Be with the girl whom it’s the easiest to be with. If she makes you laugh until you cry and kisses you with such passion that it makes your heart flutter, then that’s good enough. You like her and she likes you. Who am I to take your happiness away, so selfishly, and claim you as my own when I break your heart every time again?”
Tears had started to leak out of the corner of Amber’s eyes and she looked away, hiding the stream of tears running down her cheeks. Persephone took her hand in hers and pinched it reassuringly. Amber’s body shook, but there was very little she could do to calm her down. This was something you had to come to terms with on your own and to hug her now would only make it worse. It took her a few moments to calm down.
“S-so, this is it, then? You are not coming back?” she asked her with a shaking voice.
Persephone smiled weakly.
“I can come back. But whatever was going on between us will stop, if that’s what you’re referring to, yes.”
“What if I don’t want it to stop?”
Amber watched her with a mixed look in her eyes. Tears were still leaking out of her eyes, but they were filled with need as well. Persephone understood her completely because she wanted her too. But now that the opportunity had arisen for Amber to be unconditionally happy, she had to go through with it. Otherwise, it would only hurt more if they postponed their break-up.
Persephone smiled tragically.
“My love,” she purred,”-one day, you will understand. But for that, years must go by. Years you should not spend waiting for someone you can never be with.”
Persephone kissed Amber’s forehead.

They broke apart after that day and agreed not to see each other for the rest of that summer. To make it easier for herself – and for Amber – Persephone disappeared towards Europe, trying to find peace in the calmness of the Alps. Her heart hurt gravely and for once, she was glad to return to Hades.
The year after that, Persephone had recovered enough to check in on her former lover. She did not want to meet her since the pain was still fresh, but she watched her from a distance, trying to make sure if she was okay. A lot of days, she noticed her hang around a short, young woman. About her age, maybe a little younger, with long, brown, wavy hair that resembled hers. But whilst it gave Persephone’s body something mysterious, it made her appear adorable. Her laugh was tingling like bells and her smile broad and shining. She gave off the vibe of a young puppy, constantly excited about everything. It made Amber laugh and that was enough to convince Persephone that the girl was perfect.
Persephone knew who she was. The girl went by the name Sunyoung – nicknamed Luna – and was part of the group of girls which Amber performed with. She had smiled at that, knowing that Sunyoung would take good care of her Amber.

Every year, she’d check upon Amber and Sunyoung. Every year again, they still had not broken up, which gave Persephone hope that Amber had forgotten about her, or at least had stored her away in her memories. She knew that Amber would never forget about her because she would never forget about Amber. But knowing that Sunyoung made her smile again was good to know and the goddess wished them the very best.
It did not take more than a few years before they had declared their love for each other. Persephone noticed the beautiful, sparkling ring around Sunyoung’s finger and the somewhat simpler design around Amber’s. They lived together in a small apartment in thecenter of Seoul. Amber barely returned to the United States and when she did, she did not go to the field anymore, like she had done in the first few years after they had broken up.

The more days passed, the more Persephone was convinced that Amber was truly happy now. And even though she rooted for her and Sunyoung, she could not help to let a little note behind.
Their apartment laid close to a park, one that resembled the one in which they had first met. Every year, she made sure that thousands of little forget-me-nots were blooming, turning the field in a blue ocean.
Whenever Sunyoung tried to plant seeds and grow flowers, she made sure that they would grow out to forget-me-nots, even though she had planted rose seeds. Every time again, she showed the flowers to her wife, in awe that the only thing that would grow in their garden were little blue flowers.
Persephone didn’t know whether Amber would get the hint, but after a couple of times of this small miracle, her gaze had turned knowing and her smile had softened.
“Just grow these, I like these better than roses anyway,” Amber had told her, before pecking her cheek. Sunyoung had just gone with it, not understanding what her spouse clearly did understand.

She watched Amber age, have kids and watched them age. Amber and Sunyoung grew old together and eventually there was nothing left in life anymore but death. Amber Liu died in her bed at the age of 89 with hair as white as snow.
Up until that point, Persephone had always sent her forget-me-nots but after her death, Sunyoung never saw them again.

They met in the Underworld before she was sent off towards the Asphodel Meadows, the place where the ordinary souls went who had not achieved anything impressive. Whilst Amber had always been impressive to her, Hades would not think so. Or perhaps he did it to teach her a lesson; it seemed more likely that he wanted to show off his dominance. She’d never knew.
Amber’s eyes had widened when she had seen her, dressed in a long white dress which accentuated her already pale skin and dark hair and eyes.
“K-Krystal…” she had sputtered, reaching out to her. Persephone smiled and nodded.
“I told you that you had to wait many years before you understood why I had to leave you every time, do you remember?” she asked her. Amber nodded eagerly.
“B-but, I don’t understand. You are-”
“A goddess. One who is trapped in the Underworld half of the year and is able to return to earth the other half. My dear Amber, you have to believe that I never forgot about you. Every day, I watched out for you.”
Amber nodded knowingly and let out a deep sigh.
“I know, I felt it.”
Persephone smiled. She bowed forwards and kissed her wrinkled forehead.
“You lived a happy life, I am glad for that. Now, enjoy your retirement, my love.”
Amber stared at her in a daze when she was taken away from her, to the Asphodel Meadows together with the others souls who had been sentenced to stay there during. Persephone watched her go with tears in her eyes.
Hades joined her not soon after.
“What does it feel like, having to watch her go?” he asked her.
“Better than I thought it would,” she admitted. “I stand with my decision to let her go, but that doesn’t mean I did not miss her with all my heart.”

After that, the Underworld was a lot less unpleasant than it used to be. Whenever the days occurred that Persephone felt like she was dying, she went to the Asphodel Meadows and sought her lost lover.
Not soon after Persephone and Amber had reconciled, Sunyoung joined them. She turned out to be better than the goddess had thought and soon she met with them both. Visiting Amber and Sunyoung in the Asphodel Meadows made her stays in the Underworld a little more likeable, but her trips to the earth a little less exciting. Persephone slowly became the goddess she used to be before; with a dislike for her husband’s realm and moderate enthusiasm for going up to meet with Demeter.
For years, Amber was her joy; she had enlightened her more than any flower could have. She had not felt immortal then. When Amber was still alive – and waiting for her – she felt like any other mortal, waiting to be reunited with their lover. Whether you went to college in a foreign country or went to stay with your godly husband in the Underworld had barely mattered. She still felt the most mortal – the most human – when she had been with Amber. And when she had to break the girl’s heart, she had broken her own heart too and it had truly felt that way. The first few days after their break-up, Persephone had felt like she was dying; that she was losing her immortality.
Persephone reckoned that that was another thing she could add to her list the gods had in common with humans. Even though they were not truly mortal, she had felt that way.

Did that make her the first mortal goddess?
Giving up immortality for Amber Liu had been worth it… if only she could have.