For the days that had passed since Yina’s birth, you were left to rest and gain your strength. Sometimes you caught up on rest, at other times you simply cuddled into your husband’s side as you watched your husband coo and hum to his baby girl. The constant smile on his face as he held her, made your heart swell with happiness. He rarely left, the Underworld left in a standstill. He couldn’t stand to be away from his family, not now when he was finally truly happy and he didn’t want to miss a moment. He loved being able to your hair softly as you slept, he loved to watch his daughter as she began to discover her existence in the world. In the days since her birth Yina barely left her father’s arms.

You both agreed that your daughter was the most beautiful baby you’d ever laid your eyes on. You couldn’t have asked the gods for a more perfect child. Her little chubby cheeks that flushed a perfect rose color, her newly opened eyes that resembled your husbands, her adorable little nose, her tiny fingers that clung around the finger of whoever was holding her. Your little family was now completely perfect. You couldn’t think of a better way to spend the past few days. You loved your little bubble, but you knew it would have to be announced sooner or later that your precious Yina had entered the world.

A bolt of lightning cracked near your bedside, breaking the silence of the room and inevitably cracking your little bubble a lot sooner than anticipated.

“Just how long did you think you would be able to hide my niece from me?” Hakyeon chuckled.

You watched as your husband visibly stiffened. He knew how affectionate Hakyeon could be at times. Ever since you’d announced that you were having a baby, Hakyeon was always around getting ready for the arrival. The nursery was already packed full of toys and other necessities and Yina hadn’t even been born. Hakyeon approached his brother, looking down at your daughter. He gasped, a smile breaking onto his gorgeous features.

“She’s beautiful Ravi, truly she is.” He patted his brother affectionately on the back.

“She looks like her mother,” Ravi smiled proudly, Yina’s chubby cheek with a single finger.

“I see you in her too, brother. But, yes she has inherited her Mother’s beauty. Have you given her a name yet?” Hakyeon chuckled.You couldn’t help but noticed the slight rise of your husband’s shoulders as he smiled proudly at your daughter.

“Yina,” you replied.“Yina?” Hakyeon repeated. “Is it a family name?”You shook your head,

“Ravi chose the name, it just seemed to suit her.”

Hakyeon smiled brightly, “That it does. A beautiful name for a beautiful child. May I?” He gestured towards Yina. You tried to bite back a chuckle at your husband’s childish pout as he held your daughter closer to his chest.

“Husband, he won’t harm her. She’ll be alright if you let her out of your embrace for a minute”, you assured lightly. It took a few moments, but he reluctantly surrendered Yina into Hakyeon’s arms. You watched happily as Hakyeon gleamed down at your child.

“Are you going to tell your Mother and Father?” Hakyeon asked. “I’m sure they’ll be overjoyed to meet their perfect little grandchild.”

You hadn’t discussed it yet, but you knew sooner or later your family would be barraging the little cottage in the village where you stayed on the days Ravi could stay in the human world.  

“We haven’t really spo-” you began, only for your husband to interrupt.

“We have not discussed it yet, but Yina will be staying here. She’s safe in our home above the Underworld.”

“Husband, shouldn’t we at least discuss this? I mean, Yina is part human after all. My family knows of my pregnancy. What shall they believe if they never see their grandchild?”

Ravi processed your words but refused them.  “No. Yina isn’t leaving the Underworld.” He grunted. You gasped, your mind reeling back to the same bluntness and possessiveness of your husband that once terrified you. You thought he was beyond this.

“But Ra-Husband. They’re her family too. You cannot keep her away from them forever.”

“I am her father, and I say she’s staying here! That’s final.” His voice echoed throughout the Underworld, anger bubbling through his words. You stood shakily, taking Yina gently out of Hakyeon’s arms.

“Thank you for visiting Hakyeon. If you’ll excuse me.” You turned heading out of your shared bedroom and into the nursery, kicking the marble door closed behind you.

Ravi sighed, hands raking through his hair.

Hakyeon huffed, heading beside his brother and placing a hand on his shoulder.  

“Brother. I’m sorry I shouldn’t have,” Hakyeon paused, looking toward his brother with guilty eyes.

“It was bound to happen sooner or later. I just didn’t want to let go, not yet.”

“Don’t be unreasonable, you don’t want to lose her again.”

“That’s the problem, Hakyeon. I do not wish to lose either of them. Here I have Cerberus and an army of the dead at my disposal to protect them. In the Underworld it is far more difficult for anyone; man, god, or thing to harm them. Out there, I do not have control.”

“Tell her.  If you keep lashing out in anger you will lose them both. You have changed from what you once were, you are not the man who uses anger and despair anymore. You have found your heart, and I know it’s terrifying to be so vulnerable. But, she is your wife. She needs to know that you care for her and that you love her, that you’re afraid to lose her. Don’t let your old-self push away your happiness, brother.”

“Why are you always right? Even when I wish you weren’t.”

“I’m not all-powerful for no reason, brother. Now go.” Hakyeon shooed his brother out with a flick of his hand.

-

“My love,” Ravi called out finding you softly humming as you lulled Yina to sleep.

“I’m so very sorry. I just don’t want to lose you both. Not yet. We have only been married a few months and my baby girl just arrived in this world. I cannot be alone again, not when everything is so perfect.”

“I understand, but you cannot keep doing this.”

“I know. I just want to always protect you both. I’ve never loved anything so dearly before and it terrifies me.” He admitted, his deep voice trembling slightly.

You exhaled shakily, wiping the tears that brimmed your eyes before facing him. You made your way towards him, wrapping your arms around his waist. You nuzzled your face against his muscled chest, letting out a sigh.  

“You can’t always be there, Ravi. But, she is your daughter, she will be brave and strong just like her father. You mustn’t worry too much. We are your family and we will always find a way to come back to each other and be together.”

“I’m so sorry, my love. I promise I’ll find a way to make everyone happy.”

You nodded against his chest, “We’ll figure this out together, we’ll learn together. You don’t have to do everything alone anymore.”

-

A week had passed since. You had finally managed to convince Ravi to let you out of the Underworld for a few hours. Business in the Underworld was growing far too rapidly and he really needed to take care of it. He had compromised a visit to the human world, it was short, but you’d take it in baby steps. He was trying to be better and that was all that mattered.

“You promised me.”

A sigh left his lips bitterly. “I know. Make another deal with me. We can make your family live here.”

You turned towards Ravi, slapping his arm lightly. “You are not killing my family just so I won’t leave you for a few measly hours.”

He huffed childishly, his lower lip sticking out into a pout. His strong hands quickly grabbing your hips back, pulling you into his embrace. His face nuzzled your neck affectionately.

You could feel his warm breath fanning against your neck as he spoke, “I can’t let you go. I’ll miss you far too terribly, you and Yina both. How will I survive without my beautiful daughter babbling at me so happily? How will I survive without my goddess of a wife?”

You spun in his embrace, turning to face him your arms snaking around his neck. “My love, we will be back before sundown. I promise. Yina deserves to know her grandparents. They need to see her too.”

“I know. I just wish I could leave with you. I wish I could protect you both always, be with you both always.”

“Soon, husband. I promise we will go together. We will be fine, the village is not far. My family will be there. We have nothing to fear anymore. Please, we must hurry. If we leave now we’ll be back much sooner.”

He nodded, although he made no movements to let you go, instead you felt his arms clench around you tighter. His nose nuzzled against your neck once more as he let out a deep sigh.

“Why do I feel like I’m saying goodbye?”

You pressed a gentle kiss to his lips in reassurance. “We won’t be long,  love. I love you. We will return before sundown.”

He pressed his lips against yours once more, finally releasing you from his embrace.

“I love you more.” He whispered, watching in silence as you picked up your child from the crib and took off into the portal.

-

Stepping out from the portal, sunlight greeted your skin in warm touches. It had been months since you had visited the human world. You wouldn’t tell Ravi, but you did miss it. You missed the warmth of the sunlight, the soft fragrance of the oncoming spring, you missed the days you could spend in the peacefulness of a meadow, with a nearby river’s trickle or birds tweeting their sweet song as the only thing to be heard for miles. You tried your best to capture the sensations of the human world as you ventured farther, who knew when you’d be back.

The gentle forest breeze twirled around you and your child as you wondered out further into the forest that bordered your village. Abnormal rustling echoed through the trees, far too quick and odd to be the wind. You tried to ignore it, clutching Yina close to your chest as you ventured further toward the forest’s edge. It was probably an animal or one of your husband’s servants sent to keep an eye on your travels. You calmed your heartbeat, you’d have a word with your husband when you returned about his over-protectiveness, you were a grown woman you could hold your own in your own hometown. Besides, now you were a mother, a beast or animal of any form would have to rip every limb from you before they got to Yina. 

A beast would have been a far better rival to face, the sickening grin that stopped you in your tracks was far too familiar.

“Leaving so soon?”

Your heart clenched.  

“That is none of your business, Hongbin,” You stated sharply.

Hongbin dark chuckle echoed in the now silent forest,  “Such a shame, really.  I had offered myself originally, pity you chose the wrong man” he paused. “Although it seems as if your choice has kept you… busy. What? Can’t stand to be with Hades anymore? Trying to rid yourself of the evidence?” He gestured to Yina with a tilt of his head, his dark locks falling perfectly just above his darkening pupils.

You could feel the heat rising through your body as your blood began to boil. He had no right to talk about your family. “Leave Hongbin. My family has nothing to do with you. Leave while you still can walk.”

Hongbin let out a cackle, amusement creasing his eyes as he circled you. “Precious one, you are adorable. But, don’t you worry. I’m leaving… Just not alone.” He taunted, one of his slender fingers tracing your cheek. “Let’s see if the Hades is still one for making deals.”

“You think you’ll get away with any of your plans? You know what he’s capable of. He would never make a deal with you, he’d destroy you.” You tried very hard to control your breathing, to keep your voice steady and your threats as menacingly as possible.

“Sweet girl, you really are a joy. I wasn’t a God when I killed him, Do you really think he’ll have a chance now? One way or another, I’ll get what I want and you and your pathetic excuse of a husband won’t stop me.”

Hongbin stepped closer and you knew if he got a hold of you or Yina it was over. Thinking of nothing but protecting your baby girl and your lover; you ran. You knew it was unlikely to outrun a god, but your family was at stake and you wouldn’t let him or anyone else harm them.

You could hear Hongbin’s menacing chuckle as if he was right beside you. Following you behind almost as if he was trying to scare you, taunt you, torture you. Branches crunched underfoot as you ran, sprinting as fast as your legs could psychically take you. Your lungs burned and your body was slowing. But, you couldn’t stop. You desperately tried to keep Yina as stable and as protected as possible against your chest as you pushed ahead.

Hongbin suddenly landed a few paces ahead of you, blocking the portal entry. His hands clenched into fists, as he began to close the narrow space between you, striding forward purposefully.

In a moment of quick thinking, you had to do something. You knew this was not to end well, gods had feuds that lasted centuries and Hongbin was still obviously peeved at you and your husbands escape from his plot. It broke your heart as you slid the violet ring off your finger and secretly dropped it to the floor, using Yina’s blanket as a shield to hide your secret message for your husband. You just hoped he wouldn’t think the worst and that he would try to find you both… or at the very least… save your child.

Hongbin chuckled once more, “I hope for your sake that Hades still has an obsession with making deals.” He smirked. “I have one deal he won’t refuse.”

Your world instantly clouded, darkness filling your vision as you held tightly onto Yina. Hongbin would not get away with his plans and he definitely wouldn’t hurt your child. At least not while you were still alive.

-

The eerie silence seemed to follow him, not even the repetitious thump of his pacing boots against the Underworld’s floor could break it.He understood now how your parents must have felt all those months ago when he had taken you. The emptiness. The sheer panic. Only his pain was doubled. Not only was he anxiously waiting for the return of his child, he was waiting for you. He had waited so desperately for you for so long and any long separation from your side slowly tore him apart.

What was taking so long? What if you’d run away from him? It couldn’t be. You wouldn’t have left him, not with his child, and not like this. Thousands of thoughts whirred around his frantic mind. He feared the worse, knowing how hated he was by mortals and gods alike.

He couldn’t take the waiting game any longer. He quickly dispersed into smoke and arrived quickly at the entrance of the Underworld, just behind the very barrier of the two worlds. It was there he saw the very last of the day’s light protruding behind the distant mountains. The last sunrays illuminating an object just outside the Underworld’s entrance, its dim violet glimmer catching his eye.

His heart stopped almost completely when his eyes focused on the object, realising exactly what the item was.

Your wedding ring.

His heart stopped, his hands shook and he couldn’t stop the anguished screams that left him as he clutched your abandoned ring his hand. All of his worst fears were bursting into reality.

It felt as if part of his non-existent soul was torn from his very being. You were gone. Taken from his grasp once more. His beloved and his only child… gone. He couldn’t stop the numbness that overwhelmed him. He was paralysed in a concoction of panic, anger and sorrow.

What if you had been killed? He had enemies. A lot of enemies. Enemies that would do anything to hurt him and those he cared for. He couldn’t bear the thought of a life without you and his child. His little family.

He would do whatever it took to find you both and keep you safe.

Whoever or whatever had taken his family would surely pay. If they had harmed a single hair on either of you he would make them beg for death. If they wanted to play with fire, they would surely burn. He would burn the entire world if it meant finding you.

His body convulsed with sickening laughter, his anguish consuming him like wildfire.

If it was a battle they wanted… he’d give them war.