CHAPTER 6: The Underworld has Fallen

“Are you sure they were the fates for Tartarus?” Ahra asked looking at Hoseok with a skeptical look in her face. “Like more that 100% sure?” She added.

“Yes, for the thousand time yes I’m sure it was the gates for Tartarus.” Hoseok answered looking at Ahra. “Look I can’t prove anything right now but those gates were the gates of Tartarus and you know what that means right.”

Ahra sitting down let out a long sigh before nodding “The underworld has fallen.”

“Exactly and if the underworld did fall it means Hades and Persephone are no longer in control.” Hoseok then went to the board writing names down. “Which leads us to a question.”

“Who is in control and why?” Ahra started crossing her left leg on top of her right. “But I just…” She paused “How did this happen?”

Hoseok on the other hand wanted to know why it had happened and how. “Let’s focus on who might have been the one to take over.”

“Zeus?” Ahra said “Apart from Hades he is the most powerful.”

Hoseok then wrote the name down but shook his head “But why?” He asked “it’s weird since he was the one who send Hades to the Underworld. Why would he want to take it back and open the gates on Earth?”

“Maybe he wanted Persephone back?” Ahra added.

“Then why would he open the gates on Earth?” Hoseok asked. “Okay let’s say that Zeus did take over the underworld…who would be governing their world?”

“Hera.” Ahra answered as Hoseok wrote it down. “She is his wife after all.”

Hoseok then thought for a little and he looked at the board in front of him. They had not done a lot of work, or even brain stormed, everything was just so out of place and so hard to figure out. They had not a single clue to what was going on or what was even going to happen. They didn’t even know if what was happening was even what they were thinking. Maybe everything was just a stunt or maybe it was all just a nightmare or maybe just maybe they were all just being pranked. As bizarre as it sounded, Hoseok just knew that what was going on outside was something that not even the government could control.

Ahra then stood up and looked at the board before she took a marker and started writing names of gods associated with Hades in general. After she had finished she took a seat and let out a long sigh. “Let’s narrow everything down, maybe that way we can at least get something out of what we are currently doing.”

“That sounds like a plant.” Hoseok then took a seat and he took out paper and pens along with books about the gods and everything that he could think about. As they were working Taehyung had fallen asleep in the bed next door, literary just a few feet away from the office, where Yoongi was laying down.

It was around midnight when Yoongi woke up. Looking around he saw that he was no longer in the assigned room where Hoseok, Taehyung and himself were before. Sitting up Yoongi looked around to see Taehyung sleeping peacefully next to him, while his mother slept on the couch next to the bed. Yoongi rubbed his eyes before he got out of bed and headed into the office where he heard paper being rustled.

Inside the office Yoongi watched as Hoseok was looking at a huge board in front of him with names and pictures written all over it. Leaning against the wall Yoongi watched as Hoseok rubbed his eyes before he looked down at some papers he was holding.

“You should rest.” Yoongi said with a soft voice making Hoseok look at Yoongi.

“How are you feeling?” Hoseok asked placing everything down.

“Good.” Yoongi answered walking inside the office, looking at all the papers scattered all over the place along with books and a lot of tape.

“That’s good, you did not look good back there.” Hoseok said. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

Yoongi walked in front of the board and sat down on top of the table next to Hoseok. Looking at the board it reminded him of when his mother would do all her research and how she would stay up until late to make sure everything was perfect. Smiling slightly Yoongi tilted his head while he let out a soft sigh.

“Why do you think it happened?” Yoongi asked making Hoseok face him. “Do you think it’s because society ?”

“Are you asking me if this is punishment?” Hoseok asked leaning on the edge of the table.

“Yeah, I guess I am.” Yoongi answered.

Hoseok then took a few minutes before he came up with an answer “Honestly…” He started. “If this is the way of the gods punishing us, then I think that it’s not the right thing. I see no point in punishing innocent children. It’s cowardly if you ask me.”

Yoongi stayed quiet for a while before he spoke saying “I agree.” Yoongi then picked up a book and looked at the page in front of him. “So what do you think is going on?”

“Honestly, I have no clue or idea.” Hoseok answered. “Your mom and I did agree on something.”

“Oh yeah? What?” The younger asked.

“The underworld has fallen.” Hoseok said. “Time is running out.”

“What should we do?” Yoongi asked.

“Well praying won’t save us, I think we should try to figure out what happened in the Underworld.” Hosek said facing Yoongi. “Who did it? Why? How? I think if we answer those questions we can come up with something.”

Yoongi then watched as Hoseok walked closer to the board. Hoseok had not rested since they had gotten there, so Yoongi got off the table and walked in front of Hoseok. “Okay, first you need to rest. After you have rested you can continue this, nothing good comes out from you being tired, you won't be able to think straight anyway. Of to bed you go.”

Hoseok did not want to rest, but he knew that Yoongi was right. He was going mad by now by going over the information over and over again. So he decided to do what the younger told him and walked to the bed where Taehyung was currently sleeping. “Go ahead and lay down here.” Yoongi said. “Don’t wake Tae up, he went through a lot.”

“You’re right.” Hoseok said before laying down next to his nephew.

Once Hoseok was in bed Yoongi went back to the office and he picked up the marker. On the board he wrote ‘KEYS?’ and ‘BOOKS?’. Yoongi then sat back down on the table, crossed his legs and looked at the board.

“What keys?” Yoongi thought. “Books? What books? What are you trying to tell me? Also, who are you?”

The next morning Hoseok woke up to hear both Yoongi and Ahra talking over at the office. Taehyung was nowhere near him which made him panic slightly until he heard a little voice talking nonsense to the two. Hoseok then stood up and made his way to the office to find that Yoongi was carrying Taehyung in his arms while Ahra talked to him.

“Oh, good morning.” Ahra said once she noticed that Hoseok was at the entrance of the office. “How did you sleep?” Ahra asked while Yoongi smiled at Taehyun who looked like he had just finished eating.

“Good.” Hoseok answered before he walked towards them.

“Great, now lets get back to work.” Ahra said while Yoongi placed Taehyung down on the floor. “We have something in mind, Yoongi and I.” She stated and Hoseok ruffled his nephew’s hair.

“Lets hear it.” Hoseok said sitting down.

“Okay, let’s say that there are keys.” Yoongi started. “Mom said in one of her books that there are gates in the underworld, just like here, which means they might need ‘keys’ to open them right?” He then continued. “Let’s say that the underworld needs the keys to open the gates, the only ones who can have the gates might be gatekeepers… right?”

Hoseok thought for a little bit before he spoke “Yes, but would they trust someone else with their kingdoms keys? We are talking about the underworld after all.”

“Exactly.” Yoongi smiled “Which means the ones who are most likely to have the keys are themselves, right?”

Nodding Hoseok stood up “That makes sense, but then what about Tartarus.”

Yoongi walked to the board “That is what I want to know too.” He hummed.

“Okay, so we need to find keys, that is what we are going on right?” Hoseok asked.

“For now that is all we really have.” Yoongi said leaning on the edge of the table. “If the underworld did fall it means someone took the keys.”

“Not exactly.” Hoseok said looking at Yoongi and Ahra.

“What do you mean?” Ahra asked.

“Yes maybe the underworld did fall, but,” Hoseok paused before he continued “what if it started from Tartarus?” He asked. “That was the first door that opened. What if Tartarus was what taken ov