I walked through the large field of grass as quickly as I could, with Sungjae and Hyoyeon far behind.

“Minhyuk wait, you don’t even know where the entrance to the underworld is!” Hyoyeon called.  I sighed and stopped, allowing them to catch up.

“I’m sorry, I just… I have to get Joon back,”

“I know that, but you have to remember what you’re dealing with Minhyuk.  This is the demonic trinity we’re talking about,” she said.

“I know I can do this Hyoyeon… There’s no other option,”

“I admire your bravery.  The entrance to the underworld is that way,” Hyoyeon replied, pointing at a large cave that seemed to appear from nowhere.  We walked inside, and I immediately got chills.

“What’s that?” Sungjae nervously asked, pointing to a cloaked figure in the corner.

“That is Charon, the ferryman to the underworld,” Hyoyeon explained.  The figure slowly turned around, revealing his bone thin face. His eyes were filled with blood, making his pupils completely invisible. 

“What do you require?” he asked in a slow, gravelly voice.

“Passage for three,” Hyoyeon said.  He nodded slowly and the ground started to rumble.  A hole opened beneath our feet, sending us tumbling down into a deep tunnel that never seemed to stop.  When we finally stopped falling, we were in a completely different place.

The smell of smoke filled the air along with screams of agony.  Volcanoes erupted in the distance and the incessant snickering of demons echoed around us.

“My god… this place is awful,” Sungjae whispered.

“Where can we find the trinity?” I demanded.

“I’m not sure, but there is someone who will know,” Hyoyeon said, pointing at a large iron castle across an old rope bridge.

“Who lives there?” Sungjae asked.

“Hades… he’s the only one who will know where to find them,” Hyoyeon said, before snapping her fingers.  A second later we were in front of the castle.  She placed her hand on what seemed to be an invisible wall.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

“Overriding the wall. Only supernatural creatures can enter this castle. I’m temporarily disabling it,”

We walked inside slowly. My heart was beating out of my chest as we walked down a winding staircase until we came to the bottom floor which was blocked off by a gate.  Hyoyeon opened it with ease and we went into the throne room.  I had my gun in one hand and my knife in the other… I was ready for anything.

“Hades?” Hyoyeon called.

“I’m afraid you won’t find him here… but we’ll be glad to hear any concerns that you may have…” said a voice from the shadows.  The torches around the room lit simultaneously.  Gackt was sitting on the throne and Mika and Hyde were on the arms of the chair.  Joon was on Gackt’s lap, asleep.

“Where is Hades!?” Hyoyeon demanded.

“Ask him,” Hyde said, pointing to a young boy in the corner.  He didn’t seem to be much older than me.  His hair was black and his eyes were bright blue.  He was sitting there, rocking back and forth.

“Who is he?” I whispered.

“That’s Jaejoong… Hades’ son and my nephew,” Hyoyeon replied.

“They… killed him… they just killed him. And I couldn’t stop them… I was powerless…” he said, tears streaming down his face.  Were they really that strong?

“Give me my son back… now,” I ordered.  They all laughed.

“You’re in no position to make demands,” Mika said with a smile.  I knew I couldn’t shoot, because I might hit Joon.

“You see, the real reason I kidnapped your son… was because I wanted to force you to come down here, and bring her with you.  We’re going to use the goddess to speed up time until the lunar eclipse arrives,” Gackt explained.

“I’ll never help you,” Hyoyeon said.

“I’ve always hated that ,” Hyde muttered.  Hyoyeon zipped across the room with lightning speed, and pinned him to the wall.

“Watch your tongue, or I’ll rip it out,”

Hyde smiled.  Gackt sat Joon down in the chair as he snuck up behind Hyoyeon.  Sungjae and I both tried to warn her… but Mika was somehow stopping us from moving or speaking.  Gackt grabbed Hyoyeon’s head… and ripped it clean off.  Mika’s spell over us was broken and I fell to my knees.  Hyoyeon’s lifeless body dropped to the ground and Gackt tossed her head aside.

 “I thought you needed her for your plan!” Sungjae yelled.  The weight of our situation was starting to become more apparent.

“We did… but we can wait a little longer,” Mika said.

“Two gods in one day… this has to be some kind of record,” Hyde said.

“Add one more kill to that…” Gackt replied as he shoved his fist through Hyde’s chest without warning.  Hyde’s eyes grew wide with anger, and sadness as he stared at Gackt in disbelief.

“Sorry brother… but there can only be one king,” Gackt said softly as Hyde was reduced to ash.

“GACKT WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?” Mika screamed as he tackled Gackt.  I seized my moment.  I ran across the room and grabbed Joon.  Without another word, Sungjae and I fled from the castle as quickly as possible; taking advantage of the fighting siblings.

“Sungjae… take Joon and find a way out of here. I’m going to go and open the box,” I said.

“Minhyuk, I can’t…”

“DO IT NOW!” I said.  Sungjae nodded and took Joon as I turned around and went back.

I entered the throne room where Gackt and Mika were still fighting.  They were moving too fast to follow.  Jaejoong was gone, I couldn’t blame him for running away.  Seconds later, Mika pinned Gackt to the floor… it was my only chance. 

I ran over to them and fished the box out of my pocket.  I took a deep breath and opened it, releasing a blinding white light.  Mika looked up in shock before his body was turned into light and pulled inside the small box.  Gackt zipped across the room, pinning himself against the wall.

“Keep that thing away from me!” he yelled.  His eyes turned white and my muscles tensed up, causing me to drop the box. It closed when it hit the ground, and Gackt kicked it aside.

“Why can’t I move?” I mumbled.

“You see… when a member of the trinity dies, the other members become more powerful.  And Pandora’s Box equals death.  Now my brothers are gone and I have you here, all to myself.  I simply need to wait for the eclipse and I will become the most powerful being in existence,” Gackt said, laughing sadistically.  It was over… there was nothing I could do now except wait to become a pawn in Gackt’s sick ritual.  I heard a scream as Jaejoong jumped from the darkness and shoved a sword into Gackt’s shoulder.  I immediately jumped to my feet and tackled Gackt, sending both of us through the floor length window and over the edge of the balcony. 

I held on as tightly as I could, and Gackt was holding my legs as we dangled over the pit of molten lava.

“If I go down, so do you Minhyuk!” Gackt screamed.

“So be it!”

I released my grip, and we both dropped.  The heat grew more intense as I got closer to the lava… but then I stopped.  I watched as Gackt fell in.  He screamed in agony as he was slowly pulled beneath the surface.  My body floated up and I was placed safely back onto the balcony.

“What the hell?” I wondered. 

“I saved you…” Jaejoong said softly.

“But I thought you were powerless?”

“I have slight telekinesis… we are even now. Take this and leave,” he said handing me a small amulet.

“What is it?”

“It’s a warp seal.  Think about where you want to go, and it will take you there,”

“Thank you Jaejoong…”

“Don’t thank me, you’ll regret it,” he said softly.  I left the castle and began searching for Sungjae.

“Minhyuk, you’re alive!”

I turned my head and Sungjae ran up to me, still holding Joon.

“Yeah, it wasn’t an easy fight but… I got the job done,”

“Like always… I couldn’t find a way out,”

“Don’t worry, I got one. Now let’s go home,” I said, holding up the amulet.