Crowned in the realm of death

~Hades POV~

After years of silence, pain, and endless darkness, I had finally found someone within this living prison. She stood in the small cave, a strange light cradled in her hands, her presence soft but steady. There was warmth around her. Real warmth. The kind I thought had been stripped from existence.

My heart no, my very essence stirred. I didn't know her, yet… something deep within whispered her presence was familiar. Like a name forgotten on the tip of your tongue, or the scent of a home you'd once known.

A thousand questions swirled in my head.

Who are you? Why are you here? Why do I feel this pull toward you?

But when I opened my mouth to speak, the words didn't come out right. My voice cracked, low and broken, barely more than a grunt. Years of silence, of screaming into acid and shadows, had dulled my ability to speak—reduced me to a creature closer to a beast than a god.

I felt frustration tighten in my chest. So many thoughts—so many feelings—trapped behind a wall I couldn't yet break.

 She held warmth in a world that knew only pain, and her gaze made me feel like I wasn't just a monster trying to survive. But instead, all I could manage was a strained voice, rough and awkward:

"Y-you… who…?"

It felt pathetic. Caveman-like. Barely human. But it was all I had.

Still, the girl didn't laugh. She smiles softly

and said "I know you have many questions but first come sit and rest your body a little bit"

I hesitated, still guarded, but the softness in her voice disarmed me. Slowly, I stepped forward and sat across from her, the warm light between us casting a faint glow on the cave walls. It was only then that I truly became aware of myself, my appearance. The acid had long since burned away anything that once resembled clothing. I was completely naked.

Instinctively, I curled forward, both hands quickly covering my groin. Embarrassment surged through me like a wave of heat. I looked away, my expression tense, unsure how to deal with this new kind of vulnerability.

She noticed.

She smiled with understanding and gracefully extended her hand. Divine energy shimmered from her palm pure, gentle, and radiant. In moments, it twisted and wove itself into fabric, forming a white chiton, light and soft as a breeze, appearing out of thin air.

I stared in awe. She created something from nothing broke every law of physics I had ever known. But then I remembered… this was not Earth. This was another world, a divine realm, and the girl before me no, the goddess before me was not bound by human rules. This was normal here. I'm the strange one.

She handed me the chiton with a kind smile. "Here," she said. "You'll feel more comfortable."

Clumsily, I took it and tried to wrap it around myself. The fabric was soft and warm, but I had no idea how to wear it. In this life, I have never worn clothes. And in the last… well, nothing like this. After a few awkward attempts, I managed to wrap it around my waist and shoulders in a way that at least preserved some dignity.

She watched quietly, not mocking, just patient.

"First of all, let me introduce myself properly. I am Hestia—goddess of the hearth, home, and bonds. Daughter of Cronus and Rhea… and your big sister." She placed a hand gently on her chest as she said it, her words carrying both pride and quiet sadness. "And you?"

My throat was dry, my voice strained, but I managed to say in a broken tone, "H-Hades…"

Her eyes softened even more at the name, and for the first time in this wretched, acid-ridden hell, I saw not pain, but family.

As we sat together, the tension slowly melted. We began to talk—clumsily at first, like learning to walk again after being broken for so long. My speech was fragmented, slow, but with every sentence, every shared word, it began to return. My thoughts flowed clearly. The numbness faded. And my voice… my voice came back.

I started asking her everything.

"What is this world? Who… what are we really? What is divine energy? What are the laws here? The customs? The history?"

Like a flame that never flickers, she answered it all patiently, openly, with no hint of annoyance or displeasure. She explained how divine energy was primordial energy from which this whole universe formed and every divine being was born with this energy. She told me about the sacred customs of Olympus, of our parents Cronus and Rhea and of the balance that had been shattered by fear.

She told me why we were swallowed.

And I listened truly listened for the first time in what felt like centuries.

In the warmth of her presence, I wasn't just surviving. I was learning. Rebuilding. Becoming something more.

As I was collecting my thoughts and information provided by my sister I noticed that

The memories of my past life… were fading.

I could no longer remember my name from that world, the face I once wore, or even the people I might've loved. My identity—who I had been was slipping away like a dream forgotten after waking. The fragments of Greek mythology I once knew, the stories that made me choose this path when Kaos offered rebirth they were mostly gone now, reduced to faint echoes, blurry and half-formed. I remembered the name Hades, but not the god's full tale. Not his rise. Not his fall.

And yet, not all was lost.

I still retained fragments of modern knowledge science, logic, practical skills that had somehow clung to my soul like stubborn sparks. My body was now that of a divine being, moulded by power and myth, but my mind still held pieces of a man shaped by a different world.

And as Hestia continued to speak so full of grace and divine wisdom I quietly layered her teachings with the fragments I still remembered. This new world wasn't bound by the laws of my old one… but understanding both could give me an edge no god had before.

As our conversations deepened over days and weeks, Hestia began to teach me about the hierarchy of divine existence.

According to her, all beings in this world could be categorised into the following ascending order:

1. Mortals:

The lowest tier—humans and other sentient creatures without divine essence.

2. Demi-Humans / Nymphs:

Partially divine or nature-bound spirits. Nymphs, satyrs, and beings with partial godly ancestry or spiritual origin. They live far longer than mortals and possess minor magical or elemental abilities.

3. Low-Level Gods:

Newborn gods or those without fully awakened godhood. They possess divine energy but little control or understanding. Most are tied to limited or vague concepts.

4. Mid-Level Gods:

They can influence specific natural forces, emotions, or domains in limited ways.

5. High-Level Gods:

They have elite strength and a refined understanding of their divine role. Many ancient myth figures fall into this category.

6. Chief Gods:

Gods who hold authority over a specific domain. Their godhood is unique and tied to a governing force. They are recognised leaders or major figures in divine society.

7. God Kings:

They are the king among the gods. A God King's domain is either supreme (ruling over related domains) or absolute (total control within its boundaries).

8. Primordial Gods:

They are not beings, but concepts given form. Time, Chaos, Darkness, Creation, Destruction—these entities are their domain. They were never born, and cannot die in the conventional sense. They exist before the world and will exist after it.

I am a low-level god right now, but I will rise through this hierarchy and claim my rightful place.