Roger reached the hatch above the chain and pushed his hands against the double doors. He pushed harder until the hatch screeched open.

After he forced them open, he continued to climb up, entering a large chamber with a forest of chains hanging from the ceiling. More closed hatches covered the floor like trapdoors.

The chamber must be where Hades put his prisoners into the cages before lowering them to the lower level above the magma river. What a terrible fate to stay for eternity.

Roger glanced around, not spotting Medusa anywhere. She couldn't hide behind the chains in the shadows. The entire chamber was wide open where anyone could see her quickly. But if she hid beneath one trapdoor, that would give her the chance to ambush Roger.

She isn't here. Roger figured Medusa wouldn't want to waste her time in attacking him when her true target was Acrisius. While she is gone, she won't give him any trouble as he searches for Hades.

He sprinted through the chamber and entered a corridor with pillars. He stopped when two shadows approached his direction.

Roger took cover behind the Doric structure and peeked at the approaching strangers. Two men in Greek black armor suits marched with dory spears in their left hands. While their Corinthian helmets shielded their faces, their exposed skin appeared to be rotten and coated in ashes. As if someone roasted their muscular bodies over a barbecue spit.

Roger could smell their charcoal flesh as they marched past him. His heart raced, but he kept his breathing low.

Those must be Hade's guards inside the Tartarus. But they could work with Acrisius right now, making sure all of Acrisius's enemies remained inside their prisons.

Roger shouldn't take a chance with them, especially when he was sweating near their present. Plus, he has no weapon either, and the guards looked stronger than him. Until he could find an armory or a sword lying around, he will prepare himself to fight.

After the guards left, Roger continued through the corridor. Somehow he needed to figure out where Acrisius imprisoned Hades at. Someone in the Tartarus should know unless Roger finds a map with Hade's name on it. But searching for Hades inside the Tartarus might take a while. And Roger doesn't have enough time to waste.

Down a few steps from a short staircase, Roger entered another corridor; two stories tall with cell doors along the walls. A ladder stood on the left wall, reaching the second floor. Torches hung between the cell doors, giving the prison chambers a bit of light.

In the shadows behind the bars on each door, red, yellow, and green eyes glared at Roger. Growling sounds echoed from the cells, sending shivers up Roger’s spine.

Never in his life, he entered a prison where hundreds of criminals could jump him at any second. He whether avoid prisons than meet the convicted he put away there.

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At least he didn't send the monsters to their prisons inside the Tartarus. But all of them watched him with hunger in their eyes.

Damn, it sucks being the only human here, Roger thought.

Near a cell door, a large hairy hand reached for Roger. He jumped away from it, and his back touched the other cell door.

A long green tentacle curled out from the door and wrapped itself around Roger’s neck. He quickly pulled the tentacle off his neck and sprinted from the door. The creature in the darkness roared at him.

Roger sighed. That was close.

“Why hello there,” said a sensual voice behind him.

Roger turned around toward the cell door on the right. Behind the bars, a beautiful woman stepped forward from the darkness. She has long blonde hair with a pink flower on her head. Cute freckles sprouted beneath her emerald eyes and above her big pursing pink lips. Her dress was a tight green peplo, revealing her ample cleavage and smooth long legs, barely touched her leather sandals. Skinny but curvy, she was astonishing exotic, like a supermodel who jumped out from a PlayBoy magazine.

Roger cleared his throat to make his words come out. “Ehhh….. Hey.”

The woman giggled. “You’re a mortal. How interesting.”

“Yeah….. Who are you?”

The woman crossed her arms, smiling. “Why I am Persephone. Goddess of spring and harvest. Also…..” She paused, pushing her lips together hard. “Wife of Hades.”

Roger scratched his head. “Oh…..”

He knew Hades has a wife, but he didn’t remember she was a goddess. So much he has forgotten from his high school class. “What are you doing here?”

Persephone rolled her emerald eyes. “When Acrisius took over, he separated me from my boring husband. He locked me here to be haunted by the prisoners here.”

Giggles and whistling echoed throughout the corridor. Of course, there were plenty of thirsty monsters peeping on the poor goddess.

“I’m sorry, but do you know where Hades is?” Roger asked.

“Yes.”

Roger grinned. “Then you can help me find him!”

Persephone lowered her eyebrows. “Why you? You’re not a demigod or undead.”

Roger stepped closer to her cell. “No, but let me explain. My name is Roger Bullet I am a police officer from San Francisco.”

“What?”

“Uhhhhh, I’ll cut to the chase. I met your Cerberus in my world, and we joined forces to fight Medusa from destroying my city.”

Persephone sucked her lips in, forming an O. “Oh! You met our guard dog! Did you stop Medusa?”

“Yes, but we died and appeared here. When we heard Acrisius has taken over, we journeyed to your husband’s palace. But the Furies ambushed us, and Acrisius sent me here. I think he has the Cerberus.”

Persephone covered her mouth. “Oh, no! He will turn her against us!”

“Yes, that’s why I need to free your husband. Can you tell me where he is?”

Persephone nodded. “Yes, but you must free me first. I can escort you to his cell while protecting you from the corrupted guards.”

Roger smiled. “Thanks, but I can handle myself.”

He grabbed the bars and shook them. “Crap! How can I get you out?”

Persephone pointed her finger through the bars toward the archway at the end of the corridor. “There is a guard chamber through there. If you can get in, you will find a key on the rack. Be careful, mortal.”

“Thank you.” Roger rushed to the archway. If the guard chamber has a useful weapon too, it will help him too.