~Hades~ A Christmas Special

The elf stopped in front of a set of massive doors carved from what appeared to be solid ice, their surfaces shimmering with faint, shifting images—trees, snowflakes, and intricate scenes of children opening gifts. It was oddly mesmerizing.

"This is where you go in," the elf said, his tone clipped. He didn't wait for me to respond, giving the doors a push. They swung open effortlessly, despite their size, and I was ushered inside with a sharp nudge.

The doors closed behind me with a resonant thud, leaving me in a grand hall. The first thing I noticed was the cold, clean air, carrying a faint scent of pine and cinnamon. The space was vast, illuminated by an otherworldly glow that didn't seem to come from any single source.

At the far end of the room sat a man at a desk, a monumental figure hunched over an impossibly long scroll. He was muttering to himself, running his finger down the list as if searching for something.

"Checking it twice," I murmured dryly, though I stayed where I was, cautious.

The man paused, then turned his head slowly toward me. As he rose to his full height, I felt an unfamiliar twinge in my chest—a mixture of awe and wariness.

He was a giant of a man, easily seven feet tall, with a thick, woolly white beard that reached his chest. His hair, just as long and wild, framed a face weathered with age but radiating vitality. His golden eyes glowed faintly, as if lit from within, and they seemed to pierce through me, seeing far more than I cared to reveal. He wore a thick red leather coat, its seams reinforced with brass buckles, and while he was undeniably broad and stout, his form exuded strength. This wasn't some jolly old man you'd picture by a fireplace; this was a force of nature.

"Sit," he said, his voice deep and resonant, with an authority that brooked no argument.

An ice chair materialized behind me, sculpted from frost and crystal, and I lowered myself onto it. It was surprisingly comfortable, though I didn't relax.

The man removed his half-moon glasses and set the scroll aside. "Do you know why you're here?" he asked, his eyes locked onto mine.

"No," I said flatly. "But I assume you'll enlighten me."

He smiled faintly, but it wasn't a warm smile—it was knowing, as if he had already predicted my every move.

"Hades," he said, his tone almost reverent, before his expression shifted. "No. That's not quite right, is it?"

I stiffened as he leaned forward slightly.

"Mark Adams" and he said it. "It is so good to finally meet you."

The name I hadn't heard in... gods, centuries. It hit me like a thunderclap, ripping through layers of my identity. That name belonged to someone else, someone mortal, someone I had left behind the day I became Hades.

"How do you know that name?" I asked, my voice sharper than I intended.

He chuckled, a deep rumbling sound that filled the room. "I know everything, child. Who you were, who you are, who you will be. I exist beyond space and time, so a recarnation wont hide who you actually are deep down. I am Saint Nicholas, the Red God, the man in the red coat, though mortals know me as Santa Claus."

His words settled over me, and despite myself, I felt the truth of them. This was no ordinary being; his presence was as ancient and boundless as my own.

"What do you want from me?" I asked, masking my unease with impatience.

"To enlist your aid," he said simply. "An old enemy of mine has returned, and he threatens not just my domain, but yours as well."

I frowned. "An enemy? What enemy could possibly threaten you?"

He sat back, folding his massive hands. "The Wraith King."

Your kidding me right? Actually who am I to complain I am literally a god talking to Santa, so obviously The Wraith King is also going to exist.

"Who is he exactly?" I asked, my tone grim.

Nick smiled grimmly before responding. "Krampas."

I leaned back in my chair, considering. "And what is Krampus planning?"

"To bring eternal winter to the mortal world and enslave the human race. He wants to destro everything."

"Alright, fine. Im not going to pass the chance to work with Santa. What do I have to do?"

He smiled again, but this time there was a glint of mischief in his eyes. "I need you to to find and locate several of my friends. The three Ghosts of Christmas."

"You got to be kidding, you mean the Past, Present, and Future?

"Yes but the last one is the Ghost of Christmas Yet-To-Come." Santa corrected. "I need you to find these three as they might listen to you as you are the god of the underworld."

"Where do I find them?" I asked.

"Oh they do not have a set body like you and I, those three move from different bodies every generation, almost like your father."

I raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And how do you know him?"

"He is one of the Guardians now, been having great progress but tends to be alittle grumpy at times. Just last year he got into an argument with Jack Frost and Lepus... you know what this can be a stoy for another time."

"Right..." I drawled as I stood up. "Anything chance you got a clues on any of them?"

"As a matter of fact I do, Yet-to-come is one of your Grim Reapers, Past is a girl about to die, and as for Present, you already know who he is after all... he loves to drink."

"You got to be kidding me."