Consort of Darkness by Molly Tullis
In the beginning, there was darkness. It was not the absence of light, but its own living, breathing thing. The darkness encompassed the Underworld like a blanket; it wrapped up close and filled every crevice, crack, and corner. It wasn’t cold or cruel—like you might believe—when it came to the pitch blackness. It was like slipping into warm water— slowly, then all at once. In the darkness, Nyx was home. WE ARE BORN FROM SHADOWS, and we return to them when we die. The fear of this lightlessness is one that is implanted in us by men—by gods—who convince us that only wicked deeds happen in the obsidian depths. Far from being a place of eternal hellfire, it was only in darkness that Nyx found peace. There was no greater peace than the one that was known to someone who could embrace its depths, and no depths ran deeper than those of the Underworld.