Lore and stuff: Polites manages to survive the cyclops, but passed out. Hermes thought he died, and sent his sleeping body to the Underworld. Unfortunately-but-somehow-fortunately, the ferryman found out he was alive, but Aeacus decided to be a prankster and gave him a curse that he has to stay in the Underworld until he accepts change. Spoilers + plot twist, he "accepts change" in the end, but the thing he accepts and embraces is that he won't go back to the friendly, naive person he was before Troy lol
