Atop Mount Olympus, forever bathed in sacred radiance, Hebe, the Goddess of Life, was enjoying the meticulous care of her Nymph attendants.
Since her ascent to the peak of the first tier, the Nymphs serving in the Temple of Life had seen their own lives flourish under her protection. It had become an unspoken consensus among the Nymphs: to serve in Lady Hebe's sanctuary was to be a true favorite of Fate.
The Goddess was famously kind and easy to serve, yet she was exceptionally powerful. As her handmaidens, even third-tier deities with lower power levels had to show them deference when they walked abroad. More importantly, they never had to fear being claimed or humiliated against their will, a constant danger for those serving in the temples of the male gods. Countless Nymphs fought for a chance to be stationed there; however, the Goddess preferred tranquility over bustling crowds. Had Queen Hera not insisted on sending a large group for fear her daughter would be unattended, the number of maids in the temple wouldn't have exceeded five.
Savoring the fine wine and tender roasted lamb presented by the Nymphs, Hebe sighed inwardly. Truly, it was easy to transition from frugality to luxury; she was nearly being pampered into physical sloth by these attendants.
Suddenly, a tremor vibrated through the world's primordial essence. The Will of the World descended, and a sharp intuition struck the hearts of every deity: a new Major God had been born in the Underworld, bringing with him the potential for the realm of the dead to ascend.
Thunder rumbled from the Great Hall of the Sovereigns, a clear sign that Zeus's mood was anything but pleasant.
A light smile touched Hebe's exquisite face. With Hades posing a threat, perhaps Zeus would restrain himself and focus on his duties for a while. His constant philandering had long vexed her mother; if Hebe possessed the strength, she might have followed Cronus's example of "filial piety."
However, even she hadn't expected her half-self, Pagos, to progress so smoothly in the Underworld. Once the orbits of the Nether Sun and Moon were officially established, Pagos's status there would be unshakable.
Hebe sensed her own essence. She was at the peak of the first tier, while her half-self was already a Major God. Though they were one soul in two bodies and there was no risk of betrayal, being surpassed by her own avatar felt a bit embarrassing for a cultivation maniac like herself.
But it mattered little. The newborn Winter Godhood held infinite potential. She had yet to fully meditate on it, but the number of offices and godhoods that could be derived from it was staggering. Reaching the Major God rank through them would be a natural progression.
"Beautiful and Merciful Hebe, the Noble Queen Hera summons you," a Nymph arrived to report.
Though puzzled, Hebe went to her mother immediately. Hera was not in the Great Hall; Zeus was still venting his fury over the Underworld's news, and Hera, unwilling to look at his sour face, had retreated to her own Temple of Marriage for some peace.
"Mother, why have you called for me?" Hebe asked as she entered, her violet eyes—so like her mother's—sparkling with affection.
"Can I not call for my youngest daughter to keep me company without a reason? Truly, once the eagle grows, it always wishes to fly from the nest," Hera teased, though she was clearly delighted to see her.
"What are you saying, Mother? Regardless of my station, you are forever my most beloved mother. That is a truth as immutable as the laws themselves," Hebe chirped, hiding in Hera's warm embrace.
"Look at you. If others saw the majestic Sovereign of the Seasons acting like this, they would laugh," Hera said, yet her lily-white arms pulled Hebe closer as she stroked her golden hair.
"Let them think what they will. They can't beat me anyway," Hebe muttered.
"..." Hera wondered where that streak of violence came from. It must be Ares, she decided. That brat is always fighting; he's a bad influence on his sister.
The warm atmosphere shifted as Hera turned to serious business. "Zeus intends to promote Apollo to Major God. He has seized the solar authority; by both status and strength, he deserves the seat. I have no reason to block him..." Her eyes flickered with a trace of gloom before she brightened again. "But I will not let your father leave you behind. Your status and merit are no less than Apollo's. Your father has promised me: once you reach the Major God rank, he will grant you a Major God seat. Therefore, I intend to give you my Office of Fertility. It fits perfectly with your Life Godhood. Once merged, you will surely break through."
Hebe was moved by Hera's maternal devotion. She smiled brilliantly, her eyes full of confidence and pride. "Do not worry, Mother. I will protect our glory! Reaching the Major God rank is no difficult task."
She stood up, and the exquisite Crown of Winter manifested upon her head. Her voice rang out across Mount Olympus.
"Omnipresent Laws, heed my words! As the Goddess of Winter, I decree that Frigidity, Low Temperature, and Wither are the primary themes of the season. I shall grant the beasts a long, silent sleep to escape the pangs of hunger!"
The world's essence surged. After calculating the logic, the Laws judged her decree valid. A pure white godhood wreathed in pale-blue mist appeared—the Godhood of Hibernation, representing the power of animal slumber.
"I shall grant the vegetation a covering of frost to withstand the bite of the cold."
The Frost and Snow Godhood manifested within the elemental tide.
"I decree that Winter shall possess..."
The Goddess spoke with torrential eloquence. Under her divine commands, the world's essence boiled. New godhoods were born one after another: Blizzard, Hail, and Aurora shimmered with brilliant light. Hera watched in stunned silence, never imagining that a single season could derive so many offices. It came so effortlessly that she almost feared she had fallen under Hypnos's spell.
As Hebe spoke, the rules of Winter were perfected. By the time she finished, a Winter with complete laws and celestial phenomena had taken form. The Laws acknowledged the merit of the Sovereign of the Seasons. The derived godhoods merged into her core. A torrential divine power erupted, and a crushing majesty radiated from Hebe.
She had ascended. Major God rank!
Half a month later...
Within the Temple of Life, Nymphs with transparent wings were a blur of activity. They carried fresh flowers, multicolored chitons, and jewelry forged from precious metals and gems.
"Hurry, hurry! Today is the Great Lady's big day! No mistakes!" "Be careful with those necklaces!" "Euchryl, go to the garden and get more hyacinths for the flower crown!"
Agatha, now the Head Maid of the temple, watched over the Nymphs with a serious expression. She would not allow anyone to dim the Goddess's glory.
The temple was filled with joy. A grand banquet was to be held on the mountain to celebrate King Zeus's promotion of two new Major Gods: Apollo, the Sun God, and Hebe, the Sovereign of the Seasons.
With Apollo, Hebe, and the recently born Aphrodite, two more Major God seats were filled. This meant only one vacancy remained among the Twelve. Competition among the gods had reached a fever pitch.
It must be noted that "Major God rank" (strength) and the "Seat of a Major God" (status) were different concepts. The rank referred to raw power. The Seat, however, represented a transcendence. A god occupying a seat was blessed by the world and could communicate directly with the Laws. Most importantly, a Major God was partially exempt from the manipulation of Fate.
In this world, nothing was more terrifying than the Fate held by Nyx and her three daughters, the Moirai. They managed the destiny of all life—opportunity, hardship, and the inevitable end. Clotho spun the thread of life by the Styx, Lachesis measured its length, and Atropos severed it. Their control extended even to the gods. Only by occupying a Major God seat could a deity have their thread hidden from the Moirai and placed under the direct management of the Laws. Unless one provoked the Laws or suffered a supreme curse, no other god could influence their destiny.
In her inner chambers, Hebe lay upon her bed, propping her head up as she looked into a round mirror forged of frost. Her hand glowed with an amber radiance.
The History Godhood was active. Golden sands drifted over the mirror's surface as countless fragmented images flashed by. Hebe's eyes glowed as she searched. Suddenly, one image caught her attention: a war from the ancient eons. Colossal giants were locked in slaughter; they summoned storms and shattered mountains with a wave of their hands.
The Titanomachy.
The History Godhood recorded all events since the birth of light. Since history could be traced but not changed, the godhood had been a hollow novelty to Apollo. But to Hebe, it was an inexhaustible treasury of secrets. By retracing history, she had learned much of the world's hidden truths and the initial mastery of laws shown by the first generation of gods.
Her primary goal was to find a specific deity essential to the perfection of her Life office: the Titan Cres.
According to the divine genealogies, Cres—the God of Growth, Harvest, and Agriculture—had been far more primordial and powerful than the current Demeter. He had fallen during the war. While Demeter had seized the godhoods of Harvest and Agriculture, allowing her to control the ripening or withering of plants, she could not control the actual process of growth. The Growth Godhood was not in her hands.
Where was it?
The mirror flickered. A tall god with dark green curls appeared. He radiated life-force and held a golden scepter. With a tap, massive vines erupted from the earth, ensnaring his foes and draining their divine power to heal his own wounds. He was a mobile life-battery.
He was eventually defeated only when Queen Rhea froze his time, Coeus weakened him with dark magic, and Phoebe severed him in half with the Crescent Blade. As he died, his divine blood gave birth to towering forests to block his enemies' pursuit. His godhoods fled; while Demeter caught two, she watched as Cres's remaining essence coiled around his Golden Grain Staff and vanished.
Found you.
Hebe's violet eyes sparkled. In the mirror, the golden scepter transformed into a streak of light, fleeing under the cover of the giant trees, finally crashing like a fallen star into the Sphyttus Canyon.
"How interesting," Hebe murmured, tapping the glass. Who would have thought that the dark, miasma-choked Sphyttus Canyon hid a supreme artifact and godhood of the Life-aspect?