Chapter 4

I soared over the mountains, as the winds howled around me, but it was a song I had long since grown accustomed to. Mount Ida loomed ahead, its rocky peaks piercing the heavens. As I descended, I spotted the faint glow of a fire flickering within a cave.

With a gentle thud, my feet touched the ground, and I folded my wings. They vanished into my back with a faint shimmer, leaving no trace of their existence. Walking into the cave, I found my siblings sitting around a table drinking some beverages and eating snacks while waiting for someone. Zeus and Rhea were nowhere in sight, so I assumed it was them.

The first person to notice me was Hestia. She stood from her seat at the wooden table in the center of the cave, her face lighting up like the hearth she embodied.

"Hades!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with warmth. She rushed to me, throwing her arms around me in an embrace that I returned. Hestia's hugs always felt like coming home, even in a place as barren as this.

"It's good to see you, Hestia," I said, pulling back with a smile. "Where's Mother?"

"She's out talking to Zeus," Hestia explained, gesturing toward the back of the cave. "They'll be back soon."

Nodding, I moved to take one of the empty seats at the table. The others were already there: Poseidon, Demeter, and Hera. They looked up as I sat, their expressions a mix of curiosity and caution. Poseidon's eyes lingered on me, his brow furrowed slightly.

"We heard an explosion a few hours ago," Demeter said, breaking the silence. "What happened?"

I leaned back, shrugging nonchalantly. "Nothing to worry about," I said.

Hestia returned to the table, placing a steaming cup of tea in front of me. I thanked her with a nod, savoring the warmth of the cup against my palms. For a while, no one spoke. The only sound was the crackling of the fire and the faint rustle of the wind outside. It was a comfortable silence, though tension still lingered beneath the surface.

Eventually, footsteps echoed from the cave's entrance. All heads turned as Rhea and Zeus entered. Mother's eyes widened when she saw me, her face breaking into a radiant smile.

"Hades!" she cried, rushing toward me. I rose from my seat just in time to catch her in a tight embrace. "Oh, my son, it's been too long!"

"It's good to see you too, Mother," I said, chuckling as she stepped back to look me over.

"Look at you," she marveled. "So tall, so strong. You've grown so much, and yet you're so skinny! I am going to have to start feeding you so you can gain some meat on your bones."

Rhea was right, I stood taller than all my siblings and was way skinnier than my two brothers. To the point that you could see my ribs and cheek bones. You know maybe now that I am out I can get that dream body that I always wanted.

"I can't wait to try your dishes, Mother," I replied, earning a laugh from her. I glanced over at Zeus, who was watching us with a smirk. "So, brother, what's the plan?"

Zeus stepped forward as he and mother both took their seats. "Mother and I have been discussing our next move," he said. "We're going to Tartarus to free our uncles, the Cyclops that father had released and then imprisoned again. Mother believes that with their crafting skills, they can create us weapons that will help in the war."

A murmur of agreement rippled through the group. Rhea raised a hand, silencing us.

"Before we do anything else," Rhea began, her voice steady but filled with warmth, "you need to be properly trained. The five of you have been trapped inside your father for your entire lives. You've had no opportunity to learn what it means to wield your divinity or how to connect it to domains. This isn't something that comes naturally—it requires focus, understanding, and a deep connection to your very essence as gods."

She turned her gaze toward Zeus. "Whenever I was able to escape Cronus' watchful eye, I came here to train Zeus. He has already made great strides in understanding his divinity, bonding it to the domain of lightning. That connection wasn't automatic—it took time, practice, and perseverance. He had to find the spark within himself, something that resonated with his nature."

Rhea's eyes swept over the group, her expression softening. "Each of you will have a domain, a realm of influence that reflects who you are, your essence as gods. But finding it isn't as simple as wishing for it. You'll need to listen to your instincts, explore what calls to you, and embrace what feels natural. There's no wrong answer—what matters is the bond you forge with your divinity."

Her tone grew firmer as she continued, "This is the foundation of your power, children. Without understanding this, you cannot hope to unlock your full potential or face the challenges ahead. So, do your best!"

Poseidon chuckled, leaning back in his chair with an air of pride. "Hades already has a domain," he announced, his voice brimming with confidence. "And he's been using it like a master to entertain himself—and to keep the rest of us from losing our minds with boredom."

He crossed his arms and shot a smirk in Hades' direction. "You wouldn't believe the things he can do with shadows. Honestly, if it weren't for him, we'd have gone mad ages ago." Poseidon gestured broadly, as if to emphasize the point. "While the rest of us were stuck playing endless guessing games or sleeping just to pass the time, Hades was creating whole worlds of shadow to keep us distracted. He's turned shadows into creatures, objects, and even games to keep things lively."

His voice took on a teasing tone, but the pride was unmistakable. "I'm just saying, Mother, if you're looking for someone who's ahead of the curve, look no further than our big brother here." He leaned forward, grinning. "You should see what he can do—it's honestly impressive."

Rhea's eyes lit up with interest. "Oh? Is that true, Hades?"

I shrugged, resting my head on one hand. "Yeah,"

"Show me," Rhea urged, her curiosity piqued.

Sighing, I raised my free hand over the table. Pinching the air between my fingers, I pulled upward. Shadows pooled from beneath the table, rising toward my hand. The shadow condensed into a sphere as it started folding as it took the shape of a butterfly, its wings fluttered as it flew around the cave before it vanished into a nearby shadow.

The butterfly wasn't really alive, more like I simply manipulated the shadow to act, almost as if it was a puppet. 

"A butterfly?" Zeus scoffed, crossing his arms. "Is that the extent of your domain? How is that going to stop father?"

I shot him a sidelong glance, my smirk deepening. "It's all about imagination, just like I can form butterflies, I can also do this." I said, flicking my fingers. Shadows erupted from beneath Zeus, forming tentacles that coiled around his limbs. His eyes widened as the tendrils tightened, binding him to his chair. Chains of shadow shot out from the floors as they wrapped around his arms and neck..

"Hades!" Zeus shouted, struggling against the restraints. One of the tendrils unwound, slithering toward his neck. It started spinning as it hardened and sharpened into a drill with a long needle-like point, hovering menacingly close to his throat. Zeus paled, his bravado crumbling in an instant.

"Careful what you dismiss, little brother," I said, leaning back with a lazy grin. "Or you just might end up losing your very head."

Before the shadow could move further, a sharp slap landed on the back of my head. I winced, looking up to see Rhea glaring at me.

"Stop antagonizing your brother," she scolded, her tone stern.

"Fine," I muttered, releasing the shadows. They receded into the ground, leaving Zeus gasping for breath and shooting me a glare.

Rhea sighed, shaking her head. "While I'm not pleased with your antics, I'm proud of you, Hades," she said. "I can't believe you managed to discover your domain on your own."

"Thank you, Mother," I said, bowing my head slightly. Despite her reprimand, her praise warmed me in a way.

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For the next ten years, Rhea dedicated herself to training us in the fundamentals of being gods. She began with the most essential skill: learning to draw out our divinity from our core, which she explained resided deep in our gut. "Your core is the source of your divine power," she said, her voice calm but firm. "Feel for it. It's like a small flame waiting to be fanned into an inferno."

With patience and precision, she guided us through the process and before she taught us things like shapeshifting, transformation, healing, transmutation, summoning, manipulating memory, setting curses and blessings, reading minds, moving objects with our minds, etc. 

As planned she trained us for a year to get the basics down before we moved on to one of the more important lessons, entering our divine form.

Her lesson was really simple, and anyone would be able to learn how to do it. "All you have to do is to release your divinity."

Every lesson she thought I understood and was able to quickly learn, through the rest of my life I will be able to continue to practice and master the abilities. And yet I practiced endlessly, meditated for hours, and pushed myself to exhaustion. But no matter how hard I worked, my divine form seemed impossible.

One night, I sat outside meditating as I let my shadows dance around me, swarms of shadow butterflies fluttered around me before vanishing back into the shadows as I sighed. 

"Hades," came my mother's voice. I turned to see her standing at the cave entrance, her expression soft. She approached and sat beside me. "What's going on?"

"I don't know," I admitted. "I had no trouble learning everything else and yet I can't figure out how to enter my divine form."

"Well, what is your thought process?" Mother asked as she looked thoughtful. 

I tried to explain it, repeating exactly what she had said to do. How I've been trying to release my divine form.

Rhea smiled gently, placing a hand on my shoulder. "I believe you are closer than you know. If you have the same amount of faith as a mustard seed, you will be able to move mountains. The same applies here. You simply need to have faith and trust in your own divinity."

She stood and dusted herself off as she left, telling me to get some rest. I looked up at the stars as I thought about her words, to simply have faith. To have faith, that is all I needed and yet how could I… wait that was it, I was thinking too hard about it. I was still thinking through a more mortal mindset. 

Simply release my divine form. I raised a hand to the sky as I could feel my divinity flow through my body as it seemed to boil through my body. My hand flickered as my flesh vanished and was replaced by this flaming black energy.