Chapter 34

I stood alone atop Mount Ida, gazing out over the horizon where the first rays of dawn pierced the night, painting the sky in hues of crimson and gold. The view was magnificent, but it did little to calm the turmoil that churned within me. My thoughts, as usual, were consumed by the upcoming wedding—the event that was supposed to mark a new chapter, a new beginning. Yet, the more I tried to focus on it, the more uncertain I became. There were too many variables, too many complications, too many people whose presence I was unsure of.

The most difficult decision of all, however, was one I had yet to make. One I had been avoiding for far too long.

Should I really invite him?

Cronos. My father.

The thought of it gnawed at me, like a dark cloud that loomed over every plan, every gesture. It was as though, no matter how much I tried to push it away, the question remained. Could I, in good conscience, ask my father to attend my wedding? Could I face the man who had once been a tyrant, a god who had tried to devour his own children, including me?

I ran my fingers through my dark hair, the wind howling around me, but my thoughts were louder than any storm.

I didn't expect to find any answers on this mountaintop. But I needed clarity, and this was where I often came to think, to confront the parts of myself I refused to acknowledge. There were too many questions swirling in my mind, too many pieces of the puzzle that didn't seem to fit together.

But then, as if on cue, a figure appeared in the distance—a presence that immediately pulled my attention away from the storm inside me.

I turned slowly, a sharp intake of breath escaping me as I saw her. She had arrived without a sound, without warning, as she always did. My mother, Rhea, standing before me as though she had simply materialized from the earth itself. Her dark, regal beauty was timeless, and her eyes, as deep as the underworld, locked onto mine with a mixture of understanding and concern.

"Hades," she said, her voice soft but carrying the weight of centuries. "You're here again."

I nodded, offering a small, wry smile. "I needed to think."

Rhea's gaze softened, but I could see the quiet wisdom in her eyes. She didn't need to ask what I was thinking. She never did. "You're considering inviting him, aren't you?"

I didn't respond immediately. Instead, I turned back to the horizon, my gaze drifting to the mountains in the distance. "I don't know if I should. There's so much that could go wrong, so much I don't understand. But... I think I have to, don't I?"

Rhea stepped closer, her presence grounding me, even though the winds of uncertainty still howled inside me. "You're asking yourself if you should invite Cronos to your wedding," she said, her voice a gentle murmur. "And I think you already know the answer."

I sighed, clenching my fists as I fought the conflict inside me. "I don't know, Mother. I don't know if I'm ready for that. After everything—everything he's done..." I trailed off, the words slipping through my mind, too painful to speak aloud. Cronos had done far worse than simply being a distant father. He had ruled with cruelty, devoured his own children to maintain power, only to be overthrown by his own son. Me. And now, I was considering asking him to witness a moment that should have been mine to control.

"You're still family," Rhea said, her voice steady, unyielding. "No matter what has passed, no matter what has happened, he is your father. And you are his son." She paused, as though measuring the weight of her own words. "And while you may never be able to forgive him, it doesn't change the fact that there is a connection between you. You are tied to him by blood, by history."

I turned to face her fully, my chest tightening at her words. "You think I should invite him, then?"

Rhea's gaze was unwavering. "I think you should do what your heart tells you, Hades. It's not about whether it's easy or difficult, it's about understanding that family is messy, complicated, and sometimes, it's about doing things for the sake of closure. For the sake of healing."

I opened my mouth to protest, but she held up a hand, silencing me.

"You can't change the past. You can't undo what he's done. But you can decide what role he plays in your future. Whether you want to carry the weight of that history with you or let it go."

I exhaled sharply, the weight of her words settling heavily in my chest. "It's not that simple. There's so much anger... so much resentment. I don't know if I can... I don't know if I can face him."

Rhea studied me for a long moment, her eyes filled with a mix of empathy and quiet understanding. "Hades," she said softly, stepping closer to me, "I have seen you carry this burden for centuries. And I know how difficult it is. But sometimes, the only way to move forward is to face what you fear. To confront what's been haunting you for so long."

I clenched my jaw, turning my gaze away from her, unable to meet her eyes. "I'm not ready for this, Mother. I'm not ready for him."

Rhea's voice was calm, but there was an edge to it that was unmistakable. "You don't have to be ready. But this wedding—this union with Hecate—is your chance to begin something new. And part of that is deciding what kind of man you want to be. Do you want to be a man who is forever shackled by the past, by the sins of those before him? Or do you want to be someone who stands tall, who makes his own choices, no matter how difficult they may be?"

I closed my eyes, letting her words wash over me, knowing deep down that she was right. I had been running from my past for so long. Running from my father, from Cronos, from the very idea of family. But was that really the way forward?

Rhea took a step back, her expression softening as she gazed at me with a tenderness that only she could offer. "I'm not telling you what to do. But I do think it's time you gave yourself the freedom to choose, Hades. You can carry that burden, or you can let it go."

I felt the weight of her gaze on me, and I knew she was giving me the freedom to make the choice. It was mine, and mine alone.

For a long while, I said nothing. I simply stood there, letting the silence stretch between us, the wind howling around us like a distant storm. I could feel the uncertainty in my heart, the doubt gnawing at my edges, but I also felt something else. Something I hadn't expected to feel.

Hope.

The idea that I could make a choice. The idea that I could move forward, even if it meant confronting the past. It was a daunting thought, but it was also liberating.

"I'll think about it," I said finally, my voice thick with emotion. "Thank you, Mother."

She smiled softly, a knowing smile. "Take your time, Hades. But remember, sometimes the hardest thing is the right thing. And sometimes, the hardest thing is exactly what you need."

As she turned to leave, I couldn't help but ask, "Do you know where he is?"

Rhea paused, glancing over her shoulder, her expression thoughtful. "Cronos is in Athamanika," she said quietly. "He's been there for some time, far from the world of the gods. It's a place where he can't cause trouble... for now."

I nodded slowly, the name of the place lingering in my mind. Athamanika. The very thought of going there, of seeking him out, felt like walking into the jaws of a beast. But if I wanted to do this, if I wanted to take control of my future, then this was a part of it.

Rhea gave me one last, lingering look before she vanished into the shadows, leaving me alone with my thoughts once more.

Athamanika.... I really could... try. Maybe it has been long enough?

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The air in Athamanika was thick with the scent of the earth, heavy with the weight of time. It felt ancient here, the land steeped in silence, as though it had witnessed countless millennia pass without a single word. I had expected that. After all, this place was a sanctuary for someone like Cronos—far removed from the world of gods and men.

I didn't know where to start my search. Athamanika wasn't a city or even a region; it was more like a hidden corner of the world where time itself seemed to bend and shift. I wandered for hours, through forests that seemed to stretch on forever, across fields where the earth seemed to hum with a strange energy.

Eventually, I found him.

He looked so different from the last time that I had seen him. He was older and leaning against a staff as he looked out to the distance. His one golden eye looked so dull as 

I approached him cautiously, my footsteps silent on the grass beneath me, unsure of what to say. There were so many words I could have used, so many questions I could have asked. But when it came to him, when it came to Cronos, the words never seemed to come out right. Every time I tried to confront him in my mind, I faltered.

"Now why would my eldest son be here?" He suddenly asked as he turned to face me. "Are you here for my other eye?"

His gaze was cold, distant, like he hadn't expected anyone to find him—or maybe like he hadn't wanted anyone to. His eyes, once fierce with the fire of a conqueror, now held only a bitter resignation.

I swallowed hard, unsure of where to begin. "It's been a long time," I said, the words feeling hollow in my mouth.

His lips twisted into a bitter smile. "I'm sure you've got plenty to say. Go ahead. Say it."

The harshness of his tone hit me like a physical blow, but I stood my ground. I wasn't here to fight with him. Not yet, anyway. There was something else I needed from him—something I wasn't sure I could even ask.

"I didn't come here to fight," I said slowly. "I came here because... I need to talk to you."

Cronos' expression darkened, his grip tightening around his staff. "Talk? What is there left to talk about, Hades? After everything that's happened, you think there's still room for conversation?"

I took a step forward, my voice firm. "I don't know. Maybe there isn't. But I'm not here to accuse you, or to blame you for what happened. I'm here because... I need to understand why. I need to know why you did what you did. To me. To all of us."

For a moment, he just stared at me, his gaze unwavering, as though he were weighing whether or not to speak. Then, to my surprise, he sighed deeply and leaned back against the tree behind him, his eyes closing as if to block me out.

"You want to know why?" Cronos asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "It's simple, Hades. I was a fool. I thought I could control everything. I thought that by swallowing my own children, I could keep my power. I thought that by holding time itself in my hands, I could escape the inevitable. But I was wrong. And now, look at me."

His eyes opened again, and there was something raw in them—something I hadn't expected. "I failed. I failed you. I failed your siblings. I failed all of us."

The words hung in the air, heavy with the weight of his regret. I stood there, stunned, unsure of how to respond. Cronos had never been one to show weakness, to admit fault. But here he was, confessing to everything he had done, all the pain he had caused.

"I never wanted to be the monster I became," he said quietly. "I could have done so much better. I could have been a better father, a better ruler, a better king. But I was blinded by my own fear. Fear of losing everything." He laughed bitterly, the sound harsh in the quiet air. "I guess that's the irony, isn't it? In trying to hold on to everything, I lost everything."

I took a deep breath, my voice steady. "You were a tyrant. You ate your own kids and then tried to murder us after we escaped. You destroyed everything in your path. You ruined lives, and you ruined your own."

Cronos didn't flinch. He nodded slowly, as if he already knew that's what I would say. "I can't undo any of that," he muttered, his voice thick with regret. "But I can tell you this, Hades. I'm sorry. For everything. For what I did to you and your siblings. I'm sorry I was the way I was."

I stared at him for a long time, the words swirling in my head. Part of me wanted to shout, to yell at him for what he had done. But another part of me—the part that had been buried deep for so long—felt a strange sense of relief. It was the apology I had never expected, the one I had never thought he would give.

But it still wasn't enough.

"I can't forgive you," I said quietly, my voice rough. "Not yet. Maybe... maybe one day. But not now."

Cronos looked at me, his eyes heavy with understanding, but there was no anger in them. "I didn't expect you to. I don't deserve it."

There was a long silence between us, the weight of our shared history pressing down on us both. Finally, I spoke again, my voice softer this time.

"I'm getting married," I said, the words coming out in a rush. "I'm marrying Hecate."

Cronos raised an eyebrow, his expression unreadable. "You're getting married?" he repeated, his tone slightly incredulous. "To that weird witch girl? Huh, never thought I would see the day she got married, to my son no less."

I nodded, swallowing hard. "Yes. To Hecate. And I want you to be there. I know... I know it's a lot to ask. But I want you there."

Cronos' gaze softened, but he shook his head slowly. "You want me at your wedding? After everything?"

I met his gaze steadily. "Yes. You're my father. Despite everything that's happened, you're still family. And I want you there."

For a moment, Cronos didn't say anything. He just looked at me, his eyes distant, lost in thought. "I don't belong there," he muttered, almost to himself. "Nobody wants me there."

Before I could respond, a voice cut through the air, clear and firm. "Actually we both want you to come."

We both turned, startled, to see Hecate walking toward us. She was looking directly at Cronos, her expression unreadable.

"We want you there," she repeated as she wrapped her arms around my waist, her voice unwavering. "No matter what has happened, you are Hades' father. And you deserve to be part of this moment."

Cronos stared at her for a long moment, clearly surprised by her presence. Then, after a beat, he nodded slowly.

"I'll think about it," he said, his voice soft, almost reluctant.