Chapter 5: Sibling Bond to Lovers Bond

Time Passed

During their time together, both Phanes and Hestia improved significantly in their combat skills. Their once uncoordinated brawling evolved into disciplined martial prowess. Phanes, drawing from memories of his past life, comprehended and mastered various martial arts—Taekwondo, boxing, Muay Thai, karate, kickboxing, judo, and more. Though he had never trained in these arts before, his divine physiology and natural comprehension allowed him to perfect them with ease.

Hestia, though not as fast as Phanes, also absorbed these techniques with remarkable skill. As a goddess, she possessed an innate ability to learn quickly, and over time, she too mastered the mortal martial arts Phanes taught her.

In addition to combat training, Hestia honed her divine abilities. Her control over her major divinities—Home, Family, and Fire—became refined and powerful. She could now instinctively provide warmth and comfort to those she considered family, strengthening their bonds through her divinity. Her flames, once untamed, had become an extension of her will—deadly to foes, yet gentle to those she cherished.

Phanes, however, had reached a limit. The strange space they were in restricted his divine growth, leaving him unable to further strengthen his divinity. His only path to improvement in this place was through refining his physical abilities and combat techniques.

"Sigh… I can't make any progress with my divinity here," Phanes thought. "The only thing I can do is push my body to its limits."

Accepting this, Phanes shifted his focus solely to strengthening his physical power and refining his martial arts to the extreme.

One day, as they rested after an intense training session, Hestia approached Phanes with a shy expression. She hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"Big brother… let's stop training for today, I want to spend more time with you." she said, gently holding onto his arm.

Phanes chuckled, tilting his head. "But aren't we already spending time together, Hestia?"

"No… not like that," she pouted. "I mean, I want to just sit with you, talk with you… maybe even cuddle?"

Phanes smiled warmly. Their time together had brought them closer, and he wasn't oblivious to Hestia's feelings. He knew she saw him as more than just a brother—she admired him, depended on him, and perhaps, deep down, felt something even deeper.

Rather than teasing her, Phanes simply pulled her into a gentle embrace, leaning back against the cave wall. Hestia's face lit up with happiness as she snuggled into his chest.

"Hehehe~" she giggled, feeling safe in his arms.

Phanes ran his fingers through her hair, finding comfort in the warmth between them.

"Hestia, do you want to be with me forever?" he asked softly.

Hestia's breath hitched, her heart pounding. She looked up at him, eyes wide and full of emotion. She knew what he meant. Phanes had taught her about the meaning of bonds, love, and devotion. To spend eternity together meant a commitment beyond time itself.

With a bright smile, she nodded. "Yes! I want to be with you forever, big brother!"

Phanes felt an unexpected surge of joy. He had always seen Hestia as his precious little sister, but in this moment, he realized she was far more than that—she was his first family, the one person who would stand by him no matter what.

He gently pressed his forehead against hers. "Then from now on, we will always be together. No matter what happens, we will protect each other."

Hestia beamed. "Yes! Always!"

In that moment, their divine connection grew even stronger. Phanes could feel the threads of fate intertwining, binding them as an unbreakable pair.

As they sat together, enjoying the peaceful warmth of their bond, Phanes couldn't help but chuckle.

"You really are different from the Hestia in the myths," he mused. "In the legends, you're always the kind, responsible elder sister. But here, you're like a spoiled little sister who just wants to be pampered."

"Hmph! Big brother is mean!"Hestia pouted, turning away.

Phanes just laugh heartedly.

As they spent countless days within the confines of Kronos, Phanes and Hestia grew even closer. With no one else around and little to do outside of training, their bond deepened not just through combat and divine practice but also through shared stories and memories.

Each day, when they rested from their rigorous training, Phanes would sit beside Hestia and tell her stories—tales from his past life, the world he had once known, and the legends of the Greek pantheon as they were originally told in another existence.

"Big brother, tell me another story!" Hestia would often say, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

Phanes would chuckle and indulge her, weaving tales of grand civilizations, legendary heroes, and the myths of gods and mortals that shaped his past world's understanding of history. He spoke of towering cities built by human hands, of great wars fought not with divine power but with strategy and will, and of cultures that thrived on art, philosophy, and discovery.

Hestia listened with rapt attention, fascinated by the world Phanes described. She found herself enthralled by the idea of humanity—how mortals, despite their fragility and fleeting lifespans, created wonders that rivaled even the works of the gods.

One evening, as they sat near the warm glow of a small fire conjured by Hestia's divine flame, Phanes finally shared something even more intriguing—the original myths of the Greek gods, the way they were told in his past life.

"In the world I came from," Phanes began, gazing into the flickering fire, "the stories of our pantheon were well known. But they were… different. You, for example, were always depicted as the kindest and most selfless of the gods. A protector of the hearth, home, and family, always putting others before yourself."

Hestia tilted her head, intrigued. "Really? What else did they say about me?"

Phanes smiled. "You were known as the eldest of the Olympians, the one who gave up her throne to avoid conflicts, choosing peace over power. They said you were loved by all but remained apart from the drama of the other gods."

Hestia frowned slightly, deep in thought. "That sounds… lonely."

Phanes nodded. "It does. But you were also respected for it. You represented warmth and stability, the unshakable foundation of the gods. You never got involved in the petty squabbles or battles of Olympus, but your presence was essential."

Hestia hugged her knees, staring at the fire. "That's… different from how I feel now. I don't want to be apart from everything. I want to be with you, big brother."

Phanes reached out and patted her head. "I know. And that's what makes this world different from the one in those stories. You have the power to choose your own path, to write your own legend. You don't have to follow what was written before."

Hestia smiled, reassured by his words. "Then I'll make sure my story is one where we stay together, always."

And so, each night, Phanes continued to share the myths of the gods—how Zeus would one day rise to overthrow Kronos, how the Titans would fall, how Olympus would be formed. He told her of Prometheus and his gift of fire, of the war between gods and giants, of the countless struggles and triumphs that shaped the pantheon.

At times, Hestia would laugh at the absurdities of the myths, like how Zeus had countless affairs or how Hera's jealousy caused so much chaos. Other times, she would furrow her brow, deep in thought, questioning why things happened the way they did.

"Do you think we can change it?" she asked one night. "Change how things are supposed to happen?"

Phanes smirked. "We're already changing things, Hestia. The moment we chose our own path instead of blindly following fate, we became something more than just stories. And I have no intention of letting the past life's myths dictate our future."

Hestia's eyes shone with determination. "Then I'll make sure that in this world, we create a future where we can be happy together."

Phanes chuckled. "That's the spirit. Now, let me tell you about a mortal hero named Heracles. You might find this one interesting."

And so, their nights continued—filled with stories, laughter, and the warmth of companionship as they shaped their own fate within the belly of the Titan King.

An unknown amount of time had passed since Phanes and Hestia had been together inside Kronos. The passage of time felt strange in their confinement, with no way to measure days or nights. Yet, within this isolated space, the bond between them grew ever stronger. They had trained together, shared stories, and come to rely on each other as their only source of companionship and support.

Phanes lay on the cavernous floor, his arm wrapped protectively around Hestia, who rested peacefully against his chest. The rhythmic rise and fall of her breathing reassured him of her presence. Looking down at his sister's serene expression, he recalled their journey together. From the moment she awakened her divinity, she had trained tirelessly under his guidance, refining her powers over Home, Family, and Fire. The more time they spent together, the deeper their understanding of each other became.

During their time inside Kronos, Phanes had shared countless stories with Hestia. He spoke of the memories he carried from another existence, tales of the world before his rebirth, and the original stories of the Greek pantheon. Hestia listened with wide eyes, fascinated by the accounts of gods, titans, and the grand destinies that awaited them beyond their father's imprisonment.

One day, as they rested after a long training session, Hestia turned to Phanes with a thoughtful expression.

"Big Brother, do you truly believe that one day we'll escape from here?" she asked softly, her voice laced with both hope and doubt.

Phanes smiled gently and placed a reassuring hand on her head. "Yes, Hestia. I believe that Mother will find a way to set us free. We just have to be ready when that time comes."

Hestia's fiery red eyes shimmered with emotion at the mention of their mother. "I miss her," she whispered, her voice trembling. "I barely remember her face, but I can still feel her warmth."

Phanes tightened his embrace around her. "I miss her too. But we will see her again, I promise. And when we do, we will make sure she is free from Father's grasp."

Hestia nodded, wiping away the tears that had begun to form. "I will keep training. I want to be strong enough to help when the time comes."

Phanes looked at her with pride. "That's the spirit. We have to be ready for whatever awaits us outside."

A thought occurred to him then, something he had noticed ever since they had deepened their bond. "Hestia, there's something I want to ask you."

"What is it, Big Brother?" she asked curiously.

"I feel like our connection has strengthened. I can sense your emotions in a way I couldn't before. Is that related to your divinity?"

Hestia's face brightened with realization. "Yes, it is. My Divinity of Family has grown stronger, and because of that, my connection to those I consider family has deepened. But with you… it's different. Our bond is much stronger than with anyone else."

"What do you mean?" Phanes asked, though he already had an idea.

"In a family, there's a natural hierarchy. Parents, children, and other relatives all share different kinds of bonds. My divinity prioritizes the one I cherish the most within my family. In simple terms, because you are the one I trust and love the most, our connection has become something permanent, something that cannot be erased or replaced. It's almost like a divine pact."

Phanes was taken aback by the depth of her explanation. "So, it's like a divine marriage ritual… but even more profound?"

Hestia nodded. "Yes. It's not just a simple connection—it's eternal. That means you will always be a part of my existence, and I will always be a part of yours."

Phanes let her words sink in. He hadn't realized just how powerful Hestia's Divinity of Family truly was. It wasn't just about creating bonds—it was about making them unbreakable. Their connection was now woven into the very fabric of their being.

A warm feeling spread in his chest as he looked at Hestia, who smiled softly at him. No matter what challenges lay ahead, he knew one thing for certain: they would always have each other. And together, they would find their way out of this place and into the world that awaited them beyond their father's prison.

(To be Continued)