Chapter 17: Zeus: I’m Actually Trying to Be Serious

"The appointed hour has come. I hereby deliver the decree of the King of the Gods, mighty Zeus."

"This age has reached its twilight. Cleanse the earth, and usher in a new era."

A divine messenger streaked across the sky like a falling star, carrying Zeus's command across the entire Greek world.

On the now-empty Heavenly Throne, where the gods had dispersed, Zeus alone sat, silently gazing down at the vast land below, lost in thought.

Only when the sound of familiar footsteps approached from behind did the silver-haired girl turn her head.

"…Sister."

"You're already King of the Gods, Zeus. And I am your Queen. You don't need to call me 'sister' anymore."

Hera, veiled in silk, walked slowly forward and stopped behind Zeus.

In her brilliant eyes shimmered obsession and deep longing for the girl before her.

"It's just habit," Zeus replied with a faint shake of her head, saying nothing more as she continued to watch over the world.

Hera stepped up beside her, the corners of her lips curling faintly beneath the veil.

"You're still thinking about that mortal, aren't you? He's part of what needs to be purged from this age. As King of the Gods, you can't show favoritism."

True, Hera had been momentarily shocked when Eros had erupted with that terrifying power on the Heavenly Throne.

But whether Eros lived or died after being dragged into the deep sea by Python, by now, it didn't matter.

If he couldn't reach the higher divine realms in time, the end of this age would consume him too, leaving no room for miracles.

Of course, Zeus had no idea about any of that.

Apollo had never returned to Mount Olympus, and Zeus had been too occupied with divine affairs to keep track of such things.

Maybe she assumed Apollo had already completed her task, safely escorting Eros to shelter?

Zeus's expression turned serious.

"Sister… do you still think I approached that mortal purely for personal indulgence?"

"Didn't you?" Hera asked bluntly, clearly unconvinced.

Zeus averted her gaze, somewhat awkwardly.

"Of course not. Didn't you notice? He's... not like other mortals."

"Sure. Every one you take a fancy to is 'not like the others.'"

Hera raised her brows. She herself had once been one of those 'unique' ones.

But not anymore. Now she was just one of many. No longer special.

"No, this time, I truly mean it."

Zeus grew flustered. That wasn't what she had meant at all.

"He's different from every human in this age. It's not just his words or intelligence. It's a feeling. A presence."

"But it shouldn't be like this."

Trying to steer the conversation back on track, Zeus spoke with rare seriousness.

"Ananke, goddess of inevitability and fate, had long ago laid out the course of destiny. A human like him shouldn't exist in this era."

On that topic, Hera had nothing to say.

Even as the Queen who shared the divine authority of Olympus, it was Zeus, who had torn through fate itself, who stood as the true omnipotent god.

When it came to Ananke and her dominion over necessity and fate, only a rare few gods could comprehend her existence.

And Hera was not among them.

"So, Sister, I didn't seek him out for selfish reasons. I approached him because he's connected to something far greater."

Okay, maybe that's how it started, Zeus admitted silently.

But come on, what better way to understand a being who exists outside the threads of destiny than to develop a special relationship with him?

"…You're really being serious?"

Even Hera started to waver, uncertain.

Was that mortal really that special?

He did seem rather special, now that she thought about it.

"Yes. That's why I have this feeling he's not dead. Not yet."

Zeus smiled, full of confidence, so much so that it made even Hera start to question herself.

Could he really still be alive?

Maybe she should check in again.

With that thought, Hera quickly found an excuse and slipped away from the Heavenly Throne to do her own investigation.

Watching her leave, Zeus sighed, then returned to handling the many tedious details of ending an age and beginning a new one.

At that moment, the divine edict had finally reached the seas.

Poseidon halted her pursuit of the Oceanic goddesses and looked up at Mount Olympus, obscured by clouds, muttering under her breath:

"Tch. All the dirty work ends up on me again. And I still have to deal with Mother Gaia after this…"

"No choice, I guess. Sorry, Granny Gaia. I'll try to be gentle."

Raising her trident, symbol of her authority as both sea god and storm deity, Poseidon brought it crashing down.

She wasn't just ruler of the oceans, but goddess of storms and quakes.

While Gaia held dominion over the earth itself and would never obey Zeus's decree, Poseidon stood apart, even above.

So it fell to her to carry out the violent purge of humanity.

With a single blow, the deep sea trembled. It was as if Poseidon had shaken the entire tectonic plate beneath the ocean.

The distorted, fractured seabed groaned in agony. Islands were swallowed one after another, vanishing into the depths.

Even massive landmasses cracked apart, then were washed clean by towering waves that blotted out the sun.

Even the tiny island where Eros had lived for more than a decade could not escape.

As the ground shook beneath their feet and birds and beasts fled in panic, the people on that island looked up from their daily work.

Strangely, they all paused, looking at one another as if silently asking: Is this it? Are we really doomed?

Whether it was fear or the instinct to seek comfort from one another, no one could say.

Moments later, the entire island slid beneath the waves.

Only when Poseidon sensed the fury of the Primordial Mother did she finally stop, lifting her trident and ending the calamity.

In such a cataclysmic purge, the vast majority of life would perish, until the next age began anew.

"Well then, done and dusted. Let's get back to finding those Ocean goddesses."

Poseidon turned, ready to resume her search, only to come face to face with a disheveled figure.

"Well, if it isn't Apollo. What's with the mess? Want me to take a closer look?"

Before her stood Apollo, far from the radiant god of light she was known as. Soaked hair clung to her body, her eyes dim and hollow.

She looked like someone who had been utterly defeated.

But when she saw Poseidon, her eyes lit up faintly with hope.

"Thank goodness. Poseidon, please, use your sea-god powers to help me find a mortal. He's somewhere in this ocean. I know he is."

"…Are you kidding me?"

Poseidon let out a snort.

"Do you know how many mortals have died in these waters today? The one you're looking for is probably long gone. How am I supposed to find that one?"

The faint light in Apollo's eyes dimmed instantly.

Seeing her like this, Poseidon grew curious and nudged her seahorse mount a little closer.

"It's just a mortal. Why do you care so much?"

But she didn't expect her words to hit such a raw nerve.

In an instant, Apollo flared with divine radiance, unleashing her full godly power.

"Shut. Your. Mouth! Holy Light Burst!!!"

"L-Lady Poseidon!!"

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