The current Phaethon is definitely not the same naive Phaethon from before.
But at his core, his soul hasn't changed.
He just has new memories in his mind, and his rebirth after death has made his thoughts and willpower stronger.
So even the two ancient gods, Thanatos and Hypnos, whose powers surpass most of the gods, don't think Phaethon has become a different person.
Seeing that Hecate was starting to doubt his identity, Phaethon, with a mischievous grin, teased her: "Sister Hecate! You're such a beautiful and youthful goddess living down here in the Underworld. Aren't you worried that Hades might marry you to make you the queen of the Underworld?"
Hecate immediately shot him a nervous glare and snapped, "Idiot—are you trying to get yourself killed? Just because Hades is laid-back doesn't mean you can joke about him like that."
"I don't think Brother Phaethon is joking!" Circe chimed in, looking at Hecate with curiosity. "Sister Hecate! I've been wondering, do you have feelings for Hades? Is that why you live in the Underworld?"
"Don't be ridiculous!" Hecate rolled her eyes at Circe and replied, clearly annoyed, "Even if you two got married, I still wouldn't have any of those kinds of feelings for that monster—our dear Uncle Hades."
"Huh? My brother and I… it's not like we can't get married…" Circe muttered quietly.
Hecate sighed and continued, "I've already told you everything I needed to! So, what's next? Do you want to come into my temple and let me host you, or should I send you back to Colchis?"
"Sister Hecate! But about my brother…" Circe started, but Hecate cut her off.
"Circe! How naive are you to think I can help your brother achieve that insane goal of his?"
The shadow of death looming over Phaethon was the result of Zeus's firm decision to suppress the Sun God's family.
Since Phaethon had chosen to defy Zeus, there was no way Hecate could offer him any help.
After all, Hecate's father, Perses, had allied with Typhon and the other second-generation Titans in their rebellion against Zeus.
If Hecate were powerful enough to challenge Zeus, she wouldn't be hiding in the Underworld, trying to avoid Zeus's wrath after the second Titan War.
"I'm just a powerless goddess hiding in the Underworld! I can't even save my own father, so how could I possibly save your brother, Phaethon?"
With that, Hecate waved her right hand toward Phaethon and Circe.
A path leading to an unknown destination suddenly appeared behind them.
"I've opened the way to Colchis for you. You can leave now."
"Sister Hecate…" Circe tried to plead with her again, but Phaethon interrupted.
"Circe! Don't make things harder for her. It's time for us to go."
With that, Phaethon took Circe's hand, turned around, and stepped onto the path Hecate had created with her powers.
The road beneath their feet seemed to be made from Hecate's powers of Pathways and Portals.
As they took their first steps…
In the blink of an eye!
They passed through a doorway glowing with brilliant white light and found themselves standing on solid ground beneath a sky of blue and white clouds.
Seeing the Sun God's palace not far ahead, Phaethon's eyes widened in surprise. "We're back in Colchis! Hecate's powers are incredible—she transported us from the Underworld to the mortal realm so easily."
"It's a shame Sister Hecate didn't want to help us…" Circe said, her face full of disappointment.
Phaethon reached out and pinched her cheek gently. "Circe! Maybe among the gods you've met, Hecate seems like the most powerful, second only to our father. So you think that with her help, I could avoid my fate of death.
But you're being too naive. Among Zeus's children, Hephaestus, the god of fire, Ares, the god of war, Artemis, the goddess of the hunt, and Apollo, the god of archery, all have powers that rival Hecate's. And Athena's power surpasses even the other supreme gods.
If Hecate were to openly defy Zeus, he wouldn't even need to act himself. He could just send one of his children to crush her."
"But brother, you…"
"My dear little sister! Your brother isn't so weak that he needs a woman's protection!"
Phaethon flashed a confident smile, locking his silver eyes with Circe's bright golden ones. "Not only do I not need your protection, but I'll also protect you and the rest of our family."
"Brother…"
Circe's cheeks flushed with a shy blush, clearly moved by Phaethon's words. Slowly, she closed her eyes.
Seeing her lips part slightly, Phaethon's eyes widened in surprise.
He had always seen Circe as his little sister, but it seemed Circe didn't quite see him as just her brother…
"Circe! If you're feeling sleepy, just hang in there a bit longer. I'll fly you back to the palace in no time."
Phaethon's words broke the silence, and Circe opened her eyes, now flustered and embarrassed. "I wasn't trying to sleep! It's just… you said something so touching, and I…"
Before she could finish, she stomped her foot in frustration and turned, running toward the Sun God's palace.
Phaethon followed her into the grand temple, where he saw two goddesses seated on either side of the Sun God's throne. One was the Moon Goddess, Selene, wearing a radiant crescent crown, draped in a golden robe, her face hidden behind a veil, with long silver hair cascading down her back. The other was the Dawn Goddess, Eos, with fiery red hair, dressed in a deep crimson robe, her face also veiled. Both goddesses had luminous wings unfurled behind them, symbolizing their divine connection to the sky.
"Phaethon!"
As soon as Eos saw him enter, she immediately rose from her seat, rushing over to embrace him tightly. "My child! You did something so reckless, and Helios didn't stop you! Do you know how heartbroken I would've been if something had happened to you?"
Drip. Drip.
Tears slid down Eos's cheeks, falling onto Phaethon's face, stirring an unexpected restlessness in his heart.
"Aunt Eos… I'm so sorry for making you worry."
"Sweet child! I'm not angry with you. I'm just relieved you're alive."
Eos gently placed her hand on Phaethon's head, affectionately ruffling his hair.
At that moment, the Moon Goddess, Selene, approached with the three goddesses of the seasons in tow. "Eos, calm down a little. You're going to scare the children."
Compared to Selene, Eos's reaction was indeed a bit over the top. It was as if Phaethon wasn't just her nephew, but her own son.
While it's not uncommon among mortals for an aunt to treat her nephew like her own child, in the world of gods, even in the family-oriented Sun God's lineage, such behavior was rare.
After all, Eos didn't show this level of affection toward Helios's other children—Aeëtes, Circe, or Pasiphaë.
"Sister Selene…"
Eos reluctantly released Phaethon, glancing at Selene as if realizing she had gotten carried away.
"I guess I did get a little too emotional! Phaethon, I didn't scare you, did I?"
Phaethon quickly shook his head. "Aunt Eos, your embrace is as warm as Mother Gaia's. I love being in your arms. If Aunt Selene could give me a warm hug too, that would be even better."
"Phaethon! You've changed so much. You're nothing like the shy, quiet boy you used to be. No wonder you were able to drive the Sun Chariot successfully."
Selene looked at him with surprise, studying him closely. "It seems you've grown from a little boy into a young god. While I can't offer you a warm embrace, if you're interested in beautiful goddesses, I could marry one of the three Season Goddesses to you. Do you prefer Thallo, Auxo, or Carpo? And if you can't decide, I could always marry all three of them to you!"