"So, what exactly is the Lord implying?" Hermes thought to himself as he sat on Charon's rickety boat, carrying Phaethon's soul and being sent off by Thanatos and Hecate.
On his way back, Hermes pondered the deeper meaning behind Hades' words before his departure. If taken at face value, Hades was warning him to be careful of Zeus' suspicion.
As everyone knew, Zeus was petty and highly suspicious, often unfairly turning against one of his sons over a slight change or misunderstanding. This wasn't the first time he had done so.
Ultimately, Zeus feared any sudden rise that might threaten his reign.
But Hermes' instincts told him Hades was not such a shallow god. There had to be more to this warning than just surface-level concerns.
"Wait a minute... how could I forget about that Great Mother?"
As Hermes watched the boat glide along the River Styx toward the human world, he had a sudden realization, feeling like a sudden epiphany had struck him.
Indeed, it wasn't just Zeus' petty nature that he needed to worry about.
Zeus had powerful backing!
The reason Zeus became the king of gods was due to the support of Rhea, the Goddess of Time, who herself was backed by the mighty Gaia, the Mother of Earth!
Gaia wasn't just the embodiment of the Earth; she was also the eldest among the primordial gods.
"Come to think of it, didn't I hear that Nyx, the Mother of the Night, was displeased by the imbalance of light and dark?"
As the thought crossed his mind, a chill ran down Hermes' spine.
He felt as though he was brushing up against something far more significant, a secret beyond his reach.
Phaethon, with Helios as his father, represented the Titan lineage. The Titans, born of the primal gods, had always been opposed by Zeus and his allies.
Hades, on the other hand, was protected by two primordial gods: Nyx and Erebus, the deities of darkness. These powerful beings helped secure Hades' position as the ruler of the Underworld.
"Young messenger, we're on land now."
As Hermes lost himself in these thoughts, Charon stopped rowing the boat and gently reminded him that they had reached the shore.
"Thank you."
Snapping back to reality, Hermes smiled at Charon before stepping off the boat.
"The Underworld certainly hides great power," Hermes murmured to himself as he gazed back at the shadowy depths of the realm.
There were few things that could stir Gaia, the Mother of Earth, but anything related to the world's balance or the fate of its inhabitants could be of concern to her.
The recent catastrophe caused by the Sun Chariot's collision had led to the destruction of much of humanity, the Golden Race. As the underworld's ruler, Hades would surely have felt the ripple effects of this event, and perhaps even received some divine hints.
So when Hades had warned him earlier, Hermes realized it was more than just a simple piece of advice. It had to be connected to the larger machinations of fate.
"You've finally returned!"
The moment Hermes set foot on the human world, a brilliant golden light descended from the sky. The warm sunlight bathed him, cleansing the negative energy that had clung to him during his journey through the Underworld.
"Looks like you've integrated that power quite well," Hermes remarked, raising an eyebrow as he noticed Apollo's work.
The Sun Chariot had been destroyed after the recent collision, and neither Helios nor Apollo could perform their sun duties. But with the return of the Day Goddess, Apollo used his divine power to create an illusion of the sun in the sky, restoring light to the world.
Though it didn't have any tangible effect, it reinforced the perception of Apollo as the new Sun God.
"Truly impressive, as always," Hermes thought. Apollo, the God of Wisdom, was always quick to take the right steps at the right time.
Without saying much, Hermes glanced at the crystal vial in his hand, which contained the golden soul of Phaethon.
Despite receiving the light of protection, Phaethon had not inherited even a fraction of divine power. Even though he had a body that could rival a god's, he was still mortal at heart.
"After all, he's nothing but a mortal," Hermes scoffed inwardly.
Looking at Phaethon's soul, Hermes saw how detached it had become, devoid of reason or memory.
"By the decree of Fate, the light that does not belong to him shall be stripped away."
Placing the crystal vial on a stone, Hermes raised his caduceus, and with a command, divine forces flowed into the vial.
Visibly, the golden light began to peel away from Phaethon's soul, gathering in Hermes' hands.
"How dare a lesser being attempt to grasp the essence of light!" A roar suddenly echoed from the depths of the Abyss.
Since being cast into Tartarus, Hyperion had endured a hard life, driven mad by the loss of his son and grandson. The Father of Light, furious, had disturbed the slumber of the Abyss God, Tartarus, who had promptly punished him.
Now, as Tartarus felt the drain on his power, he realized someone was consuming his divine essence.
"Do you want to be cast into the Void, Hyperion?" the Abyss God bellowed, his voice resounding ominously in the dark.
Before anyone could respond, his voice turned cold, addressing the other Titans around him. "If you dare to follow in his footsteps, I won't hesitate to end you. Don't think because you're children of the Earth and Sky, I won't strike you down."
With that, the Abyss God fell back into his slumber, leaving the other Titans silent with fear.
In the meantime, Hermes had no idea about the brewing tension in the Underworld. He stood holding the gathered essence of the Sun God, a piece of Hyperion's solar power.
This golden essence had originally been divided by Helios, passed down to Phaethon as a token of his father's love. But now, it had been stripped from Phaethon's soul and returned to the rightful hands.
"Truly, you should thank your father. Otherwise, not only would you have never become a god, but you wouldn't even have a chance at reincarnation," Hermes said with a cold laugh, as he prepared to leave for Mount Olympus.
Back at the home of the gods, Zeus awaited his return.
"My child, you've finally returned," Zeus said, sitting comfortably on his throne. "It's not easy to bring Phaethon's soul back from Hades!"
For Hermes, who had so successfully negotiated with Hades, Zeus couldn't help but regard him with a certain fondness.
"Nothing to it, Father," Hermes replied with a shy smile, playing up his modesty.
Hera rolled her eyes at this exchange, clearly unimpressed by Hermes' smooth talk. She had seen this act countless times before.
"Enough with the praise," she interrupted, unable to watch any longer. "Isn't it time to grant Phaethon a divine position? What are you giving him?"
Zeus, suddenly aware of the practical matter at hand, snapped out of his reverie. "Ah, yes, we discussed deifying him. But let's make it clear—he won't be granted a prestigious position."
"Considering he fell into a river, I'll elevate that river to the heavens and name it the 'River of Phaethon.'"
With a wave of his thunderbolt, Zeus lifted Phaethon's soul along with the river, and as the stars shimmered in the sky, a new constellation began to take shape under Hermes' watchful eyes.