The garden was too calm for war to be so near.
Themis stood still beneath a flowering arch of silver vines, their petals glowing faintly under the warmth of the early sun.
The divine light filtered through the canopy in soft patterns, dappling the ground like an old mosaic.
The air smelled of starlight, clean earth, and something… alive.
Even with a cloth binding her eyes, Themis could still see—and she could tell
This place was beautiful—too beautiful.
It felt untouched, sacred.
The owner of this garden was a young man—beautiful and charming.
Themis could tell that once he was fully grown, he would become one of the most striking deities in existence.
He had crafted this place to feel like a refuge, a sanctuary from the oppressive shadow that had fallen over Mount Othrys.
Her fingers twitched at the sight, brushing the hilt of her sword.
Themis was not someone who believed in beauty.
After all, even in beauty, something terrifying could be hiding.
She turned her head slightly, observing the boy standing before them—Aetherion, the lost son of Rhea.
Tall, graceful, with silver eyes and star pupils that shimmered not just with power, but with clarity.
His cloak swayed in the breeze, trimmed in threads of divine energy that pulsed gently at the edges.
Gaia stood to his left.
Rhea to his right.
And Themis had just asked the question that needed to be asked.
"Why should I believe you're any different from Kronos?"
A heavy silence followed her words, broken only by the soft trickle of a glowing fountain behind them and the hum of divine flora shifting in the breeze.
Aetherion didn't flinch.
He didn't look offended.
He didn't even look surprised.
He looked at her with calm, steady eyes—and then, finally, he spoke.
"I understand what you're asking,"
he said softly,
"and it's a fair question."
Themis said nothing.
She didn't need to.
She could feel it.
As the Titaness of Justice, divine Law, and Order, she held an intrinsic ability that even gods found troublesome:
She could feel the truth.
More specifically… she could feel lies.
And Aetherion?
He wasn't lying.
"I don't bear hatred for Kronos,"
he continued, his voice even.
"And I'm not afraid of him."
Themis narrowed her eyes slightly.
Her fingers had brushed the surface of his aura as he said it, sensing the currents of his intent.
Still… no falsehood.
Not even the faintest ripple.
It stunned her more than she cared to show.
After all, how could you not bear hatred for a man—your own father—who tried to eat you at birth and actually succeeded in devouring your siblings? She found herself a bit confused by that.
But, she didn't say anything.
Let him continue.
He went on, slowly, choosing each word like a craftsman selecting the right stone for a foundation.
"I want to free my siblings. That's my first purpose," he said. "But also… I want to bring justice for my mother."
That struck her.
Everyone paused.
Even Prometheus—casual and composed—turned his head.
Gaia blinked. She hadn't expected that either.
But it was Themis who felt the truth most deeply.
She was speechless.
She hadn't expected an answer like that—an answer rooted in justice for his mother.
It confused her deeply… and yet, without even realizing it, she found herself more drawn to him because of it.
He wanted to bring justice to his mother—for how she had been treated.
Themis knew better than anyone how cruelly Rhea had suffered.
After all, each of her children had been swallowed the moment they were born, and when she tried to resist, she was beaten down by Cronus without mercy.
But what surprised Themis the most was that Aetherion cared at all.
Most other divine children—especially deities—wouldn't have even thought about something like that.
They were selfish by nature, consumed by their own power and ambitions.
Even she had to admit, she was somewhat selfish herself.
She likely wouldn't have given something like that a second thought.
And that realization gave her a new perspective.
A perspective on who Aetherion was as a person.
And she found it… quite admirable.
Aetherion's tone hadn't shifted into anger.
There was no tremble of revenge in his voice.
No dark undercurrent that spoke of vengeance or bitterness.
No self-righteous fury, no grand declarations.
Only conviction.
It was a simple, quiet and unshakable one.
Themis felt the weight of it.
"I wouldn't waste my life on revenge,"
Aetherion added, voice growing firmer.
"Kronos is a man who devoured his children because he feared them. A man so consumed by the prophecy of his downfall that he's going to make happen with his own hands."
He looked up at the canopy of silver vines swaying above them.
"That's not strength. That's weakness."
Themis felt her lips part, just slightly.
She couldn't help it.
Still no lie.
Still no hatred.
Still… nothing but honest purpose.
"It would be idiotic,"
Aetherion said, now with the faintest smile,
"to devote my life to taking revenge on someone so pathetic. He isn't worth that kind of passion."
His words hung in the air like a bell that had just been struck.
Even Rhea looked at him with something new in her gaze.
Wonder… perhaps even guilt.
She had known her son only briefly—seven years of silence between his birth and his return—and yet… she was learning who he truly was now.
Gaia remained silent, though Themis caught a brief flicker in her expression. Surprise. Maybe even… pride.
Aetherion folded his arms calmly, not in arrogance, but in quiet confidence.
"I'm not asking you to follow me blindly,"
he said, now looking Themis in the face.
"But if I'm to lead anything… if I'm to stand in defiance of Kronos… it will never be to become another like him. I don't care about a throne, nor do I care about worship. What I care about is taking down the problem. That is all I wish to do."
Themis finally allowed herself a breath.
And for the first time since stepping into this garden… a small smile pulled at her lips.
'What a strange, yet interesting deity he is.'
She thought to herself.
Prometheus smirked beside her.
"Well. That's new."
Themis didn't respond immediately.
She just stared at Aetherion with her covered eyes, watching his divine aura ripple softly around him—like moonlight across water.
No malice.
No deceit.
Just a young man trying to stand for something.
He reminded her of someone.
Long ago.
She wouldn't say it aloud, but… he reminded her a bit of how Kronos used to be, once—before the fear.
Before the madness.
Perhaps, if he'd stayed on that path…
But no.
That was long past.
This boy—this young Titan—wasn't Kronos.
He was also very different from Kronos.
He didn't radiate arrogance or dominance the way Kronos did in his youth.
Back then, Kronos had been a good leader—reliable, even.
Especially when he led the charge against Uranus, striking him down with his scythe in a surprise attack.
But if Kronos was a raging storm, then Aetherion felt more like a calm lake… or a flower field full of life.
He gave off a feeling of quiet kindness—a presence Themis didn't fully understand.
And because of that, she didn't feel the need to worry about him.
She didn't fear that he would follow in Kronos's footsteps—even if he did manage to defeat him.
And for the first time in what felt like centuries, Themis allowed herself to feel hope.
Just a spark.
But a spark was more than enough.
She stepped forward, crossing her arms lightly.
"Then I'll wait and see,"
she said.
Aetherion gave her a soft smile.
"I wouldn't expect anything less."
The tension lightened—just slightly.
The silver leaves above them rustled like applause in the wind, and a soft ray of sunlight pierced through, landing on Aetherion's shoulder.
Themis let her arms fall to her sides.
But then, Aetherion took a step closer.
He turned his head slightly toward her.
"Lady Themis,"
he said carefully.
"Yes?"
"Would it be alright… if I asked you something?"
Her brow rose beneath the cloth.
"You may."
Aetherion exhaled slowly, as if he wasn't sure whether this would be taken seriously.
"I'd like to spar with you."
Prometheus blinked.
Gaia looked up.
Rhea raised a brow.
Themis tilted her head.
"A spar?"
"Yes,"
Aetherion said firmly.
"You're one of the twele greatest warriors among the Titans. If I'm to lead this fight, I want to test myself. Not against enemies, but against someone I can respect."
There was a moment of stunned silence.
Then, for the first time in a very long while, a wide grin broke across Themis's face.
She hadn't expected him to be this bold—especially challenging her to her face.
Her—one of the Twelve Great Titans, and likely one of the stronger among them.
It made her even more intrigued… and a bit excited by the challenge.
She didn't know how strong he truly was yet.
After all, if she remembered correctly, he was only seven years old, based on the time when Kronos gave the order to find him.
But still… who knows?
She might be in for a surprise.
And if she trusted her gut—just a little—she had a feeling she definitely was.
"Is that all?"
she said with a slight laugh.
"That's easy."
She unsheathed her sword in a flash of light.
"That, Aetherion, I accept."