"Huh."
He really didn't understand.
After all, he had never done anything—at least to his knowledge—that would catch her attention.
But then he paused… and thought.
Truly thought.
So much had been happening lately.
Especially with the release of his siblings—right at the moment of Zeus's birth.
Everything had changed since his own birth.
He, a fateless being, had already altered the fate of many in this world.
Especially his family.
And now, perhaps, he was about to learn something new on this small journey.
After all, Ananke was the Primordial of Destiny.
She must have seen everything…everything that was, and everything that will be.
Destiny and fate were closely intertwined.
So, surely, she could see it all clearly.
At least… that's what he assumed.
He wasn't certain.
He'd have to ask her himself.
But one thing he could tell for sure—he wasn't meant to be born in this universe.
And honestly? He was more surprised that she hadn't summoned him the moment he was born.
So for her to ask for him now, and for Gaia to arrive with that tense and serious expression on her face—it had to be urgent.
"Sure, I'll follow you, Gaia,"
he said calmly, as if it were completely normal to be summoned by a Primordial.
Themis looked at him with concern, unsure what this all meant—or what would happen next.
His siblings looked at him in confusion.
They knew little of the Primordials.
Just fragments of stories passed down from him and their mother a while ago—tales of how they escaped Kronos.
But that was all.
"Brother… what's going on?"
Hestia asked, concern dripping from her voice.
"No need to worry. I'll be back in a puff,"
he said confidently, as though nothing serious was about to happen.
"You better,"
Hera added firmly, her voice demanding, as if daring him not to return.
He gave her a small smile.
"No need to show concern, sister. Everything's fine."
With that, he turned to Gaia, who was already waiting for his departure.
That's when he noticed Prometheus.
There was a strange look on his face—was that… satisfaction?
He seemed happy that Aetherion was being summoned by Ananke.
Why? He couldn't tell.
Prometheus was always calculating, cunning.
There was something he wasn't saying.
Aetherion made a note to think about it later.
"Come on then, show the way, Gaia,"
he said, stretching out his hand in a dramatic gesture.
Gaia smiled softly at that.
"You never change, do you?"
she murmured, shaking her head.
Then, lifting her hand, she opened a glowing portal in the air.
"Let's go."
She stepped through first.
Aetherion followed, pausing only for a moment to look back.
"I'll be back in a bit."
And with that, he was gone.
Leaving behind the small island he had created with his own hands.
***
When Aetherion walked through the portal, he was left utterly speechless by the realm he had entered.
Everything he saw was unreal—that was the only word that seemed to fit.
He couldn't describe it properly.
There were no words.
The sky wasn't blue, nor was it filled with stars—it was golden, glowing with a soft and beautiful hue.
Gentle white clouds floated lazily above.
It was breathtaking.
As he looked around, he realized he was standing in a garden.
But what surprised him most were the strings—delicate threads drifting through the air.
They shimmered as they moved, weaving around life itself.
He could see them, connecting to everything… a bird soaring above had a golden thread flowing from it, trailing into the unknown.
Each thread was tied to a living being.
He didn't know what they were at first, but the longer he stared, the more he began to understand.
Fate.
That's what it was.
When he reached out and touched a golden string, he saw a glimpse of a future—not just a moment, but an entire path.
He saw a bird flying day after day, until one day… it slowed… then faded… and finally succumbed to the breath of death.
He saw it all.
It was too strange.
Too overwhelming.
These golden threads weren't just lifelines.
They were fate itself.
But then… he noticed something else.
Silver threads.
Among the golden fate-lines were these other strands—quieter, but equally powerful.
And he realized.
Destiny.
These threads represented destiny.
He was stunned.
From these strings, he saw the destiny of every creature in this realm.
A lion, its destiny intertwined with a deer—one to hunt, the other to fall.
And further still, he saw how each being served a role, fulfilling their place in the natural balance.
There were no gods here.
No divine beings.
Only nature.
It was as if the ruler of this realm did not want intelligent life to interfere—only pure creation, untainted by will or ambition.
Smack.
Aetherion flinched as he felt a pain on his back.
"Stop staring,"
Gaia said firmly.
"We need to keep moving. And don't touch those strings or look at them again. Not for too long. They can overwhelm a deity's like you… especially someone so young."
Her voice held a note of concern.
Aetherion quickly nodded and followed behind her, still shaken by everything he had seen.
Golden threads of fate and silver threads of destiny.
Aetherion repeated the words in his mind.
It was a sight unlike anything he had ever imagined.
Eventually, they arrived before a woman seated at a table.
She looked like any immortal woman from afar—but Aetherion knew immediately that she was anything but.
It was her eyes.
One silver.
One gold.
They shone with ancient power and truth.
Her hair was stark white, cascading down her shoulders like silk.
She was beautiful in a way that rivaled Gaia—no, perhaps even beyond her.
No… they were equals.
Just different.
Where Gaia looked like a mature woman in her early thirties, Ananke appeared no older than 21 or 22—youthful, elegant, and ageless.
Aetherion shook his thoughts aside and approached.
He bowed slightly and said respectfully,
"It's an honor to meet you, Ananke—the Primordial of Destiny, Keeper of Fate."
"There's no need to bow, Aetherion,"
she replied.
Her expression remained calm and unreadable, her voice serene but commanding.
"It was I who requested your presence."
With a wave of her hand, two chairs appeared across from her at the table.
"Please, take a seat. There are things we must discuss."
Her tone, though soft, carried something else beneath it—something… ominous.
Aetherion swallowed hard.
The weight of the moment settled over him like a thick fog.