Rhea moved through the corridors of the Titan's palace, her heart hammering in her chest. Every step felt like an eternity as she approached the throne room where Kronos awaited.
The Titan King sat upon his massive throne, his presence suffocating, his golden eyes gleaming with the cold, calculated hunger of a ruler who feared the whispers of prophecy. He had devoured every child before they could threaten his rule, and he would not hesitate to do so again.
Rhea bowed her head, forcing her expression into one of sorrow and resignation.
"My King," she said, voice trembling with well-practiced grief, "our child has been born."
Kronos regarded her with a scrutinizing gaze. Then, without a word, he extended his hand.
Rhea stepped forward and presented the stone, wrapped in its divine cloth.
Kronos wasted no time.
Without hesitation, he swallowed it whole.
Rhea held her breath.
She waited for him to notice the deception, to sense the absence of true divine power… but the magic of Gaia was absolute.
Kronos exhaled in satisfaction and leaned back into his throne, uncaring.
"It is done," he declared. "The child is no more."
Rhea bit her lip to keep from crying out.
Bowing deeply to conceal the relief in her eyes, she turned and hurried away.
Under the cover of night, Rhea journeyed across the lands, carrying her son toward his destined sanctuary—Mount Ida, a sacred refuge far from Kronos' reach.
Upon reaching its peak, she was met by Adrasteia, a radiant nymph with hair like flowing silver, and Amaltheia, a divine she-goat known for her nurturing spirit.
With tears in her eyes, Rhea knelt before them, holding out the casket that cradled her child.
"Please," she whispered, her voice breaking, "take care of him for me. Keep him safe. Let him grow strong."
Adrasteia placed a gentle hand over Rhea's, her expression filled with quiet determination. "Fear not, my Queen. We will raise him with love and strength."
Amaltheia stepped closer, her warm eyes filled with wisdom. "He will be nurtured as if he were our own. When the time comes, he will be ready."
Rhea gazed at them both, then turned her attention to the tiny child sleeping soundly in the casket. She leaned forward, pressing a soft kiss upon his forehead.
"My son…" she murmured, "one day, you will bring an end to this darkness. One day, you will reclaim what is rightfully yours."
Adrasteia, cradling the child in her arms, looked up at her. "What shall we call him, my Queen?"
Rhea hesitated for a moment, then smiled—a smile of both sorrow and hope.
"His name…" she whispered, "will be Zeus."
The winds howled across Mount Ida as if carrying his name through the cosmos.
The storm had been set in motion.
One day, Zeus would return.
And when he did… Kronos would fall.
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The dense forests of Mount Ida rustled with movement as a lone figure sprinted through the trees, his powerful legs propelling him forward with unmatched speed. The crisp morning air carried the scent of damp earth and wild flora, blending with the distant roar of ocean waves crashing against the cliffs.
A young man, barely out of adolescence but already possessing the build of a seasoned warrior, stalked his prey with silent precision. His long, flowing white hair trailed behind him, and his sky-blue eyes, as deep and boundless as the heavens themselves, gleamed with determination.
This was Zeus, the seventh child of Kronos and Rhea—the son who had been spared from a terrible fate, hidden away from his father's insatiable hunger.
Armed with a handcrafted spear, Zeus lunged forward. The startled deer barely had a moment to react before the weapon struck true, piercing through its heart with a single, clean thrust. The animal collapsed instantly.
Zeus knelt beside it, murmuring a quiet prayer to honor the life he had taken before hoisting the carcass over his broad shoulders.
This was no longer just a task of survival. It was a symbol—a testament to how far he had come since his infancy, how strong he had grown under the guidance of those who had saved him.
Adrasteia, the wise and caring nymph, had taught him the ways of the wild—how to hunt, fight, and survive in the harsh wilderness. From her, he had learned the truth of his origins: how his siblings had been swallowed whole by their father, how his mother had deceived the Titan King by switching him with a stone, and how he alone had been given a chance to escape the cruel fate that befell his kin.
And then there was Amaltheia, the nurturing she-goat who had fed him in infancy, and later, when he grew strong enough to fend for himself, she continued to watch over him like a mother.
Yet, even as they loved and protected him, Zeus could never forget the burden of his birthright.
He was the last hope of his siblings—the last hope of the world.
And he had sworn—sworn upon the very sky itself—that he would one day overthrow his father.
As he made his way toward the shore, where the deep cerulean waves met the cliffs of Crete, Zeus sat beneath a sturdy tree, waiting.
He was expecting someone.
The sound of the ocean crashing against the rocks filled the silence. Then—
"Zeus!!"
A voice, melodic yet powerful, carried through the air like the song of the tides.
Zeus turned his gaze toward the ocean, and there, rising gracefully from the waters, was a woman of divine beauty.
Her long, flowing hair shimmered like the ocean itself, cascading in waves of turquoise and deep blue. Her eyes—crystal clear and endless—mirrored the very depths of the sea. Her skin was pale and flawless, her form both regal and graceful.
This was Metis, the Titan Goddess of Wisdom, daughter of Oceanus and Tethys—a child of the great primordial sea.
Zeus wasted no time. He ran toward her, a wide grin spreading across his face.
"Metis!" he called, his excitement barely contained.
Metis held up a small vial—a transparent container filled with a swirling, iridescent liquid that seemed almost alive with power.
"I have it, Zeus."
Zeus stopped short, his eyes locked onto the vial in her hands.
"This poison was crafted with great care, using the rarest elements from my father's domain. It will not kill Kronos, but it will force him to expel your siblings from his stomach."
Her voice held excitement, but also caution. This was only the first step—a single spark to ignite a much greater rebellion.
Zeus took the vial carefully, holding it with a reverence that bordered on sacred.
"With my siblings by my side, we can finally end Kronos' reign," he said, his voice firm with conviction.
Metis smiled at his determination. "Then you must act quickly. The longer he rules unchallenged, the stronger he becomes."
Zeus nodded but wasted no time in pleasantries. He turned on his heel and sprinted back up the mountain, his heart pounding in his chest.
Behind him, Metis called out, laughing, "Take care, Zeus!!"
But he was already gone, his mind consumed by one goal—freeing his siblings.
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Reaching the summit of Mount Ida, Zeus rushed to Adrasteia and Amaltheia, his breath quickened from his haste.
The moment they saw him, concern filled their eyes.
"Zeus," Adrasteia began, "what is it?"
Zeus held up the vial.
"I have the means to save my siblings."
He wasted no time in explaining the plan—how the poison would force Kronos to regurgitate his children, how they would flee together before he could retaliate.
But Adrasteia was hesitant.
"Zeus, this is too dangerous," she said, her voice laced with anxiety. "Kronos isn't just any Titan—he is the King of them all! Even a fraction of his power could obliterate you!"
"She's right, Zeus," Amaltheia added, her expression filled with worry. "Your father did not become ruler of the cosmos without reason. He is far stronger than you know."
But Zeus was unmoved.
"I know I cannot defeat him," he admitted. "Not yet. But this is not about fighting him—this is about saving my siblings. Once they are free, we will escape. We won't stay to challenge him directly."
The two women exchanged glances, uncertain.
Then, a new voice broke the silence.
"That may not be necessary."
Rhea had arrived.
Zeus turned to see his mother standing before him, her golden hair flowing like sunlight, her eyes filled with an unreadable emotion.
"Mother," he greeted, before quickly explaining the plan once more.
Rhea listened intently, and when Zeus finished, she nodded.
"Your father is holding a grand banquet tomorrow," she said. "Many mortals will bring him gifts, offerings of wine and food. That will be your opportunity."
Zeus clenched his fists, determination flaring in his gaze.
"If you disguise yourself as a mortal and present him with wine tainted with this poison," Rhea continued, "he won't suspect a thing. Once he drinks it, your siblings will be freed."
She placed a hand on his shoulder. "You must be careful, my son. If he discovers your true identity, everything will be lost."
Zeus bowed his head in gratitude.
"I will not fail."
That night, he prepared. With his mother's help, he cloaked his divine aura, masking himself as an ordinary mortal. He dressed in simple, unassuming robes. He practiced speaking with humility, mimicking the mannerisms of a mere subject.
By dawn, he was ready.
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The Banquet of the King
The grand hall of Kronos was alive with music and celebration. Nymphs danced, their forms weaving like flowing rivers. Singers filled the air with songs that spoke of the Titan King's might.
Almost all twelve primordial Titans were present—except Oceanus, who remained in his vast domain, governing the seas.
A long line of mortals formed before the throne, each bearing gifts to honor their king.
And among them, hidden in plain sight, stood Zeus—waiting for his moment.
Deep within the Titan King's stomach, Phanes, the divine being swallowed long ago, stirred with excitement.
"It's almost time."
The first step of the revolution had begun.
Zeus stood amidst the grand hall of the Titan King, his hands tightly clenched beneath the folds of his robe. The oppressive air weighed heavily upon him, suffocating in its sheer intensity. For the first time, he stood before the one he despised the most—his father, Kronos.
Towering above all, Kronos sat upon his colossal throne, carved from the bones of defeated foes, its surface polished to an eerie gleam. The Titan King radiated an aura of absolute dominion, his very presence pressing down upon those in the hall like an inescapable force. His golden eyes, cold and piercing, scanned the line of mortals who had come to pay homage to him.
Zeus swallowed hard, feeling his heart clench with turmoil. His father's oppressive power was unlike anything he had ever experienced. Even from this distance, the weight of his presence crushed Zeus' very soul, making him feel like an insect before a god.
Yet, he could not waver.
Zeus stood disguised, his dark hooded robe concealing his features. Only the lower half of his face was barely visible beneath the shadowed fabric. He took a silent, steadying breath as the line moved forward, bringing him closer to his destiny.
Finally, Kronos' golden gaze fell upon him.
"Mortal, what have you brought for me?" The voice of the Titan King rumbled like a mountain shifting, filling the entire chamber.
Zeus felt his muscles tense involuntarily, but he forced himself to remain calm. He stepped forward, bowing low before the throne as he spoke.
"Great King Kronos, Lord of All Titans, I bring you the finest wine from the Kingdom of Sephera." His voice, though measured, carried a subtle tremor. "A wine that has been aged for 200,000 years. I assure you, my lord, it is a taste unlike any other."
At the mention of wine, Kronos' eyes flickered with mild interest. He raised an eyebrow and leaned forward slightly, resting his head against his massive fist.
"Very well. Let me taste it." He waved a hand lazily, his voice laced with amusement.
One of the attending Titan servants, a being of immense stature and glowing bronze skin, stepped forward and took the elegantly crafted flask from Zeus' hands. The servant bowed deeply before the throne and lifted the bottle reverently.
"My King, this is the wine that this mortal humbly offers to Your Excellency."
The flask began to glow with divine energy as it levitated into the air, floating toward Kronos' outstretched hand.
Zeus remained perfectly still, keeping his breathing steady as the enormous Titan grasped the flask.
Kronos brought it to his nose, inhaling the aged aroma of the wine. His golden eyes narrowed slightly, as if detecting something unusual.
Zeus felt his pulse quicken.
Had he sensed something?
(To be Continued)