34 Family

Apollo's solar was in the heart of Delphi, hidden from mortal and immortal eyes alike, shrouded in his order.

With the authority of order, the concepts of "distance" and "space" were rearranged and distorted, expanding the interior of Delphi to be large enough to hold numerous modern metropolitan cities.

The interior of Delphic was a labyrinth in and of itself. And the paths in Delphi would fork and divide to reveal anywhere but his solar.

But, with Apollo's will, it would only take seconds to reach his solar, but without it, no amount of time or effort would be enough. Some may become disillusioned along the way and disappear forever in silence.

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Hecate and Apollo walked along a white path. The wall in front of them shimmered and separated in the middle, revealing a corridor flanked on both sides by stained mirrors. And at the end, there was a white door with a gentle light shining through it.

Hecate took a look in and around. On either side of their paths, there were numerous ivory pillars. The large pathway forked and split into smaller pathways at the intersection of each column. This pattern repeats and repeats, seemingly to infinity.

She could feel it more strongly now. The Order of Apollo filled every nook and corner.

"It is magnificent.." With a proud smile, Apollo said. "Isn't it?"

"Does it have a name?" Hecate asked.

"The Golden Order." Apollo revealed.

Then he went on. "It was only established last month, and it is not yet complete, and it may never be. Every day, I add something new to it. From civil laws to conceptual laws, but nothing too complicated. However, I could still do a lot."

"Like?" Hecate inquired, intrigued.

Apollo snapped his fingers. And everything was green-shaded. In the expanse of the columns and paths, trees, plants, and flowers bloomed. Then, he snapped again, and all life withered away in death.

"You can control life and death?" Hecate asked, inhaling sharply.

"In a way." Apollo shook his head. "However, as I previously stated, nothing too complicated."

"I am unable to bring about the existence of a complex life. And the death I bring about is nothing like the conceptual death that could kill the immortals."

"It's very similar to magic." Hecate exhaled a sigh. "It may appear all-encompassing, but the truth is quite distinctive."

Apollo stated, "Magic and Order."

"Every path has its limits, Hecate. A stumbling block that must be overcome in order to advance."

"Limits…" Hecate whispered.

"Come on." Apollo didn't give her much time to mull it over. They walked into the corridor and unlocked the door.

And there was his Solar, bathed in the auric glow. A few silver tables were placed around the room, almost all of them filled with parchment and books, as well as numerous other objects emitting a divine aura. There were a few bookcases with the emblem of a blazing sun engraved on them. And on top of it all, was an array of stained windows with stained glasses.

It was warm and comfortable, though it lacked the cosiness of his personal room.

Apollo approached the table with objects that radiated a divine aura.

They were items sent by various gods and titans expressing their goodwill and congratulations to him for Delphi and his first settlement.

A shiny pearl bracelet from Oceanus, Titan of Oceans, the Older Ruler of the Seas.

A bronze sword from Poseidon, God of the Seas, the New Ruler of the Oceans.

A black gem from Hades, the Unseen One, Ruler of the Underworld.

A basket of food and sweets from Hestia, the Goddess of Hearth.

A wooden box filled with ambrosia from Demeter, the Goddess of Harvest.

A golden and silver arrow from Helios, Titan of the Sun, and Selene, Titan of the Moon.

A book of memories from Mnemosyne, the Titan of Memories, the Mother of the Muses.

A pink arrow from Aphrodite, Goddess of Love...

It goes on and on.

Hecate stood beside him, her head resting on his shoulders, watching him go through it all silently.

Fame. Apollo's fame had already spread far and wide, from the deepest pits of Tartarus to the darkest depths of the oceans. The fact that he took over Delphi, which belonged to Earth Mother, only amounted to surmounting it. And he was already notorious for cursing the Queen of Gods.

Hecate looked at the gifts, subconsciously recalling a feeling she always had recently.

Despite the fact that everything appeared to be calm and serene on the surface, she could hear something stirring beneath it all.

She didn't try to deceive herself. It was palpable.

It was the stirring of war.

Hecate hugged him tightly, causing Apollo to turn and raise his brows at her.

"Nothing." She smiled. But, before Apollo could reply, the door to the solar swung open. And Artemis entered, hands on her hips.

"Brother. What have you been…" In shock, the Goddess of the Moon paused, looking at her brother, who was being hugged by Hecate.

"Mother!" She bolted, leaving a moonlight trail in her wake.

Hecate and Apollo exchanged glances before she asked. "You knew they were coming, didn't you?"

Apollo nodded. "Yeah." He stood beside her, his hands on her hips. "This is a better way to break the news."

"Apollo." Leto walked in with Artemis, her hands over her mouth, but it still couldn't hide her smile, which was overflowing with happiness.

"Mother. Sister." Apollo said. He then looked at Hecate, their hands clasped tightly together. "I am seeing Hecate."

Hecate nodded briskly. "Aunt…."

However, she was interrupted as Leto hugged them tightly, sighing in melancholy. "It seems like only yesterday that I held you in my arms."

"But now look at you, all grown up." She separated from them. Then, placing her hands on both of their cheeks.

"Hecate, look after him. Don't be fooled by his ever-present calm and indifferent demeanour. There is a lot hidden beneath the surface. So, be patient with him, and everything will be fine."

"And he doesn't always know when to stop. He can be calm and collected one moment and then do something extremely reckless the next. I hope you will be there for him at that time. Stop him before it is too late to regret."

"Hecate, be there for him." Leto said, looking deeply at Hecate.

"I will." Hecate gave a firm nod, her gaze fixed on Apollo. "I'll look after him."

Leto's shoulders sagged at the end.

"Mother!" uttered Apollo. "I am not going anywhere. My home is still…"

"I know, son." Leto asserted. "But, as your mother, it is my duty."

Then, she waved back at Artemis, who was standing still as a statue, witnessed everything.

The Moon Goddess approached them, eying Hecate up and down and asking bluntly. "When are you going to marry my brother?"

"We have not got to that stage, sister." Apollo answered for Hecate, who just looked at him silently.

"We just got together two weeks ago, cousin." Hecate still answered in line with her lover's words. "We still don't know much about each other. We obviously don't want to rush things."

"It is always better." Leto nodded in agreement, "to be patient rather than rushed. It will ensure your bond is eternal."

"So that's what you've been doing for the last two weeks, brother." Artemis smiled with a knowing grin.

Leto beamed as realisation dawned on her with her daughter's words.

"Am I going to be a grandmother?"

Hecate blushed and averted her gaze. Meanwhile, Apollo glared at his sister, who had just struck out her tongue at him. But, he was forced to focus on his overly excited mother.

"No." He said it as soothingly as he could, knowing how important children were to his mother. "We're not ready to have a child, either, mother."

"Aunt." Hecate added with him. "Our lives are just beginning."

"I understand." Leto sighed, not surprised. "But keep this in mind if you decide. First, tell me the news."

""We will."" They said it in unison, which caused them to break into smiles.

Apollo retrieved the baskets sent by Hestia and Demeter. Then, with a wave of his hand, a table with four chairs appeared in the centre of them.

He said as he placed the baskets on them. "Come on, let's celebrate this occasion."

The sun lit a glow on all of them, between their smiles and stories, between their songs and jokes.

Apollo strummed his lyre, looking at his family, smiling.

He couldn't ask for anything more.

But, as always, his happiness didn't last.

__________________

Later that night.

Apollo was dreaming. He found himself in a vast expanse of darkness, surrounded by unsettling silence and stillness.

Dreams. Apollo always dreams. This time, however, felt different. In his dreams, he was always in complete command of everything. He didn't, though, in this case.

This could be a revelation from fate. He guessed. He had received those sometimes in dreams, but still nothing like this.

A deep, mystical voice rumbled through the darkness, startling him.

"Look, Phoebus Apollo. The Ramifications. The ramifications of your choices."

The darkness shattered like glass. Apollo barely had time to register that voice before he found himself in the throes of exploding chaos.

Skyscrapers rose around him. A beam of blue light, pulsing with volatile power, shot forth from the tallest one with the 'A' symbol.

It tore apart the fabric of space, as if it was nothing more than a mere thin piece of paper, opening an enormous portal that extended to the entire sky within a fraction of a second.

This is Manhattan. Apollo realised. This is the New York Invasion. However, this seems different.

He looked up. Behind the portal was a dark world, reeking of death and darkness, much like the underworld.

That is….

"Daughter…" A malevolent voice cackled. "Come froth!"

"Scorch down Midgard in honour of my brother, the All Father, Odin!"