28 Final Preparations

"Me? Satan's henchwoman? You truly make me laugh with your humor, boy. Now, let me make it clear to you children once and for all. I am servant to nobody. I am the Mother of Demons and Mistress of Deceit. I am Queen of Hell and Ethnarch of Evil. I am the Nachash—"

"Nachash?!"

"Oh, yes, boy, yes, I am the serpent of Eden! It was I who tempted Eve to eat the forbidden fruit, resulting in the fall of humanity, "His" greatest creation. You see, even the Almighty, for all "His" infinite wisdom and might, is not immune to the claws of hubris. "He" despises "His" failures and makes much effort to conceal and erase them, and I am "His" greatest failure."

"Lilith!"

— The First Woman to Hypnos, Aether, Thanatos, and Hemera at the juncture of fall and corruption.

——————

Gaea had informed Kronos of the unforeseen intervention of Heaven and also the improvisation of Hypnos that both the primordials and Heaven had unspokenly agreed upon. The Earth Mother continued to elaborate on the existence of the Heaven, their rule, and their power to her crooked son.

This unexpected turn of events caught Kronos off guard, and he opted to convene his council for deliberation. After many chaotic and volatile discussions with his brethren, the Titan King ultimately chose to agree with the plan, but with his own demands.

His first demand was to know the plans that the gods had for the battlefields throughout the solar system. It was a very reasonable demand since expanding the main battleground from Earth to the solar system leaves too much of a window for too many unknowns and uncertainties.

His next demand was that Gaea and Hypnos not interfere in any way with the final battle, other than to keep the order for both sides. A bold demand, to be honest, but not unreasonable.

His third condition was that he would not only have a voice when the final fight began but also be one of the first to act in the war. That was quite an audacious demand.

Anyway, Hypnos, Prometheus, and Metis began to seriously consider his demands with Gaea because the final battle would take place throughout the Solar System, and they had already decided on some battlefields—Mars, Io, Venus, Mercury, and the Kupier belt—there was a need for transparency between both sides in order to be able to realise any of it. After all, the Solar System was vast, and such a war would be unprecedented. To make it all work, they had to reach an arrangement with the other side while making sure that they didn't reveal their cards.

They were up for the challenge, however, debating and arguing for an hour about the demands. Finally, under the afternoon sun, they found common ground.

For the first demand of Kronos, they decided to reveal the information about rivals and battlefields of the solar system to Kronos. This was an essential level of transparency required between them. And they weren't giving up any advantage by doing this, because the opponents they'd chosen were based on previous Titanomachy battles, specifically the established preconceptions and bonds between both sides. They also stated that Gaea would be in charge of teleporting everyone throughout the solar system if the two parties managed to reach an agreement.

Hypnos and Gaea agreed to his second demand because, after all, they are primordials, and once the final war began, they would naturally retreat to maintain the order of the solar system, leaving the fate of the pantheon in the hands of immortals on both sides. It was ultimately up to them to fight and win this battle.

They didn't even bother to consider his third demand, flatly denying it. Conversely, they devised a counterproposal in which both sides get to jointly decide when the final battle begins.

Gaea immediately took all of their answers to Kronos, while they continued their improvisations to their original plan, increasing their efforts exponentially because they wanted to achieve complete agreement with Kronos as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, Kronos analysed their responses and made counterproposals for the parts with which he was dissatisfied, requesting that his mother pass it back to Olympus.

Feeling how arduous this exchange between gods and titans would get, Gaea decided that both should meet in neutral territory.

And so they did—Metis and Prometheus met with Kronos and Koios under the oversight of Hypnos and Gaea on the island in the Mediterranean after finalising the improvisations by the middle of the night.

The meeting was long and tedious, with a lot of fighting and quarrelling, with Metis and Koios going at each other's throats more than once. After many crushing hours, a common ground with equilibrium for both sides was achieved.

The choices of main battlefields and rivals for the final war were deliberated and determined to the point that no side had a significant advantage over the other. And Gaea would enable teleportation throughout the solar system for both sides to cement the equilibrium of the war.

Then, Hypnos took on the task of preparing the solar system for the final war. Finally, the date of the final war was set—it would begin in three days, as was the ancient custom of their pantheon.

And the meeting ended, despite the fact that some variables and uncertainties remained unaddressed, but no one bothered to dither on them after all; as the saying goes, no plan survives the first contact with the enemy, and so they returned to their homes, their minds drenched in callous thoughts.

It was late at night by the time Hypnos and his company—Gaea did not accompany them—returned to Olympus. The Primordial instructed Metis and Prometheus to get some rest and leave the matter for tomorrow.

So, after a long and exhausting day, they parted under the cosmic light of the stars.

——————

Hypnos entered his opulent quarters, lost in thought, only to be drawn out by the familiar aroma of his favourite foods. When he looked ahead, he saw Hera lying on their bed, fiddling with a white star in her hand, and to her right, a table veiled with their dinner, still warm and balmy. "You needn't have waited for me," he sighed.

Hera sighed and rose from her bed, waving the star in her hand into oblivion. "I don't know how many times I've said it, but you'd do the same for me..."

"I am just worried," Hypnos said, walking towards her.

"I understand." Hera shot back. "However, have you considered that I will also be concerned about you?"

"I always have." Hypnos smirked. "I will care for you, regardless, just like you care for me, Hera…"

Hera crashed her lips onto his and kissed him thoroughly. Hypnos reciprocated vehemently, pulling her ever closer to him to the point where their bodies seemed to mould together. They moved towards the bed with coordination worthy of lovers and smashed onto their bed together, swirling each other's embrace, their lips crossing each other in a symphony of love.

But Hypnos and Hera pulled back from one another in the end. They just laid on the bed together in a silence that was broken by their heavy breathing, brimming with strange emotions.

"Do you want to do it?" Hera suddenly inquired

"Now?" Hypnos locked his gaze on Hera. "But I am starved…"

Hera burst out laughing. "Well, now that you mention it, you indeed appear to be."

Hypnos drew her into his embrace and looked her in the eyes. "We will, Hera, after the war ends. There will be nothing to worry about then." He came to a halt, his silver eyes darkening with desire. "I will finally fill you up until all you know is me..."

Hera smiled vehemently. "Stop this, Hypnos," she said breathlessly. "You are tempting both of our controls.."

In this passionate moment, Hypnos and Hera simply stared at each other, their hands frozen on each other, but they eventually parted, reluctantly controlling their surging desires.

"Come on!" Hera dragged Hypnos over to the table.

Hera and Hypnos took their seats, served each other, and then began to eat in the moonlight.

"So..." Hera inquired between bites. "About the heaven.."

"You concentrate on the war, Hera." Hypnos said, sipping his wine. "Aunt and I will handle those things."

"Grandmother…" Hera thought for a moment. "What happened when she told us to close our eyes?"

"She entered her primal form and forced Gabriel into retreat." Hypnos simplified the truth.

"So," Hera said, her brow furrowed at the information. "Like mortals, we, the gods, can't see the true form of the primordials."

"Nothing like that," Hypnos said, shaking his head. "You can see the primal form, but it's best not to." He paused, looking into her eyes. "You understand, right?"

"I do." Hera nodded stiffly, gulping down her wine. Then she pressed, her curiosity taking over.

"How powerful are the primordials?"

Hypnos fixed his gaze on her. "Truthfully, it's difficult to define primordial strength; we are beings beyond the concept of scales and figures," he still indulged her curiosity.

"If I had to try, I'd say primordials are cosmic in their power and nature. If gods like you rule over the elements of the world and cosmos, then the Primordials were those elements in their most primal and powerful state. We are concepts given life, ideas given shape, and motifs given existence. And our authority extends throughout the cosmos and all of its infinite domains, for we are the embodiments of the building blocks that constitute the creation." He went on to explain. "You understand, right?"

Hera merely nodded, but Hypnos could tell she didn't completely understand the true meaning behind his words: the primordials were literally cosmic entities. However, he didn't press on this as somethings could only be understood by experiencing it; instead, he asked, "Anyway, what's with the sudden interest in primordials?"

"You know.." Hera shifted her weight in her seat. "With you, I will soon be entering the world of primordials. So I decided to educate myself—"

"Hera," Hypnos sighed, seeing right through her concerns. "Don't worry yourself like this. Just focus on your cosmic path, and everything will turn out to be fine."

"What exactly do you mean?" Hera inquired, sensing the nuances in his tone.

"The primal throne of stars is vacant." After a brief moment of thought, Hypnos muttered.

"You mean?" Hera's eyes widened, and she pointed at herself in disbelief. "I could..."

"Yes." Hypnos nodded. "Though, I must admit, achieving apotheosis for a god is nearly impossible."

"Nearly." Hera took note. "That's all I need, Hypnos," she declared with such firmness, taking Hypnos by surprise. "I will ascend to the throne of stars."

Hypnos fixed his gaze on her. "And I can't wait for that day, Hera," he said, raising his glass to her. "For the future."

"For the future." Under the stars, Hera clung to his glass, and they began to gulp the nectar together.

"Can you tell me more about it?" Hera asked eagerly, refilling their glasses.

"Focus on the war first, Hera," Hypnos gently chided.

"Fine," Hera finally said, returning his full glass to him. "Speaking of war, how is the improvisation coming along? Have you finalised it?" she asked offhandedly.

"Yes," Hypnos said, nodding. "In three days, the final battle will begin."

"Three days.." Hera thrummed her fingers thoughtfully. "Has my father also agreed to this?"

"We met with him," Hypnos said.

"You met with him?" Hera repeated it in surprise. "Tell me everything."

"Technically, I only oversaw it with Aunt, while Metis and Prometheus were the ones who met with Kronos and Koios." Hypnos corrected. "They discussed throughout the night and achieved some ground to enable the final battle. You will know all about it tomorrow from Metis. I don't really wish to delve into it again, Hera, after spending an entire day on it," he said, reclining in his seat and gulping his wine.

Hera nodded understandingly.

"So, how was your day?" Hypnos asked curiously.

"Well…" Hera said tentatively. "Hades announced something to us.."

"What is it?" Hypnos immediately asked, a touch of interest in his silver eyes.

Hera began telling the story. It went like this: Hades gathered his family alone and announced his intention to inherit the throne of the underworld and become a chthonic god. His declaration elicited a wide range of reactions: Rhea and Hestia embraced Hades and expressed their full support; Demeter was flabbergasted; Poseidon looked betrayed; Zeus was silent; Hera was speechless; Hades understood everything he needed to know from just their silence and stormed off from Olympus to the Underworld. Rhea and Hestia followed him right away to soothe him before he made any rash and regretful decisions. 'I am disappointed in you,' the Mother of Gods had said silently as she left Olympus with her other children.

Hera ended her tale, biting her lips erringly at him.

Hypnos was silent for a moment, then he spoke lowly. "You actually remained silent," he said, looking her in the eyes. "He was your brother, Hera."

"I was utterly shocked." Hera fought back vehemently. "I didn't see this coming at all."

"Please," Hypnos said emphatically. "We both know you were really not surprised; rather, you were completely expecting this to happen, and yet..." he trailed off, his unspoken accusations carrying in the air.

"Sometimes I hate how well you understand me..." Hera sighed in defeat as she sipped her wine and gazed up at the night sky.

Hypnos locked his gaze on Hera. "You know, my brother is Death, my mother is Night, and my father is Darkness; I am as chthonic as they come."

"That is different." Hera retorted immediately.

"How is that different, Hera?" Exasperatedly, Hypnos asked. "You know, when you marry me, my family will become your family as well."

Hera was silent for a moment, her head down and covered in her own shadows, before looking up at him. "I always expected Hades to become a chthonic being; it was obvious, you know. He wasn't very good at hiding his conflicts and concerns," she remarked wryly. "And how did I feel about it all? I honestly didn't know, so I simply ignored it. I know that was terrible of me."

"But despite all of this, when he declared his decision to us, I was still shocked. I wasn't lying to you, Hypnos; perhaps it was the part of me that always hoped things would turn out differently..."

"What are you finally trying to say?" Hypnos pressed, his head tilted.

"What I mean is that Hades is my brother. He accepted me despite my flaws, and I will do the same for him." Hera exhaled deeply and asserted herself vociferously. "I acknowledge my horrible actions, Hypnos. And I will go and reconcile with Hades." Her shoulders slumped heavily in her seat, as if a heavy weight had finally been lifted from them.

Hypnos took her hands in his and squeezed them tightly. "I am so proud of you, Hera," he said softly. "You managed to overcome your flaws.."

"Oh, please," scoffed Hera. "Don't use that condemnatory tone on me. You, too, are not perfect—"

"I never claimed to be." Hypnos soothed. "I wasn't judging you, Hera; I'm just really proud of you."

Hera's scowl softened, melting away into a fleeting smile. "Well, I am proud of myself too," she admitted in a flash of courage.

Hypnos merely laughed as Hera covered her face with a long sigh. And they continued with their dinner in comfortable silence, gazing at stars from time to time.

"Hera," Hypnos said abruptly, in between bites. "I'm going to open my realm tomorrow."

"Finally!" Hera exhaled with joy. "I can come to your realm."

"No," Hypnos denied.

Hera was taken back. "What?" she asked tentatively, "don't tell me you're still mad at me?"

"No, silly." Hypnos chuckled. "This is something I must do on my own, Hera."

For a brief moment, Hera remained silent. "I get it," she finally nodded. "Even so, congratulations—"

"Hold it," Hypnos said, "until we were both in my realm."

Hera smiled brilliantly, and they returned to their favourite deserts with tales and stories, as was their custom for every last hour of the night.

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