1 Prologue: Hephaestus's Descent

I was tired. Tired of the sham my life had become. Tired of the deceit, the pain, the humiliation that had plagued me for eons. Olympus, once my home, had become a prison, and my marriage to Aphrodite, a curse that could not be undone. It was a divine pact, a promise made before the gods and witnessed by the heavens themselves. I was bound to her, and there was no escape from the torment of our union.

It all began when Zeus forced me to marry her, the goddess of beauty and desire. My heart, naive and trusting, believed that there could be love between us. But love, it turned out, was not meant for me. Aphrodite's heart belonged to another, to Ares, the god of war. She taunted me with her infidelity, parading her affairs in front of the other gods, and they mocked me, calling me the laughingstock of Olympus. I couldn't bear it any longer.

And so, on that fateful day, I decided to break free. It was after the death of my adopted half-brother, Achilles, a hero whose life had been marked by glory and valour. Achilles was beloved by the gods, and I, too, had grown fond of him. His death served as a stark reminder of the emptiness in my own existence.

I called upon the gods, my voice echoing through the grand halls of Olympus. I had surrendered my hammer and anvil to Zeus, for I would have no need of them where I was going. I needed to confront those who had caused my suffering, and so, with all the fury I could muster, I called out Ares and Aphrodite, the source of my anguish.

As I stood before the assembly of the divine, I let my anger and despair flow freely. I yelled curses and accusations, demanding justice for the wrongs that had been done to me. Zeus, the king of the gods, watched in silence, his gaze stern. Hera, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Poseidon, Hades, Dionysus, Hermes, Demeter, and Hestia all gathered to witness my outburst. They had all played a part, directly or indirectly, in the torment I had endured.

"Ares and Aphrodite," I shouted, my voice thundering like a forge's furnace. "You are the cause of my misery, the source of my despair. You have made my life a living hell, and for what? A cruel jest? A game of divine amusement? I curse you both, and I curse all who have wronged me!"

The gods watched in astonishment, some in disbelief, others in pity. It was a rare sight to see me, the blacksmith of the gods, the one who toiled tirelessly in the depths of Olympus, reveal the depths of my anguish. But I could bear it no longer. I had to break free, to sever the ties that bound me to this existence.

Turning to Zeus, I beseeched him, "Find another to take my place, to forge your divine weapons and craft your marvels. I am Hephaestus, and I am done with Olympus."

With those words, I made my decision. I would leave Olympus and return to my home island of Lemnos. It was a place where I had found solace in the past, a sanctuary away from the judgmental eyes of the gods. The heavens themselves seemed to weep as I began my descent, for even they could sense the gravity of my decision.

I left Olympus that day, a broken and embittered god, leaving behind the only life I had ever known. But it was a necessary step, a leap into the unknown, for I could no longer endure the agony of my existence. Olympus would go on without me, and I would seek a new purpose, a new life, away from the gods who had caused me so much pain.