The clouds above the Hall of Assembly thinned as Zeus stood at the top of the marble stairs, cradling Athena in his arms.
Wind tugged at his cloak. The sky behind him burned with golden light, soft but fierce, like something divine was waiting just beneath it. The marble stretched out into a wide circle—a gathering place older than most of the gods themselves. Around the edges, the thrones of Olympus stood empty, waiting to be filled.
Zeus didn't speak right away.
He looked down at Athena.
She was wrapped in a silver cloth Metis had woven herself. Her eyes hadn't opened since the walk from the chamber, but her little fists were closed, as if she already knew the world wouldn't be kind.
When the first gods arrived, they came in silence.
Poseidon. Demeter. Hestia. Leto. Themis. Mnemosyne.
