While Hades, in the form of Catia, was exploring the terrifying truths of the world in the Underworld and the deep ocean, the noise and intrigue atop Olympus were unfolding more directly and disturbingly.
The God-King Zeus sat on his new throne, woven from clouds, thunder, and lightning, impatiently tapping his knuckles on the armrest.
The divine power radiating around him was stronger than ever, the result of the God-King's authority burning together with his undisguised ambitions.
However, beneath this dazzling sensation lurked a faint sense of vanity, a craving to prove something.
Across from him, Koios, the god of growth, did not flinch at this moment.
His eyes were no longer merely those of a humble assistant, but blazed with blatant desire for power and status.
"Your Majesty the God-King," Koios's voice was like a vine clinging to a giant tree, with a persistent feel.
"The positions of the twelve major gods are established, but the pantheon is newly formed; many authorities are vacant, and responsibilities are unclear. Many areas related to the life of the world are not yet under control... Please decide as soon as possible."
The direction in his words was clear—these areas, closely related to his own power or which could be infiltrated by his forces, should be firmly secured.
Zeus's golden eyes flashed with thunder—how could he not know Koios's calculations.
The Titan's ambitions, like fungi in a jungle after rain, were wildly flourishing under the moist soil of power.
"Koios, your concern is too hasty." Zeus's voice was thunderous and imposing, trying to forcefully suppress his opponent within the palace.
"The order of the gods cannot be achieved in a day, and the division of power must be carefully weighed. Do you think I will sit idly by and watch the world fall out of balance?"
He deliberately released traces of the God-King's coercion, causing the air in the entire temple to stagnate.
However, the green-gold light of divine power around Koios flickered persistently, and he stubbornly withstood this pressure.
A flicker of sarcasm even appeared on his face:
"Your Majesty grows ever more majestic, and naturally knows everything. However, we all witnessed the collapse of the old era and know how harmful disorder and chaos can be. If chaos arises due to procrastination, such as... the resurgence of an ancient being that should have been relegated to silence, or a new force turning elsewhere because it has lost its way..."
He paused, his gaze involuntarily gliding towards the direction of the Underworld: "I fear this would not be a blessing for the gods, nor is it what Your Majesty wishes to see."
This was an almost naked threat and reminder. He was hinting to Zeus that if he did not meet his demands, he would not only create trouble but might also further lean towards the unfathomable Hades of the Underworld.
Zeus's face instantly became as dark as water, and thunder crackled in his palm, almost ready to be unleashed. Having just ascended the throne, what he feared most was the constraint of these old Titans, especially those like Koios, who possessed great power and were cunning.
"Are you teaching me how to do things?" Zeus's voice was cold, with suppressed anger.
"I wouldn't dare," Koios bowed slightly, but his posture was not the least bit humble.
"Just for your consideration."
The eyes of the two gods clashed in the air, nearly sparking.
And on the edge of this power struggle, a goddess was seized by a deeper, more personal fear.
Leto, the goddess of care, the gentle goddess who had once been captivated by Zeus's charm and indirectly prompted her parents to turn to him, now wandered alone in a secluded corner of the Olympian garden.
She stroked a starlight stone pendant given to her by Koios, which faintly sensed the state of her relatives, and her face was pale.
The pendant was cold and silent, without any luster.
Since her parents, Koios and Phoebe, had announced their retirement after the war and returned to the depths of the starry sky, there had been no response from this stone.
At first, she thought her parents simply needed a quiet sleep. But as time passed, a sinister premonition wrapped around her like a vine.
She had tried to pray to the starry sky countless times, calling out the name of the celestial god, but it was like a stone sinking into the sea, without the slightest response.
The boundless starry sky, once symbolizing the power of her father-god and the radiance of her mother, now remained only a pulsing emptiness and silence.
It seemed they were not asleep... but rather... had completely disappeared.
This thought sent a chill down her spine.
What made it even more eerie was that she surveyed the entire nascent Olympian pantheon and observed an extremely unnatural phenomenon—
the world had not given birth to a new god for far too long.
Not only new Titans or Olympians, but also the number of nymphs, spirits, and even low-ranking gods, usually born from natural phenomena, heroic deeds, and even strong emotions, had sharply declined.
The vibrant mountains and rivers of the past now seemed too 'clean' and 'quiet'.
The reproduction of life, the sprouting of divinity, seemed stifled by some invisible force.
She cautiously told Zeus about this discovery, her voice filled with anxiety.
However, the God-King, bathed in thunder and glory, only impatiently waved his hand, a calculating glint flashing in his golden eyes:
"Leto, my love, you worry too much. The old era has just passed, the new one is only just established; order has not yet fully settled, a little silence is normal. Once I clarify my authority and clear away all obstacles, the world will naturally revive. There are more important matters to deal with now."
His so-called 'more important matters' were nothing more than the intrigues with Koios and his ilk, or planning how to suppress Poseidon's sea power, and perhaps even pondering how to connect with the Underworld ruled by Hades.
Leto looked at Zeus's profile, thirsty for power, and a chill ran through the depths of her heart.
They didn't care.
Zeus didn't care, Poseidon didn't care, and neither did the Titans obsessed with vying for the positions of the major gods.
The life force of the world was quietly draining, the pulse of new life was almost stagnant—such a frightening and fundamental change, in their eyes, was not as important as the gains and losses of a piece on the chessboard of power.
Leto clenched her cold hands, feeling utterly alone on land that was slowly losing its vitality while her companions argued over how to divide the remaining oases.
The loss of her parents, the depletion of new forces in the world... was there a terrible connection between them?
She dared not think about it further, feeling only an unprecedented sense of loneliness and fear, like the clouds atop Olympus that never dispersed, tightly enveloping her.
She subconsciously stroked her flat belly, and a vague premonition about her priesthood of 'care' made her heart palpitate.
In this era when even new gods could no longer be born, where would she, the goddess of care, go? Would her authority also face silent demise?
The faint sound of the dispute between Zeus and Koios drifted over, like background noise to this stagnant yet noisy world.
Leto looked at the silent starry sky, the lifeless mountains and rivers in the distance, and for the first time, felt a deep disappointment and doubt towards the God-King she had fallen for and placed great hopes in.