Olympus, the palace of the gods.
The hustle and bustle of the past had given way to an unprecedented solemnity and tension.
Not for a feast or a war, but for a lawsuit that shook the foundations of the divine realm—the Queen-Goddess Leto had officially filed for a 'divorce' from the God-King Zeus.
Leto stood in the center of the hall. Her eyes, once as gentle as water, now held only cold ashes and burning resentment.
She no longer wore the luxurious robes of a queen, but only a dress so simple it was almost funereal.
Her voice was no longer soft, but echoed in the silent temple with a hoarse and determined resolve, as if pushed to the edge:
"I, Leto, daughter of Koios and Phoebe, hereby declare the end of my marriage with the God-King Zeus!"
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone present was shocked.
Although rumors had already been heard, hearing this rebellious declaration with one's own ears still shocked many gods accustomed to the old order.
"Marriage is a sacred contract; how can it be easily dissolved?!"
Zeus sat high on his throne, his face so dark it could drip water, thunder rumbling around him, displaying his accumulated anger.
He tried to suppress it with the power and tradition of the God-King.
"Sacred?" Leto sneered contemptuously.
"When a marriage consists only of betrayal, humiliation, and despair, when it becomes a shackle of slavery and pain, what is sacred about it? Zeus, your actions have long defiled marriage itself! I curse these disgusting ties!"
Her words were like the cruelest daggers, piercing not only Zeus but also all the gods present who were implicated in this ugly dispute.
Her two children, Artemis and Apollo, stood behind her with mixed expressions.
Artemis gripped her silver bow, her cold face full of concern for her mother and anger at her father, and she did not hesitate to support her mother, who had emerged from a sea of suffering.
Apollo frowned, his golden eyes intertwined with understanding of his mother's situation and a slight instinctive discomfort at the collapse of the patriarchal system.
But in the end, blood and a sense of justice made him step forward, standing side by side with his sister, and said deeply: "The Mother Goddess's choice is our choice."
Immediately after, two heavyweight goddesses stood up.
Hestia, the goddess of the hearth, had a gentle face but firm eyes: "Marriage should be based on respect and fidelity. If the cornerstone is destroyed, the empty shell forcibly maintained is the true destruction of the order of the divine realm. I support Leto."
Demeter, the goddess of agriculture, had a serious expression and deep sympathy for the earth: "I sympathize with Leto's pain. If a marriage brings only the pain of pregnancy, not joy, then the reasonable demand is to dissolve it."
Finally, all eyes turned to Themis, the silent goddess of justice.
She held the scales, and the blindfolded ribbon symbolized her impartiality.
She did not directly express her stance, but a slight nod and a faint tilt of the scales towards Leto already declared her verdict—divorce was in accordance with justice.
The crowd's support surged, and the pressure on Zeus was palpable.
Zeus's chest heaved violently, and his eyes burned with humiliation and rage.
He knew he had lost morally.
In the end, he squeezed a few words through his teeth: "Fine! As you wish! Divorce!"
However, the intense anger cost him his last shred of dignity, and he waved his hand violently, thunder exploding: "But don't expect any compensation from me! You, get off Olympus immediately!"
This clumsy tirade made the gods who supported Leto look outraged, and also made some neutrals secretly shake their heads.
Just as Leto was trembling from the final humiliation and was about to curse again,
the light of the entire temple dimmed for an instant.
It was not clouds obscuring the sun, but a deeper darkness.
The air became cold and sticky, as if one had instantly fallen from the sacred mountain into the Underworld.
A figure silently appeared beside Leto, as if it had always been there.
Black robe, black hair, violet eyes as deep as the eternal cold abyss.
It was Hades, the King of Hades.
He didn't even glance at Zeus, simply raised his hand casually and pressed it lightly in the direction of the enraged God-King.
An invisible, terrifying force crashed down, not like a thunderous explosion, but as if the weight of the entire Underworld was instantly pressing down!
The thunder rumbling around Zeus was instantly extinguished, like a candle in the wind, and his sturdy body was bent from the throne by this force, his knees aching so much he nearly fell to his knees!
He struggled with all his might, his forehead bulging with veins, letting out an unwilling roar, but was like a flying insect trapped in amber, unable to move!
The entire temple fell silent, and all the gods held their breath, watching this incredible scene in horror.
Once again, they clearly realized the terrifying power possessed by Hades, who lived in the Underworld all year round.
Hades slowly turned his head, his cold violet eyes gliding over Zeus, who was suppressed and stunned, and his voice was level but held the absolute majesty of the law of Hades:
"The rules of marriage are upheld by me."
He was concise, but stated an undeniable fact—since he had recognized the rationality of the 'divorce', the related laws and order could not be blasphemed, even by the God-King.
Then, his gaze turned to Hera, who looked complex due to her appearance.
"Hera, I have already compensated you enough."
He referred to the old times when he had drawn on her divine power from Cronus's belly to protect himself, and later bestowed power and blessings upon her at the underworld wedding.
"After this, you and I will be even. I will no longer care for you."
His words were cold and resolute, drawing a clear line.
Hera's face paled, her lips moved, and she finally sadly lowered her head.
Finally, Hades's gaze fell upon the two remaining sisters—Hestia and Demeter.
His tone softened slightly, with a question:
"And you? What compensation do you require?"
Hestia almost immediately raised her head, her eyes flashing with an unprecedentedly bright light.
She did not hesitate, her voice clear and loud:
"I, Hestia, voluntarily renounce marriage and passion, and pray to become a virgin goddess! Never marry, never conceive, protect the purity of the hearth and family, and be free from all entanglements!"
This request was not only a complete farewell to past trauma but also the purest commitment to her own priesthood.
After being devoured by her father-god and witnessing the misfortunes of her sisters' marriages, she chose eternal independence and tranquility.
Hades looked at her intently and nodded: "As you wish. From this moment, Hestia becomes a virgin goddess, protected by law."
She smiled with relief and satisfaction.
When it came to Demeter's turn, she seemed very hesitant.
She looked at Hestia, then around, finally shook her head and whispered: "I... I haven't thought about it yet. Can I keep this compensation for later?"
Hades did not insist: "Yes. Ask me when needed."
Having dealt with all this, Hades turned his attention back to Zeus, who was still suppressed, and his voice became absolutely cold:
"Zeus, fulfill your promise. Otherwise, Tartarus wouldn't mind one more 'guest'."
With these words, he no longer looked at the gods, and his figure silently disappeared, as when he had come.
The oppression of the Underworld enveloping the temple also vanished.
Zeus gasped and straightened up in embarrassment, his face full of anger and deep humiliation.
He looked at the spot where Hades had disappeared, his eyes flashing with resentment, but he dared not say anything more.
Supported by Artemis and Apollo, Leto cast a cold glance at Zeus, turned to leave, her back resolute.
Hestia silently left the scene with the peace of new life.
Demeter followed her with a heavy heart.
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