Phanes' eyes snapped open. A flicker of divine energy resonated within him—a familiar yet distant presence.
"She's finally near."
His quiet words stirred the goddess in his embrace. Hestia, resting peacefully, slowly opened her fiery-red eyes.
"Really?" she asked, her voice still laced with drowsiness.
But as soon as the meaning of his words sank in, her eyes widened with excitement. Without hesitation, she sat up, her exhaustion forgotten.
"Come on, Big Brother! Let's greet Demeter!" she exclaimed, grabbing Phanes' arm and trying to pull him toward the cave's edge.
Phanes chuckled at his sister's enthusiasm and let her drag him forward. They stood at the precipice of their cavern, looking upward into the vast, hollow expanse of Kronos' esophagus, where all swallowed beings were cast downward into this dark abyss.
Narrowing his gaze, Phanes extended his restricted divine sense. He carefully searched through the layers of divine energy until he found her—a lone figure drifting downward, bathed in a faint golden light.
But what he saw surprised him.
Instead of a fully grown goddess, Demeter appeared much younger—a girl in her early teens. Her long, hazel-brown hair flowed around her, and her bright sky-blue eyes held an innocent, confused glimmer. She was beautiful, but unlike the mature goddess he remembered from mythology, she still carried the softness of youth.
Phanes furrowed his brows. So time flows differently for each of us? he mused. Hestia and I have grown significantly, yet Demeter remains so young. Perhaps our father's stomach warps time in unpredictable ways.
Pushing those thoughts aside, he rose into the air, his body surrounded by a gentle, transparent aura. As he reached out, the space around his hand compressed, bending to his will.
Demeter, still descending, suddenly noticed the strange shift around her. Before she could react, a figure appeared before her—a tall, regal-looking young man with striking, golden-green eyes that radiated warmth and strength.
She blinked in confusion.
"Hello, Demeter," he greeted with a calm, reassuring smile. "I'm Phanes, your elder brother."
Demeter hesitated, her expression a mixture of uncertainty and curiosity. "Brother...?" she repeated, as though trying to make sense of the word.
Then, without warning, her eyes welled up with tears, and she began to cry loudly—just as Hestia had when she was first swallowed by Kronos.
Phanes' heart ached at the sight. He had seen this before—the fear, the confusion, the overwhelming despair of being torn from their mother's arms and cast into the abyss. No matter how many times it happened, it never became any easier to witness.
Hestia, standing beside them, immediately stepped forward and embraced Demeter.
"It's okay," Hestia whispered soothingly, stroking her younger sister's hair. "I know it's scary, but you're not alone. We're here with you now."
Demeter clung to Hestia, her small hands grasping the fabric of her sister's robes as her sobs echoed in the cavern.
Phanes knelt beside them, placing a gentle hand on Demeter's back. "I know it hurts," he said softly. "But I promise, we will get out of here one day. And when that time comes, we will reunite with Mother."
Demeter's cries gradually softened. She looked up at her older siblings—at Hestia's warm, reassuring smile and Phanes' unwavering golden-green gaze.
"You… promise?" she asked in a trembling voice.
Phanes nodded firmly. "I swear it. I will not let our family remain trapped here forever."
Demeter sniffled, wiping her tears away. Though fear still lingered in her eyes, there was also a spark of hope.
"Come on, Demeter," Hestia said gently, taking her hand. "Let's go inside. We have so much to tell you."
Demeter hesitated for a moment, then nodded slowly, allowing herself to be led into the cave.
Phanes watched them go, his resolve strengthening. Another sibling had arrived, another promise made.
And one day, Kronos would pay for every tear he had caused.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As time passed in the dark confines of Kronos' stomach, Demeter quickly adjusted to her new reality. She easily bonded with Hestia, and the two sisters became inseparable, always spending time together, talking, and sharing their thoughts.
Phanes, though happy to see them getting along, sometimes felt a little left out. Before Demeter's arrival, Hestia had always been by his side, but now, she was constantly with their new sister. Not that he minded—he wanted them to form a strong bond—but it did make him realize just how much he had relied on Hestia's companionship.
Over time, Demeter's appearance began to change. She had arrived in the form of a young girl, but as the days passed, she matured, growing closer in resemblance to the goddess she was destined to become. Her once youthful features sharpened with grace, and her presence carried an air of quiet wisdom.
Unlike Phanes and Hestia, however, Demeter had not yet awakened her divine power. Her divinity remained dormant, locked away within her, waiting for the right moment to emerge. Phanes theorized that since she was a goddess of agriculture, she needed to be in contact with nature to fully awaken her abilities.
Until then, Phanes focused on training both his sisters in physical combat. Hestia was dedicated and disciplined, her skills in martial arts improving steadily. Demeter, on the other hand, was much more reluctant. She had little interest in fighting, her mind more focused on dreams of planting and harvesting, of nurturing life rather than destroying it.
At first, Demeter outright refused to participate in combat training.
"I don't want to fight," she had told Phanes, crossing her arms. "I just want to grow things, to care for them."
Phanes sighed but remained patient. "I understand, Demeter. But this is not the outside world. We are trapped inside Kronos, and we don't know what dangers could arise. You need to be able to defend yourself, at least until we escape."
Demeter hesitated, clearly torn. Hestia, standing beside her, gently took her hand.
"Phanes is right," Hestia said softly. "It's not about hurting others. It's about protecting ourselves… protecting each other."
After much persuasion, Demeter finally agreed—though reluctantly—to train under Phanes' guidance. Though she wasn't as dedicated as Hestia, her natural grace and agility made her a quick learner. While she struggled with direct combat, she excelled in evasion and defensive techniques.
Meanwhile, Phanes' strength continued to evolve at an astonishing rate. His relentless training pushed his physical and divine attributes beyond their previous limits. Each day, he honed his skills, testing the full extent of his abilities in this confined, timeless space.
His three major divinities—Life, Light, and Space—had reached their peak within this prison, growing to the level of a mid-tier god. The power within them surged with intensity, but he could feel an invisible barrier preventing further progress. No matter how much he trained, the oppressive environment of Kronos' stomach restricted his growth, keeping him from reaching even greater heights.
At the same time, his three minor divinities—Fertility, Protection, and Wisdom—had stabilized at the pinnacle of a low-level god. Though not as dominant as his primary aspects, they granted him a profound understanding of nature, shielding, and strategy, further enhancing his abilities in unexpected ways.
Despite these advancements, Phanes knew that true growth lay beyond this prison. He had reached a bottleneck, and only by escaping to the outside world—where time and space flowed naturally—could he push his divinity to its true potential.
Until that day came, he would continue to train, refine, and prepare, ensuring that when the moment of freedom arrived, he would be ready.
Currently, Phanes slowly opened his eyes, emerging from a deep meditative state. A newfound sense of control coursed through him, his divinity feeling far more refined and restrained. Now, he could effortlessly mask his presence, concealing his divine aura at will.
He turned his gaze toward Hestia and Demeter, who were engaged in a lively conversation. A warm smile crossed his face as he observed them. It was a rare moment of peace in the confined space of Kronos' prison. Without hesitation, he teleported in front of them.
"Ah!"
"Ack!"
Both Hestia and Demeter jumped in surprise.
"Brother! That was mean!" Hestia huffed, turning her head away in a pout.
"Yes, you startled us," Demeter added, folding her arms with a mock frown.
Phanes chuckled. "Alright, my mistake. How should I make it up to you?"
Hestia and Demeter exchanged mischievous glances, a playful glint in their eyes.
"Hmm… we'll think about it," Hestia teased.
Phanes shook his head with amusement, but before he could respond, a shift in the divine energy around them caught his attention. His expression turned serious as he looked upward toward the esophagus of Kronos. A familiar presence was approaching.
"She's finally here," he murmured to himself.
Demeter and Hestia immediately sensed the change in Phanes' demeanor and followed his gaze.
"Is it… our next sibling?" Hestia asked, excitement evident in her voice.
Phanes nodded. "Yes. Hera is arriving."
Demeter's expression softened. "Another sister… I hope she's safe."
Phanes took a deep breath, his mind recalling what he knew of Hera from the myths of the future. The goddess of marriage, women, and childbirth… yet also a being known for arrogance, jealousy, and a manipulative nature. In the original stories, she was ruthless, treacherous, and rarely showed true kindness unless there was something to be gained.
"If her personality is anything like the myths, she may be difficult to deal with," he thought. "But if I guide her properly, she may become a true pillar of our family rather than a goddess consumed by pride and ambition."
Determined, Phanes activated his divine power and ascended into the air, his body vanishing into golden light. He appeared below the falling figure of his new sibling, stretching out his arms to catch her gently.
A young girl with flowing chestnut hair and piercing golden eyes trembled in his grasp. Despite her youthful appearance, an unmistakable regal air surrounded her. Even in fear and confusion, she tried to maintain composure, her eyes scanning Phanes warily.
"Hello, little sister," Phanes said softly, offering a reassuring smile. "I am your elder brother, Phanes. Welcome."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After Phanes saved Hera from falling into the depths of Kronos' prison, time passed, and she gradually adjusted to her new reality. Though she eventually got along with her siblings, she never lost the regal arrogance that seemed to be an inherent part of her nature. It was an aspect of her divinity—she was destined to be a queen, and it showed in the way she carried herself.
Hera was strikingly beautiful, with long, silken white hair and an air of authority that made it difficult to look away from her. She had the presence of someone born to rule, a queen in both spirit and appearance. However, despite her outer elegance, she often found herself at odds with Demeter.
Hera and Demeter bickered constantly, their personalities clashing like fire and wind. Demeter, despite her generally kind nature, wasn't one to back down when challenged, and Hera, in turn, refused to concede to someone she saw as inferior. Their arguments were frequent, though they never escalated beyond words, thanks to Hestia, who always stepped in to mediate whenever things threatened to spiral out of control.
When Hera first arrived, she regarded both Hestia and Demeter with thinly veiled contempt, believing herself superior in both beauty and strength. However, after witnessing Hestia's raw power firsthand, she quickly learned to respect her elder sister. Demeter, however, was another matter—Hera continued to see her as competition, particularly when it came to Phanes' attention.
From the moment he saved her, Hera had been captivated by Phanes. She admired his strength, his wisdom, and the way he carried himself. While she would never openly admit it, she had developed a deep admiration for him, one that bordered on reverence. However, Phanes was not blind to the discord her attitude created among his siblings, and he made it clear that if she truly wished to stay by his side, she needed to learn to coexist with her sisters.
For Hera, this was a difficult lesson to accept, but her determination to remain close to Phanes pushed her to change. Slowly, her prejudice toward Demeter began to wane, and though she would never openly express it, she started to feel a sense of belonging among her siblings. Her constant arguments with Demeter, once purely antagonistic, became more playful over time, almost like a habit neither of them could break.
Hestia was the first to notice this subtle shift, and it filled her with warmth. As the Goddess of Home and Family, she had an innate understanding of relationships, and it was clear to her that, despite Hera's outward demeanor, she had begun to see Demeter and Hestia as her true sisters.
(To be Continued)