The sunlight beamed down from above, bathing the beautiful garden in a warm, golden glow.
Flowers of every kind bloomed in vibrant colors, small trees swayed gently in the breeze, and a crystal-clear fountain bubbled softly nearby.
Everything in the garden seemed ten times more stunning than anything found in the mortal world.
At the center of it all stood a table and a single elegant chair.
On the table rested a beautifully decorated teapot, steam gently rising from its spout.
The aroma of freshly brewed tea lingered in the air.
Seated in the chair was a young man who looked 16—a vision of divine elegance.
His golden hair shimmered with streaks of vibrant green, cascading gently down.
His silver eyes gleamed with an ethereal glow, their pupils shaped like four-pointed golden stars.
His physique was magnificent—well-toned and sculpted, not overly bulky like a bodybuilder, nor slender like a youth.
His frame was balanced: broad shoulders, firm muscles, and refined strength, perfectly compressed into an ideal form.
Truly, he was the very image of a Greek god.
Or perhaps… a Greek Titan.
This man was Aetherion, sitting calmly in his chair, sipping tea as he usually did—serene, powerful, and unknowingly divine in every gesture.
He raised the teacup to his lips and took a slow sip, exhaling a quiet sigh of relief.
"Ah… life sure is good,"
Aetherion murmured, setting the cup down and leaning back in his chair.
Time flew by quickly for someone like him—an immortal. A whole year had already passed, and yet so much had happened in that time.
First and foremost, his mother had given birth to Poseidon—only for him to be swallowed alongside his other siblings.
But because of the plan they had made together, Rhea didn't seem as deeply affected as before.
She firmly believed her son Aetherion would be able to save them with the potion.
What surprised Aetherion even more was that his mother was already pregnant again.
Yes—pregnant with another child!
He had learned the news a couple of weeks ago, and while it didn't bother him, it still struck him as strange.
For them—his mother, the Titans, even the gods—sex didn't seem to hold the same weight as it did in the mortal realm.
It seems their hormones are much stronger than those of normal humans—they become easily aroused or simply desire sex.
They take great pleasure in it and don't see any issue with it, even if they dislike the person involved, they treat it as not a big deal.
To them, sex is simply another form of enjoyment in life. Even Aetherion himself isn't exempt.
The older he gets, and the closer he comes to reaching his prime, the more he feels his hormones taking over, making him increasingly lustful in ways he doesn't fully understand.
Aetherion still found that odd, though he had to admit it was simply the way they were.
In the meantime, his life had changed as well.
He had become, in a way, a student to Themis. She had offered to train with him and even teach him directly. Instead of calling her "Themis" or "Lady Themis," he now called her "Teacher."
And what surprised him even more was that his mother had started training with them, too.
He had known she was strong—she was Rhea, after all—but he hadn't expected this.
Her domain… time flow.
Honestly, it was frightening to fight against her.
Rhea was a formidable opponent.
She had beaten him quite badly a few times—even when he was in his Divine Form. He had to go all-out just to keep up with her normal state.
She was easily at the same level as Themis, which had shocked him. He had assumed she would be weaker since she didn't seem to practice or train like Themis did.
But she wielded a spear with terrifying skill, and her ability to control time around her astonished everyone.
But it also helped Aetherion become more proficient in her spear technique, as he was able to observe and copy it.
Additionally, Themis—now his teacher—greatly improved his swordplay, especially since he could mimic her movements with ease.
So yes—he had learned a lot from both of them.
"I'm going to meet Metis soon…"
he muttered to himself, looking forward to it.
He still hadn't met her yet, but his mother had warned him to wait.
Rhea feared that Kronos might find out if she brought too many people into this realm, so she had asked Aetherion to be patient until the potion was complete.
From what he understood, Metis was almost done. Maybe a week—maybe less.
Everything was going according to plan.
And yes—it was almost time.
Aetherion was nearly ready to explain the plan fully now. Both his mother and Gaia seemed excited, but he had delayed giving them the full details.
The only reason Gaia had even agreed to wait was because he kept bribing her with chocolate.
That chocolate-addicted Primordial.
It was annoying.
He had even baked her a chocolate cake once just to keep her from asking again.
He didn't want to sound cruel when he finally explained it, but the truth was clear: they were going to use the birth as a key moment to make Kronos take the potion.
He had read it in the myths—how Gaia had crafted a stone to look like a baby, which Rhea used to trick Kronos into swallowing instead of Zeus.
His plan was simple but brilliant if he had to say so himself: He will place the potion in the stone baby's arms and wrap it with a cloth so that neither the potion nor the fake child can be seen. The potion will remain uncorked, so the moment Kronos swallows it, all of its contents will spill into his stomach.
It would make him vomit up everything.
Even his siblings.
Even his food.
"I'm a genius. Truly a genius,"
Aetherion thought to himself, smiling inwardly.
Then he heard footsteps approaching from farther away.
He looked up—and there she was.
The beautiful Primordial Gaia, walking toward him with a gentle smile on her face.
Her movements were soft, but there was a quiet strength in her stride.
Her beauty was overwhelming, her hips swaying naturally, her hair gleaming like sunlight through a forest canopy.
'Truly,' Aetherion thought, 'she's the most beautiful woman I've ever seen.'
Was it because she was a Primordial?
He quickly shook the thought from his head and simply gave her a smile.
"Is there something you need, Gaia?"
Aetherion asked her, keeping a gentle smile on his face.
Gaia looked at him.
No—she stared at him. For a while.
Then, with a hint of irritation in her voice, she spoke.
"The plan. I want to know the plan now, Aetherion."
She sounded mildly annoyed—almost like she might smack him upside the head if he didn't spit it out soon.
And from his perspective, Aetherion could tell:
Even chocolate wouldn't save him this time.
Not even the magical chocolate cake he had made.
Still, he didn't want her to be too upset with him for keeping it hidden for so long.
So, with a flick of his hand, he manifested a fresh piece of chocolate—something he had crafted earlier using his Life Domain—and sent it floating toward her.
Gaia's expression softened the moment she saw it.
A shy smile touched her lips, and then her hand moved in a blur—so fast it was almost invisible—snatching the chocolate from the air.
Aetherion watched her with mild amusement as she munched on it, her cheeks puffed out adorably.
'She looks like a chipmunk storing nuts for winter,' he thought. 'How is this a Primordial?'
He shook his head in disbelief, still not quite used to how she behaved.
Even so, with a wave of his hand, he raised a chair from the earth and shaped it to comfort. Then, with a small gesture toward it, he said,
"You can sit here, Gaia. I'll explain the plan now."
Still chewing on her chocolate, she looked at him with wide, curious eyes. Then, nodding quickly, she sat herself down.
"So," she said between bites, "do tell me—what is it you've been planning all this time? You've kept it hidden for quite a while."