Divine Ascension: Reborn as a God of Power-Chapter 42: The Schism of Olympus (Part 2)

The room was divided. And at that moment, everyone understood that Olympus would never be the same again.

For several seconds, no one said a word. The electricity Zeus had left in the air continued to buzz, as if his presence still lingered among the marble walls of the hall. Even the gods who had supported him avoided eye contact with the rest.

Aphrodite was the first to move. She ran a hand through her hair, taking a deep breath, as if trying to shake off the tension that enveloped her.

"That’s it," she said. "It’s officially screwed. This won’t be resolved with words."

Ares, on the other side of the room, crossed his arms and let out a dry laugh.

"You finally accept it? I thought you preferred games of seduction to open confrontation."

"And I thought you were more than just a guard dog," Aphrodite replied coldly. "But I guess we’re all showing our true colors."

"Enough!" Apollo exclaimed, raising both hands. "We can’t go to war today, or tomorrow. This isn’t a minor dispute, it’s a dispute between the entire Olympus. There are rules that must be followed in cases like this, even if you don’t like them."

Everyone turned their gaze to him.

"The Olympian Code of Disputes," he explained, more serious than he already was. "It states that in the event of a conflict of sovereignty between the major gods, a minimum period of seven days must be granted. This allows each faction to put its affairs in order, call on its allies, and prepare its forces."

"A formal truce," Hestia said quietly, as if it pained her to say it.

"Exactly," Apollo affirmed. "During that time, no one may attack, manipulate, or interfere in the domains of the other without breaking the Code. And if it is broken... the consequences are gonna be severe."

"Very well," said Athena, her voice resonating with cold authority. ’Then the contest will begin in a week. And those who do not choose a side will be treated as hostile by default."

Hades let out a short laugh from his distant throne. ’Ah, Athena. Always so fair, always so deadly. I’m glad I’m not part of this dance of egos."

Poseidon turned to Aphrodite, Hestia, and Dionysus. "We’d better get ready. Not just militarily. We need minor gods, guardians, demigods, and loyal humans. It’s not enough to be right. We have to resist."

Apollo and Artemis exchanged tense glances. Even between them, the division hurt.

Hermes took a step back, sighing. "I’ll go officially inform the others of the deadline. Every word I say will be recorded. I don’t want anyone to say they didn’t know."

"So be it," said Poseidon surprisingly. "One week. And then... our swords and armies will speak."

And one by one, the gods began to disappear in flashes of light or winged shadows, leaving behind an empty chamber... and a deep crack that could no longer be hidden.

(A short time later in the House of Aphrodite...)

The pink marble door slammed shut behind them. Columns covered with roses and vines trembled slightly with the echo. The air that normally smelled of nectar and perfume was now charged with tension. Aphrodite had barely crossed the threshold when she turned abruptly toward Ares, her shining hair tousled with fury.

"Why did you do that!?" she shouted, a mixture of disbelief and rage in her voice as it echoed through the room.

The God of War barely raised an eyebrow, leaning arrogantly against a column carved in the shape of a mermaid. He feigned calm, but a spark burned in his eyes.

"Do what?" he asked casually. "Love, Zeus is the way forward. No matter what decisions he makes, he is still the King of Olympus. And he’s not going to stop being that just because you don’t like the nobodies of Nemesis."

Aphrodite narrowed her eyes in fury. "Please, Ares, don’t play dumb with me. I know you’re much smarter than that, and besides, I’m not angry just because of that. I’m angry because you didn’t even hesitate to join your tyrant of a father."

Ares’ smile slowly faded. "Don’t you dare talk about my father like that, Aphrodite. No matter what our relationship is, he will always be my father."

The goddess took a step toward him, her eyes determined not to back down.

"He’s using you, Ares, don’t you understand? This is the same thing that happened with his father and his father’s father. Let’s face it, Zeus is no different from Kronos."

"Take that back right now, how dare you?" Ares’ voice became serious, he had grown tired of the argument and it showed in his tone, using a little of his divine power to make his voice louder, which he thought would be enough to intimidate the goddess, but he was wrong, very wrong...

"How dare I? How dare you think otherwise?" she replied without lowering her gaze for a second. "Face the facts, Ares. Not wanting to accept that your father became a manipulative and lying tyrant just like Kronos doesn’t make you a worse son. In fact, it would make you a much better one than most of your brothers."

Ares suddenly took a step toward her, his figure eclipsing the dim light of the candelabra. Blood boiled beneath his skin. The storm he was holding back threatened to erupt. He pointed at her with a finger trembling with rage, his breath heavy, his chest puffed out with wounded pride.

"I told you to take that back!"

Now they were face to face. Only inches separated them.

But Aphrodite didn’t back down, not even for a minute.

"Or what?" She whispered, her tone just as firm. "What will you do if I don’t take it back? Are you going to hit me? Are you going to yell louder until you convince yourself that you’re not the son of a tyrant? Or better yet, are you going to kill me? It would be a poetic way to seal your loyalty, wouldn’t it?"

Ares clenched his jaw, the muscle throbbing like a war drum beneath his skin. His finger was still raised, trembling.

But he said nothing, unable to think of a response.

Aphrodite looked at him with a mixture of compassion and disappointment. "I loved you because I thought you were more than war, that others underestimated you. I believed that beneath that anger there was more than just a bloodthirsty soldier who craved war."

She lowered her voice, but her words cut like knives. "But it seems I was wrong. All you care about is serving your father and the conflict that comes with it, isn’t that right?"

Ares slowly lowered his hand, as if it suddenly weighed more than his own armor. He took a step back, silent, trapped in the storm he himself had unleashed. Fury still burned in his chest... but now, in the midst of the fire, something else was beginning to emerge: the shadow of doubt.

Aphrodite was no longer looking at him. There was no need to. He had just confirmed everything she feared about him.

She turned with the elegance of a ballerina, walking toward the back of her sanctuary. But before she disappeared behind the golden curtains, she stopped. She looked over her shoulder, her gaze cold as carved marble, and drove the words into him like soft, lethal daggers:

"Ah... and in case you had any doubts," she said in a firm voice, without a crack of emotion. "As of today, what we had is history. You hear me? We are done. Don’t ever show up your face here again, or anywhere near me. If I see you even once more... I will formally accuse you of breaking the seven-day truce."

And with that, she disappeared into the perfumed shadows, leaving behind the God of War with a lost look in his eyes and a feeling he had never experienced before, a broken heart and an emptiness that no battle could fill.

(Meanwhile, in the Garden of the Hesperides...)

The afternoon sun filtered warmly through the golden leaves of the garden, painting flashes of color on the gleaming fruits hanging from the trees. A gentle breeze swayed the air, laden with the scent of eternity, and the laughter of Erytheia and Aegle rang softly as they gathered nectar for dinner. Hesperia, on the other hand, spoke softly to me near the central fountain, as she had been doing since our conversation days ago had left us with a tension that had not yet completely dissipated.

That was when we felt it. A faint flash, almost imperceptible, crossed the edge of the sky and materialized among the myrtle trees on the main path.

Hermes.

He appeared without fanfare, without announcing himself with one of his jokes or floating upside down as was his custom. His usual smile was gone, as was his daily teasing or sarcastic comment, or even a remark about how peaceful the garden was compared to the rest of the world. It was just him... standing there, staring at us, his mouth pressed into a thin line.

Aegle was the first to frown.

"Hermes? What’s that face for?" I asked, approaching slowly.

The messenger god walked toward us with measured steps, his caduceus resting on his shoulder. His usually mischievous countenance was covered by an expression that was not his own.

"What happened?" I said, stepping forward before any of the Hesperides could ask the obvious question. "You never come with that expression... not even when you bring bad news."

Hermes nodded, stopping in front of us. His gaze swept across the faces in the garden and lingered just a second longer on Hesperia. Then he spoke, his voice grave, as if the words weighed heavily on him.

"The Council of Olympus, has broke up. Olympus... is on a schism."

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