Lord Mobius raised his hand, his eyes sparkling like gems. "Lord Ares, let's skip the all-out war. I'm still planning to promote the concept of Peace, letting the idea of Peace spread throughout the world. This way, war exists in reality, and Peace exists within the heart."
"This way, war and Peace are relative, and reality and the heart are compared," Lord Mobius smiled. "Then Peace and war will forever be interdependent. Mention one, and the other will always be an unavoidable topic."
The radiant Helios drove his sun chariot into the depths of the ocean. Hemera, the Goddess of Daylight, tore open the curtain of day, revealing the true face of darkness. The diligent Goddess Eos led the moon's reins for her dear sister Selene, parting the obscuring clouds. Today, the moon was again bright and clear.
The Goddess of Marriage in the distance walked on white lilies and purple irises, her gilded gown shimmering in the dark night, stepping by step towards Mobius.
She wore the God Queen's crown, exuding an air of grace and splendor. "Long time no see, God of Healing."
After speaking, she turned to Ares and said, "My dearest child, Ares of war, I would like to have a word with dear Lord Mobius, if I may?"
Ares's eyes flashed with worry, but Mobius spoke up, saying, "Of course, my dear God Queen, whatever you wish to discuss with me, if it is something I know, I will tell you."
Ares opened his mouth wide, his white teeth clashing, but no sound was made. His scarlet cape hung low... He nodded, "Return as soon as possible. War and Peace are waiting for you."
Yes, war and Peace are always unavoidable topics for living beings. The sooner, the better, of course.
Hera's face held a smile, but her ox-eyes flashed with a hint of imperceptible loneliness. She had once possessed such a friendship.
She and Leto, Apollo's mother and the Goddess of Nurturing, were once the best of sisters, sharing everything and talking about anything. She could even share half of her divine duties, but this Goddess betrayed her deep friendship because of Zeus's sweet talk.
She knew that every betrayal by Zeus would bring her eternal pain and leave a crack in her divinity, yet Leto still did it...
Nothing in the world is eternal; only oneself is real!
The bright moonlight made the path to the Marriage Temple exceptionally dark. The surrounding irises were about to wither, and Hera's face held a mixture of complexity and desolation.
She had no friends, only subordinates, partners, and a marital contractor.
"Lord Mobius, do you believe there can truly be eternal affection in this world? Those who betray marriage are forgiven time and again, while the one left behind continually suffers." Hera plucked a resiliently blooming azalea from among the irises. "Zeus once used azaleas to win my love, yet he gave it up so easily."
"Tell me, why is that?" The azalea in Hera's hand turned into juice; pale purple liquid, like blood, dripped from her fingertips down to her forearm, finally falling onto the soil.
Mobius couldn't answer because he wasn't sure if there was eternal affection. As for matters of marriage, that was a divine duty Hera herself controlled; he had no involvement in it whatsoever.
He couldn't say whether Zeus was good or bad, because there was no barrier here to block others. Thus, his conversation with Hera would surely spread. Speaking ill of Zeus would certainly reach Zeus's ears, and praising Zeus would offend the Goddess of Marriage before him.
Therefore, silence was the best answer.
"Hera, Your Highness, did you invite me here just to hear you talk about your divine duty of marriage?" Mobius paused, and healing power appeared in his hand. "I apologize, but I am only a God of Healing and have no connection to marriage."
"Yes, you are just the God of Healing, with no relation to marriage!" Hera's eyes flashed with complexity. "I wanted to ask you to heal the wounds on my divinity." Hera sighed, unsure if she was sighing for herself or for Mobius's divine duties not encompassing marriage, or perhaps both.
Hera's sigh was exceptionally clear in the quiet night.
"Mobius, I want to ask you to heal the cracks in my divinity. I know you have this ability." Hera, dragging her gilded gown, walked into the Marriage Temple. The attending Nymph had already departed.
The always magnificent Marriage Temple was now so dim, its decorations seemingly weathered by thousands of years, filled with sorrow and bitterness.
"Are you not afraid Your Highness Zeus will misunderstand?" Mobius's hands began to entwine with healing divine power, the pale green light reflecting off Hera's face.
"What does he have to worry about?" Hera scoffed. "The Goddess of Marriage will never betray marriage, unless she wishes to lose her divine duties, to lose everything she possesses."
"Marriage is a transaction, exchanging love for kinship. The bonfires on Earth will burn for those who belong to them, but marriage is merely an announcement of union." Hera's ox-eyes flashed with madness, and the golden crown, formed by countless marriages, shattered, spilling golden divine power.
Golden rain began to fall over the twelve main temples on Olympus. Every drop of rain was a broken marriage vow, falling to the human world and turning into countless divorce documents.
Humans on Earth were thrown into chaos because of marriage, and small-scale wars began to erupt.
Hestia opened her eyes, caught a raindrop in the air, and after a moment of silence, said, "Hera, your divine power is out of control. Zeus has gone too far."
"Hera, Your Highness, your divine power is out of control," Mobius said very calmly.
"The three thousandth time." Her fingertips traced the crack in the center of her crown, where the scent of Zeus's tryst with a tree Nymph from last night still lingered.
The divine power of the crown flowed down her cheeks; for a moment, it was impossible to distinguish between tears and divine power. "Every time Zeus interacts with an unfamiliar goddess, a wound appears on my divinity. Wounds from humans are smaller, wounds from gods are larger. Human wounds can heal upon death, but those from gods are eternal."
"But I still hold onto his vows, wanting him to change his mind, wanting him to return to my side, to exist as my husband. I once longed for my husband to be as devoted to his wife as the cruel Cronus, but he remains so unfaithful," Hera babbled, her divine power beginning to calm.
Mobius felt a feedback from Hera, as if it were a sign of successful healing, but he hadn't even started treating her yet.