The Crowns of the Gods.

A New Lesson: What Goes Around, Comes Around

 After six weeks of patient effort, Blair and the girls finally returned home. Bayo had made significant progress in controlling herself, much to everyone's relief. Jinx buzzed with excitement, eager to discover her own destiny, but Blair insisted on giving Bayo a day to relax. She bid the girls farewell and made her way to Hades' office.

The air in Hades' domain was heavy with ancient power and subdued darkness. Blair navigated the corridors with practiced ease, her mind already absorbed in thoughts of Rhea's writings. In these scrolls and tablets, Blair found insights into the depths of Hades' character, understanding more about why he was the way he was. Rhea, she concluded, was a figure both despicable and intriguing.

In Hades' private study, surrounded by shelves of ancient tomes and artifacts, Blair settled into a worn leather chair. The candlelight flickered, casting dancing shadows across the parchments spread before her. She traced her fingers over the delicate script, absorbing the tales of ambition and betrayal that defined Rhea's legacy.

Amidst the scrolls, Blair stumbled upon a journal bound in weathered leather. The writing within was both unfamiliar and hauntingly familiar to her. With a mixture of curiosity and caution, she gently opened its pages, the faint scent of ancient ink mingling with the musty air of the underworld.

As Blair began to read, the words drew her deeper into a world of forgotten secrets and hidden truths.

Today marks my sixth birth year. Mother has been visiting more often lately, her demeanor noticeably changed. She has become much more affectionate, seeking comfort in her touch. Yet, I find myself unable to reciprocate these feelings. Instead, her touch fills me with an inexplicable anger that I struggle to contain.

It seems she needs the comfort more than I do now. There are times when it feels as if I am compelled to be near her, despite my conflicting emotions. A few days ago, I angered her, and since then, she hasn't returned to see me. The absence weighs heavily on me, a knot tightening in my stomach, robbing me of my appetite. I feel as if I am slowly withering away.

What has she done to me? I ponder in solitude, contemplating the strange power she holds over me. I suspect it must be her magic, woven deep within her touch, binding me in ways I cannot fully comprehend.

Blair sat at her desk, tears streaming down her cheeks as she read through the journal. Her heart ached for her father, a man who had been ensnared by a succubus at such a young age. The pages detailed how exposure to the succubus's poison had left him addicted, craving something that only brought him pain when he couldn't have it. Blair had read about Rhea and other succubi, learning that their influence could be both intoxicating and devastating.

Rhea had started giving Hades her poison when he was just five years old. Blair couldn't comprehend why it affected him differently as a child than it did as an adult. The succubus's control had been effective, but her "strew," as she called it, didn't seem to have the same impact on Hades later in life. It was a puzzle Blair was determined to solve, to unravel the mystery that surrounded her father's past.

Wiping her tears away, Blair picked up the journal once more, steeling herself for the revelations that lay ahead.

Today, I spoke with Z, Po, and Gaia. Like me, they have yet to manifest their powers. They also haven't seen Mother as frequently as I have; they only encounter her once a year on their birth year.

I dared to ask Mother today about when we would receive our powers. She explained that our abilities would remain dormant until we reached our "immortal ages." Her answer unsettled me deeply. When I pressed her to clarify, she smiled—a smile that sent a chill down my spine. Mother revealed that my immortal age would be sixteen, Gaia's thirteen, Z's twelve, and Po's eleven.