As the meeting of the Twelve Great Titans began, the absence of one among their ranks was impossible to ignore.
Pallas.
The Titan of Warcraft, Combat, and Weapons.
His throne remained empty, a silent reminder of the rebellion's first victory.
Even Kronos himself had not anticipated such an outcome.
One of the Twelve Great Titans under his command had fallen.
Killed.
Defeated by his own firstborn son.
Of course, death was not necessarily permanent for beings of their caliber. Pallas would eventually revive, perhaps in a decade or so.
But that was precisely the problem.
His strength was needed now.
No not his strength but his presence.
The people needed to know that it wasn't possible to defy the reign of Kronos himself and the twelve great titans .
But alas, that was impossible now, because of one thing: one of the mightiest pillars of Kronos reign had been removed from the battlefield .
Which was an inconvenience.
A humiliation.
And above all...
An insult.
A month had passed since the battle.
During that time, little had happened.
Upon returning from his confrontation with Aetherion and Asteria, Hyperion had reported everything that had transpired.
The battle.
The abilities he had witnessed.
The strength of Kronos's firstborn.
Although Hyperion had sustained minor injuries during the confrontation, they were nothing serious.
What mattered was the information he had brought back.
And Kronos had listened carefully.
He had learned just how far his firstborn had progressed.
That insolent brat.
The very child who had tricked him to release the siblings he had swallowed.
The one who had dared challenge his authority.
Kronos's golden eyes narrowed slightly.
The boy had grown powerful.
Far more powerful than he had anticipated.
Yet...
Not powerful enough.
From Hyperion's account, Kronos understood that his firstborn was still far beneath him.
After all, Hyperion himself, despite being considerably weaker than Kronos, had possessed the strength to defeat the boy.
And if Hyperion could accomplish such a feat...
Then what chance did Aetherion have against the King of the Cosmos?
None.
None at all!
At least, that was what Kronos believed.
And so...
He waited.
He waited for the rebellion to make its next move.
For its forces to emerge.
For his children to grow bold enough to launch another attack.
Then he would descend upon them.
He would summon his scythe.
And he would personally remind them why the entire cosmos feared his name.
But...
Nothing happened.
Days passed.
Then weeks.
And still, the rebellion made no move.
No attacks.
No invasions.
No attempts to challenge his authority.
It was infuriating.
Yet Kronos remained patient.
He was the Titan of Time.
A month was nothing to a being who had witnessed countless ages pass.
Still, patience did not mean idleness.
He watched.
He calculated and considered.
And when the rebellion continued to remain hidden, he finally summoned the Twelve Great Titans to his throne room.
He wished to hear their opinions.
Their strategies.
Their suggestions for locating the rebels and bringing this troublesome war to an end.
Kronos already knew what he intended to do.
He would wait for the perfect opportunity.
The moment when a single strike could inflict the greatest possible damage.
But first...
He needed to discover where those bastards were hiding.
His unyielding gaze swept across the assembled Titans.
Atlas.
Hyperion.
Iapetus.
Coeus.
Crius.
Theia.
Mnemosyne.
Perses.
Astraeus.
Phoebe.
Each was among the mightiest beings in existence.
Each commanded immense divine authority.
And every single one of them served beneath his throne.
The sight filled Kronos with pride.
Yet at that moment, only one thought occupied his mind.
Crushing the pathetic rebellion of his own children.
Finally, his gaze settled upon a woman seated among the Twelve Great Titans.
Theia.
The Titaness of Sight, Shining Light and Radiance.
The wife of Hyperion.
And his sister.
"Theia."
His deep voice echoed throughout the chamber.
"Have you discovered anything?"
He leaned back against his throne.
"Any indication of where we should direct our attention?"
Theia straightened her back.
Her expression remained composed as she answered in a quiet, even tone.
"Yes, my lord."
Several Titans turned toward her.
"I have attempted to divine the location of the rebellion through prophecy."
She paused.
"However, every time I attempt to trace their whereabouts, something shifts."
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"The sight refuse to settle. It is almost as though something is deliberately obscuring their destination."
"She speaks the truth. I myself have attempted to use my Domain of Prophecy, but to no avail."
Phoebe added, her voice calm yet authoritative.
As the Titaness of Prophecy and Divine Intellect, her words carried immense weight, and few among the Great Titans would dare question her judgment.
Kronos remained silent.
Theia continued.
"Nevertheless, I have discovered something."
At those words, the atmosphere changed.
Kronos's interest was immediately piqued.
Even the other Twelve Great Titans appeared more attentive.
Hyperion, seated a couple of seats from his wife, was the first to speak.
"And what might that be, my dear?"
Theia offered him a faint smile.
"It appears impossible to directly observe prophecies concerning Lord Kronos's firstborn."
Silence.
It's was Aetherion again.
Theia's expression became thoughtful.
"Whenever I attempt to perceive his future, the sight of prophecy become distorted. They refuse to reveal anything concerning him directly."
She slowly looked around the chamber.
"However..."
Her eyes gleamed.
"I have discovered that it is possible to follow the secondary sight of prophecy instead."
Kronos leaned forward slightly.
"Explain."
"Although I cannot observe Aetherion's future, I can see certain possibilities surrounding those connected to him."
She paused.
"His siblings. His allies. Those who fight beneath his banner."
Her smile widened slightly.
"By following their path, I may be able to predict where certain members of the rebellion will appear."
A spark of interest flashed through Kronos's eyes.
"Is that so?"
For the first time since the meeting began, a faint smile appeared upon his face.
"Excellent."
He rested one hand against the armrest of his throne.
"Even I have been unable to locate that accursed sanctuary of theirs."
His expression darkened.
"And I suspect our mother has something to do with it."
Gaia.
The primordial goddess.
His own mother.
Kronos's fingers tightened slightly.
"She must be shielding them from my perception."
Before he could continue, Theia spoke again.
"However, my lord, there is one limitation."
Kronos turned toward her.
"Speak."
"I cannot locate the sanctuary itself."
Her tone remained calm.
"I can only foresee certain locations where members of the rebellion may emerge throughout the world."
She looked directly at him.
"But that should be sufficient."
Her eyes narrowed.
"If we know where they are likely to appear, we can prepare our forces in advance."
She paused.
"And when they emerge..."
A faint smile appeared upon her lips.
"We strike."
A subtle change swept through the throne room.
The Twelve Great Titans exchanged thoughtful glances.
Until now, they had been forced to wait.
Like hunting beasts deprived of their prey.
They possessed overwhelming strength, yet their enemies remained beyond their reach.
But now...
They had a way to anticipate the rebellion's movements.
A way to intercept its forces.
And perhaps...
A way to gradually dismantle the rebellion before it could grow any stronger.
Kronos considered the possibilities.
It was promising.
Very promising.
Yet even as the other Titans began discussing Theia's discovery, one thought remained firmly rooted in his mind.
His firstborn.
The root of this entire rebellion.
As long as that brat lived, the rebellion would continue.
And Kronos intended to ensure that his firstborn would not survive long enough to threaten his throne.