As soon as Odin sensed and understood the message of Asgard's Mother, he froze in place for a brief moment, as if time itself had stopped around him. He murmured in a low voice, barely audible:
— She too…? How can this be possible?
Athena noticed his confusion and stepped closer, her voice carrying a mix of worry and anticipation:
— What is happening, brother? Have you found my daughter?
Odin lifted his gaze to her, then looked at all his siblings. A mysterious smile appeared on his face—one that revealed nothing of what lay in his mind—as he said calmly:
— Come with me… you will understand everything shortly.
The moment he finished speaking, he vanished from his place, and his siblings disappeared with him at the same instant. They reappeared together inside a strangely shaped cave deep within the mountain.
As soon as Athena and the others saw the cave, astonishment was clear on their faces. It was unlike anything they had ever seen before—its walls twisted and warped, as if carved by a mysterious force unlike any power of this world.
Poseidon glanced around in disbelief and said:
— I don't remember there being a cave here… and in such a strange shape. Does anyone else remember it?
Before any of his siblings could answer, Odin spoke firmly:
— Leave the cave for now. I will explain its nature later. What matters now is that we go inside.
Silence followed, and without argument, they all followed Odin deeper into the cave.
The instant Athena stepped inside, her eyes widened in stunned awe.
There… at the very heart of the cave… was her daughter.
The girl was in a strange state, as if suspended between sleep and wakefulness. A brilliant white energy surrounded her, radiating power and wrapping around her body from every direction, until the cave itself seemed to be bathed in her light.
The moment Athena and her siblings witnessed the scene, they immediately understood what was happening.
Athena turned to Odin, her voice trembling with joy and amazement:
— Did… did my daughter awaken her power, Odin?
Before Odin could answer, Hades spoke with a wide smile and a voice full of pride:
— Of course, sister. Can't you see that immense energy surrounding the girl?
Hades was genuinely happy that his niece had awakened her power—but what pleased him even more was remembering that his own daughter had awakened hers before her. With that thought, his smile widened further, and he said boastfully:
— Both of our children have awakened their powers, sister. Do you see how much hard work we put into this? It truly wasn't easy.
Then he turned toward Poseidon with faint mockery:
— Tell me, Poseidon… has any of your children awakened their power yet?
But before Hades could continue—or Poseidon could reply—Odin cut them off with a cold, firm voice:
— Do not think that I am so pleased with the awakening of Athena's daughter that I have forgotten what you did on the mountain. You will still be punished for that.
At his words, the arrogance vanished from Hades' face, Poseidon's anger faded, and the sarcasm disappeared from Athena's expression.
Seeing that his words had ended the argument, Odin continued in a calmer tone—though his seriousness was unmistakable:
— Now we must guard the girl carefully, so that no disturbance occurs during the stabilization of her power. Is that understood?
The siblings sighed lightly at his words, though their excitement remained impossible to hide.
Awakening a new descendant was no ordinary event.
With every child who awakened their power, Asgard itself grew stronger—its presence in the world becoming more stable and dominant, while the number of those capable of threatening it diminished… if any existed at all.
As Odin and his siblings approached Athena's eldest daughter, Odin suddenly stopped and stared at her for a long moment. True astonishment crossed his face as he murmured:
— What is this power that this girl has awakened…? It does not radiate authority or destruction… but life itself.
His words deepened the cave's silence and majesty.
After a moment, Poseidon spoke quietly—an unusual calm in his voice as he felt the flow of energy:
— Do you feel it, my brothers? This girl's power… is truly astonishing. I don't think it will be any lesser than the power of Hades' eldest daughter.
Athena smiled at his words, pride clearly visible on her face, and replied confidently:
— Of course, brother. She is my daughter. Can't you see the resemblance between us?
Sensing that the discussion was about to stray, Odin raised his voice slightly—calm but firm:
— Focus on what you are doing now, my siblings. That is what matters most.
The cave fell completely silent.
Everyone knew Odin was right. No matter how great their joy, they had to observe quietly. Still, it was difficult to restrain the pride threatening to overflow their hearts.
Far from the cave…
Near Odin's house, a group of children stood together, trying to pass the time in their own ways.
Hades' sixth son stepped forward eagerly and said:
— Do you need anything, you three twins? Anything at all—just give the order!
Before he could finish, Poseidon's eldest son quickly interrupted:
— Ask for anything, and I'll go get it immediately!
Seeing this, the three twins smiled sweetly. One of them spoke—though they all spoke at the same time, as usual:
— No, we don't need anything right now. We just want some time to rest alone.
Poseidon's fourth daughter immediately grabbed her older brother's hand and gently pulled him away, saying playfully:
— Then farewell, you three prophetesses. We'll leave you now so we don't disturb your rest.
Hades' sixth son stepped forward as well, smiling lightly:
— Yes, farewell for now. It was wonderful serving you.
The three twins returned small smiles, then turned and entered their father's house.
The children watched them go, exchanging silent glances.
Hades' sixth son was the first to leave, saying as he walked away:
— It was great talking to you… goodbye.
Poseidon's fourth daughter and her older brother heard him and replied with clear annoyance:
— Yeah. Goodbye, you idiot.
Inside Odin's house, the three twins sat down and began speaking… together, at the same time:
— Father has been gone for a long time… where could he be?
The three twins possessed a strange trait—
Some found it annoying, others found it peculiar, and some considered it enchanting…
They always spoke at the same time, even when they were alone.
As they sat there, boredom beginning to creep in due to their father's delay, they suddenly felt…
Something strange.
Something unfamiliar.
Something that made the air in the room grow heavy…
And made their hearts beat in an unusual rhythm.
And that feeling…
Was the beginning of an event that was never meant to happen yet.