"Do you think he can pass this?" Thalia asked as she regally sat on her throne. She glanced over at Celeste, who was standing steps away from her.
"He will if he wants to." Celeste simply answered as she was still disappointed with what happened. Even though she understood that Thalia needs to do this, she still couldn't get over the fact that they are being connected to a mere human.
"Are they here already?" Thalia raised her brows as she leaned against her chair. Her throne was the most comfortable chair for her to sit on.
"Yes, Your Highness. The council is already at heaven's pit."
Nodding her head, Thalia looked at Celeste once again. "Take care of him. This is an order." She commanded before standing up. She swayed her hand from left to right until her body disappeared.
The heaven's pit is like a private open space for all the completing the council of Heaven. It was like an arena with seats, circling around with a stage in the middle.
Not all could enter Heaven's Pit. Only those who were invited could freely enter without getting struck by lightning. The council consists of gods, goddesses, and the chief of every type of angel you can name.
When Thalia appeared in the middle, all of them stood up to bow and greet her.
"Greetings your highness! May you live as long as the world exists!"
"You may all take your seat," Thalia announced as she roamed her eyes around. 'It seems like they already knew about the golden apples.' she thought.
'I wonder what will happen if they knew that I took one and gave it to Hugo,' the sides of her lips rose up.
"Why did you call for this meeting? I am currently busy with the affairs that are going on in Heaven and Earth." Her brows shot up. Her feet started to walk towards her chair in the middle.
However, her throne here was not as comfortable as the one in her throne room. It must be the reason why she hates going here, besides the fact that she hates talking to these people who only think of themselves.
They call themselves gods, and yet the majority of them would rather save themselves than the people.
"We have heard that the golden tree has bloomed some golden apples already! Isn't it a mock to us that you haven't said anything about it yet?" The oldest god before Thalia spoke.
He stood up while the other Gods agreed with his words.
"Your highness shouldn't just be the one who can use that apple! We are gods as well! It's unfair for us."
Thalia couldn't help herself, but snicker. She tilted her head to the side, hearing what they have come for.
'So this is why they want to meet with me. They wanted to have that golden apple.' she grinned.
The sons and daughters of gods like them wouldn't automatically turn into a god once they were born. They need that golden apple in order to be a candidate just to be one.
"Is your son that impatient enough that he asked you to get that golden apple right now?" She chuckled.
The God's face, who was the first to speak earlier turned red.
"That's-!"
Thalia glared at them before she stand up.
"The Ancestral God had given this task solely to me. So if you want your children to be a god as well, then why don't you tell him to serve me in my kingdom and prove his worth?" Her grin became wider.
"If he did prove himself, then I will give him the golden apple willingly."
"Who are you to decide that!" The God answered furiously. He looked back at his friends, glaring at them to support his answer.
Without a choice, those who were near him shared their agreement with the oldest God's words
"Are you doubting the Ancestral God's words too?" Eyeing the man, Thalia placed both of her hands on her back. She started taking a few steps to go near them.
The Ancestral God was what they call the creator of all things. He was the one who created everything; the living creatures and the world they're currently in. Yet, no one had seen the said God. He's like air. You cannot see him, and yet you can feel that he was around.
The only time that Thalia communicated with him was hundred years ago. The Ancestral God has given Thalia a piece of gold leaf and words that she hasn't understood for so long.
After that time, she hasn't heard a single word from him ever again. She didn't know what happened but the only thing she was sure of was that the Ancestral God was still alive, thus the blooming of the Golden Tree.
"Your Highness!" A running man caught both Thalia's and the god's attention.
Her servant quickly came running. He was panting for air while he looked at the people around him with fear. "Something happened in the Paradise Garden! The angels were already there trying to find out what is that cause!"
Thalia's forehead creased from what she heard. While the other gods looked at each other in confusion.
"Let us go." Thalia blurted out as she hurriedly teleported to the Paradise Garden. She saw how the Angels flapped their white wings trying to gather their power to save the Golden tree from turning black.
"What is happening…" she breathed out when she saw it. It was as if the golden tree was withering like a normal plant.
'This is not possible…' her eyes widened as her mouth fell.
Unknown to others, the golden tree was a part of the Ancestral God's blood. So that could only meet one thing… It was either something happened to the Ancestral God or he was already dead.
'But the Ancestral God is the highest being… No one would even dare to harm him!' She uttered in her mind.
However, she needed to clear her mind and do something.
Opening up her palms, a white light came out of Thalia's hands. She pointed it in the tree's direction, trying to give it some powers, hoping that it would stop withering away.
The other gods who were there helped as well. They forgot their main agenda for today. The only thing that they could think of right now was that they needed to save the tree if they still want to live.
However, it was as if the tree was sucking their powers, all of them didn't even last long.
Thalia needed to stop herself as well, or else she would be powerless. She would not be able to protect the people if ever there was something going on.
"What is happening here?!" She tirelessly breather out when the roots of the tree were slowly turning black too. The whole tree was now lifeless.
"Is t must be the Demon's fault!"
Hearing it, Thalia quickly shook her head. "The Demons were all banished to earth. Aside from their immortality, they have no powers to do this already," she answered.
She swayed her hands to the side until a basket appeared. When Thalia opened them, her heart leaped. Alas, just like the tree the apples have withered too.
When the gods saw it, the only thing they could do was blame Thalia.
"You should have given that apple to us sooner!"
"The golden apples are better like this than to give them to your useless children." Her voice turned cold. She took a sigh. She noticed that tiredness was reflected in everyone's eyes.
She took a sit on the ground not minding everyone. Closing her eyes, she gestured her hands into a circle before twisting them. She repeated a few steps until she heard a shout from someone.
"Look at the fountain!" A man shouted out loud, pointing at the thing that was sitting on top of the golden apple.
"Dear Heavens…" Thalia's eyes widened in shock as she looked at the circle-like thing, glowing on top of it. It was a ball of light that was surrounded by golden linings.
It lightens up the whole golden tree, making the black parts return to their original cover. The Golden Tree became more shiny than it used to be as if it was very healthy and nothing happened.
"Your Highness! You did it!"
An awkward smile rose to her lips as everyone bowed on their knees to thank her. However, Thalia was thinking differently.
'I was only creating a barrier for us… I didn't do anything to save the tree.' he murmured to herself.
At the same time, the beeping that could be heard in Hugo's room in the hospital stopped. Verda and the rest of Hugo's family cried in joy when his heartbeat turned to normal.
"Thank you for not leaving us, Son." Verda tirelessly whispered right into Hugo's ears as she held unto his hand.
"Please wake up sooner." She cried out.