CHAPTER 223: AETHERA STANDS TRIAL

When Helios learned what she had done, his fury nearly split the sky. But he couldn’t act. He was supposed to be the sword of the sky. His neutrality bound him, just as the laws of the Sky Palaces chained his hands.

And so, for the first time in eons, the God of War did what he loathed most.

He filed a case against Aethera.

And right now, they were in the High Hall of Echoes to judge Aethera and Helios.

Aethera’s soft steps echoed as she approached the moon seat –the moon goddess’s designated post– but before she could close the distance, she slammed into an invisible wall.

"Your place is not at the supreme thrones, goddess Aethera, you are not the Moon Goddess. Merely her shadow."

The voice rang out cold and crisp, like steel dipped in frost. It belonged to Lady Seraphae, High goddess of Judgment from the Solaris Palace, her golden hair coiled in intricate braids that shimmered like threads of sunlight. She sat to the right of the Sun god himself, her throne carved from burning glass and unwavering truth.

Aethera’s jaw clenched ever so slightly, but she steadied herself with poise, knowing that every eye staring back at her was filled with wisdom and knowledge. A tiny mistake could doom her to eternal condemnation.

Her serene expression remained unchanged. The faint shimmer of the unseen barrier faded, but the message remained sharp in the air.

She breathed, then her voice sounded, calm and cool as moonlight. "Then let it be known that even a shadow can guide when the night is darkest. I do not claim the Moon’s crown, Lady Seraphae. I bear it—until our Mother returns to us."

The words stirred the air like ripples on still water. A few heads turned, some expressions unreadable, others quietly intrigued.

Lady Seraphae’s golden gaze narrowed. "And yet shadows stretch when left unchecked."

Before Aethera could respond, Varyn’s staff struck the center of the dais with a ringing note of silence.

"That is enough," Varyn, the Arbiter of Oaths said, his voice balanced and without favor. "This is a court of grievances, not an arena for veiled condescension." He paused, then turned to Aethera.

"Acting Moon goddess Aethera," he announced, "you stand accused of misusing borrowed divine power on the mortals, by Helios—Supreme Lord of the Guardian Tower, Sword of the Sky, Defender of the Seat of Wrath,Upholder of the Sky Peace, and Keeper of the Neutral Vow."

The words echoed through the High Hall of Echoes, each title striking like thunder in the silent chamber. The gathered deities sat taller, the weight of Helios’ accusation sinking into the floor like divine judgment itself.

Aethera didn’t flinch. Her robes shimmered softly, the silver circlet on her brow catching the cold light of the council flames. Her expression remained a mask of serene civility—but her fingers, folded neatly in front of her, curled inward just slightly. She glanced at Helios on his throne for a brief moment before looking away.

The High Arbiter turned toward her. "Do you deny the charge?"

"I do not deny," she said, her voice like silver wind. "But I do not repent either."

A murmur rippled through the room.

"I used the power granted to me... for balance," she continued. "For order. To contain the chaos birthed by a Supreme god and a Supreme goddess who defies the laws of fate."

Helios rose from his seat, his form blazing with silent fury. He didn’t need to raise his voice. "You used the demons extracted from my son to forge a weapon against him. You played god over what was never yours to command."

"He is dangerous!" Aethera snapped, the first crack in her calm. "You see a son. I see a storm. I know him because he’s my creation. If he succeeds in warping fate, in twisting death to his will, then what? Shall we let the realms crumble because a boy cannot grieve properly?"

"Your creation?" The Star god stirred at last, a figure cloaked in starlight seated upon a throne made of orbiting constellations. "He’s the son of the Supremes. How is he your creation?"

Aethera breathed, "He’s a werewolf. Werewolves are my creation."

"He’s not a werewolf. He’s a Supreme god. A Supreme cannot be a creation of a High goddess. As an acting Moon goddess, shouldn’t you know this much?" Lady Seraphae knitted her brows.

"That boy is human, wolf, and demon. The three palaces breathed their essences into him so he wouldn’t belong to any one alone—and to preserve the balance. So tell us, Goddess Aethera, how exactly is he your creation? Seems you know better than we do." Said, Star god.

Aethera’s brows twitched under the weight of everyone’s sharp stares. She didn’t learn what she should as a Moon goddess. She’d been too consumed by Snow’s affairs. Her fingers trembled ever so slightly, but she remained calm and knowing.

"That’s where you’re wrong," she said softly. "He was born a Supreme, yes. But his body, his instincts, his hunger for love, for vengeance, for loyalty beyond reason—those are not of your making. They’re mine. It’s mortal characteristics, not god’s’."

The Sun Lord shook his head, his golden robes flaring. "This is heresy."

"No," Helios said, voice like thunder cracking across the skies. "It’s treason."

That silenced her for a moment. Then, she offered a small nod, her silver circlet gleaming softly. Her voice was steady, carrying the weight of calm conviction as she began.

"Forgive me for my oversight. But I wielded the powers bestowed on me with purpose and restraint. I care about the mortals but a few, led by Helios’ son, threaten the peace maintained in their realm. Few years ago, he destroyed temples and killed thousands of our devotees, and who was to say he would stop at just that? I saw his tendencies to ignite war, so I was forced to do the needful."

"And you took care of that by breathing soul into a demonic energy and wielded it as a weapon against him, wanting to replace him? You took care of it by disrupting the flow of destiny and destroying the order of things?"