Greece: I am Zeus!

Chapter 279 Prometheus's Plea

Thanatos simply stroked the soft hair of the child in his arms and quietly looked at Prometheus.

He knew what this second-generation Titan, this wise and insightful god of prophecy, truly wanted to say next.

Sure enough, Prometheus got to the point, pleading in a sorrowful and mournful tone:
"O magnificent Thanatos! You are the great and supreme ruler, the merciful father of all living beings—the son of Zeus, the king of the gods."

"Although you hold the power of 'death,' you are surely also the most benevolent god."

"You are also the great ruler of the night, the son of the infinitely loving Mother Goddess of the Night, and gentleness and love reside in your very essence."

He pointed to the lifeless mother on the ground and said in a sorrowful voice, "Revered Lord of Death, please look at this lovely child in your arms; and please look closely at his poor mother."

“These poor mortals are different from us immortal gods.”

"This child grew in his mother's womb for a full ten months before he was born."

"This child was born from the mother's ten months of blood and flesh, ten months of pain and hope."

"His mother cried out in agony during childbirth for a long time before bringing him into this world."

"And his first cry after he was born brought tears to his mother's eyes."

"It wasn't because of the pain of childbirth, but because of the most sacred blood ties and intimacy; it was because her life had been continued."

"Because it is a piece of flesh and bone that grew from her own body."

Prometheus looked at his mother, who remained motionless, with pity.

Within that mother's mortal soul churned a terrifying torment like a storm, one that even a god like Him dared not easily probe.

Thanatos listened attentively to Prometheus's words, and his gaze fell upon the poor mother.

His eyes held an indescribable complexity.

Prometheus's words continued.

“When this child was first born, he was just such a tiny little thing.” He gestured with his hand.

"He was not like us gods, who were born with knowledge and power. At that time, he knew nothing."

"The loving goddess of protection and the loving goddess of nurturing, these two great goddesses bestowed upon humankind those rudimentary nurturing skills."

"They taught humans how to raise and nurture, allowing these fragile young to take shape and grow."

"And this mother, who knows how much hardship and effort she expended, finally managed to help a naive, vulnerable, and insignificant child survive on this vast land."

"Non-stop care day and night, sleepless vigil, from watching him cry to seeing him crawl on the ground."

"From the first time he stood up unsteadily, to the first tooth he grew, from teaching him to utter his first indistinct syllable, to the moment he finally uttered 'Mother' clearly..."

"The care and love she showed, the effort and hardship she endured, are beyond words. Every step of this child's growth is imbued with her sacrifice and deep affection."

"However, this mother never felt annoyed by it in the slightest."

"Because when this child first utters the word 'mother,' she is already willing to give him everything she has."

"She is a true mother, and for that, she gave all her love to this child."

"As a mother, she feels heartbroken when she sees her child suffer even the slightest hardship. When her child is accidentally injured, her heart breaks."

Prometheus's voice trembled with a sob, but he tried his best to remain solemn. He took a deep breath and continued:

"Raising a child requires such immense suffering!"

"This pain does not stem from herself, but from her love for her child, which makes her place everything about her child above herself."

"Any suffering a child endures will be inflicted upon her heart tenfold, a hundredfold."

"Now, this lovely child has finally learned to run on this beautiful land; finally learned to speak beautiful language; and finally, can use his little arms to hug his mother."

Prometheus said in an almost pleading tone, "Honorable Thanatos, this child has only lived through five cycles under the sacred twelve-month cycle."

"He's still so small, this tiny little person, just a tiny bit big!"

"He has not yet seen all that is on this vast land; he has not yet tasted all that is beautiful."

"Even his mother's greatest love, he didn't have time to enjoy for long."

"And his poor mother, on such an ordinary, unremarkable day, lost her most precious treasure forever."

"The continuation of her life, the refuge of her soul, her bones and blood... all of it, in that instant, was utterly destroyed." Prometheus prayed with the most devout words, his voice hoarse, almost as if each word was uttered with blood:

“Merciful Thanatos! Please look once more at that poor mother, who can no longer shed a single tear.”

"Her daily life has been silently torn apart like this. How is she supposed to continue living in the long years to come?"

"Please have pity on this mother and child. Please grant them your precious mercy and forgive them this time."

"He's still so young, he has such a long future ahead of him. He shouldn't lose all of this because of a small accident."

Thanatos gently stroked the sleeping young soul shrouded in the night within his arms.

His voice was as calm as the eternal winds of the underworld: "Revered son of Iapetus, illustrious Prometheus, I understand all that you have said, and I understand the sorrow in your heart."

"But please believe me, there is no one who understands 'death' better than me."

"Because I am 'death' itself."

Thanatos's voice was calm, yet it echoed like the abyss, causing each of Prometheus's requests to tumble in the air.

Death does not like human pain, but He never avoids it either. He continued:
"You should also know that the path of life does not appear out of thin air, but is forged by countless pains and cruel choices."

“I have a mother goddess who loves me as deeply as he did his mother, so I can understand a mother's love for her child. I have the utmost respect for this love, and I also grieve for this loss.”

Thanatos's gaze did not waver, remaining steadfast as he looked at Prometheus: "Yes, this newborn child, he is still very young, he may have had a brighter future, he may have had a brilliant life."

"But, Prometheus, death is irreversible. Death may be merciless, but it is absolutely equal."

"The moment a living being is born, he or she has already begun the irreversible march toward death."

"Aside from those great gods who truly exist as the 'source,' even the elemental gods and those natural nymphs will one day face the extinction of their divinity."

"The solemnity of death stems from its equality with all living beings."

"Equality will come. Death will come equally to all, regardless of status, age, or position; whether one has anything or nothing."

His tone grew increasingly firm: "It is precisely because of this absolute equality that death is worthy of reverence!"

"It is this reverence that constantly reminds all mortals to cherish every day of life, to live well, to be cautious and humble in everything, and to strive to live better."

"Today, if I could reverse this death, which has already become a fait accompli, because of a mother's love and because a child is still young."

"So, what about in the future? How many mothers in this world will still have deep love for their children? At what age is it no longer considered young?"

"What about others? Some tribal leaders may be bearing heavier responsibilities, carrying the lives and futures of more people on their shoulders. Should I also let them go?"

"Have you ever thought about what would happen if 'death' were no longer equitable, what if I could act selfishly at will?"

"So, what will become of this entire universe?"

Thanatos looked intently at Prometheus and posed the most serious question.

His voice was not loud, nor was his speech fast, but the question was like an unshakeable mountain, pressing down on Prometheus so that he could not answer it directly.

How could He, as a prophet and a god of foresight, not understand these principles?

But reason is cold, while the mother's despair is burning hot.

He opened his mouth as if to speak, but then stopped himself.
Ultimately, the fatherly love stemming from the "Creator" overwhelmed reason.

He persisted, pleading in a low voice, "Revered Lord of Death, I understand your sacred duty, and what you say is the ultimate truth of the universe. But... but, could it... just this once?"

"Please have pity on him, and pity on his mother too. Just this once, please let him stay..."

“Please have pity on his mother and pull her out of this despair. There are many other souls out there; you can choose those that are more deserving of departure.”

Thanatos smiled slightly upon hearing this.

But that smile made his resolute face instantly colder than ten thousand years of ice.

He said coldly, "Prometheus, the meaning of my existence is the most serious meaning in this world."

"Death is the most solemn thing."

"Death cannot be treated with favoritism. It should not, and cannot, not even once, and absolutely not!"

(End of this chapter)