The lighting in the cave was of a purple hue, which cast a soft shadow on the various furniture.

'It's quite a pleasant home,' Hermes remarked internally.

​​

"So, what do you want me to teach you?" Hecate asked him.

"An individual by the name of Chaos led me here, and he told me that you can help me, although I personally don't know how..." Hermes laughed awkwardly.

The skin around Hecate's glabella folded into a very slight frown.

"Chaos? What an archaic name, I've only heard it a few times," She commented.

"Well, just make yourself at home, you seem quite distressed," Hecate chuckled.

Hermes was still rather sad about Apollo and Artemis moving out, and his weak eyes and droopy shoulders still showed his true feelings.

"You know, barging into my cave, asking me to teach you, you remind me of someone..." Hecate quietly laughed.

"Who, may I ask?" Hermes was curious and politely inquired.

"Do you know Hades?"

Hermes' jaw opened wide.

"I guess you know him. I remember when he came the first time, telling me to teach him how to rule over the unruly dead, and how to prove himself to his brothers!" She recounted her past with a bittersweet face.

Then, she continued, "Truthfully, I've always found Hades better than those brothers of his. He's not impulsive, he sets realistic goals and ambitions, and while he is stubborn, he is open to new ideas."

Hermes listened attentively.

'Uncle Hades would love to hear that..!'

Hecate waved her hand and said, "Don't tell him this, he should learn it by himself!"

"Did you just read my mind?"

"Maybe," She playfully smiled.

Hermes still didn't know why he was here, and what he should learn from her, but time passed by quickly, and they spent a few days together.

_________________

"I was the one who taught him necromancy, he was like a child to me," Hecate told Hermes of her times with Hades.

Over this time, they both discovered that they shared a common feeling.

They both felt very lonely, and Hecate appreciated Hermes' attentive listening of her tales.

"You know Cerberus, the three-headed dog?"

Hermes nodded fervently.

"He was my beloved pet, and Hades loved him too, so he was my gift to the latter," She dropped another surprising declaration.

"You said you were a messenger and travel god?" Hecate suddenly asked.

Hermes nodded, and added, "Father should be fuming right now because of my absence, but it's truly not the best time for Olympus right now, especially after 'that'."

Hecate raised her eyebrows and remarked, "With a leader like that, the organization was bound to fail from the start."

They both burst into loud laughter.

"Hermes, as a travel god and a diplomat, do you know how to cross, and set up boundaries?"

Hermes shook his head cluelessly.

"I'll show you," Hecate placed both of her hands on the ground.

It didn't seem like anything happened.

However, she said, "Hermes, try to leave the cave."

Hermes obeyed and walked towards the direction of the exit.

He smoothly passed through, but suddenly...

*BAM*

His body halted brusquely as if it came into contact with a wall.

"What is this?" Hermes mustered his fastest speed and charged at the invisible wall.

Nonetheless, he still couldn't go through it.

"That's a boundary that I set up right now."

Hermes exclaimed, "How do you do that?"

"It's a skill I was born with, but you came to the right person." Hecate instantly erased the boundary and walked over to one of her bookshelves.

She pointed to the bookshelf and proclaimed, "I have been doing research on divine powers for a long time, and the fruit of this endeavor is finding out a way to learn powers from other gods."

Hermes was shocked.

He knew the implications of this research.

Normally, a god could acquire new powers only if his followers all unanimously agreed that he had that power, and that was still rather limited.

The only other known way was inheriting a power like Zeus did when he received the throne of the gods, and Poseidon when he received dominion over the sea.

"But."

"This research has only allowed me to find a way to study my own powers."

"That's enough for me," Hermes clenched his fist.

If Chaos declared that he had something to learn from this place, considering his strange powers, he was probably somewhat right.

"Well, you'll have to read through this entire bookshelf and practice repeatedly through Faith Energy," Hecate shrugged.

Hermes was still determined.

And thus, began his long training to become a god of boundaries.

It took three long years, but on one auspicious day.

Hecate was trying to leave the cave, but then, her hands stopped in thin air.

She turned around and found Hermes smiling at her.

"Congratulations," She waved her hand, and particles of light turned into indoor fireworks.

She looked at him with earnest eyes and her mouth moved but she didn't say a word.

"Hecate?"

"Hermes?"

She continued, "I'm leaving Minos."

Hecate looked at her friend to see his reaction, and he was listlessly staring at her as if he couldn't believe it.

"Why?" He hoarsely said.

"I'm going down south to Afrika, to continue my research on magic, which I've heard they've developed a variety o-

"Can I come with you?" Hermes breathed heavily.

"Hermes, you have your own responsibilities and ambitions, and I can't have you sacrifice those for me." Hecate herself wasn't unaffected, as her eyes glistened under the purple lighting.

"You've been the best friend I've ever had, and when I come back, perhaps hundreds of years from now, I hope to see you happier."

Ultimately, Hermes had to accept her departure, and after a tearful farewell, they parted ways.

"I've lost count of how many people I've lost, is there something I've done to offend the Three Fates?" Hermes looked to the sky, the domain of Uranos, and spoke to himself.

"I figure you've accepted my proposal," Chaos had come back after three years.

"I have another gift for you," They said, and a flask appeared out of thin air.

Hermes examined the flask.

The strange voice of Chaos echoed once again, "Drink it and I can grant you a wish."

Herme immediately opened the flask and drank down the liquid in one big gulp.

"I want more power."