MTL NOVEL Chapter 17: Chapter 17: The Ties That Bind
### Chapter 17: The Ties That Bind
The cliffside where Apollo and Artemis stood glowed with the fading embers of their defiance, the sun dipping below the horizon as the moon rose to take its place. Apollo's golden curls shimmered in the twilight, his crystallized jewel-blue eyes glinting with a quiet satisfaction, his golden-blue toga clinging to his twelve-pack frame, the white gloves of Purity glowing faintly against the dusk. Beside him, Artemis's silver hair flowed like liquid moonlight, her sharp silver eyes tracing the valley where Prometheus now faced Zeus's wrath, *Selene's Fang* resting at her side, her giant form radiating a fierce calm. The humans they'd gifted—light, music, sound, fire, and hunting—were scattering into the wilds, their faith nodes climbing to 375, their influence stretching 1,600 miles.
The thunder of Olympus echoed in the distance, Zeus's lightning crashing down on Prometheus, chaining the Titan once more as the gods vented their fury. Apollo smirked, his domain of Prophecy whispering the outcome—Prometheus bound to a rock, his liver torn daily by an eagle, a curse he couldn't escape, just as the myths foretold. "He's settled it," Apollo murmured, his voice a melody of Sound and Knowledge. "Prometheus took the fall—humanity's father, cursed for his defiance. Nothing he can do now."
Artemis nodded, her silver eyes glinting with a hunter's respect. "He knew it'd come. Gave them life anyway—stubborn as a stag. Zeus'll never forgive him—or us."
Before Apollo could reply, Artemis grabbed his arm, her grip firm with Hunt and Precision, and pulled him aside, away from the cliff's edge to a secluded grove where the wind whispered through the trees. Her silver hair whipped as she turned to him, her sharp eyes narrowing with a sudden intensity. "Brother," she said, her voice low and urgent, "something's buzzing in me—since we left Olympus, since we shaped those humans. A voice, a system—telling me things. What's going on?"
Apollo's jewel-blue eyes widened slightly, then softened with understanding, his golden curls swaying as he tilted his head. The system chimed in his mind, its voice crisp:
"Alert: Artemis's system activated. Synchronization detected—twin bond enhanced. Data sharing initiated: domains, faith nodes, influence metrics, Olympian sentiment analysis."
He grinned, his twelve-pack flexing as he crossed his arms, his toga shimmering with Sun and Radiance. "So it's awake now, eh? Good. Sit, sister—let me explain."
---
They settled beneath an ancient oak, its branches casting dappled shadows over their giant forms, the grove a sanctuary from Olympian eyes. Apollo's voice flowed, a blend of Harmony and Knowledge, careful to guard the secret of his previous life—a rule he'd never break, not even for her. "I've had this since birth," he began, his jewel-blue eyes glinting. "A system—think of it like a divine guide, a voice in my head that tracks everything. Domains, faith, threats, objectives—it's how I knew to give the humans fire, how I saw Aphrodite's chaos coming. It's been with me always, pushing me, shaping me."
Artemis leaned forward, her silver hair pooling on the ground, her eyes wide with intrigue. "A voice? And I've got one too? Since when?"
He nodded, his golden curls catching the moonlight. "You've had it too—dormant, waiting. It's tied to us, our twin bond. Mine woke the moment I was born—yours stayed asleep until now. It needed you to grow, to nurture it, to claim your power naturally. Helping Prometheus, defying Zeus—it sparked yours awake. Now they're connected—mine and yours, linked like sun and moon."
Her system chimed, a softer echo of his, and she blinked, her silver eyes glazing briefly as data flooded her mind. "I see it," she murmured, her voice threading with Exploration and Precision. "Hunt, Moon, Wilderness, Archery, Chastity—my domains, clear as tracks in the dirt. Faith nodes—375, shared with you. Influence—1,600 miles. And… sentiment? Zeus hates us—92% hostility. Hera's at 88%. Poseidon's 65%, Ares 70%. Athena's curious—40% threat, 60% intrigue. Mortals love us—98% devotion. How—?"
Apollo chuckled, a sound of pure Harmony. "That's it, sister. The system tracks it all—our power, our reach, their thoughts. We can see each other's stats too—look."
He focused, his system syncing with hers, and their domains flared in their minds like twin constellations. His thirty-five glowed golden—Sun, Music, Prophecy, Healing, Archery, Poetry, Fire, Time, Knowledge, War, Light, Energy, Fate, Beauty, Mathematics, Astronomy, Justice, Travel, Inspiration, Sound, Illusion, Purity, Victory, Agriculture, Alchemy, Memory, Dreams, Radiance, Precision, Exploration, Harmony, Resurrection, Cosmic Law, Sight, Courage, Transformation—each pulsing with strength. Hers shone silver—Hunt, Moon, Wilderness, Archery, Chastity, Exploration, Precision, Victory—fewer but razor-sharp, a perfect complement.
Artemis smirked, her silver eyes glinting with pride. "Yours is a mess—thirty-five? No wonder Father's paranoid. Mine's cleaner—lethal. We're a pair, alright."
Apollo's grin widened, his golden curls swaying. "Connected systems, connected power. We see what they think, how they feel—Zeus's rage, Hera's spite, the mortals' love. It's our edge—nobody else knows, and we'll keep it that way."
She tilted her head, her silver hair shimmering. "Nobody? Not even Prometheus?"
"Not even him," he said firmly, his voice threading with Purity and Justice. "It's ours—our secret, our strength. Born with us, tied to us. We don't tell a soul—not family, not allies. It's how we stay ahead."
He didn't mention his previous life—the myths he'd read, the knowledge that guided his every move, the certainty that Zeus's wrath would mirror the tales. That was his alone, locked tight behind his jewel-blue eyes, a fanfic rule he'd never break. Artemis didn't need to know—not now, not ever. The system was enough, their twin bond enough.
---
The distant thunder of Zeus's fury rumbled again, Prometheus's chains clanking in the valley below, and Artemis's smirk returned. "He's taking it hard—Prometheus cursed, us gone. Your fire's got them spitting."
Apollo's jewel-blue eyes glinted, his twelve-pack rippling as he leaned back against the oak. "Just as it should be. The myths—er, my visions—laid it out. Prometheus falls, humanity rises, and we shine. They're pissed, but we're winning."
The system chimed again:
"Objective progress: Humanity secured, Olympian defiance established. Faith nodes: 380. Influence radius: 1,650 miles. Threat status: Zeus's wrath stabilized at 95%, Hera's enmity at 90%. Mortal devotion: 99%."
Apollo's smirk deepened, his golden curls catching the starlight. "380 nodes—99% love. They're ours, sister—fire and hunt, sun and moon."
Artemis nodded, her silver eyes softening as she watched the humans below—fires flickering, voices singing, spears sharpening. "Aye. Prometheus paid, but we gained. What's next?"
He stood, his giant form casting a golden glow over the grove, his voice a godly promise of Inspiration and Fate. "Next, we guide them—build their world, grow their faith. Olympus can rage—we've got humanity now, and they'll carry us higher."
Artemis rose beside him, her silver hair whipping, her silver eyes blazing with resolve. "Let's hunt their future, then—together."
The twins stood united, their systems humming in sync, their secret shared but his past veiled. Zeus's wrath thundered, Prometheus's curse held, but Apollo and Artemis towered above it all—giants of gold and silver, their gifts burning in humanity's soul, their legend blazing ever brighter. The Sun and Moon had defied the gods, and the world was theirs to shape.