The world still smoldered from Phaethon's reckless ride. Scorched lands stretched as far as the eye could see, the rivers were dry, and the sky bore scars of the great fire.
But the worst was yet to come.
As Helios stood in his burning palace, watching the consequences of his son's actions, he felt a force beyond even Olympus stir against him—the Will of the World.
It was not a being, nor a god, but the very balance that governed existence. And it had decided:
Helios had failed.
A great curse descended upon him, searing through his divine soul. His power faltered, his radiance dimmed, and for the first time since the dawn of time—the Sun wavered.
Helios gasped, falling to his knees as his own flames began to reject him.
The world had cast its judgment.
And the other gods watched in silence.
Among the gods of Olympus, one saw an opportunity.
Apollo, god of light, had long envied Helios' role as the charioteer of the Sun. Though he was revered for his light, music, and healing, he lacked the absolute dominance of the celestial sphere.
But now, as Helios weakened, Apollo made his decision.
He would claim the Sun.
Yet, to do so, he needed to sever himself from the past.
And so, with cold determination, Apollo took hold of his own divine essence—the concept of Light itself.
He raised it high, and before all Olympus, he offered it to the Sun.
A sacrifice of divinity.
Light, which had once existed independent of the Sun, now merged with it. The Sun became the singular source of illumination in the world, and Apollo became its master.
The god of light was no more.
But in his place, a new god arose—Apollo, God of the Sun.
Olympus shook. The sky changed.
And Helios—felt his authority vanish.
---
The gods gathered in the great hall of Olympus, where Zeus sat upon his throne, judgment in his eyes.
Helios stood in chains, his once-golden radiance now a flickering ember.
Selene, his sister, stepped forward.
"Brother Zeus, I beg you—this punishment is too great! Helios did not seek to destroy the world!"
Zeus' gaze was unmoved.
"And yet, it was his hands that let it happen."
The other Olympians watched in silence. Even Poseidon, who had once warred with Helios, did not speak.
The Will of the World had chosen to cast Helios aside—to defy this would mean disrupting the balance itself.
And so, the judgment was passed:
Helios was to be cast into Tartarus, his divine essence forever bound in chains.
Selene cried out, but her voice was drowned by the decree.
The gates of Tartatus opened and darkness swallowed the fallen Sun God.
---
The New Order
As Helios was dragged into the abyss, Apollo took his place upon the celestial throne.
The gods looked upon him—no longer just the god of light.
Now, he was the Sun itself.
And thus, the old world was gone.
No longer did the Sun shine as a celestial chariot pulled by divine steeds.
Now, it burned as an eternal flame in the sky—the undisputed source of light.
And Apollo, with a smile of victory, knew that he had won.