The white falcons followed Tyche's guidance to Astrea's temple, where Hecate opened the gates to welcome her.
The Starry Night Goddess, having just finished her work, changed out of her heavy black gauze dress. Her sly and agile gaze flickered towards the bronze chariot carried by the white falcons.
Tyche ignored her friend's knowing smile and stated directly, "My dear Astrea, I've come to thank you for your help."
The Starry Night Goddess's eyes twinkled, and she chuckled softly, "On my way back, I think I saw a goddess heading towards the Temple of Radiance. She happened to have a chariot pulled by white falcons, just like yours."
In front of her friend, Tyche had already adopted a "what the heck" attitude, slumping onto the seat with a look of utter listlessness. Her uninhibited demeanor momentarily stunned Hecate.
The Starry Night Goddess couldn't help but burst into laughter, disregarding her usual dignity, "My dear friend, Selene, the Moon Goddess, has asked my sister to probe your feelings. Is there any possibility between you and Helios?"
Tyche hesitated, then covered her face in self-abandonment and whispered, "I don't know."
Astrea stepped forward and pulled down her friend's hands, her usual teasing replaced with seriousness. "Tyche, my dear friend. I don't know why you're like a gazelle chased by a lion, unwilling to stop, nor why you crave power so much."
The Starry Night Goddess cupped Tyche's face, her brilliant eyes seeming to penetrate the depths of the goddess's heart.
"Now you should stop your hurried steps and enjoy the beauty of life."
Astrea looked directly into Tyche's eyes and said with an unprecedented seriousness, "You deserve the best."
For a moment, Tyche couldn't help but shed tears. The goddess closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then pressed her forehead against her friend's, falling into a silent communion.
The Starry Night Goddess gently embraced her fragile friend, affectionately stroking her long hair. Calming her turbulent emotions, Tyche forced an awkward smile. Astrea pulled down the corners of her friend's mouth and said with disdain, "That's a terrible smile, worse than crying."
The sadness that had begun to well up in Tyche's heart was dispelled by the Starry Night Goddess. The two goddesses exchanged a glance and then burst into happy laughter.
With her heart soothed, Tyche confessed her true feelings to her friend, "I think I am a little moved."
Under the Starry Night Goddess's understanding gaze, Tyche continued to pour out her concerns.
"But I don't have the confidence to sustain this love. The lives of deities are so long. If one day the love in my heart burns out like a flame, worn away by time, will I still have the courage to believe in love again?"
Astrea listened silently to her friend's confession, holding Tyche's hands to offer encouragement.
"In the eyes of the gods, our parents are a rare example of a loving couple. But I know they are together simply because it is suitable. Even if the other had a lover, they would still tolerate each other. Their relationship is kinship and friendship, not love."
"There are no constraints on divine marriages. Between spouses, power is the measure of status, and the strong only enslave the weak. Having witnessed the outcome of the King of the Gods and the Queen of the Gods reaching this point, I truly cannot convince myself to believe in true love between eternal deities."
Tyche curled up in Astrea's embrace, "I'm afraid my love will become a blade to harm me. Falling in love with someone is risky. I don't want to see the one I love no longer love me one day."
The Starry Night Goddess comforted the distressed Tyche, "Eros, the primordial god of love within each of us, has already told us the answer. Sorrow and pain accompany love."
"Just as day and night always alternate, without sorrow, joy would have no meaning."
"If that day comes, and the fire of love between you is extinguished by Eros, wouldn't you have enjoyed the joy and beauty before the pain arrives? My friend, do not hesitate for this reason and refuse the arrival of love. The love you give may return unexpected surprises."
Tyche murmured, "So, to fall in love with someone is to risk getting hurt."
Hecate, not understanding, watched the two goddesses immersed in sorrow, her young heart filled only with confusion and bewilderment.
"Oh, goddess of fate who controls opportunity and choice! You must make a choice for your feelings."
The conversation concluded with the Starry Night Goddess's summary. Tyche rose from her friend's embrace and smiled sheepishly.
Tyche shifted the topic to Hecate, who stood solemnly at the doorway. At Tyche's signal, the maiden approached her mother.
Tyche gently touched the ruby necklace around her neck, and a dark divine office appeared in her hand. Hecate immediately sensed the stirrings of the Necromancy and Sorcery divine offices and quickly suppressed her leaping divine fire.
"This is the Necromancy divine office, split from my Magic divine office. Accept it as my gift to thank you for your help and to celebrate Hecate's birth."
The Starry Night Goddess looked at this unprecedented magic-aligned divine office and understood its preciousness with a brief probe. After a moment of contemplation, Astrea did not inquire when her friend had obtained the magic divine office. In Hecate's eager gaze, she accepted the Necromancy divine office and said sternly, "This divine office will help Hecate consolidate her power and become a goddess of demigod status. This is not commensurate with what I have given!"
Shaking her head to stop Tyche's comfort, the Starry Night Goddess solemnly said, "Please accept my promise. I will help you with all my might three times, under any circumstances."
Tyche also nodded seriously in agreement, not forgetting to instruct the delighted Hecate, "The fate divinity inherited from your mother and the goddess of prophecy possesses incredible power. Combined with your curse divine office, it is expected to gain the favor of the prayer divine office, which is the key to opening the door to a powerful demigod status."
Hecate accepted the instruction and happily took the Necromancy divine office handed to her by her mother. The Necromancy magic connected the fields of Necromancy and Sorcery. The three divine offices immediately merged, producing wondrous changes.
After safely settling the slumbering Hecate, Tyche bid farewell to her friend and departed the temple in her white falcons.
The birds soared through the sky. Tyche absentmindedly stroked the exquisite wave patterns on the carriage. Looking up at the Sun God and Wind God patrolling the sky, she turned her direction towards the Temple of Radiance in the eastern mountains.
The mountain spirits, seeing the Sky Goddess's figure from afar, fled in panic. Tyche's arrival reminded the spirits of the fear from the battle between the two goddesses, and they hastily retreated from the Temple of Radiance.
The Moon Goddess and the Dawn Goddess opened the gates of radiance to welcome Tyche. The proud Selene also bowed her head before Tyche, curtsied, and then, along with her sister, led Tyche into the temple.
Thea, the grandmother of light, smiled and welcomed the Sky Goddess, instructing the trembling attendants to serve Tyche with fine wine.