"If his love for you is merely a feeling, it will eventually fade. When your love faces challenges and temptations, its true nature will be revealed as a beautiful bubble, unable to withstand even the slightest test or touch!"
Dianyi's earnest efforts failed to yield the desired effect. Aegina still believed her feelings for Poseidon were pure and true, and no matter how much Dianyi spoke, it was futile.
With a sigh of helplessness, Dianyi said, "Then let us set a test for Poseidon. Your father has protected you too well, and this is his greatest mistake! Asopos, your sorrowful old father, may he find healing in the company of his other daughters."
Poseidon's triumph did not last long. The children of the Ocean God turned on him, casting him to the boundary with the Pontus lineage to serve as a barrier. Their estrangement made Poseidon realize a neglected problem: if Oceanus's children abandoned him because of this, then the sea realm would truly have no place for him.
Poseidon went to Asopos's river to beg for forgiveness, but the old river god refused him entry. Zeus also reprimanded Poseidon for failing to restrain the sea gods of the Pontus lineage. The daughters of the Ocean God actively instigated disputes, leaving Poseidon exhausted and filled with regret.
Styx plucked at the threads of fate, laying countless obstacles in Poseidon's path. The long-retired Ocean Gods and Sea Goddesses also severed Poseidon's connection to the ocean's source. Pontus, the one who kicked him while he was down, went even further, undermining Poseidon's divine authority over the sea's rhythm.
Caught in a pincer movement, Poseidon fled the sea realm and pleaded with Aegina to intercede for him. The lake goddess, along with Poseidon and their child, begged her father for forgiveness. The old river god Asopos relayed the words of the sea goddesses to his daughter, "As long as Poseidon is willing to return you to me, my sisters will allow Poseidon to return to the sea realm!"
Poseidon's decision was obvious. The pitiable lake goddess received only blatant betrayal. No matter how perfect Poseidon's excuse, Aegina could not bring herself to face the reality of being deceived.
Dianyi and the sea goddesses emerged from the river. They kept their promise and accepted the god of tsunamis back, but as punishment for abandoning Aegina, Poseidon had to fill the rift that had severed the river channel.
The water gods refused to allow Poseidon to draw from their sources, and the god of tsunamis, whose connection to the sea was severed, could not call upon the ocean's aid. He had to labor like a mortal.
Sisyphus, the human leader who guided Asopos, got his wish. Asopos's river irrigated the land, and the joy of harvest filled the region.
Sisyphus did not realize that the man toiling on his land was a deity. He boasted to his subjects about how he had received the river god's help, which filled Poseidon with resentment. He stole Sisyphus's vitality, causing the detestable human to age rapidly.
The shadow of death loomed over Sisyphus, but the leader did not fall into panic. He asked the old river god Asopos if the abnormality he felt was related to a deity. The old river god confirmed it, stating that the messenger of death was gradually approaching the human cursed by a god.
Thanatos, with his black wings, descended upon the mortal realm that night. The gentle god of death had come to harvest the souls of the deceased. His steps were slow but unceasing; neither towering mountains nor vast rivers could impede the god of death's progress for a moment.
The city's banquet had been ongoing for a month. The joyful people sincerely offered sacrifices to Demeter, the goddess of harvest. In her name, they gave food to passing travelers, proclaiming Demeter's mighty power in bringing fertility to the earth.
But the host of the banquet had no appetite for the delicacies. The weary Sisyphus had been waiting for death to arrive, but the guest he had been waiting for had not yet appeared. Just as Sisyphus was about to end the banquet, a cold wind blew in, and the black-robed god of death, folding his wings, slowly approached. Thanatos raised his scythe, ready to reap Sisyphus's soul and bring him eternal, peaceful slumber.
But Sisyphus had long anticipated death's arrival. He was fearless, opening his arms to welcome the god of death. "Great god of death, why the haste? Death will eventually come to me. Are you not curious as to why my vitality was taken, and why I greet your visit prematurely?"
Thanatos indeed stopped his actions. The human before him was facing death under the intervention of a deity, something unprecedented. Curiosity piqued the god of death's interest, and he wished to hear the human's answer.
Sisyphus took the opportunity to invite the god of death to join the feast and, with a moving tone, recounted the story of the old river god Asopos losing his daughter. Warmly received, Thanatos gradually relaxed. He was surprised to find that the human did not fear his arrival.
This was something that greatly intrigued the god of death. The gods of the underworld received very little worship, ultimately because the fear of death caused humanity to naturally resist them.
Before Thanatos could ask why Sisyphus did not fear him, the old man began to tell various stories. These stories contained the human's understanding of the world and death, immediately capturing the god of death's attention.
This exchange between man and god continued until dawn. The god of death saw the sun rise from behind the mountains and remembered that he had come to take Sisyphus's soul. Sisyphus still showed no fear. He presented the god of death with a pair of exquisite bracelets, engraved with the wise man's aphorisms for the god of death: death is an unknown journey, and after death, we will see the world from another perspective.
Thanatos immediately fell in love with the bracelets. He had never imagined that a human would be willing to explore the meaning of death, which undoubtedly made him feel respected. Thus, Thanatos, who never coveted wealth, accepted the bracelets and wore them joyfully. Immediately, Thanatos felt as if the bracelets on his hands had become heavy, making it impossible for him, a deity, to break free. An invisible chain connected these bracelets and extended into the unknown distance.
"Do not struggle, great god of death. These chains are made from the hair of mothers who lost their sons, the tears shed by lovers who lost their beloved, and the sorrow born of separation. They embody all the grief and resentment born from death. To humans, they are insignificant, but to the god of death, they are as heavy as mountains, and you cannot break free from their bonds."
The god of death was thus imprisoned in the palace by Sisyphus. Sisyphus continued to treat Thanatos as an honored guest, filling the god of death's table with fine wine and food. Sisyphus would sometimes visit the palace to chat with Thanatos, who was not at all flustered. The god of death, busy harvesting souls, had not had such a relaxing time in a long while. He even found himself enjoying these days, a vacation he had not had since assuming the divine office of death.