Cronus, moved by Rhea's pained pleas, released Hestia. The sleeping goddess remained unaware of the terrible fate she had narrowly escaped. The overjoyed Queen of the Gods, supported by her attendants, returned to her temple.
The feast concluded, and the star gods and sea gods departed from the divine mountain, returning to their own domains. Tike bid farewell to her mother and approached her father, Oceanus. The white-bearded god of the oceans was delighted. "My daughter, your wisdom and courage astound me! The emergence of the currents' divine office has invigorated the ocean's essence, benefiting all the sea gods. Pontus and I have decided to grant you the island you inhabit and the surrounding seas. The divine power of other sea gods will no longer hold sway over this ocean."
Tike was overjoyed. "Thank you, my generous father. Please convey my gratitude to the great Pontus!"
Oceanus smiled and nodded. "I must return to the edge of the world to fulfill my divine duty of encircling the earth. My children, do not miss me. I will always watch over and protect you. Call my name, and the ocean will surely answer!" With that, he transformed into a rushing current and departed. After bidding farewell to her sisters, Tike returned to her island, finding that the divine powers of the two ancient sea gods had indeed vanished, leaving her free to act as she pleased within her domain.
She summoned thick mists to envelop the island, causing it to disappear from view. Should anyone intrude, the mist imbued with divine power would disorient them, and Tike would sense their presence immediately. Her divine power flowed into the sea, calming the turbulent waves until they lay still as a mirror, devoid of any ripple. After a satisfied inspection, Tike continued to exert her divine power over the clouds, causing the sea fog to thicken and spread outwards until it filled her entire domain.
With a preliminary defense system established, Tike finally felt secure and returned to her island for a contented rest. Recalling her previous daily toils in fulfilling her divine duties, she conceived a new idea. She condensed thick spheres from the clouds and released them into the sky, where they naturally disintegrated, creating vast expanses of mist. Tike was thrilled to have found a method to slacken her efforts.
For deities whose lives were eternal, the passage of time was almost imperceptible. During the long stretches, feasting and merriment were the absolute protagonists. Deities who did not restrain themselves would inevitably lose their way amidst pleasure and indulgence. Tike believed this was the beginning of a deity's demise.
The passage of time was wondrous, bringing growth as well as decay. The forests on the island grew taller, and ripe fruits fell to the ground. Tike, beginning to feel lonely, built her dwelling by a pond. The materials were the readily available stones and wood. Thanks to her divine office of crafts, the temple she built was well-formed and, empowered by divine energy, would never be damaged. Pearl curtains formed the walls, giant corals were carved into a bed, and polished shells served as mirrors, reflecting white light. The temple no longer felt empty.
One day, as Tike was carving small shell ornaments on the beach, she suddenly sensed a tremendous divine power erupting in the sky. Rhea's furious cries echoed throughout the world, and all living things struggled to survive amidst the conflict between the two time deities. Plants would sprout and wither in an instant, and the golden humans on the earth either vanished from existence as time erased them from the timeline of their birth or died from old age. Tike quickly used her divine power to protect her domain. The temporal chaos continued for an unknown duration, leaving the earth desolate. Only the domains of the gods retained life; all other lands had transformed into barren grounds for life.
The Earth Mother manifested her colossal form, halting the battle between the divine king and his queen. The enraged Earth Mother, having heard Rhea's laments, sternly reprimanded the divine king. "My youngest son, Cronus, do not forget how your father lost his throne as divine king! He imprisoned the Hecatoncheires and the Cyclopes in the abyss beneath the earth, and he forced his newborn children back into their mother's womb. He made me violate my maternal nature! This is how you became divine king. Now, before the Earth Mother, you seek to take her child, continuing your father's atrocities!"
Cronus did not fear the Earth Mother's authority. His divine power countered hers. "My children will not return to their mother's womb; they will live within me! This is the greatest mercy I can offer them!" With that, he swallowed the pure Hestia.
Helpless, the Earth Mother could only comfort the weeping Rhea. "My daughter, your husband has made a grave choice. The knot of fate can no longer be untied. He will meet the same end as his father." Bereaved of her daughter, Rhea wept incessantly, refusing to share a bed with the divine king. The two drifted apart, their union hollow.
At this moment, Tike received her first visitor, the radiant goddess of falling stars, Asteria. The sea mist dispersed, revealing the island's outline. Tike personally welcomed her visiting friend. The two goddesses walked hand in hand to the temple. The brilliance reflected by the mirrors immediately caught Asteria's attention. "My dear friend Tike, what new creations have you made?" Tike showed her how to use the mirrors. Asteria, gazing at her clear reflection, exclaimed joyfully, "You always discover beautiful things. These mirrors will surely be loved by the goddesses." Tike bashfully accepted her friend's praise and immediately presented Asteria with a full-length mirror with a golden base.