Chapter 1: Five Siblings in the Father’s Belly (1)
When I regained consciousness, the first thing I saw before me was a pitch-black cave.
Yet, strangely, despite the cave's darkness, everything was as clear as if I were standing under bright sunlight. That was the only thing that puzzled me.
"What's going on here? I was certain…"
My last memory was of scuba diving in the Mediterranean off the coast of Italy, losing consciousness after an accident.
As I tried to gather my confused thoughts, I heard the sound of someone approaching.
Step, step, step.
Thinking it might be the person who saved me, I kept my body tense but focused on the source of the sound.
The figure approaching was a sturdy man with black hair, black eyes, and a slightly gloomy aura. He wasn't carrying any weapons.
Even if he turned out to be dangerous, I was confident I could escape. I'd trained in martial arts for quite a while, and unless he was a professional, I figured I could handle myself.
As I stared at the man with tension, he stopped a few steps away and spoke.
"You've finally woken up, brother. For a moment, I thought Father had killed you before you got here. You were lying there with your eyes closed like some delicate bride for who knows how long."
I couldn't hide my disbelief at the black-haired man's words.
What was he talking about? Just moments ago, I was scuba diving in the sea, and now he's saying I was 'eaten' by my father?
"It seems you haven't grasped the situation yet," he continued. "We were devoured by our father, Kronos, and now we're living inside his belly."
The word 'Kronos' sparked a sudden realization in my mind.
'Greek-Roman mythology…'
"Hmm… looks like you're starting to piece it together, brother. Are you finally remembering being devoured? Well, the blood of gods like us is inherently strong from birth. Though, I've only seen and met three of you, including yourself."
***
I had assumed the man speaking to me was older, but as my eyes adjusted to the darkness and my vision cleared, I realized he had the face of a rather young boy.
Looking at myself, I noticed my body was that of a boy as well.
"What's your name?" I asked.
"Hm? My name? Well, no one's ever given me one, so I don't really have a name."
I nodded at the black-haired boy's response.
"I see. One more thing—do you always talk like an old man?"
The moment I pointed out his speech, the black-haired boy flinched. He must have known it was odd himself.
Based on my memories, among Kronos and Rhea's children, the eldest was Hestia, followed by Hera, then Demeter or Hades, and finally Poseidon. So, this black-haired boy was likely Hades.
Judging by the timing, I must have arrived here as either the youngest or second-to-last, and yet…
And if Hades was standing before me, it meant my other sisters or brothers were probably somewhere nearby as well.
"Ahem, that's because, before you arrived, I was the only man among our siblings, so I had to project some dignity. After all, I'm the one who has to lead you all, right?"
I snorted, now certain that this nameless black-haired boy was Hades.
"Really? What's the point of projecting 'manly dignity' when we're stuck inside Kronos' belly? How about finding a way to get out of here first, 'my lord'?"
I mocked Hades with a teasing tone.
I didn't know much about Hades' personality from mythology, but the idea that a god, even a young one, acted so much like a modern human was absurdly amusing.
Sure, I knew the gods in Greek-Roman mythology were human-like, but seeing a young kid trying to act tough was just comical.
Of course, given the situation, I was probably no different—a newborn god, likely looking like a kid playing house to any outsider.
My mockery clearly irritated Hades. His already gloomy demeanor darkened further, and he began to exude an ominous aura, his black hair and eyes intensifying the effect.
Not one to back down, I clenched my fists and glared back at him.
The situation was on the verge of exploding.
"Ugh, one gloomy black-haired brother was tiring enough, and now we've got a blue-haired troublemaker too. Men, I swear."
A sharp, high-pitched voice interrupted, forcing both Hades and me to relax our tension.
Turning toward the voice, I saw a red-haired girl who had just spoken, flanked by two others—one with hair the color of pale straw and another with glossy brown hair—standing at the cave's entrance, watching us.
"Oh, my sisters, you've arrived safely," Hades said.
"Didn't I tell you I'd beat you senseless if you didn't drop that ridiculous way of talking?" the red-haired girl shot back.
"But… I mean, with a new brother here, I have to show some authority, don't I?"
"Yeah, right. You were just about to start a fight."
The red-haired girl, who led the trio, verbally crushed Hades.
'Hmm… that must be Hera. In mythology, she's known for keeping Zeus in check, after all.'
As I quietly observed the red-haired girl, she noticed my stare and glared back, clearly displeased, striding toward me like a delinquent from a Japanese movie.
"Hey, quit staring with those sparkly blue eyes, or I'll make you regret it."
I shook my head at her attitude and asked, "Are you my sister?"
"Yeah, unfortunately. You and that gloomy guy both are. Not that I like it."
With a cocky attitude and one leg crossed over the other, Hera replied. I extended my hand and said,
"Nice to meet you. I'm Poseidon. What's your name?"
"Huh?"
"Your name. You know, what people call you."
At my question, Hera's brash demeanor vanished, replaced by the flustered expression of a young girl.
It made sense—she was probably just born, never saw her parents, and certainly never received a name from them. Such a question would naturally throw her off.
As for me, the moment I heard Kronos' name, I decided to call myself Poseidon.
"Why… why do you have a name?!"
Hera shouted, trying to mask her embarrassment.
I responded with a kind smile.
I wasn't so immature as to bicker with a child, and honestly, seeing the tomboyish girl flustered was kind of amusing.
"Well, I gave myself a name, that's why. I'm Poseidon, which means the lord of the earth and the ruler of rivers and seas."
At Poseidon's response, the other siblings, including Hera, showed great interest and approached him.
"What's the sea or a river?"
"What's the earth?"
"Lord? What does that mean?"
Hestia, Demeter, and Hades were brimming with curiosity, intrigued by the youngest sibling who seemed to possess new knowledge. For siblings who had only ever guessed at the world outside by the faint sounds they heard from within Kronos' belly, Poseidon's choice of words was endlessly fascinating.
More than anything, they too wanted names like Poseidon's.
Even Hera, who was sulking and staying out of the group, felt the same.
"Alright, alright. One at a time. I'll explain everything," Poseidon said.
"I'll go first," said Demeter, the girl with light brown hair resembling straw, stepping forward.
"What's the earth? It sounds really nice. And how did you come up with your name? Did our mother give it to you before you came here?"
"Okay, first: the earth is the ground we're standing on. I'm guessing the outside world has places like this where we can walk and stand."
"Second: my name just came to me naturally. Maybe something was instilled in me before I was devoured by Father."
"Third: that overlaps with your second question."
Demeter let out a "Wow" and nodded at Poseidon's answers.
She figured that the one who instilled something in Poseidon must have been their mother. After all, who else would dare defy their father, the king of the gods?
They didn't know exactly what a "king" was, but from the sounds they'd heard in their father's belly, everyone seemed to fear him. Up until now, they had been terrified that their mother might have abandoned them too, but Poseidon's words suggested otherwise.
Hestia, who was listening nearby, and even Hera, who had subtly moved closer, brightened up just like Demeter.
"Then I'll ask," Hades interjected. "What does 'lord' mean?"
To Hades, none of the other stuff mattered—whether their mother had abandoned them or not was irrelevant. What caught his attention was Poseidon's claim to be the "lord of the seas and the earth."
"It means something belongs to you," Poseidon explained. "For example, imagine this cave is entirely yours. Wouldn't that mean me or our sisters would need your permission to be here?"
Hades' eyes sparkled at Poseidon's response.
The word "lord" seemed to perfectly suit the status he imagined for himself. As the only male among the siblings until now, he'd always felt like the most mature one. In his mind, It was his duty to lead them and either live here or find a way to escape.
"That's a great word… 'lord,'" Hades mused.
"Is it greater than a king?"
Poseidon gave a vague nod to Hades' question.
As Hades sank into thought over Poseidon's words, Hera quietly sidled up and asked, "So, can we have names too?"
"Of course you can," Poseidon replied.
"Then what are our names?"
"Why are you asking me that?"
"Because you're the only one here who remembers a name!"
Poseidon found himself in a bit of a bind at Hera's question.
The reason he'd named himself Poseidon was because he vaguely knew about Greek-Roman mythology, and since he'd always loved the sea and water, Poseidon had been his favorite god.
That's why he chose it.
Given the situation, he seemed to be the youngest and likely Poseidon himself… but just in case he was an anomaly here and the real Poseidon showed up, he'd preemptively claimed the name, ready to argue his case if needed.
'Hmm… this is tricky. Should I be the one to name them?'
As Poseidon hesitated, Hera, clearly annoyed by his silence, shouted sharply,
"What! So you're saying only you get a name? That Mother only gave you one?!"
Poseidon covered his ears at Hera's outburst and sighed,
"Alright, calm down. I'll try to remember."
He made up his mind.
Since things had come to this, he'd just name all of them. If this was the world of Greek-Roman mythology, the names he gave would probably be correct.
And if they weren't? He'd just play dumb. Who could blame a newborn god, anyway?
'Yeah, they're all just kids here. Even if I mess up, it won't matter.'
"Alright, I'll say the names that come to mind. Starting with the brown-haired sister: Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades. That's what I've got."
"Don't ask me what they mean—I don't know that much."
The siblings were thrilled with the names Poseidon gave them.
The names felt strangely familiar, comfortable, and perfect for them.
"I'm Hestia!"
"Mhm, I like Demeter."
"Well… Hera doesn't sound bad."
"I'm satisfied too. It feels like a name overflowing with wealth and dignity," Hades added.
"Good. As long as you're all happy," Poseidon said.