In the southeast of the continent, by the shore of Starfall Lake.
The trees that had grown rapidly under Demeter's divine power looked as if they had aged a hundred years in the blink of an eye, becoming tall and stately; they formed a vast forest of ancient trees. Birds, drawn by an invisible allure, flocked around the forest, reluctant to leave. Among them, several pure white swans circled and danced above the ground.
Here, a miracle was unfolding, incomprehensible to mortals but not uncommon in the eyes of the gods. Although the siblings should have been born at the same time, the sister was delivering her brother.
The naiads of the lake could not help but pop their heads out of the water to witness this unusual scene, and even some elves, also with slightly swollen bellies, looked on with a mix of fear and longing.
Invisible light poured from the void, bringing about a spectacle reminiscent of day turning into night. After nine flickers, tranquillity returned, leaving only a girl who seemed to be six or seven years old, dressed in a skirt made of leaves, holding a newborn baby in her arms.
As the world gradually perfected itself, the gods born in the third era could no longer easily make the laws of the realm sing for them. Yet, the honors bestowed upon true gods by the world remained unchanged; they possessed divinely given authority and intrinsic True Names.
Artemis, Master of the Wilderness, goddess of hunting, of caves, mountains, forests, wild beasts, and midwifery, even bore on her forehead a silver crescent, constantly radiating an aura unlike the moon in the night sky—profound and mysterious.
Apollo, the incarnation of light. He didn't have the extensive array of godhoods that his sister did, but merely being the embodiment of light was one of the highest forms of divine authority in the world. The "Light" authority that had split from the Ancient Titan God Theia took on an alternative embodiment within him.
Even as a newborn, the infant Apollo unwittingly emitted a soft glow that healed the wounds Leto had suffered during childbirth. Even the surrounding naiads felt more vigorous, their previous weariness dissipating in an instant.
As the eras passed, and even as Alfheim from the Nine Realms integrated, the power of Chaos' "Light" naturally grew, even if it were divided among many. The fraction that Apollo received was still enough to propel him into the domain of powerful divine beings. In that moment, looking at her son of exceptional birth, Leto felt all her prior suffering had been rewarded.
Her gaze swept over the surrounding lifeforms, which, frightened by the goddess's look, quickly dispersed from the vicinity. After driving away the outsiders, Leto looked back at her daughter in the distance.
"Artemis, come here and see your brother," she called out to her daughter, her heart brimming with joy. Artemis was one thing, but the aura of power enveloping Apollo reminded the goddess of the strength and eminence of the mother of light. Even without relying on the power of faith, he was destined to stand at the pinnacle among the deity race.
In comparison, the fact that her daughter appeared to be a few years old as soon as she was born didn't surprise Leto at all. Just like another goddess yet to be born, who was forcibly constrained within the Mother Goddess by the laws, the girl did not cease growth; she drew strength and wisdom from nature and instinctively helped her brother into the Mortal Realm upon her birth.
Taking a few steps forward, Artemis handed the baby, bound to her by blood, to Leto. Her bright eyes looked up at her mother, who returned the gaze with a gentle smile.
A warm feeling emanated from the infant in her arms, and Leto was about to praise her daughter's competence when her expression suddenly turned to astonishment, a hint of fear almost imperceptible.
The moment the girl looked up, Leto caught sight of the crescent on Artemis's forehead. The faint silver marking was starkly apparent, and the constraints originating from the Styx River revealed its true nature.
It was the power of the Moon. Though not abundant, its presence was visibly clear, reminding the black-robed goddess of an accidental encounter she once had at the edge of the stars. There, she had come across a particular broken fragment that harbored a similar power. Previously, Leto had not associated it with the Moon because it was unlike Chaos' true Moon.
Yet, the truth contradicted her initial thoughts.
It was not only associated with the Moon but had also, due to her fortuitous intrusion, transferred to Artemis in some manner.
Leto didn't realize that her first impression had not been wrong. That wasn't the Moon of Chaos, but a remnant of the lunar deity from a world long destroyed. Attracted to the present by fate, it had come to a goddess originally predestined to be linked with the Moon, who now had no chance of doing so—in becoming part of her power.
It was meant to become a sacred artifact born alongside Artemis, but its fragmented and diffuse power was far from sufficient to transform into another form in just a few years and thereby be reborn. It had no choice but to slumber within its master, becoming one with her.
Meanwhile, some of Artemis's inherent godhoods gradually transferred to the artifact, nourishing its form and further deepening the connection between them.
For Artemis, this wasn't necessarily a bad thing; a sacred artifact born with a deity does not detract from the deity's power, and is entirely different from those forged later. When the artifact takes shape, all that belongs to her will return. But for Leto, this was true trouble indeed.