Zoe accepted the spoonful of pumpkin soup that Ever offered her. “You’re saying Chronos is actually older than Chaos?”

  “He says that he was the First,” Ever replied, scooping another spoon of soup from the bowl and continuing to feed his partner. He looked at Nyx sitting at the other side of Zoe’s bed. “Mother, wasn’t it just the Void in the Beginning and didn’t Chaos emerge from it?”

  “Yes,” Nyx said. “What no one knows however is how much time passed between the Beginning and when the Void appeared. Perhaps they appeared simultaneously, or maybe aeons had passed. The only one who does know is Chronos himself.”

  “So why is Chaos thought to be the First?” Zoe asked, gently pushing away Ever’s offering of another spoonful of soup.

  “From Chaos sprung the other Primordials: Gaia and myself, amongst others. That is the Belief, anyway. But one cannot discount the presence of time, which is the realm that Chronos oversees and controls.”

  Gaia stood up. The light in the ceiling flickered, as if bowing in reverence as she walked past it.

  “One cannot reference events without acknowledging the passage of time. It is as if he is an endless tapestry and we are but sequins embedded upon it.”

  “He didn’t seem happy that you and Chaos didn’t acknowledge him as the First,” Ever mused.

  Nyx looked away from the window towards them. “One must be ready to pick a side when called upon. Father Chaos is the First for me. Besides,” she looked back at the window, eyes galaxies away, “Gaia acknowledges that Chronos is the First.”

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  Zoe propped herself up, riveted. “Gaia? Mother Nature you mean?”

  Nyx’s eyes flared momentarily. The fire was gone as quick as it had come, like a shooting star.

  “That is what humans call her, yes. If it wasn’t for her, Chronos would have stayed in his dimension, quietly observing and letting things happen. But he’s always coveted Father Chaos’ realm. Her acknowledgement of his claim being the First emboldened him. That must have been why he visited you last week.”

  “I literally don’t remember anything,” Zoe said. She scrunched her face in concentration. “One moment we were talking. The next, I was coming to.”

  “What does he have to gain by helping Zoe?” Ever asked.

  “Gaia seems to believe that Zoe’s Ascension is key to her seeing the coming Spring. Perhaps Moirai shared some information with her. That, or Chronos himself scried the future and saw what was to come, but that is speculation.”

  The three of them shared the silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Zoe spoke first.

  “How is he actually going to help me?” She looked to Ever. “You said that he said that he couldn’t heal, so he’s not going to miraculously cure my CJD.”

  “I’m not sure,” Ever said. “He was able to freeze both you and Dr. Yang. Maybe he’ll do that again?”

  “Not sure how useful I’d be as a goddess if I was a living statue,” Zoe said dubiously.

  “Whatever the case,” Nyx said, “Chronos has made himself known to us. All we can do is hope his involvement aids your cause. If Zoe Ascends, then Gaia gets her Spring. If Gaia gets what she wants, that strengthens Chronos’ claim to Father Chaos’ realm. That is a separate problem, but not yours to worry about.”

  Ever gave Zoe’s hand a reassuring squeeze - but reassured she was not.