Catherina sighed as she stood at the edge of the isnd, staring out at the rolling ocean waves. The mist clung to the air around her, soft and ever-present, like a reminder of her presence on this forgotten isle. She should have been used to it by now, this endless solitude. But even gods could get bored.

  A lesser god.

  She exhaled, running her fingers through her lead-colored hair, feeling the cool moisture from the mist settle against her skin. Gods were supposed to be grand, celestial beings that shaped the world. And yet, here she was, bound to a small isnd, barely above a nymph in divine standing. She chuckled.

  "Newbie."

  The word flickered through her mind, a remnant of her past life. The gods of Khaos wouldn’t use such a term, but it fit. A lesser god was little more than a newbie in the divine hierarchy. Someone who had quite a small presence and was nowhere near a true divine being.

  Her thoughts drifted as a shrill yelp suddenly pierced the isnd’s quiet atmosphere.

  "Your Highness, Goddess Catherina! P-Please help us!"

  Catherina turned, an amused smirk creeping onto her lips as she recognized the distress in the ocean nymph’s voice. She didn’t need to look to know who was causing trouble.

  A soft, mischievous ugh echoed through the trees.

  Catherina arched a brow, folding her arms across her chest. "Glykaia is coming," she murmured with a knowing smile.

  Sure enough, stepping out from the foliage was a petite goddess, barely shorter than Catherina herself, with golden-brown skin that gleamed faintly like fresh sap. Her honey-colored hair clumped slightly, strands sticking together in uneven waves. She had amber eyes, warm and translucent like hardened resin, twinkling with barely contained amusement.

  Glykaia, Goddess of Sticky Tree Sap, patron of harmless pranks and unfortunate adhesives, had arrived.

  The ocean nymphs—three of them—looked absolutely miserable. Their elegant seafoam-colored robes were stiff in pces, glued together at the seams, making their movements awkward and rigid. One was hopelessly stuck to a rock, wiggling frantically to free herself. Another had one hand attached to her own hip, causing her to move in an odd, twisted manner. The st nymph had somehow gotten her fingers glued together, forming an unfortunate webbed effect between them.

  Glykaia csped her hands behind her back, swaying slightly.

  "Ah," she said, feigning innocence, "it seems the sap trees here are... unusually active today."

  Catherina let out a low, melodic ugh, watching the nymphs' helpless struggles. "Did you really have to glue their robes together, Glykaia?"

  The petite goddess grinned unrepentantly. "It was just a little Sticky Touch—nothing serious! Besides, they look adorable waddling like that."

  "Your Highness," one of the nymphs whimpered, trying to bow—only to realize she couldn’t move her arms properly. "Please... make her stop."

  Catherina sighed theatrically, pcing a hand on her hip. "Glykaia, don’t torment my nymphs too much. I do need them to move, you know."

  Glykaia pouted. "Fine, fine." With a casual flick of her fingers, she reversed the enchantment, and the nymphs stumbled free, shaking out their robes with deep relief.

  To appease them, Glykaia reached into her small woven satchel and pulled out a drop of golden sap. "Here," she said, handing it to the nearest nymph. "Sweet Sap Blessing. It makes fruit taste better."

  The nymphs, still wary, accepted the offering. Catherina shook her head, amused by the exchange.

  _______

  The mist thickened around them as the nymphs scurried away, leaving Catherina and Glykaia alone in the clearing.

  Glykaia plopped down on a tree root, zily kicking her legs. "Catherina, you should visit my isnd."

  Catherina turned toward her, intrigued. "Your isnd?"

  Glykaia nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! Glykopitys—it’s beautiful this time of year. The golden pines are dripping with fresh sap, the air smells sweet, and the nymphs there are pnning a banquet. I want you to come."

  Catherina arched a brow. "A banquet?"

  Glykaia beamed. "Yes! A true feast. We’ll have Raw nectar-fruits, sliced and drizzled with sweet sap, Mashed root vegetables with tree sap gze, and dried fruits mixed with crushed seeds! Oh, and we’ll drink fresh spring water infused with wild herbs."

  Catherina chuckled, shaking her head. "You’re always thinking about food."

  Glykaia huffed, crossing her arms. "Not just food! It’s a gathering, Catherina. A chance for us lesser gods to... you know, exist together. Talk. Eat. Laugh. Have fun. We don’t get many chances for that, do we?"

  Catherina tilted her head. Glykaia wasn’t wrong. Lesser gods weren’t summoned to great councils like the Titans or the Primordials. They weren’t worshipped by mortals or feared by monsters. Most of them lived on their small isnds or wandered aimlessly, waiting for some greater fate to cim them.

  A banquet wasn’t just food—it was company.

  Catherina exhaled, watching the mist swirl at her feet. "Alright," she said at st. "I’ll come."

  Glykaia grinned triumphantly, practically bouncing in pce. "Excellent! You won’t regret it, I promise. It’ll be the best banquet ever!"

  Catherina smirked. "If you glue my robes together, I’ll reconsider."

  Glykaia gasped dramatically, pcing a hand over her heart. "Would I ever do such a thing?"

  Catherina gave her a pointed look.

  "...Okay, fine, maybe I would," Glykaia admitted with a ugh. "But only a little!"

  Catherina groaned, but her ughter soon followed, mingling with Glykaia’s mischievous joy.

  And so, beneath the mist-den sky, two young goddesses sat together—one made of mist, the other of sap—looking forward to a night of feasting, ughter, and divine mischief.