"You've strayed too far from the topic, Circe." Diana shook her head, tapping her forehead with her finger, "I came here to find out what this engraving on my head is exactly. What is Hecate actually planning to do? She's your guardian god; you must know more."
Circe somewhat despondently set down her wine bottle and sat on a chair beside the table, swirling the wine in her glass.
Her gaze became distant and forlorn.
"I wouldn't exactly use the term 'guardian god'. My relationship with her is much darker... Alright, I'll try to explain it all to you."
Circe raised her hands, gathering magic power. The purple light shone brightly in the cave as she began to manifest what she was thinking into images, allowing the crowd a more intuitive view.
"Long before the gods, Hecate was already walking the earth. She is the collective consciousness representing humans' perspectives on mystery."
Su Ming appeared to be casually chatting with Albella, but in fact, both of them were intently listening to Circe's story.
He was being cautious, for while Circe was still somewhat distrusted by him, Albella was the same. To seek information from Circe boldly might end up being deceived.
"Collective consciousness, I hate that term," Su Ming exhaled. Such a thing means not only that it can't be cut down but also can't be killed.
Albella mixed whiskey and wine, continually seeking the right ratio: "This is the root many casters seek: the collective consciousness."
"When the world took shape, good collective entities were preserved, while bad ones were confined outside the origin wall, but now it's different." Su Ming whispered to her, and she merely nodded slightly.
On the other side of the dining table, Circe continued manipulating the light and shadows in her hand: "In ancient times, Hecate was a very magnanimous existence. She shared her witchcraft fire with humans, hoping they could use this infinite power to achieve happiness, yet she didn't understand human nature..."
Diana nodded. Her life on Paradise Island was peaceful, consisting only of eating, sleeping, and fighting, but after venturing into human society, she realized that humans are indeed complicated beings.
"Their greed is endless; they want even more..."
Circe grimaced at her: "Exactly, they want more... The little flame she gave them empowered those ancient mages to become gods, turning them into Zeus, Ra, Naboo, Kukulkan... But then, they discovered that Hecate indeed still harbored a 'volcano,' and their greed was sparked. They fantasized about owning the volcano and becoming unimaginable beings..."
"Seems like the power source within the Silver City is cleaner." Albella whispered into Su Ming's ear, her breath tickling him.
Su Ming glanced at her, noticing her mischievous smile: "God's power originates from the power of creation, or cosmic origin, which is his own power. Yet, for reasons unknown, he split himself into several portions: the Hand of God, Body of God, God's Wrath, Voice of God, etc..."
"I know God's Wrath is that green hatted 'Ghost,' and the Body of God is the flesh currently on the throne in the Silver City. But what is Voice of God?" Albella queried curiously.
This time, Su Ming grinned: "Don't know? Then you should read more."
"And then what happened?" Diana pursued.
"Then? Naturally, they failed." Circe shrugged, took a sip of her wine, "At the time, Hecate's power was countless times stronger than all the gods combined. In her presence, the gods were like mere toys."
Diana furrowed her brow; if Hecate was truly that powerful, what means could she employ to find her and pursue a solution to the problem?
Seemingly oblivious to Diana's internal conflict, Circe continued sharing her tale: "Hecate discovered she possessed too much, inciting envy, so she divided her power into five portions and concealed them in five young human ladies. Only when necessary would she retrieve the power; the seal of that power is the Witch's Hour on your forehead."
"But I don't know any magic; I've tried to study it and just can't learn it." Diana uneasily touched her forehead, unable to feel any power, only pain.
"Most engravers can't detect it in their lifetime, much less utilize the power within." Circe nonchalantly retorted, aware of its function: "When an engraver returns to the cycle of rebirth, Hecate seeks new candidates to etch her mark. You are like security guards at the door of a high-tech laboratory, safeguarding precious items, but the contents inside are not for your use."
"Yet when the Inverted Man approached me, I sensed a powerful energy surging within me that seemed to induce a reaction from the Witch's Hour."
"That I do not know. I've lived for thousands of years, but past tales are measured in tens of thousands." Circe shrugged, dispelled the magic, and gently placed her hand back on the table.
Su Ming analyzed the current information; he knows the Inverted Man is the dark side of magic, and approaching Diana would activate the Witch's Hour, whereas Hecate was once coveted by the gods.
If it were him, learning others covet his belongings, he wouldn't let it slide easily.
Is Hecate really that magnanimous? Hard to say...
Remember, one of her three faces is that of an old woman, and for these many-faced gods, appearances reflect the heart, never mere idle talk.
In her crone state, she's also known as the Resentful Woman, unlikely to be a magnanimous person.
And with the Inverted Man clearly targeting her as the leader of thieves, wouldn't she consider reclaiming the power temporarily stored in the Witch's Hour to counter her enemy?
With this thought, Su Ming set down his knife and fork: "Circe, if Hecate wishes to reclaim her power, what happens to the bearers of the engraving?"
Circe examined him, pondering why Deathstroke appeared youthful, yet she answered the question simultaneously.
"According to ancient texts, if she wants to reclaim the power within the engravings, the ones possessing the Witch's Hour will be consumed by primordial magic burning through their souls. I suppose it means they will likely die…but before that, they would be controlled by Hecate, like demonic puppets."
"Well, this means Diana is indeed quite unsafe now."
"You've understood correctly, if Diana encounters Hecate, she risks being controlled or directly killed at any moment."
Following Circe's words, the atmosphere instantly chilled significantly; everyone felt their hair stand on end, as if the goddess of three forms was blowing softly behind their necks.