Zeus, King of the Gods, and Hera, Queen of the Gods, had loved for a millennium; yet, Zeus’s philandering nature led him to bring the mortal princess Semele into the divine realm, showering her with affection. Heartbroken and disillusioned, Hera stripped herself of her divinity, drank from the River Lethe, and descended to the mortal world to be reincarnated as Helia, eventually marrying into the Ashford family.
Only then was Zeus overcome with regret. He scoured the mortal realm to find Helia, infiltrating her life under the guise of her husband's younger brother and drawing ever closer in hopes of winning back her love. However, Semele’s reincarnation had also followed them to the mortal world; a toxic mix of jealousy and obsession drove Helia to the brink of death. Zeus sacrificed his own divinity to save her, but the act awakened the memories of her past life. Recalling every betrayal, Helia turned away, saying, "Your love is tainted."
Zeus finally understood the meaning of devoted love. He attempted to woo her as a mortal would, but Helia’s mortal body could not withstand the backlash of the divine essence and began to disintegrate. Kneeling before the Goddess of Lethe, he used his own divine form to forge a new body for her.
Helia lived again, but she retained no memory of Zeus—and in that oblivion, she found true happiness.
