Hermes had delivered the information from Zeus to Demeter. So in those short months that her and John could be together, she let him use the scrying crystal as much as she could, between the work that they both had to do.

They watched the young man crawl, walk, talk, start school. They watched and fretted as he battled a terrible disease, was on the brink of death, and then came back. They watched bruised knees and broken arms, black eyes and high school and university diplomas.

They watched him cheat death again as he was struck by a car while walking in the London traffic. He was gravely injured, but once again, he survived, and thrived, becoming a renowned chemist with his own company, and all of this before the age of 25.

His 25th birthday loomed, coming up in a very short time. Of course the thought nothing of it. He wasn't a fan of birthdays really. His mum had died on his 8th birthday, as he was busy fighting a disease that ravaged his body. His father found a new wife quickly, and he was relegated to the background, so he took care of himself from a young age.

Age was nothing to him. He had few friends, and fewer love prospects. He had The Work, and that was good enough for him.