When you grow up with two minor goddesses, you get used to weird stuff happening, but I wasn't ready for this.
It all started when a young girl with purple hair, dressed in this flowy white gown, stood on the shore, looking down at a tiny boat that had washed up on the beach. She wasn't too interested in the boat itself, though. Nah, she had her eye on the baby inside.
"Is this... a boy?" she wondered, tilting her head like someone inspecting a new pet.
The kid was pale, with skin as fair as freshly fallen snow, and to top it off, he had the cutest little face.
"But... he's so adorable," she murmured. After a quick moment of hesitation, the girl bent down, scooped the baby up before the tide could claim it, and gave a soft smile, poking the baby's nose.
"Guess I'll keep you for now. I'm Euryale. From today on, your name is Cyd."
And then, with a smile that would make any sane person nervous, she added, "You'd better stay adorable, okay? Otherwise..." Her expression turned a little... sinister as she stroked the baby's head. Yeah, real comforting.
Fifteen years later.
The ocean looked pretty calm today, just like every other day. I sat on the beach, staring at the horizon with my white hair blowing in the breeze. Most people might think I was daydreaming about some long-lost family across the sea. But nope, I was just observing, waiting for... I don't know, something.
"Albinism," I muttered, rolling up my sleeve to look at my pale skin again. "Lucky I can even sit in the sun, thanks to those two."
I knew a bit about my condition. It was some genetic thing, meaning I was supposed to avoid too much sun, but living on this little island with Euryale and Stheno, I didn't have much of a choice. Life was peaceful, sure, but there were... complications.
See, ever since I was five, things had gotten... weird. Especially after I tried cutting my hair. Let's just say those two didn't take it well. They didn't say anything directly, but the way they stared at me, their eyes all sharp and eerie, made it pretty clear: my hair was staying long.
Now, don't get me wrong. I was grateful to Euryale for saving me. But Stheno and Euryale? Yeah, they could be terrifying. Euryale would toss me into the sea with that same sweet smile, and Stheno? She'd make a five-year-old serve her tea without blinking an eye.
Still, I could live with that. This was Greece, after all—a place crawling with monsters, heroes, and gods who'd mess with your life just for fun. Better to put up with a little tea-serving and hair-growing than end up monster chow.
At least, that's what I thought until one fateful day when I overheard those two demons chatting.
"That child is becoming less cute," Stheno said with a frown.
Euryale nodded, "Yes, he's turning into a handsome boy. Too... manly."
I shuddered.
"How about we... snip that part off?" Stheno suggested, and Euryale's eyes gleamed.
"Good idea."
Yup. That was the moment I knew it was time to bail.
Standing up from the sand, I felt the fire of determination light up inside me. I reached into the sand and pulled out the hard, rectangular object I'd been working on for ages—a small wooden boat, hidden in a pit I'd dug out.
"Finally," I muttered, pushing the boat towards the water. "All my work is about to pay off."
No food, no fresh water—this was definitely a death sentence. But better to gamble with fate than stick around for the goddess scissors show.
With the boat in the water, I climbed in, letting the sea breeze hit my face. Time for the final step.
Twisting my neck to make sure the coast was clear, I pulled out a small dagger. Then, grabbing a fistful of my long, silver hair, I whispered, "Great Poseidon, I offer you my most precious possession," and sliced my hair clean off. "Just give me safe passage, please."
Now I was really on the run.
I felt a little bad, thinking of Medusa and how she might react. But hey, I had dreams too. I wanted to live as a man, not a cute, muscle-less accessory. Plus, in this world, where gods could actually hear you, saying Poseidon's name out loud? That was serious business.
I tied my hair into a neat little bow and held it out over the sea like some kind of offering. My heart raced. Would Poseidon even care?
Suddenly, a small wave smacked me right in the face.
"..."
Wiping the saltwater from my eyes, I realized my hair offering was gone. Huh. Guess it worked.
But then I looked down at the fish flopping around at the bottom of my boat.
"Poseidon, your sense of humor never changes," I muttered, gutting the fish like I'd done a hundred times before. Since I was eleven, he'd been sending weird stuff like this. Fish, birds—once, a whole cooked chicken fell from the sky. At least I wasn't going hungry.
But then, from the belly of the fish, I pulled out a pearl. Travel expenses, Poseidon style.
Ripples started forming around the boat. Great. Just great.
The water started bubbling like a fish stew, and before I knew it, fish were leaping into the air all around me.
"That's too much, Poseidon!"
I ducked, bracing for the wave of fish to swamp my boat, but they all dove back into the water just before impact. I barely had time to catch my breath when the boat started shaking again, this time from underneath.
Not fish this time.
The boat lurched forward, propelled by a massive wave. I gripped the sides for dear life as we shot across the water, faster than I ever thought possible.