Two years later.
I was standing in the middle of our tiny apartment's living room, my bare feet planted firmly on the creaky wooden floor. The dim light of early morning filtered through the curtains, casting shadows that danced in my peripheral vision.
My fingers twitched, and the darkness responded.
A tendril of shadow curled around my wrist, twisting and writhing like a living thing. It coiled up my arm before slithering back into the corner of the room. I exhaled, steadying my breathing, feeling the familiar tug of my Underworld heritage.
I was stronger now.
At only two and a half years old, my powers were already leagues ahead of most demigods my age. I could manipulate shadows, travel short distances through darkness, and even sense spirits lingering nearby. Hades had taught me well, appearing in my dreams, guiding me through my abilities.
And yet, despite all of that, my biggest challenge at the moment was…
"Phae!"
A blur of chubby arms and legs crashed into my side, nearly knocking me over. I caught myself before I could fall, barely managing to steady the two-year-old menace now clinging to my leg.
Percy.
He grinned up at me, his sea-green eyes full of mischief. His jet-black hair was a wild mess, sticking up in every direction, and his cheeks were still round with baby fat. He had way too much energy for this early in the morning.
I sighed. "What did I say about tackling me?"
Percy giggled, completely ignoring the question. "Play wif me!"
I pinched the bridge of my nose. "I just woke up, Perc—"
"Play wif me!" he repeated, his little hands tugging at my shirt.
Before I could respond, a warm laugh came from behind us.
"Phaedra, sweetheart, be nice to your brother."
I turned to see Mom standing in the kitchen, her eyes crinkling with amusement. She had her hands on her hips, still wearing her nightgown, her hair slightly mussed from sleep. But even tired, she looked beautiful—strong.
I knew what was coming.
Mom had been working extra shifts at the candy shop and the bookstore just to keep us afloat. And today… she was leaving us alone for the first time.
Well, technically, I was supposed to be watched by Mrs. O'Leary, the sweet old lady next door, but she was half-deaf and spent most of her time napping.
In other words, I was in charge.
Mom crouched down and cupped Percy's cheeks. "Mommy has to go to work for a little bit, okay, baby? Phaedra will take care of you."
Percy pouted. "Don't wanna!"
"I know, sweetheart." She kissed his forehead before turning to me. "I'll only be gone for a few hours. Think you can handle him?"
I squared my shoulders. "Of course."
She smiled, brushing her fingers through my wild curls. "You're so grown-up already."
I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.
Percy's Powers Begin to Show
About an hour after Mom left, Percy and I were sitting in the small, fenced-in backyard of our apartment complex.
Well, I was sitting. Percy was causing chaos.
"Watch this, Phae!" he yelled, running full speed toward a plastic kiddie pool filled with rainwater.
Before I could stop him, he tripped on absolutely nothing, flailing wildly as he went down. I winced, waiting for the inevitable faceplant—
But it never happened.
Instead, Percy hit the water and didn't sink.
My breath caught. He floated there for a moment, blinking in confusion before pushing himself upright on top of the water like it was solid ground.
Oh. Oh, this is happening now.
Percy had just unlocked his Poseidon powers.
He looked down at himself, his little eyebrows furrowing. "Phae? Why—?"
The second he got distracted, the effect vanished, and he splashed straight into the water with an undignified yelp.
I burst out laughing.
Percy resurfaced, sputtering. "Not funny!"
"It's a little funny." I grinned, kneeling beside the pool. "Percy, listen to me. You just did something really cool."
He blinked at me. "I did?"
"Yeah." I hesitated, wondering how much to tell him. He was only two—there was no way he'd understand divine parentage yet. "You're special, Percy. You can do things no one else can."
His face lit up. "Like a superhero?"
I chuckled. "Yeah, something like that."
He beamed, and I knew in that moment—I needed to be more careful.
Percy was already showing his powers, and it was only a matter of time before something bigger happened.
And then? Then we'd have to run.
The First Monster Attack
It didn't take long.
A few days after Percy's little water trick, I felt a shift in the air.
A presence.
Something… wrong.
We were playing at the park down the street, Percy giggling as he climbed the jungle gym, when my stomach dropped.
Across the playground, a woman was watching us.
She looked human at first glance—tall, slender, wearing a faded yellow sundress. But her eyes were wrong. They were too bright, like molten gold, and when she smiled, I caught the sharp glint of fangs.
A monster.
I stood up immediately, stepping in front of Percy. My instincts screamed at me to run, but there was no way we'd make it home without her catching us.
The woman tilted her head, sniffing the air. Her smile widened.
"Half-bloods," she purred. "Two of them. What a lucky day."
My pulse thundered. I couldn't fight her—I was two and a half years old. But I could do something.
I reached deep into myself, tapping into the shadows around us. The darkness beneath the trees lengthened, curling toward my feet. The air grew cold.
The woman's eyes flickered with surprise. "Oh… Hades' brat, aren't you?"
I clenched my jaw. Come on, come on, think.
Then—Percy.
He was standing behind me, his tiny fists clenched, his face scrunched up in defiance. And at his feet, the sandbox was shifting.
Water.
There had been a thunderstorm earlier that morning, and the sand was still damp. As I watched, the moisture rose, forming a wobbly ball of water.
Percy didn't understand what he was doing—but he was doing it.
I had one shot.
Grabbing Percy's hand, I whispered, "Throw it."
And he did.
The water shot forward like a bullet, slamming into the monster's face. She screeched, stumbling back, giving me just enough time to grab Percy and run.
We sprinted home, my heart hammering.
I had been ready to protect Percy. But now?
Now I knew he could protect himself, too.