I didn't tell Mom about the monster.
Not because I didn't want to, but because what could she do? She had no powers, no way to fight back against the creatures that lurked in the shadows, waiting to pounce. And she had enough stress on her plate already—working two jobs, making sure we had food, keeping us safe.
So I did what I had to do.
I kept watch.
I started noticing patterns—how certain places felt colder, how some people's eyes lingered too long. How I could hear whispers in the dead of night when shadows stretched unnaturally across the walls.
We weren't safe here.
And it was only a matter of time before something worse than a minor monster found us.
The Last Normal Day
The next morning, Mom took us out for the first time in weeks.
She had saved up enough money to splurge on something special—blue pancakes at our favorite diner.
Percy, of course, was thrilled.
"Pancakes! Pancakes! Pancakes!" He chanted as we walked down the cracked sidewalk, his tiny hand gripping Mom's while I stayed close to her other side.
I wasn't as excited.
My instincts were on high alert.
Something felt… off.
The streets were too quiet. The usual crowds of early-morning commuters were thinner. The sun was too bright, casting long, sharp shadows that flickered just at the edge of my vision.
I didn't say anything.
Not yet.
Mom looked so happy, humming as she walked, and I didn't want to ruin it.
But my grip on her hand tightened anyway.
The Diner Incident
By the time we reached the diner, I was ready to bolt at the first sign of trouble.
Mom led us to our usual booth, the one tucked into the farthest corner, where she could keep an eye on the door. It was a habit, one she had even before I was born—always sitting where she could see an exit.
Smart.
The waitress—a kind, older woman named Margie—greeted us with a warm smile. "Sally! Phaedra! And look at little Percy—getting so big!"
Percy beamed, kicking his feet under the table. "Pancakes!"
Mom chuckled. "Blue, if you can, Margie."
"Always, sweetheart."
I forced myself to relax as we settled in, Percy babbling excitedly about absolutely nothing. The warmth of the diner, the smell of syrup and coffee, the clatter of dishes—it was all so normal.
I almost believed I had imagined everything.
Almost.
Then the bell over the door rang.
And everything changed.
The Attack
I stiffened before I even turned to look.
The shadows in the diner lurched, bending in ways they shouldn't have. The temperature dropped, a chill slithering down my spine.
And then, I saw him.
A man had entered the diner, his frame too tall, too thin, his limbs moving unnaturally as he stepped forward. His eyes—glowing gold, too bright, too hungry—locked onto me and Percy.
I knew immediately what he was
A Laistrygonian.
A giant.
A flesh-eating, child-hunting giant.
The diner went silent.
No one else seemed to notice him, their gazes sliding right past him like he didn't exist. The Mist was hiding his true form from mortals.
But I could see him.
And he could see me.
His mouth stretched into a grin, revealing jagged teeth. "Two little demigods, alone in the wild." His voice was gravel and hunger, sharp and eager. "How lucky am I?"
My heart slammed against my ribs.
Not here. Not now.
Percy frowned, tilting his head. "You talk funny."
I kicked him under the table.
Mom noticed my tension immediately. "Phaedra?"
I grabbed Percy's hand. "We need to go."
Mom blinked. "Sweetheart, what—?"
"Now."
The giant moved.
One second, he was across the diner. The next, he was right there, towering over our booth, his hand reaching for Percy.
I didn't think.
I acted.
Shadows exploded from beneath the table, lashing upward like living ropes, grabbing onto his wrist. He roared, jerking backward, but I held on, pouring everything I had into the darkness, into stopping him.
"Run!" I screamed at Mom.
She didn't hesitate.
She grabbed Percy, pulling him toward the exit.
But the giant wasn't alone.
Two more stepped inside, their grotesque, too-long limbs shifting as they moved. Blocking the door.
No.
I wouldn't let them take Percy.
I clenched my fists, the shadows thickening, but I was two years old—I wasn't strong enough yet. My control slipped, and the first giant broke free.
He lunged.
And then—
BANG.
The front door slammed open, and the entire diner shook as a wave of ocean water blasted inside, hitting all three giants at once.
The force sent them crashing backward, flipping tables and shattering windows.
I turned, heart pounding—
Mom was still holding Percy.
But Percy…
His eyes were glowing sea-green, his tiny fists clenched. The puddles of spilled water around him rippled, reacting to his fury.
He had done that.
My baby brother had summoned the sea.
The Aftermath
The giants were gone.
The second the water hit them, they had vanished, banished back to wherever they came from. The diner was in shambles, but no one else seemed to remember what happened—the Mist had already twisted their memories.
But Mom remembered.
And she was staring at Percy like she had just seen a ghost.
I swallowed hard. "Mom—"
"We have to go."
Her voice was flat, certain, and I knew she had already made a decision.
She grabbed my hand, Percy's hand, and pulled us both toward the exit.
"We can't stay here anymore."
I nodded. I had known this was coming.
It was time to run.