The world was chaos—noisy, foreign, and overwhelming. My chest heaved as I pressed myself into the cold brick wall of the alley, the shadows wrapping around me like a thin, tattered blanket. The serpents hissed softly, their agitation mirroring my own.

I closed my eyes, trying to focus. My body was trembling, my legs aching from the frantic escape, but it wasn’t just the physical exhaustion weighing me down. It was the cacophony around me—the screech of strange metal beasts, the hum of lights that flickered above, the distant shouts of humans calling to each other.

This world was nothing like the one I had left.

I sank to the ground, my knees pressing into the hard pavement as I tried to steady my breath. The serpents calmed, their restless movements slowing as they nestled into my hair. Their warmth was the only comfort I had.

What was this place? What had the world become?

My hands shook as I touched the ground, feeling its strange texture—smooth but littered with grit and filth. The air was thick with the acrid tang of smoke and something chemical that stung my nose. I had expected the world to change, of course. The passage of centuries could hardly leave it untouched. But this… this was like waking on an alien shore.

The gods were gone. I could feel their absence in the air, in the stillness of the heavens. The once-familiar hum of divine power was muted, replaced by something cold and hollow. And yet, I remained.

My breath hitched as the memories clawed at me—Poseidon’s cruel hands, Athena’s wrathful glare, the curse that had twisted my body and life beyond recognition. I shook my head, trying to push it away. I couldn’t allow myself to drown in the past. Not now.

The humans, I realized, would come looking for me. My escape would not go unnoticed. I had seen the fear in their eyes, and heard their screams as they fled the ruins. I was a monster in their stories, a myth come to life—and myths, I knew, always came with hunters.

I needed to move.

Pulling myself to my feet, I stumbled forward, leaning against the wall for support. The alley stretched ahead, narrow and dark, littered with discarded objects whose purpose I couldn’t fathom. I moved cautiously, my senses on edge, my gaze darting to every shadow.

At the end of the alley, the world opened up. The towering structures of glass and steel loomed above me, their surfaces reflecting the harsh, artificial lights that lined the streets. The ground beneath my feet was hard and grey, marked with strange lines and symbols. Humans moved in clusters, their faces downturned, their steps hurried.

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I stayed in the shadows, watching. They didn’t seem to notice me, too absorbed in their own worlds. Many of them held strange, glowing objects in their hands, their eyes fixed on the light as if it held all the answers.

What had happened to the world of men? They had built these towering monuments, these glowing streets, but at what cost? The air was thick and suffocating, the sky above choked with a grey haze that dulled the stars.

My gaze shifted to a large, reflective surface across the street—a window, though its purpose eluded me. I caught a glimpse of my own reflection and froze.

The serpents stirred as I stepped closer, my breath shallow. My face was shadowed, but the glow of my eyes was unmistakable. The faint ridges of scales along my cheekbone caught the light, glinting like a fractured stone. I turned away quickly, pulling the hood of my tattered robe—what was left of it—over my head.

The reflection was a cruel reminder. No matter where I went, no matter how far I ran, I could never escape what I had become.

The serpents hissed softly as if sensing my despair. I touched one gently, its rough scales warm beneath my fingertips. They were the only constant in this unfamiliar world, the only part of me that hadn’t changed.

I had to keep moving.

Slipping back into the shadows, I followed the curve of the street, keeping to the alleys and narrow passages where the humans didn’t venture. The air grew colder, and sharper, the faint scent of salt reaching my nose. My steps quickened as I followed the smell, the pull of something familiar driving me forward.

When I emerged from the maze of alleys, the city opened to a vast expanse of water. Waves lapped against the shore, their rhythmic sound both soothing and haunting. The sea.

It stretched out before me, dark and endless, the moonlight casting silver ripples across its surface. My heart twisted as I stared at it. This was the domain of the god who had destroyed me, the place where his power had been absolute.

And yet, it was beautiful.

I stepped closer, my bare feet sinking into the cool sand. The serpents stirred, their hiss mingling with the whisper of the waves. The salty air filled my lungs, washing away the acrid stench of the city.

For a moment, I allowed myself to feel the pull of the sea, and the memories it brought. I could still see his face, his cruel smile as he claimed what was never his to take. The gods had done nothing to stop him, and then they had cursed me for his crime.

My hands clenched into fists. The rage was still there, buried deep, simmering beneath the surface. But so was the pain—the endless, suffocating weight of it.

I closed my eyes, letting the sound of the waves steady my breathing. This was not the time for anger. Not yet.

The humans would come for me. I could not let them find me unprepared.

Turning away from the sea, I made my way back into the shadows of the city. The buildings loomed around me, their sharp edges cutting into the night sky. I had no destination, and no plan, but I knew one thing: I would not hide forever.

Let them come. Let them fear me.

This time, they would know the truth.