The modern world was moving fast with technological advancement. Everyone was constantly busy and absorbed by the virtual world of the internet and modern life. As a result, mythology was seen merely as fantasy — ancient legends created by old civilizations to explain natural phenomena. But what few knew was that this world was mythological, ruled by real gods.
In the North American part of the world, the Greek pantheon reigned over most of the land.
Hidden by the Greek Mist of the Iliad, atop the Empire State Building, there stood a divine mountain — the modern Mount Olympus. There, lesser gods, nature spirits, and the Olympian gods ruled. The Twelve who governed. The three eldest brothers: Zeus, King of Olympus, lord of lightning and thunder, of the sky, and many other domains; Poseidon, lord of the Sea, earthquakes, and more; and Hades, ruler of the Underworld, the dead, and other darker realms.
Some years ago, after the mortal Second World War — a conflict worsened by the battles between the demigod children of these three — the brothers swore an oath on the River Styx never to father children again. Their goal: to stop the bloodshed and try to prevent the Great Prophecy that spoke of Olympus either being saved… or destroyed.
Fools, all three of them. As if the Fates could be silenced by a simple oath.
Years later, Zeus was the first to break the pact, fathering Thalia and Jason Grace. And while Poseidon also slipped away from Olympus now and then — eventually meeting Sally Jackson and fathering his son, the protagonist of this world — Zeus, during a particularly stressful day filled with Hera's jealous nagging, fled Olympus. Wandering among mortals, he found a lonely, beautiful woman. He slept with her, and in doing so, found momentary peace. But the moment he felt his immortal ichor bond anew, he realized he had just fathered another child.
When the third child was born, Zeus watched the boy, whose eyes were as blue as the sky. But unlike his older mortal children, this son did not inherit lightning or storms. Instead, he showed signs of immense strength — like Heracles, Zeus's other famous child. Disappointed, Zeus lost interest.
As his only gift, Zeus took a war hammer forged by Hephaestus and transformed it into a bronze earring. He placed it in the boy's ear and bound the weapon to his divine blood so it would always return to him. Then he left.
The baby looked up at the father he instinctively recognized, and in that moment, burned into his memory the expression of disappointment on Zeus's face as he turned and walked away. If Zeus had stayed just a few moments longer, he would have noticed how the child's appearance briefly changed to mirror his father's before returning to normal.
And so this boy — forgotten by all — would walk a path far rougher than that of his brothers.