A long time ago

If there was one thing Lily hated more than waking up early, it was waking up early because of another living being. In this case, her alarm.

The damn thing rang with that artificial joy that made you want to commit a crime. With semi-divine precision, Lily threw it against the wall, heard a satisfying crack, and smiled. Problem solved.

But, of course, the universe wouldn't leave her alone.

—Lily, I need you to go on a mission.

She took a deep breath. If Chiron wasn't an immortal centaur, he would have already gotten a pillow in the face.

—…Ok.

—There's a monster in the Mountains of Doom. Kill it.

Oh, great. How easy it all sounded when you weren't the one who had to go.

Mountains. Monster. Fight. Everything normal until the damn thing opened a portal.

—OH, COME ON!

Fall. Vertigo. Forced existentialism. And finally… impact.

Something wet. Slippery.

Fish.

She had landed in a seafood market.

People stared at her as if she had descended from Olympus. An old man dropped his olives. A child pointed at her, mouth agape.

Oh, no.

She looked around. The robes. The sandals. The architecture.

Or she was on a historical film set…

Or she was in Ancient Greece.

Meanwhile, Telemachus strolled through the market, pretending to be a commoner to avoid his mother's unbearable suitors. All was peaceful until he saw a girl standing on a pile of fish, glaring at a poor man.

The fisherman screamed that she had ruined his merchandise.

The girl, Lily, screamed that her merchandise had ruined her dignity.

Telemachus watched her. She didn't look like a commoner. Not a noble. Her robes had golden details… a goddess? An envoy of Athena? A sign of destiny?

(Spoiler: no).

But at that moment, he didn't know. So he did what any wise and responsible future king would do:

—Leave her alone.