Chanyeol was forced to sit by the window in the living room by his mother who had begun muttering under her breath to herself, Baekhyun whose hand he hadn't given up on yet was therefore pulled to sit beside him. It was clear that the merman didn't have any protests, offering the photographer a small smile and a squeeze to the hand before turning his attention back to Mrs. Park. Suho and Sehun had taken it upon themselves to stand by the main door leading out into the hallway, they were out of the way of the pacing woman but still close so they could hear what she had to say when the explanations eventually started.

The photographer lost himself in his surroundings, the constant rhythm of his mother's paces drumming in the back of his mind as he took in the room's decoration. He has done it many times over the years and he somehow finds it more enjoyable each time, regardless of the lack of new objects being added to the room.

The walls were a deep blue not to be confused with how the sky turns after the sun has set, or the colour the sea turns as you continue diving, this paint laid in a place between those two shades. There was a wide Tv hanging on the wall directly above a dark wooden fireplace that had grey marble surrounding its heart, there was a small pile of logs left over from the long winter their island had just gone through located on the left side of the base. Above the vent and just below the Tv Chanyeol smiled at his framed family photos lining the shelf, some of which contained his father while others only contained pictures of himself and his mother. There was a glass coffee table between the couch and the fireplace, it didn't have any particular use apart from his homework when he was still in high school and a foot rest for shoeless feet.

A harsh slap to the back of his hand pulled Chanyeol back into reality, the photographer turning his head to look at Baekhyun who was smiling innocently back at him. The boy had pulled one of the cushions onto his lap and allowed his fingers to play with the tassels hanging off the four corners, Chanyeol's lips curled upwards as he was reminded of the purple fluffy pillow on his father's boat that had grabbed Baekhyun's attention. "I lost you again.."

"Sorry," Chanyeol found himself apologising, closing his eyes to try and focus on the merman and not the interior design ideas in his mind. "I do that often, getting out of my thoughts takes a while. Sorry."

"You don't need to apologise," Baekhyun giggled, sliding himself so that his shoulder gently bumped against the taller's. "instead why not tell me what had your attention?"

"It's nothing special," Chanyeol found himself reaching towards the strap of his watch, he managed to stop himself before he began fidgeting. Still his words didn't seem to convince Baekhyun who simply placed his head on top of the cushion against his lap, the merman continued to blink at him waiting patiently for him to start explaining. Chanyeol chuckled and ran his fingers through the bright pink hair of the latter, he watched slightly mesmerized as Baekhyun's eyes closed and lips curled upwards "I was thinking about all the ways I could change the lay-out of the room."

"Is it getting boring for you?" Baekhyun wondered, peeking through a half-lifted lid.

"I don't really have an explanation for it." Chanyeol admitted, taking a glance around the room. He quickly turned his attention back to Baekhyun before he lost focus again. "I actually have something I want to ask you."

"Oh sure." The merman agreed, sitting up properly no doubt surprised by the quick conversation change. "Fire away!"

"When you transformed into a merman you developed this blue mark on your cheek," Chanyeol didn't shy away from reaching out and tracing a rough circle around the skin he recalled the mark appearing. "does it have a specific meaning or does it just appear like the tail and gills?"

"Well actually-" Baekhyun began to explain but was ultimately cut off by the sound of Chanyeol's mother clearing , forcing the four young adults to turn their attention to her.

Chanyeol realised how nervous she appeared, her thumb and index finger playing with her wedding ring on her opposite hand. Her eyes remained large and unfocused, though thankfully she didn't appear as pale as she was when they were surrounded by the islanders in the marketplace. Each of the boys in the room expected her to need a little time to sort herself -and therefore her memories- out, this was (obviously) an extremely rare secret that had been kept silent from Chanyeol for most (if not all) his life. She needed to find the right words to explain and apologise, she needed to be clear and straight to the point because she knew that Chanyeol wouldn't be able to hold onto the conversation for very long.

"How much of this island's history do you know?" She wondered, her teeth nibbling on her thumb's nail. Chanyeol considered it for a moment before shrugging his shoulders, he knew probably as much as a high schooler. He wasn't as interested in the island's history like Jongin and he never paid attention to Sehun's spoken study sessions when they covered the topic, so it was safe to determine that Park Chanyeol knew nothing but the basics. "You obviously know how the island was founded right?"

"It was found by mistake by a small Greek fleet, they docked on the island and deemed it suitable enough for settling. They began building their homes here and for the safe passage across the waves they erected a statue to the god Poseidon as a blessing to the God. Sadly with time and poor weather conditions the statue corroded and eventually the only thing left of it was the pieces of marble that are now located in the island's museum."

"And what do you know about the Greek Gods?"

"Just the three brothers," Chanyeol explained, recalling the talk he shared with Baekhyun before on his father's boat. "Jongin knows more about them than I do."

"But you're aware of Poseidon right?" Mrs. Park wondered, her nail going back to her teeth. It was an old habit that Chanyeol could remember his father often scolded her for it, especially when she chewed further than necessary forcing it to bleed.

"He's the one with the giant fork right?" he whispered in Baekhyun's direction, the poor merman bursting into a laughing fit as he nodded his head. Confirming through his giggles that Chanyeol was technically correct, although 'giant fork' was not at all the right word to use for the God's weapon.

"I'll just go right ahead and say it!" His mother was determined, her voice loud but firm as if she was trying to convince herself rather than the boys before her. "Chanyeol," the boy perked up at the mention of his name, turning his head away from Baekhyun who had managed to calm himself down. "your father is Poseidon."

"You fell in love with a guy who carries a giant fork around everywhere?" Chanyeol deadpanned, staring at his mother with no clear expression. "Like really?"

Baekhyun was visibly shaking trying to prevent the laughter from slipping through his lips, his hand flying out without a thought and colliding it against the photographer's chest. The hit physically knocked the air out of Chanyeol's lungs, forcing the poor boy into a furious coughing fit that just had Baekhyun laughing harder. Across from them Mrs. Park stared at them both with a small smile on her lips, wallowing in the peace now that her secret had been revealed.

"Is he always like this in serious situations?" Suho whispered to Sehun who simply nodded his head, Baekhyun's contagious laughter making a smile form on the blonde's lips.

"Ever since we were kids Chanyeol was never actually serious when the situation called for it, we found out a little while later that it was because of his ADHD even though he says he has a small dose his doctor never wanted to put him on medication and even if he did Chanyeol would have forgotten to take it anyway."

"Couldn't he turn on an alarm for it though?" Suho wondered, tilting his head in genuine curiosity.

"Oh trust me we tried that too, he would forget that he turned off the alarm and therefore forget to take the medication even if this happened five minutes between each other. His brain is wired to basically see and hear everything but over the years he's figured out to tone it down, he's gotten better at holding conversation but there will be many times that you find him lost in his thoughts." Sehun supplied the information which made Suho nod his head in understanding.

"His father warned me that it may happen," Mrs. Park announced to the couple that had the ability to refocus on her, her gaze still locked on her son who had busied himself with tickling Baekhyun. "Gods were never supposed to reproduce with us mortals but as you both know it has happened countless times throughout history. As their genes mix with ours it causes almost supernatural powers which the mortal body isn't supposed to possess, so it tries to find ways in which it can develop. Chanyeol's ADHD is rooted in this process, sometimes the child could have an illness or sometimes a mental health disorder; it depends on the Godly parent themselves as well as the child."

"Do you know of any other children like Chanyeol?" Sehun wondered, keeping his voice low knowing that when his friend heard his name he would automatically clue back into the conversation.

Mrs. Park considered it for a moment, thinking back through all the conversations she had with Chanyeol's father. After some time she let out a noise of confirmation, hands dropping to her hips. "There was one in Rome I believe, but she passed before I had the opportunity of meeting her. She was Apollo's child as far as I can recall. She had a heart issue that complicated her life, the Fates respected her mother's wish to end her suffering quicker than what they originally planned. I remember how distraught my husband was that day, he was afraid that the same thing would happen to Chanyeol."

"That's awful.." Suho gasped, clutching Sehun's shirt tighter. "How could they allow themselves to indulge in mortals when they know that there could be consequences?"

"How can you find love in Sehun when he isn't a part of your world?" Mrs. Park asked the question in reverse, a small smile on her lips as Suho's eyes widened in understanding. "Simple because you can't control your emotions, not really. Love is complicated but once you realise that you have it, it gets harder and harder to ignore. The Gods like to think that they're above such things, only relying on lust and power to drive them. Chanyeol's father was the exact same for a while, until I broke his walls down and found the mortal side of him. Many may think that he was vulnerable because of this, but I saw how much our small family gave him strength. It physically broke him to leave us behind but he had duties to fulfil and it wasn't like he had a choice."

"What makes you say that?" Sehun wondered, eyes narrowed. "What do you mean that he didn't have a choice in the matter?"

"He's a God," Mrs Park deadpanned like her son had done earlier. "which means that he has a realm to look over and control. He left that behind to create a life with me but his brother didn't like that, he hated the fact that my husband placed a mere mortal above his Godly duties so he gave him an ultimatum-"

"I don't like where this is going.." Suho admitted, hiding himself in the crook of his boyfriend's neck.

"Either he returns to the sea or he would punish both Chanyeol and I. At first I thought it was a senseless threat but then I remembered that Zeus could literally strike us down with a bolt of lightning without blinking."

"So he just broke your family up because of what? So his brother can get back to work?" Sehun scoffed, shaking his head. "I mean not to sound disrespectful Mrs. Park but couldn't he have at least waited until you like... die?"

Mrs. Park let out a humoured laugh before nodding her head. "Believe I thought about that too but my husband didn't want to take any chances, Zeus' words tended to be respected and if he went against them he didn't want to deal with the consequences."

"It still doesn't explain why he never came back to visit, I mean why lie and say that he's dead?"

"Because in a way he is," Mrs Park sighed, fingers playing with her wedding band. "the man I fell in love with died when Zeus threatened us. I had to sit and watch as the walls I tore down were pulled back up again, higher than what I experienced with him. It broke my heart that he decided to leave but I know he did it to protect us. It wasn't until after he left that I came up with the idea of lying to Chanyeol, at first it was to protect him. A kid his age wouldn't have been able to handle the truth, I mean imagine telling a child that their father was a Greek God and had to return to the ocean because his older brother wanted to kill us. There would have been no way that he would have believed me, kids are smart and Chanyeol was quite intelligent."

"Okay that makes sense." The couple agreed, both nodding their heads as the three of them turned their attention back to Chanyeol who was smiling brightly at Baekhyun who had turned his attention to the window behind them. It didn't appear to them that anything had changed within him, as he now knew the truth. They supposed that it was because of Chanyeol's brain and how he reacted to things differently to others, although the lack of a reaction was one in itself, they just had to determine if it was a good one or not.

"Woah is it just me or has it gotten darker than before?" Sehun spoke his thoughts aloud, walking over to the window both his best friend and Baekhyun were looking out of. They seemed to be focused on the sky above the island, heavy grey storm clouds flocked together in a massive heap creeping further and further along the sky. To Sehun they looked like a void wishing to expand over the island and completely encase it within its grasp, he shook his head to clear the thoughts from his mind. This wasn't one of those horror movies he loved so much, this was real life and yet knowing that this wasn't some film on the big screen freaked him out a little more.

"Somethings coming." Chanyeol explained, eyes trailing over the clouds hoping to find a clearing but was unsuccessful. Beside him Baekhyun turned to look at him, brown orbs dulling their usual shine. He swallowed audibly, his eyes returning to the clouds above the island though his hand sought for Chanyeol's. "Something big."

"Even bigger than what you already dealt with?" Suho shrieked, eyes blown wide in surprise. "How do you even know that this is a bad thing?"

"My father made sure to teach me how to read the sky as it tries to tell us something, before he left. Sometimes it's something as simple as a storm but this," he indicated towards the window with his full palm. "isn't simple."

"What's your best guess?" Sehun asked, brow raised.

"I have no idea, but I don't think I'll be able to face it with a sword." Chanyeol admitted, his eyes falling onto his father's gifted watch. He paused for a moment, his eyes focusing on the strap around his wrist. The words being spoken by those around him gradually became background noise, small static that he was able to overlook. The more he stared the longer the voices around him continued to fade until finally there was nothing there, not even static.

"What have you got there Dad?" Chanyeol wondered, entering his father's study after him. His father glanced over his shoulder, a smile pulling itself onto his lips as he gestured for his son to come closer.

"I was just about to call you," his father chuckled, opening his arms to welcome the boy in a warm embrace. Chanyeol burrowed his nose against his father's collarbone, thankful that the man had gotten onto his knees in order to be closer to his son. "this box is filled with special objects that might one day help you out!"

"They're for me?" Chanyeol giggled, his little fists shaking in excitement as he attempted to pull the box closer to sneak a peek. His father's hand reached out to stop the box from moving anywhere, his action made a pout form on the young boy's lips.

"Now Chanyeol, do you remember that day I gave you that pretty watch?" Chanyeol recalls how his head bobbed up and down, answering his father's question without speaking. He held up his arm that still held the watch ever since his father had placed it onto his wrist. "I told you that the second button would help you when the sky darkens and the ocean roars, didn't I?" Again Chanyeol remembers how he dipped his head, somewhat confused as to why his father was retelling him the stuff he had explained to him on Mountain Peak. "Well there will be a time that this watch will become outdated and old, so I've instructed this box to provide you with a new module when that time comes."

"Chanyeol?" Baekhyun's voice pulled him back into reality, his eyes blinking out of their staring mode and back to his usual blinking. He turned his head and found his gaze meeting Baekhyun's, the merman's brow was furrowed forcing a crinkle to appear in his forehead. The photographer didn't like how the stranger was developing wrinkles so early in his life, so without stopping to think it through, Chanyeol raised a finger and gently smoothed out the smaller's forehead. "Hey giant..."

"You lost me again huh?" Chanyeol chuckled, smiling as he noticed Baekhyun's cheeks developed a pale pink undertone to them.

"I did," Baekhyun giggles back, taking Chanyeol's wrist into his hand. "you remembered something this time didn't you?"

"How did you know?" Chanyeol wonders, tilting his head.

"You looked the same way you did back in the ocean just before we arrived at the harbour, just before you concluded that everything tied back to your dad." Baekhyun explained, playing with two of Chanyeol's fingers. "What did you remember?"

"How about I show you?" Chanyeol stood up, pulling his hand out of Baekhyun's grip to offer it to him again. The merman smiled and accepted the invitation jumping to his feet the next second to follow Chanyeol out of the room, the three other people in the room followed them silently. Surprised but not willing to comment on the events unfolding before their very eyes.

Suho seemed a little uneasy with the boys behaviours as Chanyeol had literally stated that whatever was coming couldn't be beaten with a sword, he wondered if it would need a specific orb like the Cyclops back in the library but he hadn't seen all of the island's weapons to determine if they had it in their stock.

Sehun was in a similar boat to his boyfriend, following after his best friend but knowing to keep his distance since danger practically ran head first towards Chanyeol. Often that danger would be focused only on Chanyeol and therefore allow him to slip away pretty easily, so Sehun figured that he would be safe with his friend but not right next to him.

Mrs. Park's lips hadn't dropped the smile that had formed when she saw how gentle Baekhyun was coaxing her son back from his hyperfocus, he was patient and even found interest in what had taken Chanyeol's attention for that specific amount of time, when others would have simply grown frustrated. She couldn't relate Baekhyun to the villain that was evident in Chanyeol's story, she could only hope that the two would be able to find their happiness in such a dark and cruel world. Maybe if she prayed hard enough her wish would be granted as her own love story had an unhappy ending, she couldn't allow that to happen to her son.