LOGINBefore, it was Chloe and I chasing after him, asking when he would come home, if he could spend time with her, if he even loved us.Now, the roles were reversed. He was the one chasing us.But we no longer looked back.I often took Chloe traveling. We saw the divine lights in the far north and surfed the starry seas of the cosmos. We lived a full and happy life. Poseidon always found out our itinerary from somewhere and would follow us quietly. When we ate or shopped, we would always feel a pair of eyes on us. When Chloe practiced fighting magical beasts, he would watch from a distance, terrified she would get hurt.Once, Chloe was nearly out of energy but still hadn’t defeated a giant bear. Poseidon was there in a flash of saltwater and panic, a shield between her and the beast. But in the next second, a brilliant light erupted from Chloe. Her power, pushed to its limit, flared, and she struck the bear down herself.“Your concern is unnecessary, Lord Poseidon.”Poseidon’s outstretched
When I woke the next day, Poseidon was gone. A servant brought a note.[Nerida, Chloe, I will not give up.]I read it, tore it into pieces, and threw it away.Chloe looked up at me. “What did it say, Mother?”I smiled, crumpling the parchment. “Nothing important, my love.”Chloe smiled back. It was the first real smile I had seen from her since we left Poseidon.A lot happened over the next year.First, Thalia faced her judgment. The divine healers released the images of her deliberately poisoning Ethan. The scandal was immense. Even if Poseidon had wanted to protect her, it would have been impossible. To my surprise, I heard he was particularly strict in her sentencing.Thalia was exiled to the abyss of Tartarus for attempted murder. Ethan was taken back by his real father. I heard that the moment Ethan saw him, he clung to him and refused to let go. The man was a pitiful figure—his wife had left him, and his son had nearly been poisoned to death. But while he had no inheritance, he w
He had always been the proud, aloof Sea God. To see him so broken, so humbled… it was jarring.But I felt nothing. In fact, I found it almost funny.“You’re only thinking of Chloe now?”Poseidon opened his mouth, but no words came out.I heard soft footsteps behind me. Chloe was there, looking at the kneeling god with a calm expression.Poseidon’s gaze fixed on her as if she were a lifeline, his hand reaching out, trembling. “Chloe. Daddy’s here. Can you help me convince your mother? Please? I don’t want to be apart from her. We love each other!”He thought she would soften. After all, she used to be the one who adored him most. Whenever he came home, she would run to hug his legs, calling “Father, Father.”But this time, Chloe only took a small step back behind me.Then she spoke, her voice steady. “Lord Poseidon, please return to your palace. Your widowed subjects need your protection. Don’t disturb my mother and me.”Poseidon froze, his hand suspended in mid-air. “Chloe, I’m your fa
The words hit him like a physical blow. He stared at the screen, the air knocked from his lungs.Thalia was still laughing. “Oh, you didn’t know? How pathetic, Poseidon. Your queen and your heir have abandoned you, and you’re still here playing father to someone else’s child.”Poseidon suddenly turned and strode out.“Where are you going?” Thalia yelled after him.He didn’t look back.Her voice turned shrill. “Do you think she’ll forgive you if you go after her now? She doesn’t want you anymore!”Poseidon’s steps faltered for a second, then he moved even faster.Furious, Thalia grabbed a water glass from the bedside table and hurled it at the door. It shattered against the frame.At the same time, Ethan began to convulse violently on the bed. His face turned from white to a sickly blue, and a strangled wheezing came from his throat.“His condition is worsening!” a servant shouted. “Prepare for emergency treatment!”Thalia’s legs gave out, and she collapsed to the floor.Poseidon travel
Poseidon shot to his feet. A wave of revulsion for Thalia washed over him, but the thought of a child in danger was an instinct he couldn’t ignore. He was out the door in a flash.Outside the private room in the infirmary, Thalia was standing by the bed. Ethan was covered in red welts. His face was swollen, his lips pale. He kept clawing at his neck. The healer had just given him an antidote.Poseidon was about to push the door open when he heard Ethan’s weak voice from inside.“Mother, I did what you said. I ate the Hydra’s Bloodbane. Will Father come be with me now?”Poseidon’s hand froze on the doorknob.Thalia’s voice was low, but laced with a triumphant smile. “He will. Poseidon is a total softy. All you have to do is cry a little, act pitiful, and he’ll come running.”Ethan gasped for air. “But it hurts so much. Mother, am I going to die?”Thalia’s brow furrowed with impatience. “Don’t be ridiculous. It’s just a little poison. Endure it. Remember last time, when Nerida’s daughter
Late that night, Poseidon returned to the palace. As he opened the door, he clung to one last sliver of hope.Maybe Nerida was just hiding with Chloe, and they’re back now. Maybe she was just furious and didn’t want to answer me. Maybe…The moment the door opened, all his hopes shattered.The wardrobes were empty. Where Nerida’s and Chloe’s clothes used to be, only his remained. The main hall was empty, too. The soft blankets Nerida loved, Chloe’s favorite toys… all gone.Poseidon stood in the doorway, feeling as if his very soul had been torn from his body.He walked step by step into their rooms. The scent of Nerida was already fading from the air. On the table lay a single sheet of parchment.He walked over and saw the words, written in clear, stark script:[By mutual consent, the sacred marriage bond is hereby dissolved.][The divine child, Chloe, will be raised by the mother, Nerida. The father retains visitation rights, but shall not interfere with Chloe’s normal life.]On the la







