Chapter 16: Myth and Family Matters
The bathroom was filled with steam, so quiet that the faint sound of water dripping from the faucet onto the surface of the bath could be heard.
So… our bathtub is really this small?
Xi Nian couldn't help thinking that, feeling as though his body couldn't stretch out at all inside the tub.
From outside, Diana chuckled softly. "You really have grown up. Seems I'll need to get you a bigger bathtub."
Xi Nian realized he had been underestimated again, and muttered in protest, "Stop treating me like a kid. I'm already sixteen. According to Washington State law, that's the legal age for marriage."
"Yes, it's already been sixteen years. Time passes so quickly," Diana said quietly.
Xi Nian fell silent, trying to clear his thoughts.
Diana's voice carried a note of nostalgia. "I suddenly remembered when I was young… my teacher, who was also my aunt."
"Teacher?"
It was the first time Xi Nian had ever heard Diana speak about her childhood, and his eyes widened in surprise.
"Yes. My teacher. She and my mother both lived on a place called Themyscira."
Diana continued, "There, Zeus himself left behind a divine barrier. For a thousand years, that island remained isolated from the outside world. That was where the Amazons lived—our home."
She spoke of it calmly, as though it were something completely ordinary.
Xi Nian hadn't expected that the shocking secrets of the ancient Greek gods would be revealed here, in their home, in such a casual setting.
"I was originally a princess of the Amazons, cherished and protected by my mother and my teacher. But one day, a warplane crashed into the sea near the island. That was how I left Themyscira, stepping into the outside world. At that time, humanity was in the midst of the First World War."
"Later, I discovered that behind the chaos of that war was Ares, the God of War, sowing destruction. So, I joined that brutal conflict, which was a disaster for humanity."
She went on to recount not only her origins and background, but also her experiences fighting in that war as Wonder Woman, and her eventual decision to remain in the human world.
From her initial admiration for humanity, to her bitter disappointment in them.
As a demigod, she hid among mortals, living in human cities for nearly a century.
She left nothing out. Her tone was natural, as if she were simply explaining family history.
The myths unreachable to ordinary people were, in this moment, reduced to family talk over the bath.
Wonder Woman?
Princess of a hidden tribe?
Daughter of Zeus?
Xi Nian stared blankly, stunned at how deep Diana's background ran.
If Zeus were still alive… would he strike him down with lightning?
The thought slipped unbidden into Xi Nian's mind.
After finishing her story, Diana's gaze grew slightly complicated. "So you understand now. That old photo you saw this morning, from the First World War—the woman in it was me. I had planned to tell you all this after you turned eighteen. It wasn't my intention to deceive you."
"I know." Xi Nian let out a slow breath and said, "You've been protecting me this whole time, keeping me away from extraordinary dangers. You've done that for sixteen years."
Diana was silent for a moment, then asked, "And you don't feel angry… or afraid?"
"Why would I be angry? Why would I be afraid?"
Xi Nian shook his head and smiled. "Even if you suddenly told me you were actually a demon and wanted to eat me, I'd accept it willingly. And you—you're the daughter of the gods themselves!"
"To live with a beautiful goddess, a superhero, for so long… what do I have to be afraid of?" He got a bit carried away, flailing his arms and splashing water everywhere.
"What goddess, what superhero—calm yourself." Diana tapped him lightly on the head in mock annoyance.
"Yes, yes." Xi Nian rubbed his head, wincing slightly. Then both of them broke into genuine smiles.
The tension and distance that had hung between them melted away completely, replaced by warmth and mutual understanding.
"By the way," Diana suddenly said, her tone firm, "about you wearing my armor and running off to fight a monster—explain yourself."
"Spare me, I was just about to say!"
Xi Nian raised his hands in surrender, then gathered his thoughts. "Actually… about a week ago, I accidentally awakened some kind of superpower."
He didn't hide anything from her, explaining exactly what he knew about his ability.
When Diana finished listening, her brows furrowed and a flicker of realization crossed her eyes. "So that's it. You triggered this power while we were having dinner together."
"That's right." Xi Nian gave a bitter smile. "I didn't expect that even something as simple as a used water glass could act as a medium."
Diana's eyes glimmered with wisdom, her voice tinged with surprise. "This ability of yours… it follows a law of cause and effect. But to think it could even replicate the power of divine bloodlines…"
Her mind wandered back to the Wish Stone she had once encountered. Only relics left behind by the gods themselves carried such extraordinary power.
But unlike those relics, Xi Nian's ability had no side effects, no cost, only a time limit.
Many thoughts raced through Diana's mind, her eyes brightening slightly as she murmured, "I once told you… that one day I would give you the choice of what path to walk. I didn't expect you'd truly have such qualifications to choose."
"What are you talking about… what qualifications?" Xi Nian asked, confused.
"Nothing. I was just thinking about your awakened ability."
She didn't elaborate, but instead posed a question. "What I'm wondering is this. If simply sharing a cup with me allows you to wield all my powers for four hours…"
"Then why hasn't your companion power triggered this time?"
"That's true." Xi Nian nodded. "But what's the issue?"
"My thought is…" Diana took a deep breath, her expression serious. "If you were to change the medium—or add another medium—would the result be different?"
Xi Nian felt her idea was dangerous.
But it was something he had never considered.
Could it be…
That his companion power might change in duration—or in other ways—depending on the medium?
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