Myth, Family Matters

Steam lingered in the bathroom, the silence broken only by the faint sound of water droplets falling from the faucet onto the surface.

So, was our bathtub always this small? Xi Nian couldn't help but think, feeling like he couldn't stretch his limbs properly in the tub.

Diana chuckled softly from outside. "You really have grown. Looks like we'll need to get you a bigger bathtub."

Realizing he was being underestimated again, Xi Nian couldn't help but mutter, "Don't always treat me like a kid. I'm sixteen now, you know. According to Washington State law, that's the legal age for marriage."

"Yeah, sixteen years already. Time flies so fast," Diana said quietly.

Xi Nian fell silent, trying to empty his mind.

Diana reminisced, "I suddenly remember when I was little, my teacher—who was also my aunt."

"Teacher?"

Hearing Diana talk about her childhood for the first time, Xi Nian couldn't help but widen his eyes.

"Yes, my teacher. She and my mother both lived in a place called Themyscira." Diana continued, "There was a barrier left by Zeus, the king of the gods, that kept it isolated from the world for a thousand years. We Amazons lived on Themyscira."

Peaceful and ordinary.

Diana spoke as if she were recounting something completely mundane.

Xi Nian never expected to hear the earth-shattering secrets of the ancient Greek gods in such a casual, unsolemn setting at home.

Diana went on, "I was originally a princess of the Amazons, always cared for by my mother and teacher. Until one day, a fighter plane crashed into the sea near Themyscira, and I left the island to come to the outside world—this world. At that time, humanity was in the midst of World War I."

"Later, I discovered that the god of war, Ares, was pulling the strings behind the global conflict. So I took part in that brutal war, a catastrophe for humanity."

Then.

Diana not only revealed her origins and background but also her experience of entering the world as Wonder Woman during World War I, and her eventual decision to stay in the human world.

From her initial fascination with humanity to utter disappointment.

As a demigod, she hid in plain sight, living in human cities for nearly a century.

Without missing a single detail, Diana spoke naturally, as if she were explaining common knowledge to family.

Those myths and legends beyond human reach had now become lighthearted family talk in the night.

Wonder Woman?

A princess?

Daughter of Zeus?

Xi Nian was stunned, never imagining Diana's identity and background ran so deep.

If Zeus were still alive, would he strike him with lightning?

Xi Nian couldn't help but wonder.

After finishing her account of her identity and worldly experiences, Diana's eyes grew slightly complex. "I'm sure you've figured it out by now. That old photo from World War I you saw this morning—the woman in it really was me. As for my identity, I actually planned to wait until you turned eighteen to tell you. I didn't mean to deceive you."

"I know." Xi Nian let out a light breath and said, "You've been protecting me all along, keeping me from harm by supernatural things. You've done that for sixteen years."

Diana fell silent, then asked, "Aren't you angry? Or scared?"

"Why would I be angry? Why would I be scared?" Xi Nian shook his head and smiled. "Even if you suddenly said I was some kind of demon and you were going to eat me, I'd accept it willingly. Besides, you're actually a descendant of the legendary gods!"

"Living with a beautiful goddess and a superhero for so long—what's there to be angry or scared about?" Xi Nian let himself go, waving his arms, only to send water splashing everywhere.

"What goddess, what superhero? Calm down." Diana tapped Xi Nian on the head, scolding him playfully.

"Yes, yes, yes." Xi Nian winced slightly, holding his head. Then, he and Diana both broke into knowing smiles.

The tense atmosphere and the rift that had hung between them dissolved completely in that moment. In its place was harmony and understanding, with each thinking of the other.

Diana suddenly said, "By the way, about you sneaking out in my armor to fight monsters—spill it."

"Mercy! I was just about to!" Xi Nian raised his hands in surrender, organizing his thoughts. "Actually, a week ago, I accidentally awakened some kind of superpower."

Without hiding anything from Diana, Xi Nian honestly reported everything he knew about his ability.

After listening to Xi Nian's account, Diana frowned, a glimmer of understanding in her eyes. "So that's it. You triggered this ability while having dinner with me."

"Yeah." Xi Nian smiled bitterly. "Even I didn't expect that using a used water glass as a medium could trigger it."

Diana's eyes sparkled with wisdom, and she said with even more surprise, "This superpower seems to follow the laws of causality. But to think it can even control the abilities of a god's bloodline..."

Diana recalled the Wishing Stone she had encountered before—only relics left by the gods possessed such extraordinary effects.

However, while Xi Nian's ability had a time limit, it had no side effects and required no price!

Diana's mind raced, her beautiful eyes lighting up as she murmured to herself, "I said before that I'd give you the chance to choose your own path in the future. I never thought you'd actually have the conditions to make that choice."

"What are you talking about... what conditions?" Xi Nian was confused.

"Nothing. I was just thinking about this superpower you've awakened."

Diana offered no explanation for this, instead posing a question: "I'm thinking. Just from swapping cups, you were able to master all my abilities within four hours."

"And now, you haven't triggered the Lord of Kin ability."

"That's right." Xi Nian nodded. "Is there a problem with that?"

"What I'm considering," Diana took a deep breath, pondering seriously, "is whether, if we increase the medium or change it to something else, there might be different results..."

Xi Nian felt Diana's line of thought was dangerous.

Still, he hadn't considered that point himself.

Could it be...

That the manifestation of the Lord of Kin ability truly varied in duration or other aspects depending on the medium?