Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap.

The noise of a man expecting his first child. His right sneaker spells out the twelve hours on the floor of Dignity Health Hospital. Heavy bags rest under milk chocolate eyes. The blue alma mater hoodie and gray sweatpants almost swallow his frame. The brown leather tote bag with initials T.W. rests near his hip.

The Japanese American runs through his short jet-black hair to keep himself from looking at his watch. To him, it feels like forever since Penelope entered the room.

His heart feels partial relief that his in-laws are across from him. Nicholas Florakis pushes up his glasses that slid down his nose. His honey-brown eyes look down to hide the same fear. Delphine Florakis softly strokes her husband's bronze arm to bring him peace. Their eyes meet and tell each other to be strong.

He looks at his son-in-law, Takashi Watanabe, whose eyes are staring at his watch. "Taki, I understand what you're feeling."

He forces his right foot to stop tapping.

"I was also scared when they were delivering Penelope. I hated that I couldn't do much but wait," Nicholas continues.

"Yeah, same here," he slowly exhales.

"The good thing is that you're here to help our little one," Delphine pushes back a strand of auburn hair. "To think that we will be grandparents soon. Have you both come up with a name yet?"

"Penny picked a name but wants to surprise me. It's just like her to do that," his light chuckle eases the tension in the air.

"Whatever name she comes up with will be good."

"It will be. It's not easy to raise a daughter. Now you have to deal with a mini version of Penny," his father-in-law jokes.

"Oh, man," Taki strokes through his thick eyebrows. "Hopefully, not too much like her mom. I just need one, not two of them to go through the fridge."

The trio's laughter almost dissolves the stress on them. Nicholas and Delphine get up from their seats.

"We are going to get some coffee. Would you like some?"

"Yeah, I will have one. Thanks, Mr. Florakis."

The Greek crosses his arms. "You're a part of our family and you can call me dad---"

Delphine's nudge to his ribs cuts him off.

Takashi's eyes almost water from the sentiment but... "Got it."

Their footsteps drift away, leaving him to his thoughts. He's right. He's basically a dad to me. More than the one who helped bring me into the world. But am I truly ready for fatherhood? What if I fail? What if I do worse than-

Before the anxious thoughts take over, he pulls out his wife's academic paper from the tote bag. The approaching footsteps have him look up. Milk chocolate eyes smile upon meeting again.

Her gold-framed glasses rest on top of long black hair laced with blonde highlights. He stands up and embraces his older sister, Hikari.

Her arms wrap around his back. "How are things going so far?"

"It's been too long," his body trembles. The soft pats on his back drive the fear away. "Where's mom? She said she was on her way from Hawaii."

"The storms delayed her flight," she sighs. "She said she would be here within a week."

His sister sees the questions popping from his pupils. She leads them to sit down. "Hey, things will be alright. Your daughter will come out soon and be in good health."

"I hope so."

"Taki, you are going to be a great dad. I'm also excited to be an aunt. I'm going to spoil her so badly."

"Knowing you and your expensive taste, I don't doubt that," he smirks.

"My niece will have the nicest of things. I promise you that."

The door to the delivery room opens and the nurse comes out. The good news of no complications puts his shoulders down.

Hikari eyes the tote bag filled to the brim. "Wow. You really brought your home with you," her dry sarcasm drips from each syllable.

"Just enough for a few days. I got our baby's outfit, charger, sanitizer-"

She lightly jabs his arm. "See that? You are on the right path, baby brother," she gives him a noogie on the head.

He pushes her hand away. "Stop calling me that. The only baby here is the one Penelope is birthing," he finally cracks a genuine smile. Talking with his sister eats away at the mountain of stress inside him.

"I'm going to hit the restroom real quick. I will be right back," she mentions before walking away.

"Okay."

Buzzzz. Buzzz. Taki's phone displays the name "Greg" at the top of the screen. His best friend and coworker.

"Just saw your text, Taki. Did the baby come?"

"Not yet. But the doctor said it should be soon."

"I'm proud of you, man. I can't wait to meet my niece. She is in good hands with you. Are
you okay?"

"I just want it done and over with. Penny has been in there for a long time," he whispers.

"You are there for her so she won't be alone. That's helping."

"Thanks. You knocked some sense into me," he briefly grins.

"Maybe I should hit you just to be sure."

"Ha ha," he dryly laughs before hanging up. The digital watch on his right wrist continues to tick. A motivation from his past to be a better father than his old man.

But will it be enough?

He closes his eyes–

CRACK!

His heart almost jumps out of its calcium prison. He turns to the source of the noise. The sight of dark clouds and flashes of lightning rattle his being. Heavy raindrops almost drown the garden outside.

The wood of his chair creaks from the tightening grip.

Breathe, Taki. Breathe. His shaky hand manages to set the watch for 3 minutes for meditation.

Slow inhale, deep ex- The unexpected beep of the alarm cuts off his breath.

He restarts it.

Beep. Beep.

He resets the timer.

Beep.

His eyes widen. The hands of the clock move forwards and backwards at random intervals.

This isn't the first time this happened today. At one point, it stopped itself.

He tries to turn it off, but the watch doesn't respond. It starts vibrating, a function that shouldn't exist.

The hands of the watch spin rapidly like a record player. Before he can take it off, a large hand from behind covers his mouth and pulls him out of existence.

The bright colors of the hospital blur into a vast ocean of black. Takashi's shoes extend into the passing darkness. The strain on his body leaves him wanting to scream, but the rough hand muffles him.

The pressure on his right shoulder almost cracks a bone.

His shaking pupils scan around for any lifeline. As if on cue, something appears. Twelve stylized emerald numbers that then form a clock.

The desperation leads him to shift his head for a vicious bite. Once free, he leaps on the strange object. The symbol wobbles from his weight before vanishing. Takashi Watanabe drops down into the darkness along with his mind.

---

Takashi's eyelids slowly open up. A bright light forces him to avert his gaze. His hands feel something coarse and gritty. His mouth ejects the same material.

Sand?

Taki's ears pick up the sound of something crashing close by. The salty air infiltrates his nostrils. His milk chocolate eyes adjust to his surroundings. Clear turquoise water near him hits the shore before returning to its large blanket. Numerous palm trees stand behind as high as a giraffe.

The leather tote bag by side grabs his attention. Everything is still in its proper place.

A wince leaves his lips from shifting up. He distracts his mind by asking himself questions.

What is this? Wait, wasn't I in the hospital? Did I fall asleep?

Despite closing his eyes, pinching both arms, smacking his cheeks, and splashing with the warm salt water, nothing changed.

A terrifying chill travels down his spine. He tries to reject the image of the rough hand over his face.

Beep beep, the digital watch goes off.

Takashi's pupils widen and tremble. The day on the face hasn't changed, but the time is 6:15pm.

4 hours have passed since waking up in this strange place.

"This can't be right. My daughter should have been born–"

His stomach violently flips. He broke the promise he made to his wife.

His hands scramble for his phone only to find no reception. Another peculiar thing he noticed: the battery level hasn't changed. A white solid 100% rejects the passage of time.

Shaking the strange question, Taki's fingers race to leave a voice message in case of a signal.

"Penny, I don't know where I am! I think I'm on some island. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to break my promise," his voice nearly breaks. "I will make my way back to you. Somehow."

After removing any useless apps and utilizing low energy mode, he stands up with the support of a palm tree. The hot breeze forces him to remove his blue hoodie, revealing a gray t-shirt.

His feet lead him to find any sort of civilization. Just a few minutes in, vibrations on the ground send his feet stumbling on the sand.

Baaa. Baaa. Baaa.

He joyfully runs to the sound of a herd of sheep. A caretaker should be near–

His round jaw drops with a hitched exhale. His legs quiver more than a flower with a heart wanting to escape its sternum prison.

The figure, whose height rivals the top of the island trees, looks down at him with one eye. He turns with a step that makes the island shake. The club resting on his shoulder almost matches the being's height. A tattered, burlap sack clothes the creature down to his knees.

With a free hand, the giant man scratches his unibrow. The puny man's shaking body makes him stroke his burly brown beard to think.

Takashi then remembers a story that his wife had recounted. The character's name pops up in his head.

Cyclops

The behemoth says something with an underlying growl almost unintelligible to Takashi's ears. He then picks up that it is speaking Greek, the same language as his wife. The creature repeats itself. To his surprise, his mind perfectly translates the uttered syllables.

"You don't look like a Greek, little man. You're more like an outsider."

He steadies his feet while clearing his throat."S-Sir, I don't know where I am. Can you help me?"

The creature stifles a laugh, but Taki hears part of it. His feet beg him to run.

"You are on the island where my brothers and I live. You can call it Cicil."

Cicil sounds like Sicily? The home of my in-laws? Whatever took me dropped me here, but why? Nothing here is familiar.

"Now that you answered my question, you can help me," the Cyclops rubs his grumbling stomach. The thick saliva dripping from his sharp jaws freezes Takashi in place.

Another part of Penny's tale falls into place. Cyclops are man-eaters. The creature raises his club aiming to smash the man.

He pleads with his body to move. Move, damn it! Move! Move! MOVE!

The wooden club swings down with force behind it. Taki's arms force themselves up for any kind of protection. His good, but troubled childhood, dating and marrying Penelope, and the missed delivery of his daughter flash before his eyes.

His right hand clutches the necklace under his shirt. "STOP!" He yells at the top of his lungs.

The watch clicks.

A couple of seconds pass before he questions the lack of pain. His eyes slowly open before almost popping out of their sockets.

The shadow of the club appears around him with the weapon frozen three feet from his body.

The Cyclops' mouth is glued open. One sheep is stuck in the middle of its bleating. The crashing waves are stuck in a splash.

Takashi moves himself out of the way. No movement from the man-eater. The strange circumstances raise more questions that he doesn't have time for.

His feet race along the border of sand and water. Each step leaves holes in the water that open, but don't close up. He throws it to the back of his mind to find a way off this terrible place.

After five minutes, pain builds up in his chest. Despite the lack of endurance, he keeps his feet moving. There has to be another Cyclops on this island! Don't you dare stop!

The water finally resumes to its normal motions. A summer breeze hits his clothes. From a short distance away, his eyes sparkle with hope. A large wooden ship with a bust of a clothed woman praying on the back. The water slapping its sides warns him that swimming isn't an option.

The nearby rocky area leads to small mountains. He makes his way over–

Baa. Baa. Baa.

He jumps down behind cover. It's coming from inside the mountain. He covers his mouth. Plump sausage fingers push a large rock revealing a cave behind another Cyclops and his flock of sheep. However, the creature is wearing a blindfold over his only eye. As the sheep roam out, something else catches his attention.

The men latched under the bellies of sheep. The blinded Cyclops checks each sheep as it passes before him. A yell from his throat lures the sheep off the rocky area. The men drop off silently as possible to make their getaway.

Taki takes his chance to sneak over and wave at them for help. From a closer look, he notices that these men are Greek from their bumps on the bridges of their noses with various brown hairstyles and beards he had seen before.

The various eyes of brown and green jump from the strange looking man. His jet black hair reminds them of a prior foe.

Takashi silently puts his hands together in a prayer, begging for a rescue. The leader with a long bushy, brown beard waves him over to his relief. They all sneak onto the ship and set sail. Taki sits on a chair to finally catch his breath. His heart can finally settle once they are out of sight.

"Polyphemus!" The leader unexpectedly shouts.

Takashi's eyes widen from sheer bewilderment.

"NOBODY?!" The blinded Cyclops roars.

"It wasn't Nobody who injured you! My name is Odysseus of Ithaca and I'm the man who blinded you!"

Polyphemus feels around for a large rock to smash the ship into pieces. He throws it in the direction of the voice! Takashi and the men almost jump from the ship, but fortunately the rock falls short. The impact of the rock pushes the ship farther out.

"Damn you and your men, Odysseus!" Polyphemes shakes his fist at them before lowering his head to the water. "Father! Punish the man named Odysseus of Ithaca! That mortal took away my sight!"

The ocean rages, rocking the ship from side to side to the point of tipping over. White foam bubbles form around the ship. A booming angry voice startles everyone on board as they hold onto to the railings.

"ODYSSEUS OF ITHACA, HOW DARE YOU HURT MY CHILD! FOR THAT, I WILL MAKE SURE YOU AND THE OTHERS WILL NEVER SEE YOUR HOME AGAIN!"

The water is hushed, but everyone's limbs are trembling. One of them breaks the silence and questions Odysseus.

"How could you do that to us?! We could have gotten away quietly! Now we are cursed by the sea god!"

"How could I know that creature was the son of Poseidon?" Odysseus asks.

Wait? Poseidon? Odysseus? Taki's mind swallows the doubt.

"Let's sail to the east. Maybe someone can help us there," he commands.

Takashi stands up, but the swaying of the ship has him falling on the deck. Two of the crew members carry him to the sleeping quarters below and help him into a hammock.

The Greek with a trimmed brown beard and glasses checks his wrist. "Although your pulse is good, it's going to take a while for your legs to adjust to the sea."

"My name is Takashi Watanabe. I'm grateful for you all letting me on board."

The men's smiles confirm that they can understand him as well.

"My name is Damian, and this is Galen, our physician," the man with stubble informs. "We didn't know you were on that island as well. It was quite a surprise. What happened to your ship?"

Takashi's raised eyebrows bring up more questions.

Damien crosses his arms. "I mean how did you get here? You don't look Greek or Trojan despite the black hair."

"I don't know. I don't even know I got here in the first place. I was in a hospital in California before all of this."

Galen strokes his beard. "Hospital?"

"Like...a place that has an apothecary," he explains using their terms.

"Oh, I understand."

"What is California? I never heard of it."

"Sir, is there a map I can look at? I can show you where it is."

Damian goes to retrieve a copy of the map.

Odysseus walks down to the quarters to meet his guest. After exchanging names...

"You look like you had a rough day, Mr. Watanabe. Galen, get him some food and drink."

Galen steps away to retrieve that for their guest.

"Just rest for now. We will be calling on you tomorrow for help. You must work if you want to eat."

Taki clenches his hands. "I can't rest. I need to get back home. I'm not meant to be here. I need to be with my wife and child."

"As do I," the Ithacan king steps forward. "My wife and son have been waiting on me since we just won the war."

Taki tilts his head. "War?"

Before Odysseus can answer him, Damian returns with a copy of the map.

Despite opening the whole scroll, he blinks numerous times. No Americas, no Asia, not even Europe. The only thing on display is the entirety of Greece with parts of Asia Minor and Africa. In the bottom corner, it says: Map of Gaia dated 800 BC.

"We are around this point and my home, Ithaca, is here," Odysseus points out with a finger westward of them.

"Is-is-is this the only map? Where's the world map?"

"That is the world map of Gaia," he confirms without a single doubt.

Takashi's heart drops to the bottom of his stomach before he clings onto any sense of hope. Taking out his phone slowly, he waves it around for some kind of reception.

Odysseus' crew almost pull out their swords before the king raises a hand to stop them.

"Wait. What are you holding?"

Still no reception. "It's a phone. A device that you can use to contact anyone you want. It's faster than waiting on mail. You can also take pictures with it. Kind of like an instant painting."

Gasps of amusement leave their mouths.

"But it's no good."

Takashi remembers the paper his wife wrote and grabs it out of the tote bag. He rereads a few pages to make sure of something. All of it starts clicking together. The paper hits the wooden floor. His trembling hands are accompanied by matching pupils. Numerous short breaths leave his lips. His eyes stare off from the title.

"Analyzing Greek Tragedies & Their Characters."

Odysseus sighs. "Let's leave him to rest. He's had a rough day."

The whole group leaves before the captain leaves a man outside the door. A wail from the quarters startles them. The outcry of deep sorrow. A sound they're all familiar with during and after the war.

"Check on him later when he calms down," the king instructs the stocky guardsman whose bushy beard conceals his mouth.

Galen returns with a plate of bread, cheese, and a portion of lamb with grapes on the side. He hears the wailing that makes him stop.

The physician enters the quarters. Tears won't stop escaping Taki's eyes as he grips the hammock. All of the evidence is now laughing at his situation. Looking at the map only makes him sick.

The guard checks on him a few hours later. What was once milk chocolate eyes are now bloodshot red. The nightly breeze travels through the cracks to give him shivers. The 5'2 man drapes a blanket over him to prevent a cold.

Takashi gets his phone out to see his photo gallery. A selfie of him and his wife enjoying dinner together depresses him even more. The time on the phone says 11pm.

"Sis, I'm scared. I don't know how I will get home from here," his voice is as brittle as glass.

Odysseus checks on him later with some crew members who want to know more about the stranger. They open the door and find he has stopped crying. He holds his phone with a hand to the side. The plate of food is left untouched. Not even a nibble.

"Takashi? Are you alright?" Odysseus asks.

His lips remain close. He's not even turning to acknowledge their presence.

Odysseus and the stocky guard notice what's on his phone. An "instant painting" shows a voluptuous bronze skinned Greek woman who's eating with Takashi. Her braided locks enhance her heart shaped face. Her honey brown eyes almost dazzle from the daylight in the photo.

"So this is your wife. She almost rivals the beauty of Aphrodite. We will get you home when we are back at Ithaca. California isn't mentioned on the map, but we will find a way," the king assures him with every step.

10. 10. 10. The only thing ringing in Takashi's mind.

"We will leave you be."

Odysseus feels a pulling motion from the screech of his sword. He finds Takashi is holding it! The sword trembles with a heavy anger. He lunges at him, but the rocking of the ship throws him off while Odysseus side steps to avoid the blow. He gets back up, but the crew members draw their swords to restrain him.

"What are you doing?! Attacking our king is a crime!" Galen yells at him.

"GET OUT OF MY DAMN WAY!"

He swings his sword to get them to back up, but the sword gets knocked out of his grasp. A group tackle connects his stomach to the floor. He stares at Odysseus with a look that could kill.

"LET ME GO! IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT, YOU BASTARD!"

"Should we throw him in the brig, sir?" The stout man asks with a firm voice.

"Not yet, Theo. Explain yourself, Takashi."

"My liege, he attempted to kill you."

"But he knows some things that we don't. What if he knows something that made him go mad? What if his cries earlier are related to that?"

"Don't try anything. We will not go easy on you. Calm down," Theo warns.

"Screw that! If I can't hurt him, kill me then! I'm better off dead!"

Damian gasps. "You can't die here. What about your wife and child?"

"What's your wife's name?"

"Answer our king," Theo demands.

"It's fine. Ask him that question."

"What is your wife's name? The one in the painting."

"Penelope," he clenches his teeth.

"My wife's name is also Penelope," Odysseus interjects. Ask him about his child."

"I don't know her name."

"What?" Galen asks with raised eyebrows.

"Penny was going to tell me her name as a surprise. Today is her day of birth and I'm missing it right now," his voice breaks to the verge of tears. "This isn't right!"

"I left my pregnant wife to go to this war for Greece. I understand how you feel," Galen sympathizes with him.

"NO, YOU DON'T! I was dragged here and there's no way back!"

"Explain."

"The Cyclops. Your name, the map of Gaia, and Poseidon. I think that Greek Mythology is a part of Earth's timeline."

"Mythology? Timeline? What are you talking about?"

"In my time, tales of Greek heroes and their adventures are just stories that people read and study. My wife teaches her students about it. It's all real," he whispers to himself.

Odysseus steps forward. "So there's a story of my exploits and the gods as well?" A simple nod answers him. "That is extraordinary. We will ask you more questions along the way, but we will get you back home."

"You don't understand." The atmosphere gets heavier. "Odysseus, how long did you and your men fight in the war you just won?"

"10 years."

Takashi digests the fear in his head. "10. You will make it back home, but it will take 10 extra years to get there."

Damian's eyebrows rise up. "What? You are lying. It's less than a few months to get from Troy to Ithaca."

"That paper mentions your adventures and the mistakes you and your crew will commit. Those mistakes will leave you as the sole survivor. But to me, even if I survive, my daughter would be 10 years old.

That means missing her first steps, her birthdays, and when she needs me the most. My wife will think that I abandoned them both and her heart will be broken. If there's ever a return, I can never get that time back. So that's why I'm better off dead to them."

Odysseus raises his hand. "Free him now."

"Are you sure?"

"Do it."

Theo cuts off the ropes. Odysseus walks over to the paper that fell to the floor and picks it up. It's written in English, a language that is unknown to him. He hands the paper back to Takashi.

"If what you're saying is true, then we need your help. Translating the information needed will take too much time. Tell us all the mistakes we commit so we can avoid the 10-year gap. The adventures don't matter if my men won't make it," the captain asserts.

A feeling of hope swells within Takashi's heart. "But what about how I tried to kill-"

"Forgiven. I had no idea of your plight. Your devices and information are definitely from a time different from ours. If I had kept my mouth shut, we would have avoided Poseidon's curse. Time for you to return back to your Penelope."

"But how?"

"We are making a stop in the east to see who could help us. We will be at Ithaca before you know it. In return for helping us, we will teach you how to navigate a ship and other skills. You will learn over our time together. After Ithaca, we will get you transport to the Oracle who can give you what you need to return home."

Takashi finally cracks a small smile before bowing his head to the floor. "I'm grateful to you, sir. Please, teach me. I might complain, but I'm not going to quit!"

"That's the spirit! Let's get started. We escaped the island of the Cyclops. Where do we go and what is the first mistake to avoid?"

Takashi goes through the pages to find the right place with eagerness.

I will be back home, Penelope. I will make it up to you and our child for my absence.

"Okay, I found it. The land we need to go to is Aeolia in the east for help and the first mistake is..."