Of Ash and Nectar

Alex was born in a coastal village near Mycenae, the child of two embittered mortals, a once-proud soldier turned alcoholic, and a mother who viewed Alex's birth as the death of her youth and freedom. Their village, steeped in superstition, considered gentleness a flaw and ambiguity a danger.
Alex was sensitive, empathetic, and different, and for this, they were shamed and punished. When they asked questions, they were told to be silent. When they cried, they were locked in the cellar. Their father said they were "too soft to live" and would beat them to "toughen them up." Their mother ignored them unless she needed a scapegoat. Their community watched in silence.
The abuse was not because Alex was divine, but because they were human in a world afraid of softness, nuance, and change.
One night, after a particularly cruel beating, Alex ran away and collapsed near an overgrown shrine.
It was there that the gods began to take notice.