The Eidolon Shift
Demetrius was a family man, if ever the subtitle applied to anyone. He lived in the tiny village of Alexandria, a very long time ago. He was born in Athens, to a shipbuilder named Phantos. Phantos moved his family to Alexandria when Demetrius was only five years old. There are many things one could say about the life of Demetrius, son of Phantos, but I only want to draw our attention to a strange occurrence that took place on the evening of his sixth birthday, and the strange divergence of paths later on. Early on the day of his sixth birthday, there had been a celebration. Several of Demetrius’s friends had been invited, and each one brought a toy, a set of clay dice, or a musical instrument. It was the best birthday Demetrius had ever had. He and his friends, including some cousins, played until they were too exhausted to play any longer. Demetrius’s mother, Casandra, set a cup of water beside her son's bed, blew out the oil lantern, and kissed him on the forehead. A full m...
