One stormy night, when Achilles was about ten years old, Callista fell gravely ill. The village healer, an old man named Theros, visited frequently, but nothing seemed to help. The atmosphere darkened, and villagers began to whisper about a curse. They said that Callista had angered the sea goddess and that was why doom loomed over the village.

Desperate to save his mother, Achilles ventured to the shore. "Goddess Thetis, hear my plea," he cried into the crashing waves. "Please help my mother. " Waves crashed louder as if responding to him. Something in the ocean stirred, and for a moment, Achilles thought he saw a figure beneath the surface, cloaked in shimmering light. But as he reached out, the shadows swallowed it, and the sea calmed.