Long ago, there was a man named Daedalus. He was the most famous inventor in the world. He could build almost anything: moving machines, statues that looked alive, and many clever tools. Kings gave him gold for his work. People in many countries knew his name.

King Minos of Crete asked Daedalus to come to his island. He wanted the inventor to build something special: a prison for a terrible monster called the Minotaur. So Daedalus built the Labyrinth, a huge maze with a thousand paths. Anyone who went inside could not find the way out.

But after Daedalus finished the work, he had a serious problem. He was famous and rich, but he was also a prisoner. He wanted to go home. King Minos would not let him leave because he wanted to keep the best inventor in the world for himself.

"You will stay here on Crete," the king told him. "My ships watch the sea, and my soldiers watch the roads. You cannot escape."

Daedalus lived on the island with his young son, Icarus. King Minos kept them there for years. Every morning, Daedalus stood on the shore and looked at the water. The sea was wide and blue, but it was also like a wall. Every morning, he understood the same thing: there was no way out.