Chapter 10 10
The base didn’t feel safe anymore, not after everything, not after Karthik and not after the truth was getting unveiled.
Kratos stood among the Astros, the noise around him louder than ever; armor clashing, weapons being handed out, voices low but urgent.
“This is bigger than the last wave” someone said nearby.
“They’re not scouting anymore. They’re hunting” Thorne said.
Kratos exhaled slowly “All because of me”.
“No” Lyra said beside him.
Kratos glanced at her “You’re still going to say that?”
“Yes,I will” Lyra said.
Kratos frowned “How is this not because of me?”
Lyra didn’t hesitate “Because Erebus was always coming”.
Kratos shook his head “I'm sure it's not always like this”.
“No” she admitted “Not like this but he's always restless looking for blood to shed”.
Silence stretched between them.
Kratos adjusted the strap around his wrist “So what’s the plan?”
Lyra looked ahead “We hold them at the outer tunnels”.
Kratos’s chest tightened “Hold them,how?”
“We can’t let them reach the core” Lyra said.
Kratos nodded slowly “And if they do?”
Lyra didn’t answer. Kratos already knew once they have access to the core base, everything ends.
Zephyr stepped up beside them “We don’t have much time”.
Kratos looked at him and asked “You good?”
Zephyr rolled his shoulder slightly “I’ve had worse”.
Kratos almost smiled “You always this calm before a fight?” he asked.
“Yes” Zephyr replied.
“That’s not normal” Kratos said with a chuckle.
Zephyr shrugged “Neither is anything happening right now… Normal”.
Kratos couldn’t argue with that. Thorne’s voice echoed across the chamber “Positions!” Everything snapped into motion, the amulet was warm but not burning, like it knew what was coming.
“I don’t like this” he muttered.
Lyra heard him “Well.. ”
Kratos eyebrow furrowed “Well?”
“It means you’re paying attention and prepared” Lyra said.
Kratos exhaled “Yeah… that’s one way to put it”.
The outer tunnels were darker and narrow, there were echoes with distant movement. Kratos stood beside Lyra and Zephyr, gripping a weapon he wasn’t even sure he’d use right.
“You’ve fought before?” Lyra asked.
Kratos nodded slightly “I have but not like this”.
“Stay close and safe” Lyra warned.
“I wasn’t planning on wandering off” Kratos gestured.
Zephyr glanced at him “Try not to get killed anyway”.
Kratos rolled his eyes “Like you care but thank you”.
Footsteps echoed from ahead. Kratos’s grip tightened “They’re here” he proclaimed.
Lyra’s voice dropped “Wait”.
The sound grew louder and closer. Then, the Erebus soldiers appeared, they were more than before and all were armed. Kratos’s became scared, and he swallowed hard “That’s not a small group”.
The soldiers stopped. They formed a line and then one of them stepped forward and commanded “Hand over the Shadowborn”.
Kratos clenched his jaw “In your damned dreams”.
The soldier didn’t look at him, he looked at Lyra “This doesn’t have to end badly”.
Lyra’s grip tightened on her blade “Well, only one way to know that!”
The soldier sighed “Then, so be it”.
Everything exploded into motion. Steel clashed, voices shouted, the tunnel was filled with chaos. Kratos moved on instinct. Dodging, blocking and barely keeping up. This wasn’t like the alley, this wasn’t one or two enemies, and It was like war.
A soldier lunged at him but Kratos reacted too slow, the blade cut his arm, pain shot through him “Damn it!” he grunted.
He stumbled back, another attack came, Kratos raised his arm, it was too late again. Suddenly, the soldier was thrown aback so hard.
Kratos froze, looking at his hands “I didn’t… “ he stuttered.
Another rushed him, Kratos’s body moved again but this time it was faster, stronger and uncontrolled and that scared him more than anything.
Nearby, Lyra fought with precision, every strike was clean and Zephyr was faster, more aggressive and more relentless. They were barely holding up but something felt wrong, Kratos felt it, between the movements, the strikes and the gap.
“Something’s off” he muttered.
“What?” Lyra called.
Kratos blocked another attack “They’re not pushing forward!”
Zephyr noticed it too “They’re stalling”.
Kratos’s chest tightened “But for what?”
Then, a scream echoed from behind, not from the tunnel but from the base.
Kratos froze “No”.
Lyra’s eyes widened “Oh shit…They splitted the force”.
Zephyr cursed under his breath “It was all a diversion”
Kratos turned “They’re inside already”.
Without thinking, he ran.
“Kratos!” Lyra called but he didn’t stop.
“They got in…” Kratos’s heart pounded harder “How?!”
He turned a corner and then stopped. Kratos’s chest tightened “No” he screamed. He was scared not only because he thought he was going to die but because he knew the Astros clan are in deep shit for the sake of saving him.
He kept panting harder and sat on the floor but then he looked up and saw a figure that was standing still; not fighting, but just watching and somehow he looked familiar.
Kratos frowned “You…”
The man turned, calmly and in bothered “Took you long enough” he said.
Kratos’s eyes narrowed “You’re one of us”.
The man smiled slightly “Was”.
Kratos’s stomach dropped “You betrayed your own people?”.
The man shrugged “Such a harsh word”.
Kratos stepped forward “You let them in”.
“Yes, I did” he said.
“Why?!” Kratos questioned, and he felt heartbreak and total betrayal at this point.
The man’s expression didn’t change “Because they pay better”.
Kratos’s fists clenched “People are dying and all you care about is money?”
“And people always die” the man replied calmly “That’s how this works” he added.
Kratos felt something snap “What’s your name?”
The man tilted his head slightly “Santius”.
Kratos memorized it instantly “You’re going to regret this”.
Santius smiled faintly “No, you are the one who's going to regret this”.
Kratos didn’t hesitate, he moved fast and angry. Santius stepped back effortlessly.
“You’re predictable” he commented.
Kratos attacked again, faster and stronger. The air shifted around him and the power responded.
Santius’s expression flickered “There it is”.
Kratos didn’t stop, his energy surged wild and Santius moved again but this time, he wasn’t fast enough. The force hit him and he crashed into the wall really hard.
Kratos stood there, breathing heavily “Get up, traitor” he screamed.
Santius coughed slightly but smiled “Cool”.
Kratos paused “What?”
“That’s exactly what they want to see” Santius said.
Kratos’s chest tightened “What are you talking about?”
Santius laughed weakly “You still don’t understand?”.
Kratos stepped closer “Understand what?” he ordered.
Santius’s smile widened “You’re not just the target”.
Kratos froze “What?”
Santius’s voice dropped “You’re the key”. A loud crash echoed deeper in the base, it was louder and destructive.
Kratos’s heart skipped “What was that?”
Santius didn’t answer. He just smiled and then he laughed “Too late”.
Kratos turned to go check and his eyes widened when he saw the wall at the far end was already gone, destroyed. Standing in the opening, a familiar figure watched: It was Karthik.
Kratos’s breath caught “Not again”.
Karthik’s gaze met his and this time, there was no patience.
“You see?” Santius whispered behind him.
Kratos didn’t turn or say a word.
“He was never coming for you…” he added.
Karthik stepped forward.
“He was coming for what’s inside you” Santius finished.
Kratos’s chest tightened violently. The amulet flared and for the first time, Kratos felt it clearly, not just power or just energy but something else that felt alive.
And Karthik smiled….
“Now, that smile looks diabolical” Kratos said.
