Chapter 5 5

Kratos was tired and not the kind of tired sleep could fix, but his body ached with every step, his arm still stinging where the blade had cut him. His chest felt heavy, like the amulet had sunk into him instead of resting on him.

And his mind… That was the worst part, it was filled with too many questions but not enough answers. “Slow down” he muttered.

Lyra didn’t stop “We’re almost there” she responded.

“You’ve said that twice already” Kratos noted.

“And this time I mean it” Lyra encouraged him.

Kratos exhaled sharply but kept following. This part of the city felt older and forgotten. Buildings leaned into each other, broken windows, faded signs, doors that looked like they hadn’t been opened in years. “No one lives here” Kratos said.

“That’s why it's safe” Lyra answered.

Kratos didn’t like that answer either. They stopped in front of what looked like an abandoned structure, half of the roof had collapsed, and the wooden door hung slightly off its hinges.

Kratos stared at it “This is your ‘safe place’?”

Lyra stepped forward “It’s not meant to look safe”.

“This doesn't actually look safe to me” Kratos disagreed.

She pushed the door open. It creaked loudly. Kratos winced “So much for staying hidden…”

“Come in” she said.

Kratos hesitated, every instinct he had told him this was a bad idea but then again everything lately has been a bad idea. He stepped inside, the moment he did, something felt… off. The air was different and the environment was too quiet. Lyra closed the door behind them. The sound echoed more than it should have.

Kratos turned slightly “This place…”

“It’s not abandoned” she interrupted.

Before he could ask what she meant, the floor beneath them shifted.

Kratos’s eyes widened “What?!”

A section of the ground slid open, it was a hidden passage.

“You’ve got to be kidding me” Kratos said amazingly.

Lyra stepped toward it without hesitation “Move” she said.

Kratos stared at the opening “I don’t like this”

“You don’t have to like it” she added “You just have to survive”.

Kratos clenched his jaw, then followed her down, the passage was narrow, it was stone walls. Dim light from torches placed at intervals and the deeper they went, the more the noise of the city disappeared until there was nothing left but their footsteps.

Kratos glanced at Lyra “You’ve done this before”.

“Yes” Lyra answered sharply.

“With people like me?” Kratos questioned.

Lyra didn’t answer, that was enough to answer. They reached the end of the passage, they saw a door, it was different from the one above, it was stronger and guarded.

Lyra knocked twice, then the door opened. Kratos stiffened immediately. A man stood there, he was tall, his arms were crossed and his eyes sharp with such a thick darkened voice. He looked at Lyra first then at Kratos and didn’t hide his suspicion “You brought someone”.

Lyra stepped inside “Yes, it is him”.

The man’s gaze didn’t leave Kratos “That wasn’t the plan” he reminded.

“Plans change” Lyra said.

Kratos stayed where he was and asked “Are you going to let me in or you wanna keep staring?”

The man didn’t respond immediately, then he stepped aside reluctantly “Get in”.

Kratos walked past him slowly, the moment he entered fully; he stopped. This wasn’t what he expected at all. There were people, at least more than a few, they were moving, some were talking while some were training. Weapons were stacked neatly along walls and maps spread across tables. This wasn’t just a hideout, it was organised like a home.

“What is this place?” Kratos asked quietly, in awe.

Lyra walked ahead “Somewhere you’re not being hunted”.

“That doesn’t answer the question” Kratos said in frustration.

“It’s not supposed to” Lyra answered with a smirk.

Kratos frowned “I’m getting tired of the answers you give”.

The man from the door stepped beside him “You should get used to it”

Kratos glanced at him “And you are?”

The man held his gaze “Zephyr”

Kratos nodded slightly “I am Kratos”.

“I know” Zephyr said.

Kratos let out a small breath “Everyone seems to know”.

Zephyr’s eyes shifted briefly to the amulet “That tends to happen when you carry something like that around”

Kratos instinctively covered it “So you know too?”

Zephyr didn’t answer directly but instead, he responded coldly “You've brought trouble here”.

Kratos stiffened “I didn’t ask to be chased! ”

“But you are been chased” Zephyr replied calmly, he added “And that makes you everyone’s problem and target now”.

Kratos’s jaw tightened “I can leave if you want me to”.

Lyra stopped walking “No, you can't”

Kratos frowned “No, why?”

“You won’t make it far If you're out there and you know that” Lyra added. There was silence and yes she wasn’t wrong.

Lyra turned to face him fully now, for the first time since they met, she didn’t deflect “You want answers?” she questioned.

“Yes” Kratos answered sharply.

“Then listen” Lyra ordered. Lyra took a step closer “That amulet” she said, pointing to his chest “Is not just an object”.

Kratos didn’t speak.

“You felt it, didn’t you?” she continued “The moment you touched it”.

Kratos hesitated. Then nodded slightly “Yeah”.

“The visions, the strength and the loss of control” She said.

Kratos’s chest tightened “You knew that would happen?”

“No” she said. “But I knew it meant something” she added.

Kratos frowned and asked “What is it?”

Lyra held his gaze “It’s Arcus”.

The word hit him again “I’ve heard that name before” Kratos said slowly.

Lyra nodded “You should have because it’s part of you”.

Kratos went still “No… Arcus is power and it's crazy”

“You are connected to it” Lyra said.

“No” he repeated, shaking his head “That’s not possible”.

“You just threw a man across a street without trying” Lyra noted.

Kratos didn’t respond and Lyra continued “Your body moves before you think, you hear things you shouldn’t, you survived something you shouldn’t have”.

“Tell me I’m wrong” Lyra said.

Kratos couldn’t because she wasn’t wrong.

“Then what does that mean?” he asked quietly.

Lyra’s expression didn’t soften “It means you’re not normal”.

Kratos let out a bitter breath “Yeah, I think I've figured that out already”.

“It also means” she paused and continued “Erebus and every other kingdoms will never stop hunting you”.

Kratos looked down and touched his neck “But why do they want it?”

Lyra didn’t hesitate “Power of course but not just any power” she added.

Kratos looked up again “What do you mean?”

Lyra’s voice lowered slightly “That amulet is tied to something older than this city, older than Erebus even older than everything you know. It is like a weapon that can be controlled to destroy kingdoms, even the world itself”.

Kratos felt a chill run through him “You’re saying this is bigger than all of this and it's a freaking weapon?”

Lyra nodded “Yes, it is”.

Silence stretched. Kratos ran a hand through his hair “I don’t want nothing to do with this” he felt frustration already.

Lyra answered “Doesn’t matter, it's not like you've gat a choice anyway”.

Kratos let out a dry laugh “Yeah… I’m starting to know that too”.

“What is this place?” he asked again.

This time, Lyra answered “We’re called the Astros Clan”.

Kratos frowned slightly “I’ve heard that name too, dem kids talk about it a lot in the street”.

“Then you know what we are” Lyra said.

“Rebels against Erebus and other evil kingdoms” he said.

Lyra nodded “Yes, particularly Erebus”.

Kratos looked around again “So what, you want me to join you?”

Lyra didn’t answer immediately “We want you alive” she said.

Kratos narrowed his eyes “That’s not the same thing”.

“No, it's not” she agreed and she added “But if you want answers…” Her gaze sharpened slightly “…this is where you start”.

Kratos didn’t respond right away, he looked at Zephyr and then back at Lyra.

Everything felt like it was closing in again “And if I say no?” he asked.

Lyra didn’t hesitate “Then you walk out that door”

Kratos waited “And?”

“And you don’t survive the night” Lyra said.

Kratos exhaled slowly “You’re not giving me much of a choice”.

Lyra’s expression didn’t change “No, because you don't even know what you are and you're still very much vulnerable”.

Then, Kratos nodded slightly “Fine but I’m not trusting any of you”.

Zephyr let out a quiet scoff “Good, that makes two of us”.

Kratos ignored him. He looked at Lyra “You said this is where I start”.

Lyra nodded… Kratos swallowed “Then start talking”.

Lyra opened her mouth to respond but before she could, a voice that sounded urgent cut through the room “Lyra!”

Everyone turned, a man rushed in, breathing heavily “They found us”.

Kratos’s chest tightened instantly and his eyes widened “What, so fast?”

The man looked directly at Lyra “Erebus”... “They’re moving this way”.

First, it was silence then chaos. People started moving, weapons grabbed and orders shouted.

Kratos stood there, frozen “Already?”

Lyra’s expression hardened, she looked at him “This is why you don’t have a choice”.

Kratos clenched his fists, his heart pounded again; fast, loud and relentless “What do we do?”

Lyra didn’t hesitate “We prepare and fight”. She added “Because this time…” Her eyes locked onto his. Kratos swallowed in fear, his hands trembling, his knees felt weak

“they’re not coming to test you, they are coming to take you”.

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