Prove It

The Minotaur huffs as it closes in on Atreus, raising its stone ax above its head as its hooves smash the bedrock. The boy stares up at that makeshift weapon, his eyes determined as he shifts his feet to dodge the oncoming attack. Suddenly, Kratos appears before him, and Atreus slams into a brick wall, falling to his backside with a grunt.

Kratos catches the Minotaurs wrist, scowling as he kicks it's knee inverted. A blood-curdling crack echos through the cave, and the monster falls, held up by its wrist as strength leaves the burly monster. The Ghost of Sparta stares down at the Minotaur, that overwhelming bloodlust flowing from him like a tsunami, freezing his victim in place. Awareness is a foreboding trait for a monster, but as God Slayer releases the ax and grips the Minotaur's upper and lower mouth, the monster knows fear for the first time in its short life.

Kratos' cold eyes set on Atreus, "...You will listen to your father..." his rugged words echo through the cave as if the man screamed, the muscles in his arm rippling as he rips the Minotaur's jaw from its body, flesh tearing to its belly, "...Or we will leave this city, and the lie we told that Goddess will become truth."

Atreus stands with furrowed brows, frustration leaking from his very being, "Why, father!? I could have beaten that monster!" he says, pointing to the large magic stone replacing the Minotaur's corpse.

"NO!" Kratos steps up, yelling at his son with that scowl still blemishing his face, "You are an ignorant child, unable to see the consequences of your actions! And I am your father! I mean to raise you into a man better than me, but if you do not cease this foolish behavior, then I have no choice but to halt you myself!"

Atreus stares at his father, his lips pursed as his eyes linger to the bedrock below, "I'm sorry... I really thought I could have beaten it. No... I felt like I had to. I want to be strong like you, father, and I can't back away from danger if I'm meant to do that," he says, melancholy leaking from his words.

Kratos takes a deep breath, gathering his rage and stuffing it into the back of his mind. He picks up the magic stone and walks over to his son, towering over the boy with a shadow falling over his expression, "...I have told you many times, Atreus. You will be strong, but charging blindly into battle will lead to nothing but death..." Kratos offers the stone to Atreus, "...We will cease your training until you learn to think of the consequences of your actions."

Atreus freezes as his fingers wrap around the cold stone, his brows furrowed as he stares up at his father, "Why, father? I thought you were going to train me, to make me strong?" he asks.

With his face still covered by the dark shadow, Kratos grunts, "Consider my teachings as a privilege, boy... Not every child is as lucky as you. I never had a father to guide me through life, and that is why I am so adamant about giving you all of my knowledge... Do not take that gift for granted," he says.

Atreus stands with parted lips and raised brows as he looks up at Kratos, "I... I'm sorry, father... I forgot," he says.

Kratos hums, "Do not apologize..." he says, patting Atreus' shoulder and walking past the boy, "...Come, we are done for the day."

"Yes, father..." Atreus says, catching up with Kratos quickly. The duo travel through the floors in silence with Kratos slaying monsters with ease while Atreus assists him with his spear, still 'pulling his weight' despite Kratos' halting of the boy's training. Hours pass and the duo arrives at the beginning floors, stepping under the star-like crystals littering the ceiling of the first floor.

"Father, I know you said you killed your father, but... Why? What would make you want to kill the one who created you?" Atreus asks with soft words as he walks beside Kratos.

Kratos raises his brows, lifting his chin as silence falls on the duo. Memories pass through his mind, a flood of brutal images; the death of his family, joining his daughter in Elysium only to be taken away from her again, ten years of service to the gods only for his their promise to be broken, and finally, a blade running through his chest, the hands gripping the handle belonging to his own father, Zeus, "...It is a long and bloody story, boy. I do not wish to expose the cruelty I have experienced in my past to you," Kratos says with tired words.

Atreus doesn't back down, "No, father... I want to understand... I want to understand why you hate the gods so much, why you are the way you are... why you treat me the way you do. I'll never understand if you don't tell me..." he responds.

Kratos glances down at his son, his eyes soon returning to the path before them as he sighs, "...As you know, I am from a land called Sparta... I was raised there by my mother, along with my brother, Deimos..." he says.

Atreus raises his brows as his father finishes his words, "You had a brother?" he asks.

Kratos nods, "...We had dreams of joining the Spartan army and bringing glory to our nation. He was younger than myself, and we trained for our dream together, day after day. 'A Spartan never lets his back his back hit the ground' we would say to eachother, but..." Kratos grimaces, a massive fire appearing in his eyes, "Kratos! Help!..." Deimos' words echo in his mind.

"Did he... Did he die?" Atreus asks.

Kratos shakes his head, "No... He was taken from me while we were still young..." the man grimaces, his own words opening a wound sealed loosely, "...I aged, and rose through the ranks of the Spartan army, earning the title of general after many years. Our soldiers were the greatest in all of Greece, and we took our victories in stride. Though we soon met our match in the Barbarians, and that is when my foolishness truly began."

"What happened? Did you beat the Barbarians?" Atreus asks, fully engrossed by his father's story.

"Yes, but... Not without a sacrifice. An ignorant decision that cost me... Everything..." Kratos tells Atreus of his deal with the God of War, Ares, and the slaying of his family that followed.

Atreus raises his brows and his lips part as his eyes trail to the ground, "You... You had another family? What were they like?" he asks.

Kratos inhales sharp through his nose, noticing that they are arriving at the stairs leading out of the dungeon, "...Another time, boy..." he says.

Atreus' eyes dart to his father's dour expression, "But-"

"Lad, I would leave it for now. Give your old man some time... It can be difficult to dig up the memories of loved ones that have passed on," Mimir interjects.

The boy's shoulders sag, "You'll tell me about eventually, right?" Atreus asks as he continues to stare at Kratos.

Kratos nods, stepping up the bottom of the stairs, "...Eventually..." he responds.

The trio travel up the stairs draped in silence once again. That massive room enters their vision, and the spiral stairs fall away under their steps as well, the subtle flames of torches shining on their pale skin, "Father…" Atreus calls, pausing with pursed lips.

Kratos steps up the stones, his vision drifting to Atreus, "What is it?" he responds.

Atreus balls his hands up tight, his expression strangely calm, "…I will think about the consequences of my actions, and I'll show you. Selling your soul to a god was stupid, and I won't ever do something like that," he says with blunt words.

"Ouch…" Mimir mutters under his breath.

Kratos scoffs, "Good… We will see if you live up to your words," his words flow with apathy, but a sliver of expectation shines through.

The stone steps are followed by that flat path, the night sky visible through the massive doorway. The duo step through the threshold, and suddenly, something falls to the ground before Atreus.

"Woah!" The boy steps back with raised brows, the raise immediately shifting to a furrow, "…A book?" Atreus says, his eyes slowly rising to the sky.