What are you doing here?

Kratos sprints with his neck craned skyward. The bottom of a massive foot fills his vision, and the God drops to his backside and slides as the foot slams into the bedrock. His boots sink into the bedrock and his momentum halts. He spins and slings those flaming blades all in one motion, slicing through the Goliath's Achilles tendon like hot butter.

Another tremor vibrates the massive cave as the gargantuan monster falls to a knee. Kratos launches the Blades of Chaos from his burly hands and the stench of burning flesh permeates the room as they pierce the monster's back. The God yanks those chains and his body rockets into the air. He pulls the blades from their place with little effort and Kratos' momentum carries him over the Goliath, a grunt flowing from him as he lands hard before the monster.

Legs like tree trunks ripple with muscle, and the Spartan leaps again, the Blades of Chaos reversed in his hand as he plunges them into those dark sockets. The Goliath roars in agony, leaning its long torso back with Kratos still stuck to its face. The God grimaces with every muscle in his body tensed, and he rips the blades from the giant's face, earning another pain-induced roar.

Suddenly, Kratos feels a large hand wrap around his waist, and the Goliath lifts the Greek God above its head, roaring again as it launches its adversary across the cave. The bedrock vibrates again, and the huffing monster watches as a crater forms in the wall, suddenly looking down to find its hand reduced to a dark stub. The sudden pain brings a deep rage to the monster, and it releases yet another roar as deafening footsteps quake the entire room.

Kratos grunts, peeling his arms from their holds in the crater. He looks up as the wall vibrates around him, and his eyes meet the dark sockets of the sprinting Goliath. That golden shield reveals itself in a loud clank, and the God braces himself as a massive fist barrels towards him. Just before the impact, Kratos notices something from the corner of his eyes, a boy standing with wide eyes, seeming to be carrying something on his shoulder as he looks at the ongoing battle, "Atreu-!" his cry is halted as that massive grey fist smashes him to the bedrock.

The Goliath stands with its fist buried in the wall, and it spins its head, staring with blank eyes at that white-haired boy standing a few meters away. Suddenly, a disturbing heat burns his fist, and the gargantuan monster looks back to the enemy it thought had died. Another roar rocks the cave as the monster's remaining hand explodes into meaty bits. The Goliath stumbles back, raising two dark stubs before its face.

A thud flows quietly through the cave, and Kratos stands from the floor, his face twisted in fury as a crimson flame burns slowly from his forearms. Those tree trunk legs tense, ripping the ground apart as the rage-filled God bolts towards the giant. Kratos reaches the monster in nearly an instant, "AAH!" a battle cry thunders through the cave as a burning haymaker slams into the Goliath's ankle, earning a skin-crawling crackle and a fold in the monster's legs.

The Goliath falls hard once again, its knee the only thing holding its body up as that terrifying man leaps again. Kratos looses another haymaker as he nears the giant's chest, and a loud pop reverberates through the cave as the giant's body is lifted from the bedrock slightly, landing hard on its back a moment later. The Spartan lands on the monster's torso with a grunt, those flames still burning from his forearms as he notices a strange detail.

The Goliath raises it's head to look at Kratos, only to find the man standing on its chest. A fire-seared hole closes slowly on its torse, and through that small hole, a bright magic stone shines through with that familiar purple light. Kratos suddenly drops to his knees, both arms like titanium coils as they unload a barrage of tremor-inducing strikes onto the monster's exposed heart. Chunks of grey skin and that magic stone fly with each strike, and soon, the Goliath lets loose a desperate roar as its massive body explodes into a sea of that black dust.

Kratos pants as he stands in the dissipating black sea, the flames nowhere to be seen as his eyes dart to the boy he had seen earlier. The white-haired boy steps up to Kratos with wide eyes, and the God sighs as his gaze meets those crimson eyes, "...You are not my son," he says with furrowed brows.

Bell stares up at Kratos with those same wide eyes and parted lips, his bruised face and swollen eye darting between the God and magic stones littering the bedrock behind him. The boy visibly struggles to carry two bodies over his shoulder, one a tiny girl covered in a red cloak, and the other seeming to be a teenage boy with crimson hair. Both are injured and covered in just as much grime as Bell himself, who shakes his head in confirmation, "Are you his father? I didn't know you were this strong... Is he as strong as you?" he asks.

Kratos looses his trademark grunt, "I am his father, but no, unfortunately not..." he pauses after the mutter, and his head turns slowly to glance at those magic stones. After a quick glance at the boy, Kratos finds a way up as he steps past Bell, "...You may have those magic stones... I do not have time to collect them," he mutters.

"Really?" Bell asks with an attempt at a smile. Though the boy suddenly turns to face Kratos as the man walks towards a staircase embedded in the wall, "Wait!" he calls.

Kratos sighs, halting his steps as he turns with a raised brow. Bell limps to the God, standing before him with pursed lips, "...Are you going back to the surface?" the rabbit asks.

The Spartan nods with a hum, and Bell stares at the bedrock for a moment until his eyes return skyward, "Can I come with you? I was on my way to the safe floor under this one, but... I know my Goddess is worried, and I'd like to return quickly if I can," he says.

Kratos suddenly furrows his brows as he looks to the boy, "A safe floor?" he asks.

Bell nods, wincing as his knee nearly gives out. The boy regains his balance after a moment, "Ow...Y-yes. I've never been there myself, but I was told that monsters don't attack you there. Also, there's apparently a small town for adventurers," he responds.

"Mmh..." Kratos hums, those brown eyes drifting to an opening in the wall opposite of where he heads, noticing a steep slope leading down into the bedrock. The God looks back to Bell with a stone face, pausing for a moment. Suddenly, he turns, stepping towards that staircase again, "Know that I will not slow my pace... Keep up if you wish to live," Kratos mutters.

Bell musters that half-smile once again, limping quickly to catch up with the God, "Okay!" he responds.

---

Darkness swirls in a certain unconscious mind. Though that fear-inducing nothingness soon transforms as a white light blinds the lost soul. A moment passes, and the light fades to a large pane of glass, the view of a city visible through the sun-lit window. The soul looks around, finding that creeping darkness opposite of the glass, but something in between suddenly catches it's eye.

A crimson flame floats there beside the soul. It whisps and flows calmly, but if a hand were to gain its ire, it would not be burned, but obliterated. Beneath it, a golden flame stands suspended with its brilliance nigh blinding but burning just as calm as the other.

The original soul looks to itself to find a deep violet swaying wildly with youth, but movement suddenly halts further inspection. Without warning, the crimson flame moves towards that window, dragging the purple and golden flame with it as the glass shatters. Violent wind and a fear-striking view of the earth growing closer quickly fills the vision of the purple flame.

A tower falls away in the trio's descent, and just before a splatter of brains against the concrete, darkness engulfs the flames once again. A thick mist fills the void before them, and the crimson continues its movement as it approaches the mist. The purple flame is still drug behind, and soon, distant cries tease its ears. They grow louder with each numbing second, and suddenly the flame suddenly witnesses a terrifying sight. Hundreds, no, thousands of shadows appear in that mist, silhouettes of men brandishing swords, spears, shields, and every other weapon known to man.

The army of warriors grows closer as they exit the mist, but out of nowhere, another shadow appears in the mist, a massive silhouette that is unrecognizable to the scared little flame. A deafening roar quakes the surrounding darkness, and the mist takes on a distorted scarlet light.

Suddenly, a blanket of flames descend from the sky and those battle cries turn to burning screams and cries for help. The flames continue their destruction until they reach the trio of flames, and darkness takes over once again.

Atreus gasps, leaning up from a sofa as he regains his consciousness. After catching his breath, the boy's eyes drift to a lavish room with paintings of naked women and men in strange positions littering the walls. Golden chandeliers, red sofas, and glass tables with shiny goblets and plates fill Atreus' vision, and soon, he notices that his leg is no longer in pain. His fingers rub a smooth patch of skin replacing the exposed meat and bone, and the boy sighs in relief.

"Well, hello there, Atreus. I've been waiting to meet you," An intoxicatingly feminine voice flows into the boy's ears, and he spins his head with furrowed brow to meet the voice. A beautiful silver-haired woman sits uncomfortably close to Atreus with her legs tucked beneath her. Her luscious lips curl into a smile, and violet eyes focus on the boy's face. The unknown woman wears a rather revealing black and red dress that leaves nearly her entire torso exposed save for her breasts.

Atreus stares at the woman, finding himself nearly entranced by her vivid beauty. Though the boy suddenly furrows his brows, "Syr? What are you doing here?" he asks.