Chapter 3 3

Kratos didn’t wait. The moment he heard the footsteps, his body moved fast. 

His feet hit the ground hard as he sprinted through the narrow streets, his breathing uneven, his mind racing.

Run.

The whisper still echoed in his head, he didn’t question it and he couldn’t especially not now.

The sound behind him grew louder, heavy boots, not like street thugs but they sounded trained.

Kratos turned sharply into a side alley, nearly slipping on loose stones. He caught himself against the wall, his chest rising and falling rapidly “Who are they?”

He peeked around the corner, they weren’t ordinary men. They were dressed in dark armor. 

Their movements were precise and controlled like they had done this a hundred times before. One of them who seemed to be their leader raised a hand and they stopped instantly.

Kratos’s heart pounded harder “They’re looking for something or someone”. 

He swallowed. A cold chill crept down his spine. Another soldier stepped forward, holding something in his hand—a small, glowing object.

It flickered faintly. The amulet, it grew warm and the soldier’s head snapped up and alerted “The signal just spiked”. 

Kratos’s eyes widened “They can feel it… ”

“Spread out” the lead soldier ordered calmly and added “He’s close.”

Kratos turned and ran again but this time, faster. His feet barely felt the ground as he pushed himself forward, weaving through alleys, knocking over crates, slipping past sleeping bodies and scattered trash.

His mind screamed ‘They’re hunting you’

“But I didn’t do anything!” he muttered under his breath, but even he knew that didn’t matter. Whatever this amulet was…It had marked him and now they are coming not only for him but for the amulet.

Kratos turned another corner and suddenly stopped, it was a dead end “No” he screamed quietly.

Two soldiers stepped into the alley. Another dropped down from above, landing behind him with a heavy thud. Kratos’s breath caught, hey moved silently, like predators closing in.

“There he is” one of them said.

Kratos stepped back slowly “I don’t want trouble” he said quickly. But the way they looked at him, he already knew trouble had found him. 

“The amulet” one of them said “Remove it”. 

Kratos shook his head immediately “I can’t… It is impossible”. 

“Then we’ll do it for you” one of the soldiers said.

They moved closer and faster towards him, Kratos barely reacted in time. The first soldier lunged, Kratos dodged instinctively, his body reacting before his mind caught up. The second swung, Kratos ducked, he was amazed “What… how am I doing this?”

A third attack came from behind, Kratos twisted, a hand grabbed his shoulder, slamming him hard into the wall, pain exploded through his back.

“Got him” one of them declared.

Kratos gritted his teeth.

“Let go!” The soldier reached for the amulet.

The moment his fingers touched it, pulse exploded outward, the soldier screamed. He was thrown back violently, crashing into the ground, the others were scared.

Kratos dropped to his knees, clutching his chest. The amulet burned, notlike before but this time it was intense, wild and uncontrolled.

“It’s reacting” one of them muttered. 

“Restrain him!” the other said.

Kratos looked up. They were coming again, something inside him snapped “I said…stay back!” The words came out louder and stronger than he expected.

Everything went still, a force burst outward and the soldiers were thrown back, hitting the walls, the ground, anything in their path.

Kratos’s breath hitched “I didn’t…” and silence followed. The soldiers didn’t move immediately, Kratos stared at his hands again, shaking “What is this…?”

A low groan broke the silence, they were all getting back up, since they weren’t normal. Kratos stumbled to his feet “I can’t stay here” he murmured.

He turned and ran again and this time, he didn’t look back, he didn’t stop, he didn’t even have time to think. His body carried him forward, faster than he had ever moved before. He crashed into something, hard. Kratos fell backward, hitting the ground with a grunt “Ouch!” he screamed slightly.

He looked up quickly, a figure stood in front of him; Cloaked and still. For a split second, fear gripped him but then: “You run like you don’t know where you’re going” the voice was different. Not cold like the other man but was clearer and felt alive.

Kratos blinked “Who are you?”

The figure tilted her head slightly “Wrong question”. 

Kratos frowned “Why does everyone keep saying that?” She didn’t answer immediately. Instead, her gaze dropped to his chest, to the amulet “So it’s true”. 

Kratos instinctively covered it “What do you want?”

She looked back at him “Right now?” she said calmly “To keep you alive”. 

Kratos’s eyes narrowed “I didn’t ask for help”. 

“No” she replied “But you’re getting it anyway”.

Footsteps echoed behind them, closer. Kratos stiffened “They’re coming again” he said.

“I know” She stepped past him, she looked calm and unafraid.

Kratos stared “What are you doing?”

“Fixing your problem” She responded and smirked.

The soldiers turned the corner and they stopped when they saw her “Stand aside” one of them ordered.

“You’re interfering with Erebus authority” He added.

Kratos’s chest felt aching… Erebus. So it was true! 

She didn’t move “And if I don't?” she asked.

The soldiers didn’t waste time, they attacked, what happened next, Kratos barely understood. She moved fast and precised, with one strike a soldier dropped. Another attack, she dodged effortlessly, countering in the same motion. Within minutes, they were all on the ground, unconscious or even worse.

Kratos just stared “What…are you?”

She turned back to him “Someone who knows what that thing is” she said, nodding toward the amulet.

Kratos swallowed “Then explain it”. 

She studied him for a moment, then shook her head “Not here”. 

Kratos’s jaw tightened “I’m not going anywhere with you”.

Then she said quietly “If you stay here… you die”.

The weight of her words settled in. Kratos looked back at the fallen soldiers, then at his hands and then at the amulet. Everything felt like it was closing in “Who are you?” he asked again.

This time, she answered “I'm Lyra”.

Kratos exhaled slowly “Kratos” he introduced. 

“I know” she replied sharply.

But right now, he didn’t have options, footsteps echoed again, far more this time. Lyra glanced toward the sound.

“They’re not stopping” she said.

Kratos looked in the same direction, shadows reflected on the walls as they moved in the distance. It was more soldiers. He clenched his fists “Where do we go?”

Lyra didn’t hesitate “Somewhere they can’t follow”.

She turned and started walking, Kratos stood there for a second. He wanted to hesitate but the moment he heard another sound like it was heavy. Then, he followed.

Because he felt running alone didn’t feel like enough and deep down he knew something else too. This wasn’t just about survival anymore, this was something bigger. Probably something he didn’t understand yet but had already pulled him in. As they disappeared into the darkness, one of the fallen soldiers stirred, his eyes flickered open weakly.

His hand moved slowly, pulling out a small device. It glowed faintly, he pressed it and a weak signal shot out.

“Target confirmed” he whispered.

Then everything went dark again.