The great town still smoldered from battle. Collapsed buildings lay drowned in seawater, the streets littered with shattered carts and broken stone. The townsfolk had fled, leaving only silence and the stench of brine.
The six companions made camp in the shadow of the ruined gate. A fire crackled weakly against the cold night air. Luna sat close, her small hands resting against her new gauntlets, her cloudy eyes still carrying the image of Perseus falling beneath Kratos' blades.
After a long stretch of silence, she looked up at Seraphina. "Did… Kratos have a history with Perseus?"
Seraphina's emerald eyes flickered. She looked across the fire at the Spartan, who sat sharpening his blades in silence, his face hidden in shadow. Then she nodded. "Yes. They do."
Luna tilted her head, curiosity shining in her pale face. "What happened?"
Seraphina's voice lowered, steady but heavy with memory. "It was before we killed Ares."
She drew in a slow breath, eyes fixed on the flames. "Perseus came to Kratos, seeking glory. He wanted to prove himself, the shining hero of Olympus, the slayer of monsters. He challenged Kratos directly. The two fought—steel against fury. And Kratos would have killed him… but Ares appeared."
Luna's eyes widened. "Ares?"
Seraphina nodded. "The God of War himself. He favored Perseus as his champion, and so he intervened. The battlefield became chaos. Kratos fought them both—Perseus with his divine blade, Ares with his godly might. But Ares underestimated him." Her voice hardened. "Kratos defeated him. Killed him. The God of War fell that day, not Perseus."
Adrian smirked faintly, his crimson eyes gleaming in the firelight. "And that is why Olympus trembles. If Kratos can slay a god, then none of them are untouchable."
Dorian rested his hand on the hilt of his straight sword. "And yet, Perseus lived. Until today."
Luna's gaze drifted back to Kratos. The Spartan said nothing, sharpening his blades with slow, deliberate strokes, as if Perseus' blood still clung to the steel. She wanted to ask him directly, but something in his silence made her hesitate.
Instead, she looked back at Seraphina. "And your mother… what about her?"
The fire popped. For a moment, Seraphina said nothing. Then, with a faint smile that did not reach her eyes, she spoke.
"My mother still lives."
Luna's breath caught. "She does?"
"Yes," Seraphina whispered. "She hides in a place beyond Olympus' reach, where no god can set foot. The curse still binds her, but she survives. Waiting. Watching."
Her hands tightened around her bow. "The gods wanted her forgotten, erased from memory. But she endures. One day, I will see her again. And when I do… I will make sure she knows her daughters were not broken by Olympus' cruelty."
Luna's cloudy eyes softened. "…Then we'll find her. Together."
The fire crackled, shadows dancing across their weary faces. For the first time since the battle, silence felt less like grief and more like a promise.
The night deepened, and above them, the stars watched in silence.