There's a slightly cocky, confident voice coming from behind the door.
"COME ON OUT!" the stranger yelled.
Kratos turned his head and walked toward the wooden door. As he moved, the stranger knocked again, saying,
"It's no use hiding anymore. I know who you are."
Atreus tensed beside Deimos, his small hands curling into fists. His eyes, still puffy from the night before, darted toward their father. "What's going on? Do you know him?"
Deimos said nothing.
He already knew.
The moment had come.
"More importantly, I know what you are!" said the stranger at the door.
"Both of you. Beneath the floor. Now," Kratos ordered his sons as he approached them, leaving the door open.
"But you told us never to go down there! Who is that?" Atreus asked, his voice laced with confusion.
"Father, I can help! Isn't this why you've been training me?" Deimos protested.
"I do not know him, and this is not the time!" Kratos said firmly as he pulled away the blanket covering the trapdoor and opened it.
"What's he talking about?"
Kratos looked at him, his expression unreadable—but his voice was sharp, leaving no room for argument.
"Now."
Deimos stepped forward, defiant. "You can't just hide us, Father! I can fight—"
Kratos, without looking at him, responded in a tone that brooked no defiance. "You will do as I say."
With no other choice, both Atreus and Deimos slipped beneath the floor. Deimos hesitated, his mind racing with thoughts of defying his father's orders. After they were hidden, Kratos replaced the blanket over the trapdoor.
"Just tell me what I want to know! No need for this to get bloody," the stranger said as Kratos stepped outside the cabin.
A lean man with a light-brown beard stood before him, wearing only light pants. His body was covered in blue tattoos.
"Thought you'd be bigger. But you're the one. Long way from home, aren't you?" the stranger taunted.
Kratos remained still. "What do you want?"
The stranger smirked. "Oh, you already know the answer to that."
"Whatever you seek, it is not here. Leave."
The stranger chuckled. "Hahaha. And here I thought your kind was supposed to be so enlightened. So much better than us. So much smarter. And yet you hide out here in the woods—like a coward."
Kratos' voice dropped to a warning growl. "You do not want this fight."
"Oh, I'm pretty sure I do." The stranger threw a punch at Kratos.
Kratos stood firm. "Leave… my… home."
The stranger grinned. "You're going to have to kill me for that to happen."
He struck Kratos in the face several times. Kratos intercepted the last blow.
"I warned you."
"Finally," the stranger whispered, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
Beneath the floor, Atreus and Deimos crouched in the darkness. The wood creaked faintly above them as their father stepped outside. Atreus breathed heavily, his heart pounding against his ribs. Deimos, however, was silent—his jaw tight, his fingers curled into fists.
Atreus whispered, "Who is that man? How does he know Father?"
Deimos' voice was low, tense. "He's not just some man."
Atreus turned to him, confused. Deimos kept his eyes fixed on the floorboards above them, listening intently.
"You know something. Tell me."
Before Deimos could answer, the stranger's voice drifted through the cracks.
"Oh… I'm pretty sure I do."
A sudden CRACK—the sound of a fist colliding with flesh. The entire cabin shook. A wooden bowl tumbled from a shelf above, rolling to a stop beside Atreus.
Deimos flinched but didn't look away.
Kratos' voice was low and dangerous. "Leave… my… home."
The stranger grinned. "You're going to have to kill me for that to happen."
Another BOOM—something heavy crashed against the wall, rattling the very foundation of the cabin. Dust rained down on the twins. Atreus gripped his bow, eyes wide. Deimos gripped the hilt of his knife so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
Atreus whispered, panicked, "We can't just sit here!"
Deimos gritted his teeth. "We will… but not yet."
Above them, the fight escalated. Heavy blows shook the cabin as Kratos and Baldur traded attacks. A loud CRASH—then silence.
Deimos held his breath. He knew his father was powerful, but there was something… wrong about this man.
Atreus whispered, "Did… did he win?"
Suddenly, the silence was broken by a deep RUMBLE—the sound of something massive being thrown. The entire cabin lurched as if struck by a godly force. The boys were thrown sideways as the wooden floorboards cracked violently.
Deimos slammed a hand against the ground to steady himself. His breath was sharp, controlled. Then, with quiet determination, he looked at Atreus.
"I'm not staying here."
Deimos moved toward the trapdoor handle. Atreus grabbed his arm, eyes wide.
"What are you doing?! Father told us to stay!"
Deimos whispered, firm, "And you're just going to sit here while he fights alone?"
Above them, the sound of cracking wood echoed through the cabin. Another crash shook the walls. Snow dust trickled through the floorboards.
Atreus' voice wavered. "You don't know what that man is! What if Father's trying to protect us?"
Deimos' jaw clenched. "I don't need protecting."
He gripped the trapdoor, muscles tensed, but hesitated. A part of him knew—his father would be furious. But he also knew something Atreus did not. He had seen glimpses of their past, heard whispers of their bloodline. And something about this man… it terrified him.
Above, the fight continued. Another heavy blow shook the house, and suddenly, silence.
Deimos and Atreus froze.
Atreus whispered, barely breathing, "Did he…?"
Then, a loud THOOM! Something—something was launched through the air. A moment later, the sound of trees snapping like twigs filled the silence.
Deimos' jaw tightened. That wasn't their father.
"I'm going."
Before Atreus could stop him, Deimos gripped the trapdoor, shoved it open, and climbed out.
Outside, snow drifted lazily from the trees, a stark contrast to the destruction in the clearing. Trees were uprooted, boulders shattered. In the distance, his father stood tall, facing the stranger.
Kratos' back was to him, but Deimos could see the tension in his stance. A familiar rage bubbling beneath the surface. The stranger—Baldur—cracked his neck, smirking.
Baldur mocked, "That's all you got?"
Deimos clenched his fists, his heart hammering.
Kratos roared, furious, "DEIMOS—NO!"
But it was too late. Deimos sprinted forward, knife drawn.
"Get away from my father!"