All I remember is pain…

His life had been one of treachery. At every turn in his life, he was deceived. All he knew was anger. Just when he had ended it all, just when he thought it was over, when retribution was finally within grasp, when solace was his at last, he was called again. Despite the havoc he caused, the world still needed him. His odyssey was not over. Not yet.

"Spartan… Awaken, Spartan..."

The marked warrior slowly became aware again. His body followed the rhythm of the tide.

"Spartan… You must rise…"

He winced as the noise of life became louder and louder. It wasn't until his body was thrown against the jagged earth that he could open his sealed eyelids. Everything was a blur. He turned onto his back to see and breathe better. Most of what he saw was just dark, but there stood a shadowy figure before him, a white light behind the figure's head. He shielded his eyes, waiting for them to adjust to the darkness.

"The Ghost of Sparta climbs out of his grave yet again," the figure whispered.
"Who… are you?"

The figure offered his hand, helping the Spartan up.

"Who am I… if not but another wandering soul? Look around you, Kratos."

Kratos did as told. Indeed, he was in Hades. He must have fallen into the River Styx after completing his vengeance. Wisps of white with mourning faces flew around the realm aimlessly.

"What was once the Realm of Hades is now but an open gateway to nothingness. With Hades' death, souls can now come in and out as they please, generally staying here as there is no place left to go. Both the mortal-world and the Plains of Elysium are worthless now, the former being nearly uninhabitable, and the latter having been destroyed in all the chaos-"

The spirit suddenly had Kratos' full attention.

"What's this about Elysium?"
"It lies in ruin. Why do you ask?"
"It's inhabitants, do they live?"
"I cannot say if they have all survived. Many escaped, but it is believed that some perished in its collapse."
"Take me there," Kratos grabbed the stranger by the neck, "Now."
"What is the source of your wrath, Spartan? Has your anger not finally been quenched? You've killed all the Gods of Olympus, including their king! What more do you need?"

Kratos froze, slowly releasing his grip. His eyes wandered away, losing contact with the spirit's, losing focus.

"… My family…"

Free of his captor, the spirit dusted himself without removing his gaze from Kratos.

"If your family lives, they are not safe. No one is safe. Not yet."
"What are you babbling about?"
"The gods. They are still a very real threat."
"I killed them."
"Yes, our gods, the Gods of Greece."
"What treachery is this? Had there been others, surely they would have shown their faces by now, unless they are cowards."
"Yes and no. They have hidden themselves very well. After the Great War and before the rise of Olympus, there was another war brewing. The Gods of the Greek, Egyptian, and Norse peoples nearly engaged in battle to claim the title of 'The Gods of the People'."
"And what stopped them?"
"Most feared that a war of such scale between three legions would result in more loss than gain."
"And how, then, did Zeus take the throne?"
"Because of you, Kratos."

Kratos paused, but the spirit kept on.

"There was an ancient legend that spoke of a 'blood-marked god-slayer' who would end the rule of the First Gods. At the time, Zeus in his pride took it as the fable that it was. The other gods, however, took it as a warning and digressed, giving up their desired position to the Olympians, believing it to be a death-sentence. They would rather be patient than dead, even if they had to wait so long that the only ones who would remember them would be their own people. Pride comes before the fall. Zeus confirmed that."

Kratos looked to the heavens. The white light he had seen earlier came from the peak of Mount Olympus, or what remained of it, at least. It was all self-fulfilling prophecy. It existed because Zeus would take the throne, and Zeus did so because it existed. It would renew the cycle of son-killing-father. Everything, everything was just one great web of irony. When finally seeing the gravity of the situation, Zeus would take action to end the Marked Warrior in his youth, only to create him. Ares would seek to construct the perfect weapon to destroy Olympus and usurp his father's throne, just for his weapon to be used against him, then for that weapon to end Olympus regardless, obtain what he desired, and toss it away. Zeus would take Kratos' country and life from him in fear of Kratos hunting him, only to ensure exactly that. Twist upon twist in the endless web. It was all just a sick joke. That's all life is. That's all it ever was. Even the Sisters of Fate, the masters of Destiny, were pawns of Destiny itself. And Kratos was a slave of Destiny, eternally bound. He would never be free of it, not until he had completed it.

The spirit spoke again, bringing Kratos back to reality.
"The legend eventually took on the form of a prophecy, and that prophecy took on the form of a Spartan."
"So the Olympians are dead. Of what concern are these new gods to me?"
Kratos didn't want to deal with the drudgery anymore.
"With the Olympians dead and you believed to be dead, the risks of death has lessened, and these foreign gods have resurfaced in your absence to engage in war and become The Gods of the People."
"Let them have their petty wars and titles."
"There is more to it than that, Spartan. With the gods distracted, Morpheus has returned. The fall of Olympus saw to the death of many, but Morpheus has hidden in the shadows, waiting for the demise of Helios-"
"Which I brought to him…"
"Yes. And now, he seeks to again cast the world into slumber."
"Have not the people the power of Hope?"
"Hope sees to it that they fight, that many survive, but only for so long. Worse yet, Phobos has aligned with Morpheus."
"Phobos lives?"
"Yes. He is perhaps the last of our gods."
"And if I kill them both, then what of these other gods? They will have their war, one side will be the victor, and then what? They will have exactly what they want. What threat would they prove?"
"Kratos, when you opened Pandora's Box, you poisoned all the gods."
Again, Destiny taunted Kratos.
"It is more than apparent in their behavior. No one is safe, Spartan. Neither the dead nor the living, so long as these gods live."

… My existence has served only to the suffering of all… Why must this be my burden?

"… How am I to kill these gods? I am no longer the God of War, and I do not possess Hope."
"Because of you, Hope now exists in all, you included. You were able to command its full power, and you can again… but if that isn't enough for you, then I ask: how did you kill Persephone?"
"I used the power of Helios against her."
"Yes, you used the power of one god to combat another, and though you are the God of War no more, there dwells the soul of another god within you, forever grafted to your own soul."
"Hades…"
"Yes. You were the God of War, but now you are the new God of the Underworld, the God of the Dead. War and death, this is what defines you, it is who you are.
You are Death, the Destroyer of Worlds…
The world feared you and the chaos you wrought, but now it needs you. That chaos is what ended Olympus, the World of the Gods, and it is what will end this new terror."
"… I never wanted this… Can I not pass this burden to another?"
"You run from who you are?"
"Have I not done enough?!"
"Do you want peace? Do you want your family to be safe?"
Silence.
"… If that is what you want, then acknowledge that the only way to obtain your desires is to stop running from who you are and to start embracing it. You are what stands in your way, nothing else."

Kratos' journey thus far, great as it was, had only freed him of his guilt. He still needed peace, and to obtain that, he needed to make peace with himself. The cruelty of Destiny. He thought he was shaped into Death, but now he feared that he was always Death. The irony of Destiny.

"… What must I do?" Kratos finally sighed.
"You must master the godly powers hidden within you. The power of Hades is now your own to command."
"I have no weapons."
"Call upon the Claws of Hades. They are eternally bound to the soul of their namesake."
Kratos closed his eyes and focused. Within some time, they flew down towards him from the peak of Mount Olympus, unholy weapons from the remains of holy grounds. Kratos had become so accustomed to the form of his blades that having these as his primary weapons seemed unnatural. The spirit easily read Kratos' expression.
"I know of a weapons-smith that can craft that into something more appropriate."
"Where is he?" Kratos wasted no time asking.
"He usually dwells within the same area. Even after all this chaos, he hasn't moved much from there. Follow me."

The two walked and conversed.
"You never told me your name."
"I am called Ortus."
"Ortus?"
"It means 'to rise'."
Kratos paused before speaking again.
"How do you know of me?"
"Everyone knows of the Ghost of Sparta. When you do something, all eyes are on you. Little that you do is unknown."

Kratos pondered this. The first god he would kill would certainly grab attention, especially if it was Morpheus. To pull an unseen god – and a primordial at that – out of the shadows and kill him would make the Spartan's presence known to the warring gods. They feared him before he came into being, so would they again hide like cowards, or would they unite? No, they feared the one who could end a single legion of gods, they who would become The Gods of the People. Now, there were two of them, and surely they would cast aside their grievances to deal with him. Kratos would not be able to do this alone. One thing was for certain: to take the godly weapons and magics off their corpses would be of great aid. Was there anything else he knew that could help? He thought of his family, of their safety… His family… Deimos! His soul had to linger somewhere in this pit.

"Ortus, have you seen another who bears a mark like my own?"
"I cannot say that I have, but I have heard word of one roaming about."
"We must find him. He is my brother, and he can help."
"Very well. We shall find him in time."
"Do you know of anyone else that can be assistance?"
"Perhaps Apollo."
"Apollo has been long dead."
"Yes, but it is believed that he has transcended this existence."
"Much like Athena…"
"Athena?"
"Yes, she hasn't truly perished, and having died after I opened Pandora's Box, I believed she may have been corrupted as well."
"Do you think she may pose a threat?"
"I cannot say for certain. She possesses the Blade of Olympus, but I do not believe her to be of great danger."
"You may have to keep watch of her, regardless. Now, Apollo-"
"I doubt I have time to chase down myths."
"Maybe so…"

As they walked, Kratos searched his soul. Now the God of the Dead, he attempted to sense the souls of his family. He needed to know that their souls were preserved. For them to have suffered… he wasn't sure he'd be able to go on. He focused. He couldn't tell where they were, but he could feel their delicate heartbeats. He let out a sigh of relief. Knowing that they were well gave him strength, gave him reason to push forward. He would confront Destiny. For his family…

… Wait for me…