The aftermath of the battle left the air thick with a quiet tension. The undead had fallen, the sorceress was gone, and the walkers that had haunted the night were nothing more than still bodies scattered across the forest floor. But the lingering dread hadn't dissipated. It clung to the survivors like a cold mist, chilling their bones. They had won the battle, but something darker loomed beyond the trees, beyond the limits of their understanding.

Kratos walked silently alongside Clementine as they returned to the school. His battle armor was streaked with blood and dirt, and the faint glow of the Blades of Chaos still flickered along his arms. Clementine, still clutching her machete, cast glances toward him. There was no doubt in her mind that Kratos had saved them all again tonight, but the growing threat left her feeling uneasy.

When they reached the courtyard, Freya stopped at the gate, her eyes scanning the treeline. The winds carried a chill that wasn't natural, and she could feel the residue of dark magic fading but still present. "This isn't over," she said softly, turning to Kratos. "There are others—there must be. The one we faced wasn't the true source of this power."

Kratos grunted in response, his face as unreadable as always. "There will always be another threat."

Clementine, overhearing them, stepped forward. "If we don't know where it's coming from, how do we stop it?"

Freya looked at her, the weight of their reality heavy in her eyes. "We must find the source. There's something ancient at play here, something older than any magic I've encountered in our realm. This world—it's breaking apart at the seams."

Louis, standing nearby and still catching his breath from the fight, leaned against the wall. "Great. More ancient evil stuff. Just when I thought we were getting a handle on things."

AJ stood by Clementine, his pistol still clutched in his small hands. His eyes were wide, filled with a mixture of fear and awe. He had seen so much, survived so much, but now there was something in his gaze that Clementine hadn't seen before—a quiet admiration for Kratos. To AJ, Kratos was more than just a fighter. He was invincible.

"Are we going to fight more people like her?" AJ asked quietly, looking up at Clementine.

Clementine knelt down, brushing a hand through AJ's hair. "I don't know, AJ. But we'll be ready if we do. That's what matters."

Kratos watched the exchange in silence. He had seen this before—innocence struggling to survive in a world that had no mercy. He had seen it in Atreus, and now he saw it in AJ. He respected Clementine for her strength and leadership, but he couldn't help but wonder how long they could keep this up. The battles would never end. This world, like the realms he had once known, was locked in a cycle of violence and survival.

Freya approached Kratos, her voice soft but determined. "We need to find answers, Kratos. There's a power behind all of this, and we can't fight blindly. If we don't find it, more will come. And next time, we might not be so lucky."

Kratos nodded, though he remained silent. Freya was right. The sorceress had been strong, but there was something more—a darkness that reached beyond the walkers, beyond the undead. They had only seen the beginning of what was to come.

As the group made their way inside, the weight of the battle fell on them all. The children of Ericson's were survivors, yes, but there was a limit to how much any of them could take. Clementine looked around the room at her people—Violet, Louis, AJ—and realized they were all exhausted. But there was no time for rest, not yet.

Louis flopped down into a chair, wiping the sweat from his brow. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm voting for a long nap and maybe a hot meal if that's still a thing. I've had enough of magic zombies for one lifetime."

Violet leaned against the wall, her arms crossed. "We need to focus on fortifying the school again. If there are more out there like her, we need to be prepared."

Freya stepped forward, her presence commanding the room. "Fortifying the school is a start, but it won't be enough. The threat we face won't just come from the undead. We have to leave and search for the source of this magic, or it will continue to grow."

Clementine frowned. "Leave? And go where?"

"There are places in this world where magic is still strong," Freya explained. "If we follow the traces of dark magic, we can find where it originates. There must be a focal point, somewhere that's feeding this darkness. If we find it, we can stop it at the source."

Kratos turned to Freya, his deep voice cutting through the air. "This is not our world. How do we find the source in a land we do not understand?"

Freya's eyes flickered with uncertainty, but her resolve remained. "We follow the signs. There will be traces—echoes of the magic we've felt. It won't be easy, but it's the only way."

Clementine looked around the room at the faces of her people. Could they really leave the safety of Ericson's to chase something they didn't fully understand? They had fortified the school, built it into a refuge, but if what Freya said was true, staying put wouldn't keep them safe for long.

"We'll need supplies," Clementine said, her tone steady. "If we're going to leave, we need to be ready for the worst. We'll need to move fast and stay ahead of whatever's out there."

Louis groaned. "So, more running, more fighting, and less sleeping. Got it."

Freya stepped closer to Clementine, her voice low. "You don't have to come. This is my fight—and Kratos'. I won't ask you to risk your people's lives for a battle that isn't yours."

Clementine's eyes hardened. "You saved us back there. That makes it our fight too. We never abandon our own."

Kratos stood silent, but his respect for Clementine grew in that moment. She was a leader who understood sacrifice, who knew that surviving meant more than just living—it meant protecting those who couldn't protect themselves.

Freya nodded, though the weight of what lay ahead was clear in her eyes. "Then we leave at dawn. We'll need to follow the trail of magic while it's still fresh."

Violet straightened up. "I'll start gathering supplies. We'll need food, water, weapons. Everything we can carry."

Louis stood, though the weariness on his face was clear. "I'll help. Not that I'm excited about it, but if we're going into another mess, we better be ready."

Clementine looked at AJ, who was still watching Kratos with admiration. She knew AJ would insist on coming, but this journey would be dangerous—more dangerous than anything they had faced so far.

"AJ," she said softly, but firmly, "you're coming with me. But you better stay close to me, do you understand?"

AJ nodded quickly, his determination unshakable. "I understand, Clem. I'm ready."

As the group began preparing for their departure, the weight of what was to come settled over them like a heavy fog. Kratos, Freya, Clementine, Violet, and Louis would leave the safety of the school to chase down an ancient magic they barely understood. The future was uncertain, but one thing was clear: they couldn't stay here.

Kratos turned to Freya, his voice low but resolute. "We will end this."

Freya's gaze met his, her eyes filled with a deep, unspoken understanding. "Yes. We will."

As the night deepened, the fires burned low, and the survivors of Ericson's prepared for what lay ahead. They had survived battles, raiders, and the dead—but the true fight was only beginning.

In the quiet of the night, the echoes of dark magic stirred in the distance, and the storm on the horizon loomed closer with every passing moment.

And in the heart of it all stood Kratos, the God of War, ready to face whatever came next.