Chapter 86 – The Rift Unbound
The air had turned heavy—so heavy it felt as though the sky itself was pressing down upon them. Shadows curled over the jagged landscape like living smoke, twisting unnaturally, feeding off the realm's unrest. Every step Kratos took sent tremors through the broken earth beneath him. Each heartbeat throbbed in his skull like a war drum.
Atreus walked beside him, bow in hand, threads of the fracture flickering around his fingers like restless serpents. The fracture pulsed violently, each pulse a temptation to surrender, to unleash all of its raw destructive power. One release, one surge, one strike—and all would fall.
But Atreus resisted, teeth clenched, pulse hammering in his chest. "Father… it's growing stronger. Every time I restrain it, it screams louder."
Kratos's eyes, as cold and unyielding as the frost on his Leviathan Axe, scanned the horizon. "Then you endure it. Control is survival. Survival is everything."
Xenara hovered nearby, her glyphs spinning frantically in the growing darkness. "The Nine… they are reorganizing. This isn't just an attack—it's a siege of the realms themselves. Every rift, every fracture, every shadow—they are working in unison. You cannot hope to meet them with force alone."
Kratos's jaw tightened. "Then we fight with precision. And with patience."
The ground trembled. From the distance, the first of the Nine emerged, their forms wreathed in molten void, eyes burning red like distant stars. Shadows swirled around them in intricate patterns, weapons forming midair, shaping and reshaping as if the darkness itself had intelligence.
Atreus's bow glimmered with the threads of the fracture. He fired an arrow, the strands weaving around the nearest shadow constructs, binding them momentarily to the plateau. They writhed, screams of dissolving energy echoing faintly in the void, before collapsing.
The Nine adapted instantly. New constructs rose from fresh rifts, each one attacking with calculated precision, striking from every angle. The plateau quaked violently under the combined force, stones splitting, fissures opening wide.
Kratos charged the nearest colossus, Leviathan Axe in hand. Frost erupted with every strike, scattering shadows and shattering fragments of stone. But for every one he felled, two more replaced it, and the commander of the Nine loomed behind, a massive presence with armor fused from shattered thrones, moving with terrifying intent.
Atreus's pulse quickened. The fracture inside him pulsed violently, begging to be released. Release me. End them all. Tear the realm apart.
"No!" Atreus whispered harshly, gripping his bow tighter. "I will not…"
Kratos's voice cut through the chaos like steel. "Do not let it control you! Channel it, do not surrender!"
The commander advanced, red eyes locked on Atreus. Shadows surged, wrapping around him like coils of living darkness, seeking to overwhelm his focus. Atreus released a controlled pulse, threads lashing outward, binding shadows to the fractured plateau, stabilizing the terrain long enough for Kratos to strike.
The ground beneath them trembled violently. A massive fissure split the plateau, swallowing chunks of stone into the abyss. Kratos leapt across, landing with precision, but the commander's weapon followed in an arc, cutting the air where he had stood moments before.
Atreus fired another arrow, threads lacing through the commander's armor. Sparks erupted, frost clashing with void energy. The colossus staggered, but it was far from defeated. Its adaptive form twisted mid-strike, reshaping limbs and blade, forcing Kratos to respond with brutal precision.
The plateau shuddered again. Stones tumbled into the abyss below, creating new hazards. The rifts multiplied, spewing more shadows with terrifying coordination. The Nine's laughter rang out—layered, echoing, cruel—like a chorus of doom. Endure… resist… collapse is inevitable…
Xenara shouted, trying to stabilize the crumbling terrain. "You cannot hold them all! The fractures are destabilizing the plateau faster than we can repair!"
Kratos growled, swinging his axe with calculated fury. "Then we fight smarter. Use the fracture, not against it. Every strike must count!"
Atreus nodded, hands trembling slightly as he channeled controlled threads of energy. Shadows were bound and destroyed in small bursts, but the fracture pulsed aggressively, hungry for more, screaming at him to unleash its full force.
From the horizon, the Nine's commander raised its weapon high. A pulse of raw void energy rippled outward, cracking the air and sending shockwaves across the plateau. Stone fractured beneath their feet. Kratos braced, axe meeting the blade with a resounding clash that sent tremors through the entire battlefield.
Atreus's threads latched onto the edges of the plateau, stabilizing the immediate area. Sparks of red and blue energy collided in a brilliant display of power and restraint.
"Father…" Atreus panted. "I can't hold much longer…"
Kratos's gaze hardened. "Then we make this count. Every pulse, every strike, every thread. Survive first, and the rest will follow."
The commander moved with uncanny speed, striking at Kratos from every angle. Shadows formed jagged weapons midair, attacking in perfect synchronization. Kratos met each one with the Leviathan Axe, frost exploding outward, cutting through the darkness.
Atreus wove threads rapidly, binding constructs, stabilizing fissures, anchoring fragments of stone to prevent collapse. The fracture screamed against his restraint, clawing at him, threatening to overwhelm his control.
Kratos roared, forcing a surge of momentum forward, smashing through the largest cluster of shadows. Atreus followed with precise threads, restraining the constructs long enough for Kratos to land devastating blows.
But the commander adapted again, its red eyes glinting with cruel intelligence. Every pattern they used was anticipated. Every strategy met with a counter. The Nine were learning, evolving, relentless.
A massive fissure split the plateau beneath Atreus's feet. He leapt back, barely escaping the edge, threads anchoring him to Kratos's wrist. Kratos swung his axe, frost cutting through a surge of shadow constructs, buying them a brief reprieve.
Xenara's wards flared brightly, stabilizing fragments of the plateau. "You've only bought seconds! Use them wisely!"
Atreus's fracture pulsed violently. Release it… destroy… consume…
"No!" he shouted, forcing his hands steady. He released a controlled pulse, channeling the fracture into threads that restrained the commander, binding its limbs just long enough for Kratos to strike. Frost and void clashed violently, shards of stone and darkness scattering into the abyss.
The commander roared, staggering but not defeated. Its adaptive body twisted violently, slashing through Kratos's defenses. Kratos leapt aside, landing hard, axe ready for the next strike.
Atreus's pulse quickened. The fracture screamed, demanding release. He clenched his teeth, pulling threads tighter, weaving the chaos into order. Constructs were restrained, the plateau stabilized for mere moments.
The Nine's commander raised its blade again. Shadows swirled like a storm, ready to crush them both. The rifts expanded, the abyss yawning hungrily below.
Kratos's eyes locked with Atreus's. "One strike, one surge, one moment—together. Endure it!"
Atreus nodded, threads coiling with deadly precision. He released a pulse, striking the commander with coordinated force, binding its limbs, restraining the shadows around it. Kratos slammed the Leviathan Axe into the enemy, frost erupting, shattering constructs and fragments alike.
The battlefield shook violently, stones falling into the void. The rifts expanded further, the Nine adapting relentlessly. But for the first time, the commander faltered, struggling against the combined assault of Kratos and Atreus.
Xenara shouted above the chaos. "Keep it! Anchor the fractures! Do not falter!"
Kratos swung again, striking true. The commander roared in frustration, staggering back, shadows dissipating temporarily. Atreus's threads held the fractured plateau in place.
The Nine's assault was relentless, but together, Kratos and Atreus endured. The abyss yawned hungrily beneath them. The shadows swarmed, adaptive and intelligent. The fracture pulsed aggressively, testing the boy's control.
But for the first time, Kratos felt a shift. The tide could be held, if only barely.
And survival… that fragile, fleeting hope… was theirs to seize.