Chapter 22 - New Life in God of War

Hyperion opened a portal to Greece, which was now just a ravine filled with wandering, mindless souls.
Everything was dead.

He then guided the souls to the Well of Souls in Alfheim. Hyperion separated and restored the souls that had not committed heinous crimes—unlike the previous three races, Greece had an overwhelming amount of evil.
 He cast the corrupted souls into the Well of Souls to be cleansed. There was so much evil that the energy previously strengthened by the Well of Souls was reduced by a third. Fortunately, when the Dark Well of Souls is created, these wicked souls will be drawn there, strengthening that well, which in turn will also reinforce this one.

The two wells have distinct differences: the luminous well purifies souls with gentleness and warmth, while the dark well does so with cruelty and efficiency. Of course, the more sins a soul carries, the harsher the dark well will be, while the more virtuous the soul, the more comforting the luminous well will feel. Hyperion considered establishing a merit system in the future, allowing exceptionally good individuals a chance to reincarnate with granted wishes or something similar, as a way to reward goodness with goodness.

Back to the present.

Hyperion used time magic to recover the destroyed souls of ancient Greece—there were many, after all, the death of gods tied to aspects of the world is highly destructive.
 He then repeated the process he had used on the first souls, but this time, he separated a different type of crystal from that of the virtuous souls and preserved some of them. Once he was finished and not a single soul remained in Greece, he closed the portal.

“Well, my little flame, I’m done. Here, this crystal contains the good Greek souls,” Hyperion said, handing a crystal to Kratos.

Kratos carefully held the crystal, slowly pressing it against her chest while closing her eyes.
 Hyperion saw her shoulders relax slightly and smiled warmly.

Kratos opened her eyes and saw Hyperion smiling at her with warmth. She smiled back and embraced him tightly.

“Thank you, dear,” Kratos whispered.

"Everything for you," Hyperion said, kissing the top of her head.

After a while in each other's embrace, Hyperion gently pulled away and looked at her seriously.
 He then lifted the other crystal he had created.

“Kratos, in this crystal are the souls of the Olympian gods and Titans. Do you want me to destroy them? Or should I cast them into the well, allowing them to be cleansed and reincarnated as infants?” Hyperion asked solemnly.

Kratos was surprised but then displayed a troubled expression. In truth, she hadn’t thought of destroying them but was considering whether to revive Athena and Pandora. In the end, she sighed and made her decision.

“Place them in the well and let them have a new destiny. In fact, place this crystal with the good souls as well. I don’t believe those good souls would thrive in this pantheon with their Greek memories. Cast them into the fountain, and if possible, ensure they reincarnate among the elves, giants, and Vanir. That way, I’ll know they will find peace,” Kratos said after deciding.

Hyperion was surprised but soon showed a conflicted expression.

“I think that’s a wise choice, and it's not difficult for them to be born into those three races. But… there’s a problem… inside this crystal, the souls of your two sisters are also present,” Hyperion admitted.

In truth, he had planned to surprise Kratos when her sisters reincarnated, which was why he looked troubled—his surprise had been ruined.

Kratos’ eyes widened upon hearing this, and sadness crossed her face before being replaced by anticipation.

“Hyperion, can you let me speak with them?” Kratos asked.

Hyperion hesitated at her request.

“My love… they carry the memories of their final moments before death, so they… will probably be afraid of you,” Hyperion embraced her and spoke gently.

He felt Kratos tremble slightly in his arms, but she pulled away and looked at him with determination.

“I know, but I have to ask what they want. It wouldn’t be fair for me to decide their future without hearing their opinions,” Kratos stated firmly.

Hyperion found it somewhat amusing.

“Didn’t you just decide the fate of all Greek souls without asking their opinion a minute ago?” Hyperion said with an amused expression, unsure whether to laugh or cry.

“That’s different!” Kratos said with a serious face.

Hyperion could only roll his eyes. ‘Women… they turn black into white and white into black.’ he thought.

Of course, he wouldn’t dare say it out loud and kept it to himself.

He then used his powers to allow Kratos to speak with her sisters. Soon, two female souls appeared before them, and upon seeing Kratos, they shrank back in fear. Hyperion noticed Kratos’ saddened expression, but he decided to step away and let her handle it.

An hour later, Kratos returned, holding the crystal containing the souls in her hand. There was happiness and relief on her normally stoic face.

But when she saw Hyperion, a smile appeared, and she ran to embrace him. Neither spoke; they simply held each other for a while.

Hyperion then asked,

“How did it go?”

“I explained to them what happened. They scolded me for my recklessness in challenging Olympus but forgave me in the end. They also decided they wanted to live a new life since everyone they had known or loved, besides me, would also be living a new life,” Kratos narrated while resting against Hyperion’s chest. There was sadness in her final words—she had reunited with her sisters, only to lose them again—but there was also relief. She felt freer and lighter than she had ever felt before.

Hyperion saw her relieved yet sorrowful expression and smiled.

“You may have lost your sisters, but you’ve gained others. Look…” Hyperion pointed to where Freya and Faye were waiting for them, watching Kratos with concern.

Upon seeing them, Kratos couldn't help but smile, and a tear slipped from her eye.
She was finally whole in this life.