In the soft embrace of dreams, Helius found himself seated beside his beloved Wisteria, her form a vision of grace and serenity in the moonlit glade. With a tender smile, he whispered soft words of love and devotion, his voice a soothing melody amidst the tranquil silence of the night. "Wisteria, my love," he murmured, his golden eyes alight with adoration as he brushed his cheek against hers, tenderly looking down to her. . "You are my heart, my soul, my everything." Her violet eyes shimmered with affection as she leaned into his touch, her warmth enveloping him like a comforting embrace. In that moment, all was right with the world, and Helius felt as though he could stay in this blissful reverie forever.

But then, with a jolt that sent his heart racing, he was ripped from the sanctuary of dreams, thrust back into the harsh reality of a world torn to pieces.

As he blinked away the remnants of sleep, Helius found himself surrounded by broken and crumbled ground, jagged rocks jutting out like the gnarled fingers of some ancient beast. Panic surged through him as memories flooded back, memories of a cataclysmic earthquake that had shattered their world in an instant. With a sense of urgency that bordered on desperation, Helius pushed himself up from the shattered earth, his senses on high alert as he scanned the desolate landscape for any sign of his family.

"Wisteria?" he called out, his voice tinged with fear as he searched for her familiar form amidst the chaos. But there was no response, no soft touch of fur against his own, only the haunting echo of his own voice carried away on the wind. The reality set in. She wasn’t there. She hadn’t been there. She had perished in the plague that rampaged around Starfall for a time. He could feel his heart snapping in half once again, missing the love they had shared. Tears pooled in his eyes as he held back a soft sob.

As he gazed around the broken landscape around him, everything felt as if it were closing in on him. Panic was setting in. But he couldn’t let it overtake him. Taking a deep breath, the Golden Warrior forced himself to focus, his thoughts turning to his brother, Paeeon, and their father. They had been together when the earthquake struck, and he prayed that they had survived the devastation unscathed. With each step, memories flashed before his eyes, images of the world collapsing around them, of fear and chaos and the desperate struggle for survival. And then, amidst the rubble and ruin, he spotted a familiar figure.

Paeeon, his brother, stood tall amidst the destruction, his golden fur ruffled by the gentle breeze, his eyes filled with a mixture of relief and sorrow. "Helius!" Paeeon's voice rang out, a beacon of hope amidst the devastation, as they rushed towards each other. Helius couldn’t help but let out a cry of relief at seeing his twin brother alive and as well as he could be in this situation.

But their reunion was short-lived, for the absence of their father weighed heavy upon them. Paeeon looked to Helius, the obvious fear in his eyes. "Where’s father?” His voice trembled slightly. The Golden Warrior scanned their surroundings, hoping to spot their fathers familiar golden coat. One they had inherited from the very man that was missing. “I.. I don’t know. He was with us before.. Was that an earthquake?” Helius attempted to piece together the disastrous moments. And then, amidst the eerie silence, they heard it. A weak grunt, barely audible above the mournful howl of the wind, emanating from behind a large boulder that loomed like a dark specter against the horizon.

“You don’t think..” Paeeon began to speak, but Helius ripped towards the bolder, urgency filling his steps. He forced back tears as he reached the large boulder, lowering his nose to the ground to attempt to find his father. Just behind the large stone.. There laid the mangled body of their father. Kratos’ breathing was shallow, his weak grunts leaving his body at an alarmingly slow rate. Blood pooled around his body, and their father’s face was twisted in pain.

"Father!"Helius cried out, his voice a desperate plea as he knelt beside him, Paeeon close at his side. Kratos's eyes fluttered open, the light of life flickering within their depths even as his breaths came in ragged gasps. Tears stung Helius's eyes as he reached out to gently pressed his nose against Kratos cheek. "Stay with us, Father," he begged, his voice choked with emotion. "Don't leave us alone.."

Paeeon's shoulders shook with silent sobs as he attempted to push the boulder away with his shoulder, but it refused to yield to his efforts. Kratos's gaze shifted between his sons, his expression one of love and pride despite the pain etched upon his face. "It's okay, my boys.," he said, his voice a soothing balm against their anguish. "You.. both.." A cough echoed from his lips, hollow sounding as he struggled to take in the next breath. “You both will be just fine. I’ll..” Another cough, blood splattering from his mouth and onto the cold ground. “I’ll be waiting for you..”

As his eyes slowly slid shut, the last breath leaving his body, Helius nudged his cheek. Paeeon stood silent, still attempting to push the boulder away, sobs echoing through the cold silence. "No.." Helius whispered as he nudged his father a bit harder. "No no no please, I already lost Wisteria.. I've lost.. So much.." Sobs ripped through his body as he desperately attempted to get Kratos to wake up. The Golden Warrior pushed at the the limp body, hoping, wishing, praying that this was all a bad dream.

"I need to wake up.. Let me wake UP!" Helius cried out, tears flooding down his cheeks as he sat back, his whimpers filling the air. Paeeon had stopped pushing at the boulder, leaning against it as his own sobs echoed his brothers.

"Helius.." Paeeon’s voice caused him to flinch. But Helius couldn’t move, he didnt’ want to leave Kratos here alone. Cold..alone.. “We need to find our way back to Dawnshire.. We need to inform everyone else..” Paeeon’s voice was still shaking as he attempted to try and be strong. It wasn’t working well, but as his brother leaned against him, Helius slowly got up and leaned against him in return.

Together, the brothers navigated back towards Dawnshire’s land, their hearts heavy. They were silent aside from their soft cries and sniffling. Once they got to the heart of the territory, Helius raised his maw to call anyone who cared to listen. Hopefully Esmae would arrive. They needed to share the news, and that new leadership was to take over. Helius felt broken, his body and mind numb from everything. All he wanted was his family back..

..

[Death of Kratos]