They held a bonfire interment at the market square. Every citizen was affected by the Mutton attack and gathered to pay homage to the fallen, the injured, and the survivors.

With a bouquet in hand, Ajax joined the night procession. He passed a stone statue commemorating Atlas’ battle against the Cyclops Polyphem and his muttons. Stonemasons and Marius’ relatives chiselled away day and night to bring her victory to life. Lydia’s cousins in the process adored the former square with floral decorations for the procession and provided refreshments to wash away the sorrow. 

The sight stirred something in Ajax. A pang of guilt and pride overwhelmed him. Amalthea was celebrated as a hero by the city, yet the lives of his friends under her command were lost in the process. 

Schnauzer put a hand on Ajax’s shoulder. “I’ll see to the spouses of my lost brethren. Will you manage?” 

Ajax nodded. The captain of the guards left, and Ajax blended in with the crowd. He gathered at the edges of the massive pit and watched the insatiable flames roar and flicker. One by one, the bereaved tossed their bouquets into the fire. They observed how the cindering petals drifted upwards with the smoke, wondering if it would bring them any solace. 

But Ajax couldn’t bring himself to let go of his bouquet. Tears welled in his eyes as he gripped it tighter and pressed the flowers against his chest. “Lydia… Marius… I’m so sorry…” he whispered, wallowing with the rest.

A comforting hand rested on his shoulder.

“I’m so sorry for your loss,” Kane said softly, offering a handkerchief. “Are you alright, brother?” 

“No.” Ajax took the blue handkerchief and blew his nose out. “I miss my friends…” his voice cracked. “If only— if I just—”

Kane wrapped an arm around Ajax. “I know, brother.” He bowed his head. “I know how you feel. I’m truly sorry what happened to you.” 

“Don’t be… thank you for coming.” Ajax leaned into Kane’s embrace. 

He could feel the hot tears run down his cheek, but like Amalthea, he had to show fortitude. So Ajax tossed the bouquet into the flames. The yellow chrysanthemums and pink hibiscus flowers ignited and their bright colours were scattered in the winds of the night—the colours of his dear friends. 

“I don’t know what to do now…” Ajax confessed. “What comes next?”

“Maybe a drink would help?” Kane offered, nodding toward a nearby vendor. “Nothing alcoholic, obviously.” 

Ajax, meanwhile, watched the roaring flames. His thoughts drifted, and he wondered what was left. He gazed up at the distant stars, feeling their pull becoming far stronger than anything he felt power. It was just like Amalthea’s strength, overpowering but awe-inspiring. 

The stars beckoned him, but deep down, Ajax didn’t feel ready. 

“Do you think I am cut out to be a Guardian?” he asked Kane, taking a sip of the hot butterscotch. A popular family recipe from Lydia’s relatives—usually only served in winter. 

Kane sipped on his coffee with a frown. “Why?” he smacked his lips. “Did your Guardian friend tell you anything else?” 

“No,” Ajax replied with a shake of his head. “She wants to leave soon and offered me to join her.” 

“Leave where?” 

Ajax shrugged and drew in the dirt with his finger. “Away from here. I guess it’s time for her to move on. Do you think I should join her and—” 

“No,” Kane interrupted firmly, taking another sip. “If you asked me, you shouldn’t. This woman will bring you nothing but pain and misery, brother. I know that. Stay with her and you’ll—” 

“But I can’t leave her!” cried Ajax, his voice breaking. “S-she’s a hero. A Guardian to protect us all. She saved everyone, including me.” 

Kane huffed incredulously. “Your dead friends can attest to that.” 

“What did you say?” asked Ajax—shock coloured his voice on what he heard. 

“Trust me when I tell you, brother, misery and pain are all that await you.” Kane turned to Ajax. His almond eyes were fueled with incomprehensible rage and disdain unlike any Ajax knew. The black man in the white outfit offered the boy his hand. “I was in the same position as you, brother. Lost and confused, I took a Guardian’s hand. And it was the biggest mistake in my life. Join me, brother, and I’ll guide you unlike Amalthea or the Titans ever could.” 

Ajax stared at the hand. Something in Kane’s voice spoke the truth. The winds told Ajax that Kane’s hurt was unmistakable. He wasn’t a liar. The suffering was edged on his otherwise friendly face. 

Reaching out to the hand, Ajax was considering the offer. He trusted Kane as much as he trusted Amalthea. Both had been there when he needed them. The dream of becoming a Guardian felt surreal for Ajax. 

“Maybe it’s for the best?” he wondered and almost took Kane’s gentle hand before a red light tore through the sky. 

‧. .ᯓ★. .‧

First, the light came like a drizzle—unnoticed, red speckles of glowing ash drifting from the sky, far from the marketplace. 

Then it struck, like a hammer on an anvil. The ground shook violently, trembling as though caught in an earthquake that lasted an eternity-long minute.

Everyone hit the ground. Kane shielded Ajax with his body, protecting him from whatever that light was. Ajax looked up and noticed the beam of light, a solid column of hot, red energy piercing straight down from the sky into the very earth. 

The beam vanished, and with it, the tremors subsided. But Ajax felt a deep unease settling inside him.

“Ajax, wait!” Kane called after him, but Ajax was already dashing through the crowd, heading back to the residential areas. 

The area where he and stayed. 

And now, it was gone. Nothing but a charred, smoking crater remained. The surrounding buildings were smouldering, teetering on the edge of collapse.

“Thea… THEA!” Ajax shouted, standing frozen before the pyre-turned building.“What on earth happened!?” 

“Was that the Guardian’s building?” Kane asked, shaking Ajax from his shock. “Brother, snap out of it. This area is dangerous—”

A wooden beam dropped next to them, whirling up dust and ash. The facade of a nearby building began to collapse, and Ajax heard the faint cries of people still trapped inside. 

Ajax rushed without hesitation to the side. Kane, seeing he couldn't stop him, joined in, and they both began removing debris after debris, trying to save whoever they could. But the building was too unstable, and Ajax too eager.

Kane pulled him back. “Stop! You'll get yourself killed!”

“So what!?” Ajax snapped back. “They are trapped and helpless! What's my remaining life worth if I don't save them?!”

“You can't save them all!” Kane shouted, gripping Ajax by the shoulders. “Your life is worth more than a stupid risk! Not everyone can be saved. Leave before your hope crushes you!”

Ajax trembled. Kane’s harsh words cut deep. There was truth in them—painful and bitter truth. Ajax hesitated, unsure how much more he could handle.

Another rumble from the building shook the ground, and Kane pulled Ajax behind him. But when Ajax saw what it was, he ran forward.

“Thea!” 

Amalthea, suited up, carried an injured father with his son on her back and out of a building. After dropping them off, she collapsed, her suit flickering in and out of existence.

“Ergh,” Amalthea groaned, clutching her side. Her helmet vanished, and she vomited before Ajax’s feet. “Great role model, am I? Urgh, so much for my recovery.” 

“Thea…” Ajax couldn’t believe her side. After everything that happened, she was still fighting. “Are you alright?” 

“Barely,” she hissed, accepting Ajax’s help to stand. “I couldn’t stand being in bed, so I went out to grab some shawarma… then this happened.” 

“What was that light? It looked like—” 

“An orbital strike,” Amalthea cut in. “I’ve seen them before. Anything hitting the atmosphere follows a trajectory, affected by velocity and gravity. Yet, this attack came straight down. The enemy is—”

“ALREADY HERE! Hahahahaha,” a high-pitched voice echoed through the city. A sudden squall picked up, blowing smoke from the massive bonfire their way. 

“What’s going on?” Ajax coughed, struggling to stay upright against the smoke. 

“Nothing good,” muttered Amalthea, holding him steady by her side as they both choked on the acrid air. But the worst was yet to come.

The smoke gathered into a swirling sphere above them before it shot down and slammed Amalthea against the collapsing building. Two firm right hands pinned her in place. 

“Heyha, Atlas. Nice to see you again.” Molly sneered, her voice thick with sweet malice. “How’ve you been? How’re your dead friends?” 

“Mollika,” Amalthea spat, coughing up bile and blood. “You’re still alive. I thought Helios finished you for good.” 

“Oh, Atlas, you never call me by my pet name,” Molly cooed, drawing circles on Amalthea’s chest with her finger. “I always loved your respect for me. After all, we’re cut from the same cloth.” 

With a violent shove, Molly pushed Amalthea through the wall, causing the building to collapse around them. Black flames ignited from Molly’s back with smoke coiling around her charred-black skin. Her third eye opened up with a glowering intensity. 

“Fight me, Atlas.” Molly snarled with a wickedly sharp smile and flexed with her four arms and hands. “Like the b*tches of war we are.”