Chapter Text
Four-thousand years ago, a man disappeared.
Some say he locked himself away, so no one could cast eyes on his grotesque face.
Others say that he killed himself and the body went missing.
Maybe he miscast a spell and disintegrated.
Ultimately, no one could find him, and soon, people stopped caring.
Anna Irving was out of breath. She had lost the soldiers, but now she herself was completely lost. The sun was starting to set, and Anna needed to find water and some sort of shelter soon.
Tall trees loomed over her as she took a look around. Off in the distance, it looked like there was a clearing of some sort. Maybe there was a dilapidated building she could stay in. Anna cautiously made her way over.
... A castle?
Sure, it was moss-covered and abandoned, but it was better than sleeping outside. The door-handle was stuck, but after a bit of fiddling, the door creaked open.
Her exploration began. There were cobwebs everywhere, but the further inside she got, the less there were. It was almost like someone was actively living there.
As the castle began to darken, sharp footsteps echoed through the hallway, and the hallway began to brighten. Anna couldn't move. It was like her body had been frozen. Why couldn't she move?
"What is your business here?" A voice asked. The owner stepped into view. He had light red hair to his shoulders, in utter disarray, with some black ram horns peeking out. His brown eyes were sharp, calculating, and almost glowing. A scowl stayed firmly on his face as he wielded the lantern.
Anna's mouth moved on her own. She couldn't stop the words from spilling out of her parched throat. "I got away from a camp, and I'm on the run."
The man's stiff posture refused to yield, but his expression softened. His intense eyes became a shade less bright. Anna felt herself able to move again. "You can stay here for tonight. Only for tonight."
"Thanks. Do you happen have anything to eat or drink? I could eat a horse right now." Strange. Anna had completely regained her ability to talk on her own.
"I suppose I can conjure something up. Follow me." The man led her through the halls to the kitchen, and rummaged through some old cupboards, pulling out some cheese, bread, and a container of oil and balsamic vinegar. He handed it all to Anna.
"Stay right here, I'll get some water for you." He left the lantern in the room as he muttered strange words under his breath, exiting the room.
Huh. Did he have that pail in his hands earlier?
Maybe her hunger was getting to her. After all, most people don't have horns. She set her food on the counter and dug in. Somehow, the food was the most delicious food she had ever tasted. Was he a noble, living in seclusion from the crowded city streets? He did have a weird accent.
He walked back in with a large cup of water as she swallowed the last of her food. She gratefully took it from him and chugged it, setting the empty cup on the counter.
"That was delish!" She began to yawn, and noticed the sun had set almost completely. "Anyway, where should I sleep?"
"I'll lead you to your room."
"Woah, a whole room to myself?"
"Does it look like anyone else lives here?" The two started down the hallway.
"Wait, you live here completely alone? Like, does no one else visit? Ever?"
"No one else has entered in quite some time."
"You don't have family? Friends?"
"I have no need for such things." His voice had an edge to it as he placed his hand on a doorknob, and Anna didn't press further.
He opened the door to the room. It was pristine, meticulously upkept despite having no one in it. A vase of fresh flowers sat on the desk.
"Whoa," Anna was almost speechless.
"Get to sleep. Once the sun comes up, you need to leave." He left the room after setting the lantern on the dresser. Anna removed her clothes, snuffed out the flame, and fell into a deep sleep.
Kratos Aurion was in a predicament. He couldn't have anyone find out he lived in the castle. If anyone found out...
He supposed she wouldn't be able to tell anyone. After all, she was a fugitive. She had to hide from people, not tell them about mysterious men who lived in the woods. She didn't seem like a threat.
He shifted his weight in his chair. Kratos' back ached a little, but he could take care of that later. His hands moved almost mechanically, using a needle and thread to fix her clothes. Yes, he could have used magic, but he needed to do something.
He felt a little guilty for forcing her back into the world. He knew how awful it was to be persecuted.
Well, it's not like she'd want to stay. They didn't even know each other's name. He finished mending her clothes, and placed them silently back into her room, then went back to his study.
The sun rose while he was deep in his thoughts, and he looked out the window. Had time passed that quickly? It didn't matter. Time had lost meaning.
Anna felt the first beams of light hit her face. She stretched and sighed. She slept like a log for the first time in months. Reaching for her clothes, she-
Weird, she could have sworn her clothes were slightly to the left. Weren't they more raggedy, and less dirty? She didn't complain as she threw them on, though. She had bigger things to worry about.
She had to leave, no matter how reluctant she was. She felt bad. The man who lived here had no one. Being alone for so long taught her that friendly company was truly a gift.
Well, she had nowhere else to be, and he wasn't hard on the eyes. Maybe she could convince him to let her stay. Worst case, she'd die.
It was better than dying on the streets, though.
She opened her door, and looked around for the eccentric man.
A pitter-patter echoed through the hallway, and the door opened with a slight groan. In a blink, Kratos held his sword to the intruder's chin.
"What the hell?" Ah. It was the fugitive from last night.
Kratos frowned. "I told you to leave at daybreak, correct?"
"Yeah, but..." she paused for a moment. "You're alone. I'm going to stay." She looked him in the eyes with pure determination.
"You don't even know my name. There's nothing for you here." The taller man seemed to grip his sword harder.
"Well, there's a bed and food. And good company."
"You need to leave." He firmly stated.
"What're you gonna do, kill me about it?" Anger flashed in her eyes as she clenched her jaw.
The horned redhead sighed with resignation. He didn't have the energy to argue with her, and sheathed his sword. "Fine, you may stay, but don't bother me."
"No guarantees. Also, since we're living together now, what's your name?"
"It's Kratos. Kratos Aurion."
"Oooh, fancy! Are you a royal, or-"
"Your name," Kratos abruptly interrupted.
"I'm Anna. Anna Irving. Nice to meetcha, Kratos!"
"... Pleasure to meet you as well, Ms. Irving." He bowed to her.
"You don't have to be so fancy, y'know. Also, how'd you get the horns?"
"I refuse to talk about that." He briskly walked out of her sight.
The woman slowly began to thaw the beast's heart. But if the beast let her through, she would see how truly hideous he was.
The beast needed to be beautiful, no matter what. Even though it was all a lie, he couldn't reveal his true self.
No matter what, the beast couldn't allow her to see his humanity.