Ragnarök, Eternal Tragedy.
Chapter 60: God’s hand.

Chapter 60: God’s hand.

Amari’s breath hitched as the fight escalated, the raw power between Erling and Tobias making the air feel thick, suffocating. His pulse hammered in his ears as he turned to Apollo, urgency flashing in his eyes. "We have to go," he whispered, grabbing Apollo’s arm before bolting in the opposite direction.

Apollo hesitated for just a second, torn between running and watching. The energy between the two warriors was unreal—something out of legend. But deep down, he knew Amari was right. Staying here? That was asking to die. Without another thought, he pivoted and sprinted after Amari, their footsteps vanishing into the depths of the forest.

Meanwhile, Tobias rolled his shoulders, shaking off the stiffness as he faced Erling. The prince’s crystalline armor gleamed under the dim light, his expression cold, unreadable. But Tobias just smirked.

"You should be praying to your God," Erling warned, voice dripping with contempt. "Because if He doesn’t save you now, I’ll do it myself."

Tobias chuckled, shaking his head slightly. "That’s cute," he muttered. "But I don’t make moves without consulting the Lord first."

His smirk stayed, but before he could react, Erling was gone—vanished like a ghost. Tobias’s instincts screamed at him to move, to act—but there was no time.

A sudden CRACK shattered the quiet.

Before Tobias could process it, Erling reappeared out of thin air, closing the distance in a blink. A brutal backhand connected with Tobias’s face, the force rocketing him straight into the forest. Trees splintered, debris flew, his body tumbling through undergrowth like a broken doll tossed in a storm.

Pain erupted across Tobias’s frame, bones aching, but somehow—the smirk never fully faded.

Erling exhaled slowly, flexing his armored fingers, watching Tobias’s body disappear into the wreckage.

"This time," he muttered, voice like ice, "you don’t get up."

Tobias gasped, every nerve screaming in agony as he struggled through the dirt, dragging himself forward inch by inch. His vision blurred, his breaths coming out in weak, ragged bursts. His hand clenched against the earth, fingers trembling as he wheezed out a desperate prayer.

"Lord... save me...," he whispered, barely able to force the words out.

Heavy footsteps crushed the ground behind him.

Erling.

Tobias didn’t even need to turn—he could feel it. The prince loomed above him, that shimmering armor catching the faint light, his movements slow, calculated. He wasn’t rushing. He knew Tobias had nowhere to go.

"You really think He’s gonna save you now?" Erling murmured, his voice edged with scorn. He crouched, grabbed Tobias by the head, yanking his face up to meet his gaze. His smirk held no mercy. "There’s only one thing that can save you now."

His grip tightened.

"Death."

But before he could strike, a guttural cry ripped through him. Raw, brutal pain flared across his body, sending him stumbling back. His chest heaved, his armor cracked. His hands clutched at himself as a new sensation—a terrible one—spread through him.

The elixir.

It was wearing off.

A strangled sound escaped him, his muscles twisting in protest. His once unstoppable strength was crumbling from the inside out. Tobias, barely able to move, watched through dazed, bloodied eyes as Erling collapsed to his knees, groaning in agony.

A slow, wicked grin spread across Tobias’s lips.

This was his chance.

Ignoring the fire in his bones, he crawled—slow, excruciating—but determined. Erling was losing himself in the pain, his suffering filling the air, drowning out everything else. Tobias didn’t need to look back.

He just needed to get away.

Amari’s heart pounded as he sprinted through the trees, Apollo keeping pace right behind him. Their legs burned, lungs aching, but neither dared to slow down. They had heard the commotion stop—and that terrified them even more.

Then—Amari froze.

A distant, agonized scream ripped through the woods. Not Tobias. Not Erling.

A Scyl guard.

Apollo stumbled beside him, eyes darting through the trees. "What was that?" he asked, voice barely above a whisper.

Amari didn’t answer. His instincts screamed at him to move—to get as far away as possible. Without hesitation, he grabbed Apollo’s arm and veered off the path, diving deeper into the forest. Twigs snapped underfoot, branches clawing at their clothes as they tore forward.

They didn’t stop until the world around them fell silent.

For a long moment, all they could hear was their own breathing—shaky, uneven.

Then, something else.

"Help..."

Amari stiffened. The voice was weak, strained—barely a whisper. And yet, it carried through the trees like it was meant for them.

Apollo swallowed hard. "Did you hear that?"

Amari nodded. Slowly, the two of them crept toward the source, weaving through towering trunks until they found him.

Bound tightly against a tree.

The figure shifted as they approached, lifting his head weakly, eyes struggling to focus in the darkness. But as soon as they stepped into the moonlight, his body went rigid.

"Apollo?"

Apollo’s breath hitched. He exchanged a wary glance with Amari before turning back to the stranger.

"...Who are you?"

Amari and Apollo exchanged wary glances, their breath still unsteady from the chaos they’d just escaped. The man before them—Andre—shifted slightly against the tree, his restraints digging into his skin.

"I’ve been looking for you two," he rasped, his voice hoarse, but urgent. "Untie me. Now."

Amari’s brows furrowed. His grip on Apollo’s arm didn’t loosen. "Why should we trust you?" he asked, his tone cautious.

Andre sighed, rolling his shoulders as best he could despite his restraints. "Look, I get it. I look like a mess. But I don’t have time for pleasantries." His jaw tightened. "The Scyl people robbed me. Took everything—my clothes, my supplies, even my damn shoes." He glanced down at himself, expression grim. "I’d rather not be standing here in my birthday suit any longer than I have to."

Apollo swallowed, shifting uncomfortably. "And you expect us to believe that?"

Andre exhaled sharply, his gaze locking onto Apollo’s. "I don’t expect anything," he said. "But I can get you back to your father."

Apollo stiffened. "My father?"

Andre nodded. "You want to find him, don’t you? Then untie me. I’m the only one who can lead you to him."

Amari and Apollo stood frozen, eyes flicking toward each other. It wasn’t like they had better options. The forest was dangerous, Scyl guards were everywhere, and if Andre was telling the truth, they couldn’t afford to hesitate.

Amari exhaled, rubbing his temple before moving toward the ropes. "Fine," he muttered. "But if you try anything—"

"You won’t get the chance to regret it," Apollo cut in, his tone sharp.

Andre smirked slightly. "Fair enough."