ARES : God of War & Violence chapter- 3

History Department – Lecture Hall 3

The hall smells like old wood and dusted chalk. Dim light filters through stained glass. Students mumble, settle into seats.

Anastasia slides into the second row. George flops down beside her.

George (Fl' bff)

If Cross starts with ‘back in my day,’ I’m leaving.(whisper)

Anastasia Harper (FL)

Shhh. ( smriking)

Footsteps echo. Professor Evelyn Cross, tall and severe in black, enters. Behind her, Namra....buttoned-up, polished, already holding notes like she wrote the damn syllabus.

Evelyn cross

Let’s begin. Today: the war gods across ancient cultures.

She starts pacing slowly, eyes scanning the room like a hawk.

Evelyn cross

We all know ARES, yes? Bloodthirsty. Primitive. Largely useless to the Greeks, yet oddly... persistent in myth. Why?

Namra Jones

Because he represented fear. The Greeks needed a scapegoat for the horrors of war. ( raise her hand immediately, confidently)

Evelyn cross

A textbook answer. Anyone else? ( nodding)

Silence.

Then

Anastasia Harper (FL)

Maybe he wasn't a scapegoat. Maybe he was real. ( low mumble)

Heads turn. A beat.

Evelyn cross

Miss Harper. Please share your theory with the class. (raising an eyebrow)

Anastasia Harper (FL)

Every ancient civilization has a war deity. What if it wasn’t symbolism—but shared memory? Recurring figures in myths, same traits, same presence… almost like echoes of something...or someone...that actually existed. (firmly)

Murmurs. A few scoffs.

Namra Jones

So we’re doing ghost stories now? (coldly)

Anastasia Harper (FL)

Maybe we are. But some stories don’t die just because you refuse to believe them. (not backing down)

Evelyn cross

This isn’t a fantasy seminar, Miss Harper. Keep your feet in history, not dreams. (cutting in)

Anastasia looks down, jaw clenched.

George (Fl' bff)

She’s just jealous your crazy sounds cooler than her logic. (leans in, whispers)

.......

Historical Research & Analysis Center, East Wing – 6:47 PM

Private research center or campus lab, where Anastasia works part-time or interns. This gives her a place to dig deeper into mythology using real-world tools...

Lights buzz overhead. The room is filled with ancient relics, soil sample tubes, maps, and artifacts under glass.

Anastasia is alone....gloved, hunched over a microscope.

Anastasia Harper (FL)

(She drops a pinch of reddish soil onto a slide)

Anastasia Harper (FL)

Same grain pattern. Same reddish tint. But this isn’t from any known site. (mumble)

She clicks a few keys, comparing side-by-side samples.

One is from a verified battlefield in Sparta.

The other… unknown. Labelled: ‘Dream Sample – The Meadow’

She found it after a hike last week. Near a cliff trail she doesn’t remember walking.

George (Fl' bff)

You’re still here? Your obsession has officially entered Indiana Jones meets sleep paralysis demon territory. (entering, carrying snacks)

Anastasia Harper (FL)

This soil… it’s almost identical to the Spartan site. Same iron deposits. But the pollen traces (ignoring him)

She holds up the slide.

George (Fl' bff)

They’re extinct flowers. Not grown for over a thousand years.

George (Fl' bff)

Wait. You found that where? (freeze)

Anastasia Harper (FL)

Outside the city. In the exact spot I dreamed about.

George (Fl' bff)

You dreamed it first… and then found it? ? (in low voice)

Anastasia Harper (FL)

(nods)

He doesn't say anything for a second.

Then

George (Fl' bff)

You ever think you're not just remembering? Maybe you're… being shown.

Anastasia Harper (FL)

(She blinks.)

Anastasia Harper (FL)

By who?

George doesn’t answer.

He just looks at the soil tube like it’s dangerous.