Emerald Green {Book Two}

The Between

In the rustic solitude of the cabin nestled against the forest's edge, the air was thick with the scent of herbs and the soft murmur of a simmering potion. Kisma, her brow furrowed in concentration, stirred the contents of a small cauldron, whispering incantations under her breath. The concoction was meant to ease the pain, to perhaps bring some semblance of peace to Astraea, who lay motionless on the bed, her breathing shallow, her face ashen.

Days had passed since Astraea had last opened her eyes, each one weighing heavier on Kisma's heart. Eryk's absence, his quest to find the Tree of Miniir, added layers of worry that Kisma tried to mask with her usual stoicism. But as the tonic bubbled, her thoughts drifted to the boy, hoping his journey was not in vain.

Meanwhile, in a realm unmoored from the constraints of time and place, Astraea found herself in a void, not asleep, not awake, but somewhere in the between. It was a place of shadows and whispers, where reality stretched thin. Here, she had encountered the bald woman before, a figure of mystery, her presence both comforting and foreboding.

This time, the woman appeared not as a specter but almost tangible, her bald head reflecting the non-light of this void, her eyes deep wells of ancient sorrow and wisdom.

"Astraea," the woman's voice was like the rustle of leaves, carrying the weight of ages. "We find ourselves here again, in this place that is no place."

Astraea, her essence trembling in the liminal space, her voice quivering with a profound mix of dread and wonder, asked, "Why am I here? What is this desolate place?"

"This," the woman said, her arms sweeping through the spectral fog that seemed to swallow the light, "is the chasm between the past, present, and the infinite possibilities of what could be. You are here because your fate, and that of your kin, has veered off into paths unknown to Odin."

"The paths... what are you implying?" Astraea's words echoed with a haunting tremor, her last ties to the tangible world fraying as the reality of this void enveloped her.

The woman's nod was heavy, laden with an unspoken sorrow. "The timeline you now walk with your son does not exist in the known annals of time. Your decision, your betrayal of Odin by binding your soul to Loki, it has spun a new, untested thread in the fabric of destiny. A timeline birthed only from the moment you gave yourself to Loki. This might be overwhelming, but it is a complexity for us, the higher beings, to grapple with. However, I will illuminate what I can. There was an incident, in another timeline where men of magic call themselves heroes, Avengers. Their actions caused a rift, a mere sliver through which you slipped, unnoticed, like a fleeting star, and here we stand, dear. You have birthed a new universe, unseen by all."

Astraea shivered, not from the cold, but from the daunting truth settling upon her. "Odin... he is blind to us?"

"He cannot perceive what has never existed until now. Your choices, your son's journey, they've crafted a new narrative, one that even the Allfather's gaze cannot reach. This new reality, it's a wild, uncharted expanse."

"And Eryk?" Her voice was barely a breath, filled with fear yet clinging to hope.

"He treads where even the gods step with caution. His magic, his very being, questions the bedrock of our cosmic understanding. Yet, remember, even Odin, with all his foresight, cannot dictate what he cannot see."

Astraea felt a chill, not of cold, but of realization. "Odin... he cannot see us?"

"He cannot see what never was but now is. Your actions, your son's quest, they've woven a new thread, one that even the Allfather's sight cannot penetrate. This new reality, it's unpredictable, unwritten. The outcomes are as numerous as the stars."

"And Eryk?" Astraea's voice was a whisper, fearful yet hopeful.

"He walks a path where even the gods tread lightly. His magic, his very existence, challenges the foundations of what we understand of the cosmos. But remember, even Odin, with all his wisdom, cannot control what he cannot see."

The woman paused, her gaze piercing Astraea's soul. "You must understand, Astraea, this void, this between, it's not just a place of limbo. It's a place of change, of potential. Your son's journey, it's not just about saving you or defying Odin. It's about rewriting what it means to be a part of this world, perhaps of all worlds."

Astraea felt a surge of resolve. "So, we are the unknown, the unwritten?"

"Yes. And in that, there is danger but also power. The power to change, to rewrite. Eryk's magic, his very being, is a testament to what lies beyond the known. But it's also a beacon, drawing eyes both divine and dark."

The void began to shimmer, the bald woman's form growing faint. "Remember, Astraea, the paths untraveled hold the greatest fear for those who seek to control. Embrace the unknown, for in it, you might find the strength to save not just yourself, but all that you love."

As the woman's image faded, Astraea felt a pull, a tether back to her body, to the cabin where Kisma watched over her. The void receded, and with it, the weight of her impending fate.

Back in the cabin, Astraea's fingers twitched, the first sign of life in days, as Kisma, hopeful yet weary, continued her vigil, unaware of the cosmic conversation that had just transpired in the spaces between worlds.