Moonlit Hearts

Chapiter 39: Scheming and Planning

Later that night, Wangji moved silently through the dim corridors, his mind sharp despite the tea he'd taken to placate Odin's suspicions. The vial Wen Qing had given him had worked; his thoughts were clear, unclouded. But if Odin looked in on him, he'd only see a disoriented Wangji, restless and weary with love. Reaching for the knife he'd taken from the kitchen, he approached the moonlit garden, ready to try something only an avid reader would know: summoning the goddess of Hel, despite her realm lying deeper than any other and nearly forgotten by all.

Pressing the blade to his wrist, Wangji murmured the ancient incantation, his voice steady despite the weight of the ritual. A thin line of crimson traced its way down his arm, dripping to the floor in a deliberate rhythm. The silence thickened around him, heavy with anticipation, as if the air itself held its breath.

Then, faintly at first, a rustling stirred in the shadows, like dry leaves caught in a restless breeze. The stillness shattered, giving way to a voice—silken, sharp, and laced with mocking amusement.

"Well, well. The flawless son of Asgard finally calls upon Hel in her shadows. Tell me, Wangji, has guilt softened your resolve, or are you ready to embrace the allegiance you've always been too proud to claim?"

Hel stepped forward, her piercing look meeting his, her face a mask of indifference hiding something far darker.

"I summoned you because we both want the same thing, Hel," Wangji replied, calmly but firmly. "Your strength has been overlooked too long, and Odin's reach has gone unchecked even longer. It's time for a change, but I can't do it alone. I need your help to win this war—a war we've both been wronged in."

A smirk played at the corner of Hel's lips. "So you're finally done being his loyal shadow, his little puppet. What brought about this sudden revelation?"

"Watching him destroy everything that matters to me," Wangji said, his voice sharp with a rare edge of anger. "He's taken control of my family, my closest allies. He's poisoned Wei Ying's mind—the person I care about most—and done it all without consequence. And I know he's been stealing souls meant for you, denying you your due, and twisting your realm into chaos."

Hel's smirk faltered, her expression shifting into something colder, more calculating. For a moment, the room seemed to darken around her. "I see," she said, her voice low and measured. "So, what is it you seek? Power—to fight back? To make him pay for what he's done?"

"No," Wangji said, his voice calm and unwavering. "I want freedom—for myself, for my loved ones, and for everyone Odin has oppressed. Together, I believe we can make that happen. We can win my freedom—and yours."

Hel's dark eyes lingered on him, unreadable and heavy with thought. For a moment, Wangji wondered if he'd overestimated her interest in joining his cause, despite her earlier proposal. But then she gave a curt nod, her tone dropping into something sharp and unyielding. "I'll accept your offer, Wangji. But understand this: you're toying with forces that consume and destroy. If you want my help, you'll face the consequences—no matter how bloody they may be. And there's one condition: I want my restriction lifted. I want to walk freely from my domain whenever I choose."

Wangji held her gaze, his resolve unwavering. "I've prepared my whole life for this. I accept your terms, but only with one binding promise: you may roam freely, but you must swear an unbreakable vow not to harm any other realm."

The silence stretched between them, heavy and foreboding, before Hel extended her hand. "Then it's settled. But remember this, Wangji—once we begin, there's no turning back. You'll have to find me a way out of Hel without Odin's blessing. Think carefully, dear prince."

Wangji grasped her hand, sealing their tenuous pact. As he returned to his chambers, his mind swirled with the enormity of what lay ahead. Yet within the storm of uncertainty, a faint spark glimmered—hope, a fragile yet undeniable flicker of light against the darkness.