Shattered Reflection

Chapter Five

Loki's POV
~One week later~

Natalia has improved none these past days. She barley eats and sleeps even less. She's was going on and on about the castle or the girl from her dreams. But no more, she's stopped speaking entirely. I've called upon a doctor many times, but none of them can tell me what has happened to my darling.

I watch her, through my magic. I can see her, she sits in her room most of today. She has not moved in the slightest. My concern grows as I worry she may even stop breathing.

Her face, while normally fair, is a pale sheet. Her cheeks are without color, her eyes have lost their shine, and her emotions are gone. I so badly want to fix everything, to make it okay. But I cannot, even this is out of my power and it kills me inside.

Natalia's POV

Nothing, I feel nothing.

I don't have the desire to do anything, I don't even wish to see Loki. I know this should worry me, but it does not. In fact, nothing does. I feel as if I'm just a shell and that my souls has been ripped from my body. My feelings gone with it.

Loki has sent many doctors to see me, to try and fix me. But none of them know what to do, they don't even know what's ailing me.

So I sit, waiting. Seeing if something can return me to my normal self or if I'm to be unfeeling for the rest of my life.

A knock sounds at the door, but I make no effort to open it or to even let the person behind it know of my existence. The door opens and by the foot steps, I know it's Loki. He walks into my line of sight, his eyes radiating worry.

I feel my heart twitch, but the feeling doesn't last. Nothing does. Loki takes my hands into his and I turn my attention from the wall to him.

"How are you, love?" He asks, I yet again feel my heart twitch.

I make no sound. He sighs, "Please speak my love! It tortures me so to see you like this."

Again, I don't speak. I don't have the want or energy to.

He gets down on his knee before me, "Please! My Natalia! Come back to me!"

His eyes plead with me, but again...

Nothing. 

He stands and walks away, the door slamming behind him. I feel something warm on my face, I frown as I reach up and touch my cheek. A tear.

Loki's POV

The suns have set yet again over the horizon. My darling, still frozen in her trance. My heart breaks as I cannot reach her. Get through to her. I'm... powerless to help her.

I slip into bed early this night, hoping to sleep away the troubles. I would go to her room, but I would be unable to let her sleep. She is stuck awake and turning into someone I do not recognize.

I try to shut off my mind as I attempt to find sleep. Soon it claims me.

I fly awake as a blood-chilling scream rips through the palace. Natalia.

I race from my bed, down the halls, and into her room. I burst through the doors and look around.

Her balcony doors are open, the wind ripping through the curtains and the crescent moon giving little light. A pile of blankets are on the floor, appearing to have fallen off the bed.

I approach the heap on the floor, "Natalia? Darling? Did you have another nightmare?"

I reach down to the pile and feel something wet, did she spill the water by her bed?

I summon the lights to shine and I look back down to my hand. I feel my heart stop when I see my hand stained crimson.

"Natalia!"

I rip the blankets off to see her laying, unmoving. I flip her over and a bloody hole in her clothes stains my hands darker red. I brush her golden hair from her face, my crimson hand smearing blood over her cheek. Her eyes lay open, unblinking.

Her eyes... They're so cold. So... Lifeless. So dead.

I place my head over her heart to hear nothing. I pull back and my tears start to fall. She's dead.

I pull her body close to mine, holding her. My sobs become more violent as I rock with her in my arms. My soul feels as if it's being ripped to shreds.

I scream out in agony, the windows and glass shattering. I pull her head into my chest, desperate to feel her touch.

Thor and Jane soon burst into the room, Natalia's parents not far behind. But I pay no mind to them, only the stabbing pain in my heart.

I look up and meet Thor's eyes, tears fall from them. Jane is burying her head into Thor's side.

I meet the eyes of her parents. Her mother looks on, no emotion showing through. Like she's void of all emotion, just as Natalia was. Her look so cold and distant.

I pull away, my shirt stained red. I look to she a bloody hole torn into Natalia's  shirt, right above her heart. She was stabbed.

She's been murdered.

Someone is going to burn for this. I will unleash the worst Hel imaginable upon them that they will wish for the cool embrace of death. But they will not get it until they see all they loved reduced to ashes. Then they will be closer to the amount of pain I feel.

Someone will pay.

Someone will burn.

Whoever you are, that's done this to my darling goddess. I make this promise to you. Believe I will follow through.

Trust my rage.

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I told you this was going to pick up? Did I not?

Was this a shock though? I hope it was! I like keeping things interesting around here.

Oh, it's fun.