ephemeral ━━ 𝘓. 𝘓𝘈𝘜𝘍𝘌𝘠𝘚𝘖𝘕 ✔

□ amulet

Weakened, scared, and alone she did the only thing she could do:

Pathetically, she skidded away from Thanos, her hands digging the soil as she struggled to stand, scraping her knees in the process. She had never felt this helpless in her entire life. Her dignity, shattering inside her --- her sanity dripping.

Thinking of bringing the Amulet back to life, made her stomach churned.

She looked at the Amulet on her neck.

"This is your doom," he announced - the place booming with his laughter, watching his captive crawl. "This is your curse, Loki ---" he paused. "---The trickster's mistakes are falling into your hands. What a pitiful sight." He stepped on her chains.

"You know, I thought Loki was remarkably talented. He could've been one of my adopted children," Thanos sneered. "However he still failed and succumbed to his childish desires, even though I had tortured him to comply."

Loraine gasped as she realized Thanos had been controling Loki's actions during the Battle of New York.

Thanos crouched in front of her and yanked the chains bound on her wrist. She stumbled.

"Don't worry," he chuckled then turned his cold gaze on her. "I'll bring you back to him alright." He crumpled Loraine's jaw, forcing her to look at him. "But, hmm, differently."

Loraine spat on his face.

Automatically, Thanos slapped her. Loraine's head rang as the world seemed to dance before her. She steadied herself, placing both her palms on the ground, and coughed. "I will not yield," she gritted her teeth in reply. "The Amulet does not bow down to anyone." She looked at him, trying to be intimidating.

"Oh but you will," he mused. "I am not foolish enough to have come here without knowing that it needs your permission. I have other matters at hand. But --- you, will answer to me," he laughed.

As if on cue, she coughed harder, blood spilling out from her lips. She couldn't breathe well. It was as if the alien place had decided to become hostile - that she couldn't gasp any oxygen.

Dazed, she felt her hands trembling so hard - the veins in her wrists turned black. She looked back at Thanos, her eyes filled with pain and rage. "What have you done?" She staggered.

Thanos found the bowl the chitauri had left moments ago. He stepped on it and cracked it under his golden boots, disturbing the silence of this blasted world. Then he kicked it towards her. "You should have been careful," he laughed at her stupidity.

Poison.

Dread filled Loraine's face. Out of thirst, she had drank a liquid she did not even know. Damn it. Did her senses and reasoning depleted as well?

"The Runes are ancient but so am I." Thanos continued, staring at the Amulet . "In fact, I have been here long before the creation of these Runes. Hence, your power could not match mine. It now," he opened his palms, drawing energy. "belongs to me."

She screamed as an awful sensation crept from the back of her mind. Someone was taking over her.

Loraine tried to resist. She grabbed her head and pressed her palms to her temple, gasping as if someone was stabbing her head with a lot of needles. The power was too strong she could feel her face paling. She wanted to vomit.

Without her own abilities, she was too weak to deflect it. Resisting Thanos' control made her tremble. It was literally losing her mind.

"Loki seemed to be very," Thanos paused, trying to find the right word. "-sentimental these days. Probably losing his powers made him less formidable. It's really a shame that you don't bear his powers anymore."