Timeless

◈ 5 ◈

I shouted in surprise when I woke up to see Mother standing over me, completely forgetting where I was for a moment.

"I saw what happened, my son. Hela brought you back to your chambers unconscious. Are you alright?"

I held her hand in a death-grip, my eyes darting around the room for any sign of Hela.

"You saw her and didn't try to stop her? Mother, Hela is here! In Valhalla! How?"

She sighed and gently pried my hand off of hers. She sat down next to me on my bed and looked me in the eyes.

"She arrived in Valhalla after Asgard was destroyed. Somehow, she managed to transfer the leftover vestiges of power into her own life force and made this realm her first stop in her conquest. No one knows how she managed to breach our security, but even the Valkyrior were no match for her, especially because Asgard had left her buzzing like an overcharged battery. It didn't take her long to win Valhalla."

I shook my head.

"If she's been ruling for this long, then why hasn't she made life for everyone a living Hel? It doesn't make sense."

"She is far more intelligent than her father believed her to be. To avoid sparking a rebellion against her reign, she has been pulling strings from the shadows. She has made Valhalla quite enjoyable, and the majority of the few who know of her existence don't plan on starting an uprising any time soon. They prefer to live their lives in comfort under the rule of a wretched queen rather than abide by the more traditional rules enacted by the greater rulers of Valhalla. They all seem satisfied with the knowledge that no one here can escape with an opportunity to achieve rebirth or Second Chance."

"What's Second Chance?" I asked.

She chuckled softly.

"Of course you'd be curious about escaping. If anyone could do it, it would be you. Second Chance is the process that successful escapees go through to make amends in their past life in order to change the outcome of their future, therefore allowing them to avoid their previously inescapable death. Typical Second Chances last 24 hours. It's a different story for everyone, and only two people in the known history of the Nine Realms have ever managed to emerge victorious from their Second Chance. It is near impossible to get everything done correctly."

I sat up straighter in my bed, propping my pillow against the headboard.

"And Hela has forbidden it?"

"Yes. She has the entire realm under the impression that life on Valhalla is better than any past life that they would ever even dream of going back to. After all, the best kind of prison is one that you never want to leave."

I nodded thoughtfully.

"Wise words from an even wiser woman."

"Oh, please." She scoffed. "I'm no wiser than those ridiculous birds that Odin used to keep as pets. I only communicate words to others that I feel must be heard."

This earned her a grin.

"Ever the modest one, Mother. They should have called you the Goddess of Humility instead of the Goddess of Prophecy." I contemplated my own words for a moment before backtracking. "Of course, you were the most talented seer that the Nine Realms ever had. I suppose that Goddess of Prophecy is an apt description of your gift."

"And you've gone above and beyond to fill the role of God of Mischief." She replied with a wink.

I had to admit, it felt good to finally be able to have a lighthearted conversation with Mother. I hadn't had one of those in a long time, and it was quite refreshing.

"Mother, I need to get back to Thor."

"Yes, my son. You mentioned it several times already."

"I'm serious. I have to find a way to get to him. Please don't stop me."

She sighed.

"I understand, and I will not stop you. I will only miss you when you're gone. It's been so long since I've been able to touch your face."

She tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, her hand lingering for a moment as her eyes welled up with tears.

"I'll be back, Mother. I swear to you. I just haven't finished living yet."

She brought her hand back to rest in her lap and nodded again.

"You must leave immediately. I will distract Hela. Wait by the main gates for the portal to open. Someone new will enter the realm shortly, I can feel it. When they do, you will only have a short window of time to make it through the portal. From there, you will be on your own. I wish you luck, Loki."

I kissed her on the forehead and brushed a tear off of her cheek. Standing up and heading back over to the window, I bid her one last farewell.

"Thank you, Mother. I will come back, and when I do, I will send Hela and her supporters crawling back to Niflheim. You have my word."

Her eyes locked on mine, and her look of determination was motivation enough.

"Go."

So I did.