Chapter Text
During the night, I was woken up. I heard a noise from Loki’s balcony outside, however I could see nothing in the darkness. I moved my hand over to where Loki was and felt his cool skin. He was still here then.
I decided to try and ignore the noise, telling myself it was paranoia because of Lorelei. I nestled closer to Loki, trying to make myself smaller under his huge form.
Then the noise started again. This time I heard it clear as day.
It was a hissing sound that warped and screeched with the wind. Loki was still fast asleep which surprised me since his senses were double of mine.
I climbed out of Loki’s bed with his furs, trying my hardest not to bother Loki. He was so peaceful when he slept. He had such a rough week, and he needed as much sleep as he could get. Anyways, maybe this was nothing.
I sauntered to the window doors that led out to the balcony. The noise had died down but the heavy wind made my hair rise on my arms.
Carefully opening the doors, I let myself outside into the complete darkness. The moonlight was little help for my sight as my eyes adjusted. I looked around to see if there were any candles or matches but a sound caught my attention- a twig snap.
I started, turning to see the intruder. My hand had already protruded its signature black smoke. If Lorelei was here, I wasn’t going to let her get close to him or me.
What I saw, though, was not Lorelei. It wasn’t anything really in the dim blackness. I made out only a big blob. Slowly my mind pieced it together as a creature, but definitely not human or Asgardian.
“Hello there,” a deep voice spoke from the blob. Its voice radiated throughout my body, and I felt my heart pop out. Something wasn’t right.
I tried to back away but only got as far as the edge of the balcony before I realized I was trapped.
“Don’t be scared of me,” it soothed. “I’m not here to hurt you.”
Somehow I doubted that. I enlarged my black tendrils as a sign of defense, ready to strike at any moment.
He just laughed. “Well, I couldn’t even if I tried, could I?”
I kept my senses about me. My ears listened for any extra sounds, my eyes adjusted to the darkness and searched for any anomalies, and my body waited for a touch or movement that signaled an attack.
“Who are you?” I growled. I should yell for Loki. But… I couldn’t bring myself to.
His grasping voice was like daggers of ice in my heart every time he spoke, especially when he said, “An admirer.”
“And what exactly does that mean?”
The shadow moved a bit closer to me, forcing me to put my hand in front of him full of smoke. “You’re so special, child. I’m here to praise you for what you are.”
I wanted to throw up. “For what I am?”
White teeth shined as it smiled. “Yes, what you are instead of what you claim to be.”
It strolled over to the plants on the table Pepper had put out. One of its hands or claws touched the leaf of the fern, stroking it. “This leaf resembles life. Green, healthy, prosperous. I, on the other hand, seek to destroy it.”
“Who are you?” I demanded, getting worried with each moment. “Why doesn’t Lorelei show her face?”
It laughed so menacingly that my arms started to shake. “Lorelei.” The name fell of its tongue like it was soiled milk. “She’s nothing but a small part in this world. A wannabe goddess. She will not get far, that I assure you. Her ambitions are too little.”
“If you don’t work for Lorelei, who do you work for then?”
Silence descended upon us for a couple moments before its white teeth reappeared. “You.”
If I wasn’t so afraid I might have laughed. However, nothing was funny at the moment.
“What the hell are you talking about?” I almost yelled. Loki has to hear this soon, he’ll be coming right.
“I only serve the one true power in this vast universe. So many worshippers of religions that mean nothing, of worldly things.”
I shook my head. Nothing was making sense.
His voice made me look at him again. “No more false gods.”
My tendrils shot out at him and quickly wrapped around him. I gave into the surge of power. But something happened.
He grabbed one of my tendrils and yanked it off. It threw me off my feet and to the floor. “Poor child, you aren’t properly trained yet. You have much to learn still.”
I was out of breath, slowly looking up at him. “How… did… you do that?”
He only smiled. “Soon you will overpower me and everyone on this small planet. You just need to be taught.”
I found that I did not have the strength to get up off the floor. Instead all I could do was listen. I couldn’t move or speak, and I started to think he had some powers of his own.
“You’ve been called many things over many lifetimes. Ra… Krishna… Yahweh.”
I was resisting his force over me, fighting to get up and attack. Fighting to stop him.
“You have the power to destroy it all. To rebuild, reinvent, and renew. And soon, you will need to perform your duties. It has been a long time since.”
Gasping for breath, I sat up. Every move was a battle that I felt I was losing. “Since what?” I gritted my teeth, focusing on will.
“Since the last renewal of human life. It is time. I think you already sensed that though, didn’t you? Your mind fought off the thoughts, but they were there deep in your mind. You can see the end of it all. You can feel it.”
The creature kneeled near me, but I still couldn’t see its face. It reached out a hand, it was definitely a hand, and held it under my chin, making us eye to eye.
“You know who you are.”
I shook my head. I visualized slapping his hand off my face and killing him there on the spot. And as if he had read my mind, he smiled with those bright teeth again. “Oh yes, there she is. You do know who you are.”
“Who?” I choked.
“Death.”