"Die..." whispered by the soul as it passed by. I rolled my eyes. Common sense please. Would I be here if I'm long alive?
"So, they let go of your hand and let you fall to oblivion? This oblivion?"
She asked in an emotionless yet laced with thorn tone. The wind blew and I shivered then hugged myself. If you're asking who I am with, well its Hel.
I'm in Helheim... with Hel. The woman who helped me earlier. She's wearing a long black and white hoody dress. The hood dropped on her face and covers half of it. She's pretty, seems like a goddess got lost in the wonderland. By any chance, did she meet Alice?
"Yeah. They let me fall. They took me from Alfheim and discarded me afterwards. They're heartless..."
She laughed. It echoed through the whole place. It made me smile out of nervousness. Her laughter without humor made me cringe. Her appearance being black and white that seems to fade into horizon, her perpetually grim and fierce expression made my soul almost shout out of terror. Good thing I was able to get myself back together.
"Good thing you didn't acquire any injury..."
"It's because I fell right into your hands."
"I used to do that. Feel the gloomy icy air, smile and imagine what might happen once Ragnarok comes. Am I going to die? Or will I make it? Am I going to be injured and fade as time goes by? Would this realm of mine secure my soul?"
Huh. Soul? I'm not informed that the goddess who rules the identically-named Hel is one of those lost soul. You know, mentally challenged, brain-sick, insane, and delirious. Is she aware of whatever she's saying? My goodness!
"So, you have a soul?"
She looked back to take a glimpse of me. I stepped back. Her smile is taunting me. It seems like she have something on her head that might destroy me. She's like a personification of a walking grave than a goddess who's being worshipped and appeased in her own right.
"Of course, I have. I'm a goddess."
Really? I wonder what this place looks like. What lies in it's vast dark corners. Is this Hel same with the hell, the Christian realm of eternal suffering ruled over by Satan?
"I can hear murmurs and groans. Are those the voices of the souls being tortured? Are they suffering any kind of reward for their moral behavior or pious belief, or punishment for immoral behavior or impious belief while they were on Earth?"
"Earth? Uh, you're pertaining to Midgard."
"Yes."
"Where did you get that unbelievable idea? It's..."
We entered on one of the million doorways of her palace. The gloomy and superficial feeling is still in the air. The different sounds that come from the vastness of the yard of this palace of the death will forever haunt my brainless head, as what they've said, I am.
She sat on a normal looking couch. Where did she able to buy that?
She motioned the one-seater sofa.
"You may seat, brother..."
"What? Are you saying something?"
I asked for I wasn't able to hear what she had said. She smiled, again. What a terrifying smile. Wait, that smile is familiar. It looks like the smile the baby giant, whom I got murdered by my blood accidentally, gave me. I pray to any goddess from vicinity, hope she's not the mother. I don't wanna burn yet. I value my second life.
"Nothing. Anyway, the idea that the deads are being tortured here, in my realm, is a hoax. You hear me? It's not true. It's fabricated. People used to do that even on the ancient times. O understand if you believe them."
My brows furrowed. Did she just paraphrase some part of her dialogue? Is she being sarcastic? What is she thinking? I didn't know the meaning of hoax? It's insulting. Anyway, I should not let her see that I know what's running on her mind. She's a lunatic, like the heartless Valkyrie. I need to keep that in mind.
"Really? If that so, what will happen to them?"
She leaned on her seat and flicked her white as paper thin fingers, in a blink of an eye, a tea is served for her while what's in front of me is a... milkshake?
So things like this exist in a hell like this? Ah. I might love this place. In some instances, I might love to dwell in here.
"The life here would be a continuation of their life on mid-gard. Once he's rich, they dwell in part of this palace where they get what they want, do what they want. Once you're poor, you'll spend your eternal life serving the rich."
My mouth formed an O. Really, huh? That sounds amazing. I'm starting to love this place.
"Did you understand?"
"Of course. I'm not stupid, you know."
I cupped the milkshake and drank it all. Now I realized that I'm thirsty. This place seems like a paradise. Maybe this is the reason why my mom and dad, whom I think are dead already, didn't even tried to visit me even in my dreams. They got a life here in hell.
"It's far from what I've heard, though."
What the? Did the rumor got its way down here? Amazing. Who are those idiots who made my rare talent their fun topic? Creatures lurking in the dark, I have a bad feeling about them. They hate me, maybe?
Duh. I don't care.
Have a life, bashers!
I got mine.
"Don't believe them. It's fabricated. I'm not stupid. It's not my rare talent. I'm all good. I'm awesome. I'm Kristoff. I'm down to earth, I mean mid-gard. I'm more than what they think I am."