"Well. Look at all of that betrayal. I find it incredibly interesting. What about you?"

His eyes opened. What in the Realms? He surveyed the area around him, though he stood in nothingness. A faint light centered on him. Illuminated roughly four feet in every direction. His hands quickly found his chest. The gaping wound had disappeared. He wasn't caked in his own blood. But it didn't stop the pounding in his sternum from reaching his ribs.

Low chuckling filled the expanse.

He squinted against the surrounding darkness. Trying to find the voice's host. "Who are you?"

"Please. Don't play stupid with me. You know exactly who I am." A being of flickering black and glowing green eyes materialized just outside of the light's reach. "We've known each other for so long."

Loki's chest tightened. He did know who stood before him. "You're the one behind this?"

It swept out apparitional arms and bowed.

His eyes moved back and forth over the entity. Then fluttered in annoyance as he outwardly relaxed. "Congratulations, you've learned how to affect my dreams."

The ebony form wavered and danced around. "This is no dream. This is reality, my friend. Their treachery is real. Your pain is real."

"You're not that powerful. I've made sure of it. If you excuse me, I'd like to wake up now." The chaos god waved a hand, turning away. He was allowed two steps.

It emerged in front of him. Emerged inside the light bubble. "I'm not letting you go so easily. You cannot ignore me any longer."

Loki crossed his arms. Maintaining a much more commanding façade. The being shouldn't be able to manifest itself, let alone influence his mind in such a manner. Yes, he routinely dealt with it. But never like this. It was supposed to be nothing more than a voice inside his head. A voice he used only for mental sparring. "What do you want?"

"I'm offering us to reach our full potential."

"Once again, you're not that powerful."

"Am I not? It seems to me I'm more than capable. I was able to show the true reality."

"That was not reality."

"If we're going by what you believe, then, no, it wasn't. But you love lying to yourself, don't you? You've convinced yourself that others can't see past your poorly crafted guise. Convinced yourself others actually care about you." The being circled around him. "You know what you encountered is the truth. It's how they'll treat you when they know the real you. When they discover you're reigning in your abilities. When they discover your weakness is your greatest betrayal."

He walked through it, dissipating the form. He had dismissed so many of these types of conversations before. "Despite your best efforts, I knew something was wrong."

"What's wrong is that you continue denying my true strength. We know I'm the stronger one of us. Why do you keep pushing me aside?"

"Because I am aware of your capabilities."

"Don't you mean your capabilities? After all, I am you. Well. What you could be, if you freed me."

Loki stopped. Glanced over his shoulder. Although the being had yet to reappear. "I'm not freeing you."

More ominous laughter saturated the emptiness. "I knew you were misled, but you're making it hard for me to take you seriously. Can't you see I'm the one that's free? You're the one living in a cage of your own design. You're holding yourself back. And for what?"

He searched the expanse outside of the small light upon him. "You know why."

"Of course I do. But you're failing to see the unbridled chaos you've caused by enforcing such limitations. You're failing to accept the irreversible damage you've done by restraining yourself." It approached him from behind. Dropped next to his ear. "I promise what I showed was exposed truth. I have no reason to lie to you. You can't face the consequences of your weaknesses. You deny it because you'd rather see the Realms through your rose-tinted idealism."

His eye twitched. "I deny it because I know what you showed me is false. You are not powerful enough—"

"Ah, ah, ah. No more of your pitiful defenses. I'm you, and I have the same abilities as you. Except. We know I'm better than you. And I can utilize my abilities properly."

"The only thing you know how to use is your mouth. I'm done listening to you." He continued his long strides away from the entity.

It called after him. "You became too comfortable with relying on your magic, didn't you? It's why you let the runes take your powers away from you. Although, we know I wasn't impeded by them. I could've broken us free, if you only allowed it. And yet, you continued neglecting me. Continued pushing me aside while you wasted to nothing in the corner of a cell."

Silence.

"See? You know I'm saying is true. Because, ultimately, I'm an extension of you. The better extension, of course. The more disciplined extension. The master of the arcane extension. I never did understand why you keep me locked away. Never understood why you insist on being the lesser version of yourself."

"You know why."

"In all honesty, I don't. If you embraced me when you were younger, you could've conquered your magic long ago. You could've killed Odin and placed yourself on Asgard's throne by the time you were 500 years old. The Nine Realms could've been yours. You could've destroyed Thanos. The hybrid could've been saved, and she could be serving your every desire."

Loki's eyes narrowed. He glared at the incessantly moving being. "Aura will not serve anyone for the remainder of her life. Not Odin, not Asgard, not me. Not if I can help it."

"Ah. Yes. Aura." The entity heavily sighed. "She's the one perpetuating your fragile psyche. You hold yourself back for her. Hold me back because of her. Which I find ironic, seeing how I could've saved her from countless situations. If you weren't so selfish, of course. What has she given you in turn? Heartache and fear. In the end, she will betray you. Just like everyone else."

"She wouldn't; she's not like everyone else."

"You know she will, given time. It's why you fear taking the next step with her. You're terrified of her rejection. Yet, you know in the heart of your mind that she will, eventually, reject you. Her precious soul can only handle so much. Why do you think I presented the true reality? You needed to see what will happen. Are you proud of yourself? Proud of how you handled the situation?"

He rolled his neck. He had no response. If that had been a real encounter, he would have deserved to die. His handling was atrocious. Still, his head remained high. He wasn't allowing the being satisfaction.

"Shall I recap it for you? You engaged in pointless arguments, did absolutely nothing against your adversaries, didn't defend yourself from the slander of those who are supposed to care for you. Should I mention you died by Odin's hand?"

"What do you want from me?"

"You know what I want. It's the same thing you want. The desire may be deep within your core, imprisoned by your trepidation, but we know it's there."

"Embracing you embraces evil."

"Is that what you keep telling yourself? Let's look at the facts, shall we? You seized Asgard's throne after inducing Odin into a coma, nearly killed Thor with the Destroyer, enslaved yourself to Thanos, murdered in his name. Murdered in Aura's name. Murdered in your own name. That's just the tip of the iceberg. And you did that all without me. I'm the evil one?"

His eyes fluttered as he left once more. "I'm done with this conversation." It was a conversation they had too many times before, and he wasn't in the mood for it again.

The entity followed. "Even now, you can't deal with your truth. I've been with you since the very beginning, and you've never been able to face me. You can't even look at me. Not even while you commit your atrocities. How long will you keep me shrouded in darkness? How long will you keep yourself shrouded in shame? For someone so egotistical, you fear yourself too much."

Loki pivoted, thrusting a pointer finger at it. "I am not giving in to you."

"The only thing to give in to is the truth. All I've conveyed to you is the truth. Truth you're unwilling to accept. Because we know Aura wouldn't have been banished if you didn't restrain yourself."

"I didn't know much about my magic then. I made a rash decision; I was doomed to fail."

"That's your disappointing excuse? You made the deliberate choice to cast me aside. If you accepted me from the start, your magic would've been greater than Odin's, even then. You would've had complete control. I've only ever wanted our success. So many of our goals could be complete. Your precious Aura wouldn't have been taken advantage of if didn't forsake me."

With a long exhale through his nose, he turned away. Rubbed his face with his hands. "I was in prison because I unleashed on Odin, and it wasn't enough. That fate was sealed for me, too."

"Was it? You unleashed a power you refuse controlling. I'm the one that provides control, but you have to allow it. You know this. And yet, I'm the evil one when you're lashing out with no guidance? I think not. I must be given control. I must be given power. Let me be born, so you can finally become your true self."

He trembled with unspent emotion. "No."

The being's voice calmed, and it floated closer. "What bothers you so? I can't stand seeing you so upset."

"Odin deserves to die." His hands lifted into view. Slowly curled them into tight fists. "I want to kill him, need to kill him."

"We can do that. We can both take his life."

"Your way isn't the way I want to do it."

"Your way will take years. The Convergence happens soon. We can get rid of him while everyone is distracted. You know how chaotic the Realms become during spatial events. This will be the first time modern Midgard experiences it. The humans will be utterly beside themselves."

Loki paced a short line. "It's too risky."

"Not if we act upon it correctly."

"I don't speak of the Convergence. You're too risky."

"Once again, I'm not the one destroying Realms for a beloved. How many options did I present you over the years? Options tailored for her protection. How many did you deny? All of them." The shadowy form inspected nonexistent fingernails. "No wonder she's so traumatized. You willingly let her agonize through so much. So much that you could've prevented."

His tone lowered. "You will learn silence."

Rippling laughter echoed. "You've never been able to silence me. As you'll never be rid of me. Why can't you just accept me? Why do you hide me? Can you at least find the strength to look me in the eyes and tell me no? You've stated many times you fear no one. We know that's a lie, don't we? Aura was right. You're nothing but a child. A small, sniveling child who lost out on being Daddy's favorite—"

"Enough!" He threw both arms out to the side, dispelling the ebony overlay.

The revealed version stood eye-to-eye with him. It was clothed in nearly-black emerald green mostly covered with bright gold armor, a tattered cloak trailing behind. A helmet with slender, crooked horns adorned its head. The wickedest grin passing its defined features. "With that out of the way, we can talk like real men. Now, you can tell me no. I want you to tell me no."

Loki's nostrils flared. He barely faltered, but he never broke eye contact. Maybe it was true. Maybe he did fear himself. But it wasn't without reason.

"You can't do it, can you? You're too weak to face your fears. After everything you've suffered, after the torture you've endured the entirety of your life, you're still a miserable child. You remain caged. Why?" It curled a lock of his hair around its finger. "Thor can't set you free. Frigga can't release you. Not even your precious Aura can save you. You have to save yourself. Or you can continue wallowing in your own pity. The choice is ultimately yours."

"I..."

"You what? You'll have to speak up. How about we try this approach? Why don't you tell me what you want?"

"It doesn't matter what I want."

The entity waved a numerously ringed hand. "Nonsense. The only thing that matters is what you want. Tell me your heart's desire."

"I feel like it's obvious that I want Odin dead."

"Oh, no, you don't. You want to torment him the way he treated you all those years. You stop at killing him because that's the limit you've set on yourself. We both know you could do so much more. If only you allowed it."

Loki folded his arms in thought. "Aura wouldn't approve of me torturing anyone. Not even Odin."

"For once in your life, don't think about anyone else. Think about yourself. Don't you deserve to do something for yourself? You don't spend a lot of time on yourself." It hung its arms around the other's neck. Cocked a hip and offered a sincere smile. "Tell me what you want."

His lips thinned as he shoved it away. "I want Odin, Nafni. You know this. And I will have them both."

"How will you get them without me?"

"I'll find a way."

"Oh, come now. We've reached such good common ground. Or have you found the courage to tell me no?"

He played with the inside of a palm. Turned his back on the entity and strode away. "I said I'm done with this conversation."

It rushed him, slamming him to his stomach and straddling him. It pulled his head back by a handful of hair. "And I said I won't be ignored any longer. You're really not understanding the gravity of my words, are you?"

Loki grunted at the strain on his scalp, at the weight on his back. It shouldn't have weight. Shouldn't be able to do any of this. "How did you get this way?"

"Don't change the subject." It smashed his head into the ground. "Stalling has never worked on me. I'm going to make you accept your truth." It snapped its fingers.

The pair stood on the Rainbow Bridge.

The chaos god's brows furrowed. "What is this?"

The being checked a watch it didn't wear. "I've taken us back in time."

"I know that's impossible for you."

Its eyes lifted, unamused. "For your information, you studied time travel. You've dabbled with some spells. You know there's more than one way to go back or forward. Know it's possible to freeze time. You must stop doubting what's possible for me."

His jaw clenched and unclenched. He paced another short line. "Fine. Let's say this is, indeed, the past. Why are we here?"

"I'm giving you a second chance. A way to undo what's been done. Oh, look. Right on time." It held out an arm, guiding the other out of the way. "You don't want to be trampled."

Sleipnir thundered past, an adolescent on his back.

Loki followed them for a few steps. The same panic filling his core the way he knew it filled his younger self. "The day Odin banished Aura."

It stood behind him. "I knew you'd catch on eventually."

"The forcefield...I didn't know about the forcefield."

The eight-legged horse reared at an invisible wall.

The being placed a hand on his shoulder. Gave a squeeze. "You know how to dispel it now."

He stepped forward a couple more paces. Voice withdrawn as he relived the incident. "It's so easy. That forcefield would've been so simple for me to disperse. Odin didn't reinforce it because I knew I was powerless against even a thin veil. If only I had studied more."

"There's still time. The Bifrost hasn't activated. You could save your precious Aura from being banished. You could save yourself years of sorrow. You don't even have to reveal yourself. Just...make it go away. Our younger self will figure it out. We are fairly intelligent."

His feet moved. Stopped.

"You have two minutes. Two minutes until she's out of your life for a very long time. Two minutes until she undergoes countless years of torment at the hands of mere mortals."

Loki swallowed, watching the juvenile him beat uselessly against the energy shield.

"One minute."

He couldn't waste time. Sprinting, he readied an elementary spell. He collided into the Rainbow Bridge before he could release it. Unable to move his arms or legs. He squirmed against black chains sliding around him.

The Bifrost fired into space. Its destination Midgard.

His burning gaze found the entity. "What have you done?"

It planted a foot on his back. Leaned a forearm down on that knee. "Playing by your rules. You could've returned to this time ages ago. Why didn't you? Oh, yes. You were afraid of messing with the space-time continuum or some such nonsense. See, I can't break your limitations. Not unless you grant me access."

"Why?" His forehead fell onto the glowing bridge. "Why are you doing this? What are you gaining?"

"It's not what I'm gaining; it's what you're gaining. I'm the one that already knows your truth. You're the one who must accept it. Thankfully, this episode is the least of your concerns."

Loki's head lifted. "What are you doing?"

The answer was another snap of its fingers.

They found themselves in an unknown chamber.

His eyes flitted over the space. Chest rising and falling rapidly as he assessed the new situation. Dread washed over him, soaking into his bones. He faced the being. "No. Do you hear me? No. Absolutely not. I—"

"You must." It took him by the shoulders and turned him around. "Don't be such a coward. Face the consequences of your insecurities. Face the results of your fear. This is what happens when you bar your abilities."

Aura was tethered onto a bed in the middle of the space. Her exotic eyes round with fear as an unknown man crawled his way on top of her.

Loki's teeth bared. He advanced, a dagger in each hand.

The same shadowed chains wrapped around him.

He hit the floor with an exclamation. "No!" He desperately fought the binds.

The faceless assailant cackled as his chaste victim screamed.

Rolling onto his side, he pushed himself to his knees with his shoulder. Tossed his unruly hair out of his face. His cries equally as loud. "Aura? Aura, can you hear me? I'm here. I'm trying—"

"Hmm. This isn't right, either." The being whipped a hooked chain toward him. Reeled him back and grabbed another handful of raven hair. "We're still playing by your rules, correct?" It snapped.

The threads reappeared around Loki's lips. Sewing his mouth shut. His torso leaned forward slightly. The ability to properly breathe lost on him. But he didn't stop struggling.

Blood snaked down Aura's arms from the shackles attached to her wrists. Tears washed down her temples. Her weeping pleas for help ignored by a Realm that didn't know of her plight.

The faceless man continued his deed. Laughing and barking horrendous remarks.

It lowered to Loki's ear again. "Face what you've allowed. Face what you've become. And you think you're better than me?"

The mischief maker battled the chains, risked tearing his lips apart to call out for his beloved. He couldn't close his eyes. Couldn't turn away. The entity made it physically impossible for him to do anything but watch. He couldn't watch and do nothing. But the more he fought, the more restrictive the binds became.

"You've caged yourself. Do you finally understand what I mean? The fetters upon you are your own design. Why have you done this? Why have you allowed this? Do you finally understand this is your fault? The fault of your ingrained weakness?"

Rage surged within him.

"One thing that's fantastic about time manipulation? I can play this moment on a loop. For as long as it takes. I can make you confront your fears until you wither and die."

A green luminescence entered his gaze as he remained fixated on the unidentified man. He calmed his erratic lungs. Forced himself to breathe through the sludge clogging his esophagus.

"If only there was a way you could've prevented this." It tapped its chin with a finger. "Prevented everything bad that's happened in the pathetic life you made for yourself. Too bad you just had to cast me aside as part of your holy quest."

His nostrils flared with an even exhale. The anxiety in his nerves dissipating. He passed a wave of serenity over himself.

It shook his head by his hair. "Look at this! Is this holy to you? Is this what you envisioned when you decided to be 'self-righteous?' This happened because of your decisions. You actively chose for this to happen."

Aura's shrieks gargled with her sobs. Which only fueled the unrecognizable man.

The verdant energy darkened in the chaos god's eyes.

The being shoved him forward. Forced him closer and closer to the bed. "Things will only get worse for her if you continue on this path of resistance. And you will have no one to blame but yourself. Because this is the result of your impotence."

Loki inhaled a steady breath. The primal terror in his love outweighing any of his own that he once held. A tear traced down his cheek. He should've been there for her. There was no excuse for him not to be there for her. The chains around him cracked in various places.

Its voice climbed in volume despite the widening grin it bore. "Are you going to continue letting this happen simply because you hold yourself from your true self?"

The chains exploded with a shockwave of power he rarely called upon. He ripped the threads out of his lips. His tone hitting a menacing register as he grabbed Aura's attacker by the face with a single hand. "No."

"I've waited so long for you tell me no." The being released a low chuckle. It steadily faded, merging with the one who created it.

Black liquid streamed through his veins. Seeped from his fingers and onto the faceless man. With a provoked yell, he shattered the other in an eruption of dark magic.


Loki's chest lurched forward as he sat up. He scrambled out of the foreign bed. Unable to secure his footing, he stumbled and collapsed onto his hands and knees. Chest expanding and deflating too rapidly. His bottom jaw slid open.

Trembling overcame him. What happened? Where was he? Which time was this? Was this the right dimension? The correct reality? Had he inadvertently changed something he wasn't supposed to? Why wouldn't his head stop spinning?

Calm. He needed calm. Blinking, he steadied himself. He couldn't give in to hysteria. Couldn't let his paranoia get the better of him. His vision lowered.

Oh, no.

The inky power resided in his veins.

He swallowed.

It gradually dissolved until his hands returned to normal.

What had he done?

His eyes lifted, studying the room he currently resided in. It was Asgardian in design. And he could sense the protection of his mother's magic. This was good, right? Where he needed to be? Nothing appeared altered. Everything appeared to be in order. Well. Not everything.

The simple furnishings were strewn about the chamber. Many smashed. As if pulverized by a dominant force.

He hung his head. Gave himself a few moments before rising. He knew exactly what he did. At least he was safe. No. At least the others were safe. If he lost control, it would be hard telling what he would've done.

Loki studied one of his hands. Closed his fingers and let the extremity fall to his side. He sighed. Began arranging what furniture remained intact. He didn't want to think what would've happened to Aura if she had been present.

Aura.

Straightening, he searched the room. No. This wasn't the one he left her in. This one was different. He didn't recall getting here, but he was certain his mother helped him. Given her power's radiation.

He ran a hand through his hair. Passed by a cracked mirror. He paused.

Bits of glass showed his usual reflection.

Other pieces held the images of himself in the deep green overshadowed by the gold armor.

Half of its face lined up as perfectly as the fractures allowed. It grinned. Smoke enveloped it. Its glowing eyes its last visible feature before it blended into his current likeness.

"This is just the beginning, my friend."