Chapter 9

Idunn woke in a small stone room when warm water started running over her. She felt as if her head was going to explode and the cold floor was raw underneath her. She got up and let the warm water wash over her until she felt the throbbing headache temper. She tried using magic again and started crying when she failed. She crumbled to the ground and sat underneath the faucet, letting the water just run over her. After a long time, two agents came in and pulled her up and out of the shower, dried her, and changed her with no protest or fight from her. When they half carried her into the room, she just gave in and sat on the floor, feeling defeated and weak.

She often felt like curling up on her side and simply falling asleep, but she tried desperately to stay awake. After a very long time, another door opened and an older, copper-skinned man walked in, carrying a file in his hand. He scanned the room and sighed when he laid eyes on Idunn on the floor.

"A bit dramatic, don't you think?" he asked Idunn as he walked over to the table and sat down. "My name is Tannan, I'll be your transition advisor."

"I feel hollow," Idunn whispered without lifting her head. "What did you do to me?"

"It's a simple magic vacuum, It just makes you… mortal, I guess?" Tannan stated.

"Well, being mortal sucks!" Idunn looked up at the man, his black hair was long and tied back and he wore a business suit that looked out of style.

"I wouldn't know," Tannan started and opened his file. "Now let me explain to you what's going to happen to you."

"Where's Loki?" Idunn asked, ignoring the statement.

"He's in another room with an agent."

"Can I see him?" Idunn stood up slowly, still feeling the headache.

"No. Do you want to know what's going to happen to you?"

"No." Idunn started walking around the room with her arms crossed. "Why did you bring us here?"

"Well see, that's part of everything I'm going to tell you," Tannan placed a disk into the box on the table and the TV flickered on.

"Us existing is a crime," Idunn repeated what the agent had said.

"Yes, you especially," Tannan stated as he watched Idunn stride around the room.

"Why me especially?"

"Your mother shouldn't have been able to conceive, so your existence is quite the cosmic miracle." Tannan mused.

"Who's my mother?" Idunn asked as she continued walking around. The advisor hesitated and sat back in his chair, watching Idunn suspiciously.

"Are you testing me?"

"No," Idunn specified, "I'm asking you because I don't know."

Tannan stared at her until she stopped walking and glanced back at him. She raised an eyebrow challengingly at him and continued on her walk. "I lost all my memories."

Tannon glanced at the file and flipped through the pages. "I don't have a note here that you did, must have happened while you were AWOL."

Idunn turned on him quickly, "Is that all about me?"

"Parts of it, yes," Tannan stopped on a page, "I mean, this is just the summary."

Idunn turned away and kept pacing slowly.

"You don't want to know?" Tannan was confused.

"Hearing about my life isn't the same as remembering," she indicated.

"Did the Loki take your memories?"

"No, Loki isn't evil, not really. He only escaped from capture because, well, let's face it, who wants to go to prison? But before everything, before he tried to rule earth or destroy half of it, he was quite a noble person, I've seen it in his memories."

"What happened to your memories?" Tannan started taking notes.

"Adam took them. I don't know if he completely destroyed them or is just keeping them for himself."

"Who's Adam?"

"The only other occupant of the apparently undetectable planet you took us from. Now, he is a malicious monster."

Tannan flipped to the last page of the file, "Nexus event detected on Planet zero four three nine nine, also known as Utopia. It's a natural reserve planet, no life detected." He read off the last page.

"What's a nexus event?"

"Moments in the sacred timeline when branch realities are created." Came his automated response.

"What exactly would conjugate a nexus event?" Idunn wondered.

Tanner paged back to the first pages and scanned through, "Well, your first Nexus even was your conception."

Idunn frowned and stared at him.