~ Chapter 14 ~

The sound of rustling chains.

That was the first sound that reached his ears as he grew aware of things around him again. No words were said in the silence of the space around him. Then came the sound of fire and ice.

The burning sound of a raging flame and the frozen crystals.

Loki opened his eyes slowly and while his eyes adjusted to the luminous light, he saw nothing but shadows and darkness. When the shadows finally scattered he saw chairs. Stone chairs with iron shackles restraining souls. The souls of Asgard.

However, it took a moment for Loki to realize that he wasn't chained like the rest. Right in front of him sat his family. Or what should have been his family. A quick count convinced him that none had been spared in Ragnarok and all were there with them.

The walls were dressed with some kind of burning crystal. It looked like mirrors but there were to many panels that gave the room structure and shape to be plain glass. Not to mention the flames that licked behind them without causing any harm.

The lock of a chain echoed through the room and everyone focused on the Queen of Hel walking confidently through the mass of stone chairs.

"Welcome." her cold voice rang clear and true to each ear of the souls. "To my realm." she neither halted or slowed her pace. "This is my judgment room." her hands raised to the mirror like walls. "Here you will all be judged for all sins and lies that you've ever committed, and know that these walls have seen the most heinous crimes a soul can commit. Crimes that you can not even begin to imagine."

Her eyes trailed over the soul of Odin as she passed him, sending a petrifying look.

"The chains are sealed to your souls. Only I can remove them without causing harm to you. You can break free of them, but you will break your own soul in the process. What is left of your soul will then be sealed into stone statues in my realm where you will suffer an eternity from your own actions. The decision is up to you. But know that some of you will break."

Loki felt a prick on the back of his neck and looked over to his left to see Thor sitting chained to one of the chairs. His arms resting on the armrests with iron chained to his wrists, ankles, neck, and mouth. Just like all other souls.

None were able to speak, question, ask, or even move.

"I will, however, warn you that this judgment will carry on for days, or even weeks, until every crime in this room is revealed. Every infidelity. Every theft. Every abuse. Even the innocent crimes you committed as children will be revealed before I send you to a level where you will receive fitting punishment or blessing for your next life. It will all be decided on your actions."

She looked around with a cold, hard look.

"Know also that there is no lies in this room. I do not give privileges to anyone. Not even my father."

With that she walked over to the side of Loki's chair where he realized was next to a more lavish chair. Fit for royalty. Hela sat down in it and grasped Loki's hand in her's. She gave him an apologizing look.

"Stop it, Thor."

"What?"

"You are stalking me. This has to stop."

"I don't know what you are talking about, dear brother."

It took weeks. Most likely months as every crime that had been committed in Asgard were played up on the walls for all souls to see. Also true to Hela's words, there were souls that broke themselves to escape the cruelty shown. The Queen of Hel sealed their broken souls into stones until the trial was complete.

It was hard. There were shame. There were tearless tears. Like someone had recorded their lives, they re-watched parts of their lives. Thievery, adultery, fights, abuse, and rapes. Loki braved through his experience in the dungeon with the support of his daughter who never left his side. There were eyes staring at him but he ignored them.

Thor's obsession of him. Odin's crimes. Frigga's blindness. Asgard's heckling. Sif's lies. Idun's infidelity. Tyr's abuse. Soldier's arrogance. Asgard's arrogance.

So many crimes and so many victims. And Loki's innocence.

When the walls finally went quiet there were a total of twenty stones in front of Hela's feet. Among them some of the soldiers that had raped Loki.

With a lift of her finger all iron that gagged the Aesirs were removed with a click and they disappeared into nothing. There were no sound as the souls themselves felt raped by what they had witnessed.

"How could you?"

Eyes fell on Frigga. Her betrayed eyes turned to her oldest son.

"How could you do this?"

There were no answer. Thor had no answer where he could justify his actions.

Frigga turned her eyes to her husband.

"How could you? Loki? Freya? You sick bastard." she hissed.

Like a signal, the room exploded in shouts and angry voices. Accusations and names were thrown around until no one could hear anything.

But through this chaos Loki turned his attention to Thor. The God had been quiet despite everything that had been shown. The thunder God just sat in his seat, accepting every word being thrown around. Be it directed at him or not.

It was so unlike his usual personality that the old Loki emerged from under the layers of hurt, pain, memories, accusations, and betrayal.

He no longer saw the stalking abuser that had haunted him for years. Caused him sleepless nights and ultimately ruined his life.

Before him sat someone who belonged on a throne.

"SILENCE."

Hela's command was followed and all souls stopped their arguments.

"Let them go."

"What?" Hela snapped her head to her father and saw the look on his face.

"If there are any souls that really deserves your punishment then I leave it to you to decide, but please... let the rest go."

"You can't mean that." Hela exclaimed. "After everything they put you through?"

"You can read my soul, my dear daughter." Loki said calmly. "You have seen my wish."

She was unable to protest or come up with an argument. Reading souls were as easy as breathing. That's why no soul could hide anything from her. Also the reason she knew what Loki wanted, read his thoughts.

The trickster turned his attention back to Thor.

"Why?" he simply asked the God of thunder.

Thor looked at Loki with the same blue eyes that seemed to see through everything. If breathing was needed then he would most likely had taken a deep breath, but not this time.

"Because I love you."

There were no acceptance. No arguing, nor any accusations from Loki's lips. He just stared at Thor with an equal look that was on his brothers.

"I can't love you." Loki's voice ringing out through them room. "Not as I am now."

"I know." it was a voice of complete acceptance. "You don't have to explain."

For the first time in months. Maybe even years.

Loki smiled at Thor before everything was swallowed in a bright white light.

TBC