A thousand questions flooded my mind, each one more suffocating than the last. My pulse quickened, and I could feel the panic clawing at my insides. This was the last thing I expected.

I tried to steady myself, forcing my breathing to slow, but my thoughts raced ahead, wild and frantic. Why was he here? Had he come to gloat? To mock my defeat? Or worse... to finish what the Devil had started?

For a moment, I just stood there, frozen, a whirlwind of emotions crashing over me. The man I had once loved, the one I had fought so hard to forget, was standing right in front of me. And in this moment, stripped of everything, I didn't know whether to feel anger, relief, or despair.

Loki's eyes met mine, and I could see something flicker in his gaze—recognition, perhaps? Regret? But before I could even begin to sort through the storm of feelings surging within me, he was standing right in front of me, his presence overwhelming.

We stared at each other for what seemed eternity. None dared to speak. I was battling multitude emotions while his eyes, soft as ever, scanned me from top to bottom. It enraged me further because if it hadn't been for him and the Norse crashing the place, I would have succeeded. And now... I was left with nothing.

The silence between us stretched on, growing heavier with each passing second. His gaze, still soft, yet piercing, seemed to unravel me, piece by piece. Every time he looked at me like that, it reminded me of what I had lost—what we had lost. My chest tightened with a mix of emotions I could barely contain.

I clenched my fists, nails digging into my palms as I forced myself to stay still. All the memories, the broken promises, and shattered hopes surged back to the surface, and I felt that familiar anger begin to boil over. I was on the verge of crumbling, of breaking under the weight of it all, but I refused to let him see that. Not now.

I clenched my jaw as I was looking at him, drawing in a big and shaky breath.

"Why are you here?" I whispered, my words barely audible, even to my ears as I was struggling to contain the hurt and rage welling up in me. "Did you wait patiently for me to be stripped off everything just for you to waltz back in?! Besides, how did you even know I was here?!"

Loki was silent for a little bit as if waiting for me to calm down but I kept glaring at him, fury remaining the only thing I felt.

"Let's just say... Odin saw it coming so when I saw the Devil dragging you away, I knew what it meant." He explained as softly as he could. "Everything is falling apart inside."

Loki's words hung in the air like a fragile thread, barely holding together the unraveling reality around us. His voice was soft, almost careful, as if he was trying to find the right way to make me understand. But I couldn't. I couldn't wrap my mind around the idea that he had seen this coming—that he had known what was about to happen and still let it unfold.

I glared at him, my fury bubbling beneath the surface, refusing to be tempered by his explanation. "So, what?" I spat. "You stood by and watched it all happen? Watched as everything I fought for was torn apart?"

Loki's eyes flashed with something—regret, maybe, or guilt. It was hard to tell. "I didn't come here to watch," he said firmly, taking a step closer. "I came here because I couldn't just let you be... alone in this."

"Oh, fuck off!" I yelled. "You left me once before; you could've stayed gone!" My voice cracked with anger, and Loki's face contorted into a frown of confusion. He looked at me, trying to understand what had changed. But everything had changed. I didn't give him a chance to respond as I added, "Because of you, I'm dethroned, powerless, and I couldn't even finish what I started!" My fury reached a boiling point, and I shoved him hard. That was when I realized not all of my powers had vanished—I still had great strength.

Loki staggered back, annoyance flashing across his features, "so, now you're blaming me for all of this?!" He exclaimed, now fury rising in him too. But there was more level to hurt in his eyes. "Asmo, this is all your fault!"

"Maybe, but you still don't get to come here and act like a hero!" I growled, my voice trembling with barely contained fury. My emotions were a chaotic storm, every feeling amplified and no way to silence them. The weight of my powerlessness and vulnerability was suffocating, and I hated it.

Loki's eyes remained steady, but his expression was a mixture of pain and frustration. "Asmo, I'm sorry! I never should have dragged you into this mess. But I'm a loser too—"

"How can you—" I started, my voice roaring out uncontrollably before I caught myself. I took a deep breath, trying to steady my voice. "How can you look me in the eyes and say that?" I hissed, the words barely containing the scalding bitterness within me.

Loki fell silent, his gaze fixed on me, searching for some sign of understanding. I, too, refused to look away, battling with the complex swirl of emotions that had become a part of me. His audacity to offer excuses, to justify his actions, was infuriating. There was no justification for what had happened, no excuse that could undo the pain and loss.

I couldn't understand anything. How had Loki managed to survive all of this, and why was he fighting alongside Thor and the rest? It infuriated me beyond measure. How could he not comprehend the position he'd left me in? Why couldn't he just stay away?

So, I shoved him again, the frustration boiling over. "You have no idea what you've done!" I yelled, my voice raw with anger.

Loki stumbled back but quickly regained his footing. His eyes flashed with something—perhaps anger, or perhaps an acknowledgment of my pain. "I get it, Asmo!" he shot back, his voice rising. "You think you're the only one who's been hurt? You're not the only one who's been left in the dust!"

"Don't you dare compare your pain to mine!" I roared, taking another step forward. "Loki, I HAVE NOTHING LEFT!" I shouted from the top of my lungs.

Without warning, I lunged at him, driven by the overwhelming torrent of my emotions. Loki's reflexes were quick, and he dodged my attack, countering with a swift punch to my side. The blow landed with a sharp sting, but it only fueled my anger further.

I swung at him again, my fists driven by a mix of rage and desperation. Loki deflected my strikes with a mixture of agility and skill, his movements a blur as he retaliated with a punch to my jaw. The force of the hit made me stagger, but I gritted my teeth and pressed on.

We were locked in a fierce, relentless exchange. Each blow, each counter was fueled by our pent-up frustrations and unresolved emotions. My strength allowed me to land powerful strikes, but Loki's dexterity and experience kept him agile, evading many of my attacks and landing some of his own.

"So, you have nothing left so you're attacking me the only thing you've got?!" Loki yelled out, dodging another one of my swings. His face was a mask of determination and anger, matching mine blow for blow.

"OH WOW THANK YOU SO MUCH!" I roared before I finally landed a punch in his face which made him stagger back. "What is it that you want, Loki?!" I growled out in desperation.

Loki appeared to be hurt and confused as he rubbed his jaw. "Asmo... I thought you..."

"WHAT?!" I snapped.

"I thought you wanted me back." For a moment, my rage subdued. He must have thought I still had feelings for him. Unfortunately for him, there was nothing I felt for him anymore other than the memory that he left when I needed him. Despite the fact that he said it was for my sake, now it just looked like it was for his own good. Maybe I would have died over there in Norse world but I would have died happy. Not like this - stripped of everything. So, seeing his face was more like an insult to the injury.

"I did," I said, my voice low and pained. "I waited for you. But Loki..." I sighed, the words catching in my throat. "I waited for you to come back and explain, to make things right. But I figured it was a fool's game. Or rather, a trickster's game. So I stopped playing. And now I see I was right to do so."

Loki's face reflected a mix of regret and confusion. "I didn't know—"

"You didn't know?" I interrupted, my voice rising again. "You didn't know that leaving me to face the chaos alone would rip me apart? You didn't know that abandoning me when I needed you most would leave scars that I'm still trying to heal? You didn't know?" My chest was rising and falling rapidly from the sheer rage I was trying to contain. I was looking at him in disbelief, it was like Loki I knew was nowhere to be found. Just a man that was made up of excuses.

At once, Loki's eyes darkened and familiar rage surged in him as well. Before I could react, he grabbed me by the collar, his face inches away from mine, "don't act like I didn't fight for you." He hissed out. "Asmodeus, you pushed me away until the last moment. You made me believe I wasn't needed." He paused, but only for a heartbeat, before spitting out the words I thought I'd never hear. "I loved you. And you grasped at every straw to convince yourself otherwise."

His grip on my collar tightened as his gaze on me grew in intensity. My breath hitched as I struggled to even say something to that. He slapped me with the truth I wasn't ready to hear. The accusation cut deeper than any blow. For a moment, I was stunned into silence, my mind racing to process the words, the raw emotion behind them. It was like he had stripped away every barrier, every defense I had built up, and exposed the truth I had been trying so hard to bury.

"That doesn't make it better," I growled. "I begged you to stay."

My words seemed to rile him up even more as he lifted me up by the collar and threw me against the ground, making me land on the ground. The impact jarred through my entire body, but I scrambled to my feet, fury surging back through me. I wasn't done—far from it.

"Begged me?" Loki snapped, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he approached. "You begged me to stay while you pushed me away at every chance you got! You think that's fair? That's love?"

"Loki, I don't know what the fuck love is!" I growled. "I'm a demon, for fuck's sake! I was never meant to feel any of this but you–" I laughed but more so in disbelief, "oh but you knew this, didn't you?!"

Loki's eyes narrowed, his jaw tightening as my words hit him like a punch to the gut. He took a step closer, his voice low and seething. "Yeah, I knew. I knew what you were, what you are. And I still chose you, Asmodeus. I chose you despite everything."

"Well, you shouldn't have. If you cared for me, you'd leave before it got too complicated. Now I'm left with nothing all because of you." I said without a hint of sympathy in my tone. I truly believed what I said and no excuses of his could make me change my mind. It was a painful truth that it took me erasing all my emotions to see. Loki was an expert at pretending he was a fool from the beginning.

The fact he refused to say anything after that and just kept glaring at me spoke more than any words could. He looked hurt, betrayed but overall he seemed to have felt exposed to the point not even he could come up with any excuse.

So, he lunged at me once again, straddling me as the rain of fists began landing on me one after the one. The impact of Loki's fists was brutal, each blow landing with a sickening thud against my ribs and face. His movements were fueled by a raw, desperate anger—one that I hadn't seen in a while. The rain of punches kept coming, relentless, each hit driving me further into the cold, hard ground beneath us.

I gritted my teeth, refusing to show weakness, even as the pain surged through my body. My vision blurred with the force of his strikes, but I wouldn't let him have the satisfaction of breaking me. With a surge of adrenaline, I managed to get my hands between us, pushing against his chest with all the strength I could muster. The force of my shove sent him stumbling back, giving me just enough space to scramble to my feet.

But Loki was quick. He recovered almost instantly, lunging at me again with a furious growl. We collided, and this time, I was ready. I caught his arm mid-swing and twisted, forcing him to the side. The move only seemed to enrage him further, and he retaliated with a vicious punch to my stomach. The air rushed out of my lungs, and I doubled over, but I refused to go down.

I swung wildly, landing a punch across his jaw that snapped his head to the side. The satisfying crack of bone against bone reverberated through the air, but Loki didn't falter. He responded with a savage uppercut that caught me square in the chin, sending me reeling back. The taste of blood filled my mouth, and I spat it out, glaring at him with a mix of fury and defiance.

"Is this what you wanted?!" Loki shouted, his voice raw with emotion. His hands shot out, grabbing me by the collar of my shirt, and he slammed me against the ground again with a force that rattled my bones. "To tear each other apart until there's nothing left?!"

I snarled, my hands wrapping around his wrists as I struggled against his grip. "You already tore everything apart when you left!" I spat back, my voice venomous. With a burst of strength, I broke free from his hold and pushing him against the spot next to me, as I climbed on top of him.

Loki managed to get a hold of my throat, his fingers tightening around my windpipe. I clawed at his hands, gasping for air as the pressure increased. His face was a mask of fury, his eyes dark with a rage that mirrored my own. I could see the conflict in his gaze—the war between his anger and something deeper, something he couldn't quite suppress.

But I wasn't about to let him win. Summoning every ounce of strength I had left, I drove my punch into his side, the force of the blow making him loosen his grip just enough for me to twist out from under him. I pinned him beneath me as I pressed my forearm against his throat.

We were both breathing heavily, our chests rising and falling in a chaotic rhythm as we stared each other down. My vision was hazy with the mix of adrenaline and exhaustion, but I could still see the pain in his eyes—the same pain that mirrored my own. It was a twisted, vicious cycle, and neither of us seemed capable of breaking it.

Loki's hands clawed at my arm, his face contorting in a grimace as he fought for breath. But even as I held him down, there was no satisfaction in it. Only an emptiness, a hollow ache that echoed in the space between us. The snow falling all around us further painted a picture of the end.

It fell in thick, heavy flakes, each one descending like a tiny fragment of our shattered world. It clung to the ground, blanketing Hell in a cold, unforgiving white, as if trying to erase everything beneath it. Each flake that touched my skin felt like a whispered reminder of everything I had lost, cold and fleeting, dissolving into nothing.

As I held Loki down, his breath coming in ragged gasps, the fight drained out of me. The anger, the pain—it all seemed to collapse under the weight of something else. Something I had been trying so hard to suppress, to bury beneath the rage and the violence. But now, with him beneath me, struggling for breath, it was impossible to ignore.

His eyes, dark with fury and hurt, met mine, and for a moment, we were both still. The tension between us hung heavy in the air, thick with everything we hadn't said, everything we had refused to feel. My grip on his throat loosened, and I could feel my pulse pounding in my ears, drowning out the sounds of our labored breathing.

I released him completely, my forearm slipping away from his neck. Loki gasped, drawing in a deep breath as his hands fell away from my arm. I stayed where I was, hovering above him, my hands planted on either side of his head, our faces just inches apart. His chest rose and fell beneath me, but his eyes never left mine.

I hesitated, my mind racing, torn between the remnants of our fight and the undeniable pull that had always existed between us. The anger was still there, simmering beneath the surface, but it was mixed with something else now—something I couldn't fight any longer.

Before I could second-guess myself, I leaned in. The space between us disappeared in an instant, and my lips met his with a desperate urgency. It wasn't gentle or tender—it was raw, fueled by the same intensity that had driven our fight. I could taste the salt of blood on both our lips, but I didn't care. This was what I needed, what I had been denying myself for too long.

Loki froze for a split second, caught off guard by the sudden shift, but then he responded. His hands tangled in my hair, pulling me closer as he kissed me back with the same fervor, the same desperation. It was a collision of everything we had been holding back, a release of all the pent-up emotions we had tried so hard to ignore.

The world around us seemed to blur and fade away, leaving only the two of us, locked in this moment. The anger, the hurt, the betrayal—it was all still there, but now it was twisted into something else, something that felt both destructive and healing at the same time.

Suddenly, I pulled away and in the frenzied, torrent of emotions, my eyes locked with his. He looked at me with the same exact passion, his eyes read that he, too, remembered everything we'd been through and didn't take it lightly.

"Loki, I–" but before I could finish my thought, be it destiny or pure coincidence, something close to an explosion occurred not so far away from us. Both of us looked towards the source and we saw that the Hell's gate had been toppled over and out of darkness horde of gods and demons began emerging. No longer fighting against each other but clearly on a mission to find either one or both of us.

We looked at each other in panic and I quickly got on my feet, helping him get up in the process as well. We were so lost in our fight that we completely forgot what was going on behind those walls.

"I wanted to warn you but you didn't want to listen." Loki said in a much louder tone as the commotion before us grew in noise.

"You should've been quicker." I shot back and Loki grumbled under his breath before he grabbed me by the hand before he started running. I yelped in surprise but didn't dare trying to get out of his grip as it was certainly better going with him than staying to be trampled.

"WHAT IS GOING ON?!" I yelled as we sprinted away from the chaos, the ground shaking beneath our feet. The roar of the horde behind us was deafening, a terrifying blend of battle cries, snarls, and the thunderous clamor of weapons. My heart pounded in my chest, not just from the physical exertion but from the sheer panic that gripped me.

Loki didn't answer immediately, his focus entirely on getting us away from the imminent danger. His grip on my hand tightened as we maneuvered through the snow-covered terrain.

Finally, Loki shouted over the noise, "They've united—gods and demons. They think if they take us down, they can restore balance, stop the collapse. They're desperate."

Desperate. The word echoed in my mind, fueling a mix of fear and defiance. I could see the twisted logic in their union—after all, our war had left everything in ruins. But that didn't make it any less terrifying.

How was it possible? Where was Beelzebub, Mammon... Belial?! Were they part of this too? Did they have no choice? So many questions swirled in my mind but I didn't even have time to think. I looked behind me to even try to take a glimpse of someone but in that moment, a fireball shot out of the crowd towards us. Instantly, Loki yanked me by the arm, taking a turn and running towards an unknown destination.

"Do you even have a plan?!" I screamed out. I knew that even going to Asgard would've been pointless as the veil was so broken. "They're going to tear us apart if we don't think of something!"

Another explosion rocked the ground, and Loki yanked me to the side just in time to avoid a blast of energy that scorched the earth where we had just been. My mind was racing, trying to piece together a plan, but everything felt hopeless. We were running blind, and it felt like there was no escape.

"Loki!" I yelled again, frustration bubbling up inside me. "We can't just keep running like this! We need a plan!"

He shot me a look, his eyes sharp and calculating. "I know!" he snapped, though I could hear the strain in his voice. I frowned then I realized I had to take charge. This was after all unfamiliar ground to him but to me, it wasn't.

"There is a cave!" I yelled out before my hand took his instead. A surprise painted his face but he didn't have a reason to protest before he just nodded and allowed me to lead the way.

I had never been in the cave and there were many stories surrounding it. The most common one was that it was the Underworld and the other less common story was that it was an extra torture chamber. A lot of places in Hell were limited access, reserved only for the Devil and sometimes Paimon. Everyone else was left to wonder. This was no exception.

The snow continued to fall, thicker now, obscuring our path as we veered off into the wilderness. The cold bit at my skin, but I barely noticed it, my focus entirely on survival. The sounds of the pursuing horde grew fainter, but I knew they were still there, relentless, waiting for any opportunity to strike.

Finally, through the blinding snow, I saw it—a dark opening in the side of a cliff, barely visible against the white landscape. I didn't hesitate, pulling Loki towards it, my grip on my his arm never faltering. We stumbled inside, the darkness swallowing us as the noise of the outside world suddenly became muffled.

Loki looked at me, his eyes reflecting the weight of everything that had just happened. The cave's darkness seemed to swallow us whole, the cold stone walls pressing in on all sides. His chest rose and fell rapidly as he tried to catch his breath, but his expression remained resolute.

"Now we wait," I said, my voice rough but steady. "They'll keep searching, but this place... it's hidden well enough. If we're lucky, they'll pass us by." I pressed my back against the wall, sliding down until I was sitting on the cold ground. My legs felt like they could barely hold me up anymore. I didn't want to admit it, but I was exhausted—physically, emotionally, in every possible way. I wasn't as strong as I used to be. Even though I had the superhuman strength, I didn't have endurance I used to have. I was much more vulnerable; I was much more human.

The silence between us hung heavy, filled with all the words we hadn't said. My mind was still racing, filled with questions and accusations. How did it all come to this? Why had everything fallen apart so quickly?

Loki seemed to sense my thoughts, his eyes drifting toward me. "I know you're angry," he said quietly. "But we must figure it out. Together. Like we initially wanted to." He added before coming closer to me, crouching in front of me. My eyes locked with his and I saw it again... the familiar gentleness I could never forget.

"There's nothing to figure out, Loki." I sighed out. "It's over. Gods and demons are literally looking to kill us both." I said flatly. I didn't have any fight left in me. I was profoundly exhausted from it. I didn't care to fight them nor could I bring myself to care. Loki frowned lightly as if surprised by my sudden change in attitude. I didn't know why he was surprised. He should've seen it coming.

"I'm aware. But you also shouldn't just lay here and die."

"Why not?"

Loki clenched his jaw before snapping, "because you're king Asmodeus, for fuck's sake."

A lump stopped in my throat the moment he uttered those words. I didn't know I needed to hear it but Loki was right, unfortunately. His simple words sparked up new lust for life I thought was gone. It was the pride that Lucifer always wanted me to have and I almost lost it - something the Devil wanted. And I couldn't let him have it. My lips slowly curved into a smile as I watched him and I saw his face softening up.

"I still have some questions." I mumbled. He nodded, urging me to continue. "You said you'll explain everything when you're back. But things are still not clear. Also, you and your Norse gods interrupted me right when I was about to trap the Devil." I took a deep breath before continuing, "I can't help but think all of it was planned. I feel...tricked. I don't know if by you or someone close to me..."

Loki's expression softened, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly as he sighed. "I can't blame you for thinking that," he admitted. "It does look suspicious, and I'm not going to pretend like I didn't see it coming."

He hesitated for a moment, as if trying to find the right words. "When Odin foresaw what was coming, he knew the balance between our worlds was collapsing. The veil between Hell and the realms—it's been weakening for some time now. We had no choice but to act. And yes, we knew about the Devil's plans to draw out the power from Belial and the others. We thought that if we intervened, we could prevent him from gaining that strength."

I clenched my jaw, frustration bubbling up again. "And you chose to intervene at the exact moment I was about to trap him? You couldn't have waited?"

Loki shook his head. "It wasn't that simple. If we had waited any longer, the veil would've shattered completely. The gods of the Norse realm, demons, and other beings would have been unleashed into all realms, creating chaos beyond control. The only way to stabilize the situation was to act immediately." He made a little pause before he continued, "Odin was always power-hungry, contrary to popular belief. From the beginning he wanted to have power over both realms. He does all these things out of hunger for power and knowledge as well. So when he foresaw what the Devil was about to do, he deemed it a perfect time to storm the place." He took in a deep breath as he finally sat down and looked up at the ceiling of the cave, "I was the pawn of his game. So was everyone. I was just caught in crossfire when they all stormed in. Coincidentally or by fate, the veil did break then."

Loki's words hung heavy in the air, filling the small space of the cave with a truth I hadn't anticipated. I could see the weight of it all on his shoulders—the realization that he, too, had been used in this game of power and control. His usual confidence seemed to waver, replaced by a deep weariness.

"So you're saying Odin knew this all along?" I asked, my voice tinged with disbelief. "He used the chaos to his advantage, just like the Devil."

Loki nodded slowly, his gaze still fixed on the ceiling. "Odin always had a plan, even if it wasn't clear to everyone else. He's been watching the Devil's movements for a long time, waiting for the right moment to strike. When he saw the veil weakening, he knew it was his chance. He didn't care about the collateral damage, about what would happen to those caught in the middle. All he saw was an opportunity to seize more power."

A bitter laugh escaped me. "And you? You just went along with it?"

His eyes flicked back to mine, a flash of anger mixed with something else—regret, maybe. "I didn't have much of a choice. Odin had me under his thumb for centuries. Every time I tried to break free, he'd find a way to pull me back. This time, I thought I could outsmart him, find a way to protect you and the realms. But I underestimated just how far he'd go."

I clenched my fists, the anger simmering beneath my skin. "And now I'm left with nothing because of their greed. Because of your gods' hunger for power."

Loki's lips turned into a thin line as he looked at me. "I'm sorry. I tried everything I could—"

Suddenly, he was interrupted by the commotion outside of the cave. We both looked towards the source of the noise then at each other again. We instantly stood up and with a quick understanding and a nod, we traversed deeper into the cave, not being curious enough to wait and see who it was. I still had many questions but clearly I couldn't get all the answers now.

The noise outside grew louder, echoing through the cave's stone walls. It sounded like a mix of clashing weapons, snarls, and shouts—definitely not a friendly gathering. The darkness swallowed us up as we moved further away from the entrance. The air grew colder, the oppressive silence only occasionally broken by distant, muffled sounds from outside.

Out of nowhere, my foot slipped as I didn't see the steep ground before me due to the reduced ability to see in the dark. Instinctively, I grabbed Loki to steady myself but ended up bringing him down with me.

The unexpected slip sent both of us tumbling down the steep incline. My heart raced as the ground beneath us seemed to give way, our descent accelerated by the steep angle. Loki's surprised shout was quickly swallowed by the rush of the descent.

We crashed into each other as we skidded, the jagged rocks scraping against our skin. The darkness was almost absolute, making every movement disorienting. I tried to brace myself against the slope, but the force of our fall made it impossible to stop or control.

When we finally came to a halt, we lay sprawled in a heap at the bottom of the slope. My breath came in ragged gasps, my body aching from the rough landing. The cold, damp ground beneath us seemed to seep through my clothes, adding to the discomfort.

Loki pushed himself up, groaning as he checked himself for injuries. Despite the harsh landing, his eyes were sharp, scanning our surroundings. I began getting up too before beginning to laugh out loud as I was brushing the debris that got caught on my clothes. He looked at me in amusement with a raised eyebrow.

"This is just so..." I shook my head, "so absurd."

Loki snorted before responding, "I can't argue with that. It seems like Astral has a twisted sense of humor." His eyes softened a bit, and he added, "But at least we're still alive. For now, we need to focus on getting out of this mess."

I wiped away the remnants of dirt and debris from my clothes, the laughter still bubbling at the edge of my voice. "It's just... I never thought I'd end up in a situation like this. After everything, falling down a goddamn slope seems like the Astral's way of kicking us while we're down."

Loki gave a wry smile. "I guess Astral isn't done with us yet." He shrugged before scanning the surrounding and I followed his example. It was even darker in this part of the cave and I couldn't even make up anything.

"Let's keep going, it's bad to stay in one place." I mumbled and Loki simply nodded in response. "I still have plenty of questions for you but let's first find a place where we are sure we are not going to be disturbed for a while." I added.

"Fair enough," Loki chuckled lightly as if to lighten the obvious grim situation we were in.

We soon started moving again, beginning to navigate the treacherous path that this cave had. Despite the dire circumstances, the absurdity of our situation provided a strange comfort, a reminder that even in the darkest moments, there could still be a glimmer of levity.

Catching me by surprise, Loki's hand suddenly found mine in the darkness as he firmly grasped it. My heart skipped a beat in that instant as I didn't expect that type of gentleness from him. However, it provided odd sense of comfort and confidence despite the unpredictable future before us. Once again, Loki was slowly crawling back into my senses and heart. It was as if he was silently promising that, even in the face of the unimaginable, I was not alone. So, I ended up squeezing his hand, too.