Chosen: Chapter 01

by ~ReddSuiko

At the foot of a dormant volcano, far from the outskirts of a bustling city, stood the entrance to the "Nether-Midgard", forged of indestructible metal, and hidden by the same magma contained within the stone giant. Carved at the centre of this ten-by-five-yard door was a clock that ticked the seconds in reverse, a count-down, which none knew would end in Ragnarök.

The day was sunny as any other, a cool spring breeze blew over the sand that separated civilized land from the mythological wonder. Yet, whereas no-one ever dared venture these parts, two frail figures stepped forth at the entrance's wake.

Twin sisters of a noble lineage, Elsa and Jasmine, appeared from the flash of a white light.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Jasmine questioned, hiding strands of her long, dark hair into the white robe's hood.

Her short-haired sibling nodded silently.

"If we are unsuccessful, this will have happened in vain." she continued, taking a step towards the entrance.

Elsa reached for a brown-hued crystal sphere hanging on a string around her neck, and held it tight. Images of a battle flashed in her mind: the outcome yet unknown. A tighter grip caused the sphere to glow, and her robe tore to bits and disappeared with the wind. Black clothing covered her slim figure: a pair of shorts and a sleeveless shirt, accompanied by dark sandals.

Jasmine turned to face her sister and sighed, "I guess we're better off without the stupid clothes."

Without a single movement, her robe faded away and was replaced by her sister's same clothing in white. She closed her eyes and held a green-hued sphere, similar to her sibling's, to see the same images play out in her mind.

"I'm scared of not knowing." Elsa whispered. She walked towards the entrance and placed her hand on the rocky surface, which evaporated upon feeling her cold skin.

The door remained, the clock ticked louder.

"We don't have to do this now."

"We do."

"It will be revealed to us when the time is right."

"You're wrong."

The wind stopped at Elsa's voice, "We are facing one with our own gift. He has stolen more power than we can accumulate in our lifetime. That monster is backed up by thousands of broken dimensions while we stand here alone-"

"You mean it's already foretold?" fear was obvious in Jasmine's eyes.

"He knows," was the reply, "and has distorted our perception."

Silent ruled the following moments, as both siblings considered their next move.

It was true: Jörgand, the once Norse Midgard Serpent, had somehow been pushed into stealing the essence of Creation and Destruction from his own timeline. It was thanks to this break in the foundations of his own reality that he managed to lock the Gods in their heavenly realm, thus surviving his original fate.

Upon acquiring this power, the Serpent was plunged into an alternate dimension where life still existed, and the cycle started anew.

Sensing this distortion in the Multiverse, Creation and Destruction sought refuge in the peoples of their own dimension. They waited and gathered energy for a final confrontation with the Serpent, knowing that failure would mean the end of their existence and the threat of another.

"I'll trust my heart on this one," Jasmine sighed, and started off towards the entrance that opened as it felt her approaching, "whatever the future holds, I know we can do this."

The doors closed as Elsa followed her sibling into the enemy's den, whilst final tick marked the end of the clock's countdown.

The universe froze.