Thunderous Fate (Thor x reader) || Record of Ragnarok

*The day before the Summons to the Battle in Jotunheim*

I walked along the quiet halls of the palace, my steps slow, my thoughts heavier than they had been in days. The dim firelight flickered against the stone walls, casting restless shadows that swayed with every movement. 

As I neared my chambers, I wasn't surprised to find Loki waiting for me, leaning against my doorframe with his arms crossed, eyes closed, as if he had all the time in the world. 

I stopped in front of him, saying nothing. 

Without opening his eyes, Loki spoke, his voice laced with its usual amusement—sharp, knowing. "Still haven't gone, have you?" 

I didn't react, but he opened his eyes anyway, piercing straight through me with that unreadable gaze. 

"The vault, Y/n. You know where it is. You know what's inside. And yet... you hesitate." He tilted his head, studying me as if I were a puzzle missing its final piece. "Why?" 

I exhaled through my nose, folding my arms. "Because I refuse to walk blindly into something I'm not prepared for." I answered evenly. "This isn't just about uncovering secrets, Loki. I need to be ready. Mentally. Emotionally. Physically. I need to be fully connected with the power and will of my ancestors before I take that step." 

Loki hummed, his expression unreadable. 

"How noble." he mused, pushing off the doorframe and circling me slowly, his presence like a shadow at my back. "And yet, I wonder..." He came to a stop just beside me, lowering his voice to a near-whisper. "Is it truly preparation that holds you back? Or is it your foolish, one-sided devotion to my dear cousin?" 

I stiffened. 

Loki's smirk widened at my silence. 

"Ah. I see." He stepped away, but his words remained heavy in the air between us. "You think you have time to sort through all of this—your doubts, your feelings, your so-called readiness. But let me give you something else to consider." His gaze darkened, the mirth in his tone cooling into something far more chilling. "Time is not a luxury you have, sister-in-law." 

My fingers curled at my sides as unease rippled through me. 

"Odin is moving," Loki continued, his voice quiet but certain. "His plans for you are already in motion. And if you don't act soon... all your training, all your progress—everything—will have been for nothing." 

A sharp silence stretched between us. Then, with a final smirk, Loki turned and disappeared down the hall, vanishing into the shadows as if he had never been there at all. 

I stood frozen, his words sinking deep into my bones, filling me with a creeping dread I couldn't shake.

 *End of Flashback* 

My brow furrowed as I recalled Loki's parting words. As I walked through the quiet halls, my fingers curled around the necklace resting against my chest— the cool metal pulsed faintly under my touch, a steady rhythm like a heartbeat. 

A quiet reassurance. I felt drawn to it, as though it held the answers I sought. My resolve hardened. 

The soft swish of my cloak accompanied my quickening steps as I made my way toward the library. The massive doors of the Asgardian library loomed before me, their golden engravings catching the moonlight, ancient runes shimmering in its glow. 

I pressed my palm against the cool surface, pushing them open. Inside, the air was thick with the scent of aged parchment and ink, the flickering lanterns casting long, shifting shadows along the endless rows of books.