A new door stood before him.

  A colossal one, made of gold adorned with intricate carvings that seemed to depict past battles, glowing with iridescent light. Despite its grandeur, Alec hesitated, unsure of what layed beyond. Crossing this threshold felt like stepping into more problems.

  A lot had happened. His body still shook. And he didn’t know if answers—or something far worse—awaited beyond this door.

  Yet, the only possible was forward. So he pushed the door open.

  As it creaked open, Alec was greeted by a scene beyond belief.

  The scent of roasted meat and ale wafted through the air, mingling with the sound of raucous laughter and boisterous cheers. The hall stretched out before him like a Viking, longhouse, its wooden beams soaring high aboves. Tables groaned the weight of roasted meats, breads and overflowing mugs of Ale.

  The mingling scent of food and sweets filled the air, and the warriors laughter echoed off the walls.

  Alec's stomach rumbled at the sight, but he couldn't shake the feeling of unease. Was this a genuine banquet or a trap laid for him?

  Before he could ponder further, the door closed behind him with a resounding thud, drawing the attention of everyone in the hall.

  All eyes turned to Alec as a sinister silence setted in.

  He tried to reach for the axe on his belt, but it was nowhere to be found.

  He couldn't possible turn his back or show weakness to the thousand of menacings eyes on him.

  So he braced himself for the worst.

  A figure quickly emerged from the crowd.

  A tall lighskin girl with curly hair, she wore leather amor on top of a black sweatshirt, which gave Alec and profound feelings of unease.

  She approached Alec with a smile, and took his hand before he could react.

  "Don't be afraid," she said softly. She had a different accent from the people he had met before.

  "Just follow my lead,” she said, turning to the crowd.

  "What's my name?!" She demanded

  "Nadia, the Sword of the AllFather!!" The crowd roared in unison.

  Alec nearly backed up from the surprise, but Nadia grip around his hands tightened, stopping him.

  "My friends, my brother, my comrades. I, The sword of the Allfather. Introduce u to one of the new Allfather guest. Alec Chase, The tide turner!"

  As soon as she said those words, applause and screamed erupted from everywhere as the men cheered and trinqued to what seemed to be Alec new nickname.

  All were chanting"Tide turner" as if he was some kind of Hero.

  Was he dreaming? Because if he was, he never wanted to wake up.

  "What the hell was that?" He blurted out.

  "You need to be introduce here, by someone they trust. Or else you get eaten alive. " Alec could feel in her tone that she wasn't downgrading it whatsoever.

  She started to walk, dragging Alec along with her.

  "Why did you help me? And where are you taking me?"

  "Sorry i forgot." She said without even glancing at him. "I'm Nadia, think of me as your guardian angel here. There's people you need to meet and after that i'll deal with the questions"

  She was evasive, and alec didn't like that. But there were something in her unusual accent, and the way she carried herself that was different from the people he had met until now.

  She was one of the few that didn't try to kill him on sight, but could he trust her?

  As they navigated through the crowd, Alec couldn't help but notice the familiar faces of the warriors who had attacked him earlier.

  Yet now, they treated him with respect and admiration. Tapping his shoulders and eburifing his hair as he walked past them. It was surreal, but Alec knew he had to stay focused.

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  "Don't let them impress you now." She chukled.

  He was sure of it now, she wasn't like the rest of them. She felt out of place, just like him.

  "Earlier you said my name, how do you know it? Where are we?"

  She turned around to look at him and she smiled. "Just chill. Give me a second, i'll make it make sense."

  Then Alec noticed something unexpected—braces glinting on her teeth.

  "I'll deal with the questions laters. For now, just enjoy the feast and be respectful."

  She seemed more urgent than annoyed.

  As if whatever she was going to show had to come before everything else.

  Which didn't make much sense since Alec Had litteraly forgot who he was. But, he couldn't tell that he wouldn't get much more from her. He just had to wait and see how all of this wiuld turn out.

  Alec nodded, though doubts lingered in his mind.

  Until now, all Alec had known was wilderness, cold, and Viking warriors. How a girl with braces fit into this world.

  She guided him throught the maze of tables until an empty one with 5 full plates.

  "Just hang in there, it will become more clear soon." She tapped him on his shoulders. He sat down as she went and dissaspeard in the crowd.

  Leaving him alone to watch rest of the men enjoying their nights.

  They were talking and drinking, playing and tellings each other tell of past battles and exploit.

  Alec wasn't sure, but he was hoping that he wasn't like them before.

  But before boredom and anxiety could took the upper hands on Alec, some familiars faces lighted up from the crowds.

  "My brother." Erick said as he sat in fron of him.

  “He still had the bruises and scars from earlier, when Alec had saved him from a guard’s blade inches from his head—a dumb death he narrowly avoided, which reassured Alec that he wasn't dreaming since his clothes and armour were pristine clean.

  Then he fell a cold hand land on his shoulder. He turned around to see the unexpected.

  Without the dried blood, the mud and the snow, The witch didn't look like a witch at all, in fact, she was kind of pretty.

  "I didn't think you would make it this far." She said without glancing at him.

  "Thanks." Said Alec. "It's good to know that people believe in me."

  "Come on." Said Erick with a smile, as he picked up one the cup on the table. "That was Alec first battle we need to celebrate that." he raised his cup in a toast that no one followed.

  He had said that as if this was the first of many more to come.

  He didn't want to admit it, but friendly faces and smile had overpowered his fear. He felt like with those two, he could drop his guards a little. And the smile on his face was a clear proof.

  Erick started downing on anything everything he could, ckicken, meat, at this rate even the plate and the table would go down against him.

  Ulf was cheering him from the sideline, she didn't seemed much like that the evil witch he tought she was.

  Maybe he should just follow their lead, he tought to himself as looked at his plate.

  It was mostly a bunch of pieces of chicken and meat laid next to some berries.

  Not the most appealing meal, but Alec stomach didn't care about all that.

  Alec stared at the plate in front of him, his stomach growling. He picked up a piece of chicken and took a bite. The flavor was incredible, savory and rich. He quickly moved on to the meat, which was equally delicious. The berries added a nice, refreshing touch.

  For a moment, he forgot his worries and just enjoyed the meal. The sounds of laughter and chatter faded into the background as he savored each bite.

  "Good, isn't it?" Erick's voice brought him back to reality.

  Alec looked up, nodding with a smile. "Yeah, it's amazing." He hadn't realized how hungry he was.

  Erick laughed "Food always tastes better after a battle. Eat up, you'll need your strength."

  "Before you lose yourself in your meat, " ulf said. "You had questions right ?"

  "Yes," Alec was quickly brought back.

  "What do you wanna know?" She replied.

  "First of All, we nearly lost our lives earlier. And now we are partying with the peoples that tried to kill us? What even is happening here?" He murmured trying his best for the crowd not to hear him.

  "Make you wonder why some people call this place paradise." Said Ulf while looking straight at Erik.

  "Paradise? Like angels and jesus paradise?" Said a lost Alec.

  "Je who?" Replied Erik, looking equally as lost

  "Come on everybody know jesus. Long haired dude, big beard, son of god?"

  They had to be messing with him.

  Ulf chukled, and Erick still looked confused.

  "You know, he died on the cross and everything. Seriously dude?" Alec couldn't believe his eyes.

  "I'm hearing you brother. But son of which god?" Erik asked.

  "What do you mean, which god?" Alec nearly laughed at him.

  Erik leaned back. "Ulf's mother is a god too. Demi-god aren't that rare." He said agitating a piece of chicken.

  Ulf’s eyes narrowed. "Hearing him talk, you’d think he’s not one himself," she muttered, almost amused.

  Then a burst of informations overcame Alec's mind. It felt as if he whole word and his head were going to chatter.

  He noticed the accents, the longhouse architecture, the way warriors carried themselves… and slowly it dawned on him: magic was real here. These weren’t people dressing up as Vikings—they were real norse warriors, and they believed in gods

  Hence why Nadia was called The sword of the Allfather.

  Did that meant the gods were real?

  Did that meant Odin would burst thourgh one of those door sooner or later?

  Was he going crazy?

  His heart pounded, his head ached, nausea twisted his stomach, as the room tilted around him.”

  "Are you okay brother? You seem pale." Said Erick as he handed out a glass to Alec.

  Alec took the glass from his hand emptied the water in mere seconds.

  His mind was working harder than ever, trying to put everything in place with the fews informations he now had, but he still was missing something.

  "Are gods real?"

  Ulf bursted laughting. Before quickly realizing that Alec was in fact dead serious.

  "Did we make a mistake?" Ulf said as she turned to Erick.

  "No, he's just confused." Said Erik with a warm smile as he prepared to spew some more nonsense. Alec could feel it.

  "Brother." He started. " You clearly have god blood in your vein, just like us." He said pointing at Ulf then at him.

  Alec could feel his sense of self shatter in the small shell that he had built.

  Those people were crazy, right? they had be.

  Demi-gods? Real gods? Vikings? This was all too much.

  Yet, why did he feel like that made more sense than all his others theories? “Demi-gods. Real gods. Vikings. It was too much… and yet somehow, it made more sense than anything else he’d guessed.

  Were they saying the truth? Maybe he didn't want to know who he was at the end of the day, maybe he should have had to stop to ask question here.

  But he couldn't stop himself.

  "You said paradise earlier. Does that mean this is—?”

  “Valhalla,” Ulf said.

  Alec heart sanked again. He wasn't no miraculous survivor of a massacre, like he had tought. If they were saying the truth and that he was actually there with them.

  This meant Alec had die. He was dead and cursed to suffer forever in this so called paradise.

  "I don't remenber anything about me." He letted out in disblelief. "I-i died?"

  "We all did." Ulf said annoyed

  "Don't think too much brother, we will figure out what happened to you. I promise." He filled his and Alec's cup with an purple liquid and raised them to make a toast. "Welcome to Valhalla brother. You're a hero now."

  He toasted with Erick just because he couldn't leave him hanging as he tried to cheer him up.

  But how had he die? Why?

  He was just a kid

  Suddenly, a searing flash erupted in the middle of the hall. The blast that followed was impossibly loud, hammering Alec’s ears until he thought they might burst. The room wobbled around him, his vision stinging, his earring threatening to fly free. Heat prickled his skin

  Was this real? Had thunder just struck the middle of the room?