Chapter 101 Sovngarde Beauty
After stepping through the portal, Alex and Astrid emerged into Sovngarde the sacred afterlife and eternal paradise of the Nords.
The transition was instantaneous.
The roaring wind of the portal vanished. The cold pressure in Alex's skull like invisible claws digging into his brain disappeared just as suddenly.
He staggered half a step forward… then stopped.
His hand, which had been pressing against his temple moments ago, slowly slid down. His brows unknitted. His breathing, once strained and uneven, steadied.
"…Huh?"
His eyes widened faintly.
The pounding pain that had haunted him the deep, suffocating pressure behind his eyes was simply… gone completely.
(What?)
He blinked several times, as if expecting the agony to return.
(My headache… it suddenly disappeared?)
His fingers curled slightly, testing his clarity. His thoughts felt sharp. Crisp. Untouched.
(Is it because I entered Sovngarde? Did Mora's influence vanish the moment I stepped into this realm?)
A crease formed between his brows as suspicion replaced relief.
Without wasting another second, Alex lifted his hand slightly in front of him. His gaze focused and a translucent status window shimmered into existence before his eyes.
His pupils moved quickly as he scanned the familiar text.
Sovereign Mind: The brain has reached absolute sovereignty.
The user's mind cannot be interfered with, controlled, or influenced by any external entity.
The user's will can manipulate physical reality through telekinesis without subtle limitations.
Alex's breath caught in his throat.
His fingers twitched.
The power he had stolen from Hermaeus Mora was still there.
Untouched.
Unchanged.
Not weakened. Not sealed.
A chill ran down his spine not from fear, but from realization.
"…It's still active," he muttered under his breath, eyes narrowing slightly.
Confusion slowly seeped into his expression. His jaw tightened as his mind raced.
(If the power is still there… then why is my headache gone?)
He lifted his hand again and lightly tapped his temple, as if checking for any lingering pressure. Nothing.
(Could it be because I copied his power? Maybe he retained a slight influence over the original source… and through that connection, it affected me?)
His gaze hardened, turning thoughtful.
(And now that I'm in Sovngarde… have I escaped Mora's surveillance?)
For the first time since stealing that ability, Alex felt something he hadn't realized he'd been missing.
Alex lowered his gaze slightly, eyes unfocused as his thoughts spiraled inward. His brows drew together, forming a deep crease between them. One hand rose to his chin, thumb pressing against his jaw while his index finger tapped lightly against his cheek an unconscious habit whenever he was thinking hard.
His breathing slowed.
He replayed everything in his mind the disappearance of the pain, the intact status window, the complete absence of that suffocating presence.
"…Why?" he murmured under his breath.
His eyes narrowed.
Then
Something clicked.
His pupils sharpened, and his tapping finger froze mid-motion.
(Ah… that's right.)
His head lifted slightly.
(Sovngarde is the domain of Shor.)
He slowly straightened his posture, the tension in his shoulders easing as understanding dawned on him.
(Daedric Princes cannot enter freely. They can't interfere here as they please.)
The realization settled into him like a key sliding perfectly into a lock.
(That must be the reason.)
The invisible pressure. The headache. The subtle mental disturbance all of it had been tied to an external influence.
And here?
Here, that influence could not reach.
A slow smile began to form on his lips.
Not a wide grin just a quiet, calculating curve.
His eyes glinted faintly.
(Hahaha…)
He lowered his hand from his chin, fingers curling into a loose fist at his side.
(Maybe this is my chance.)
His heartbeat quickened not from fear, but from anticipation.
(A perfect opportunity.)
He glanced at the sky of Sovngarde for a brief moment, as if acknowledging the protection of this realm.
(If Mora's influence can't reach me here… then this is the safest place to experiment.)
The smile on his face deepened, carrying a trace of ambition.
(I can analyze the power more thoroughly. Strengthen it. Refine it. Upgrade my system.)
His fist tightened slightly.
(And once I do… Mora will never be able to interfere again.)
For the first time since stealing the ability of Hermaeus Mora, Alex didn't feel like prey hiding from a cosmic predator.
He felt like a player who had just found a loophole in the rules of the universe.
While Alex remained frozen in his thoughts, staring into nothing as calculations and possibilities raced through his mind, Astrid slowly turned in place beside him.
And then she forgot to breathe.
Before her stretched the endless fields of Sovngarde.
Her lips parted slightly.
"…By the gods…"
The air here felt different pure, crisp, yet warm against the skin. It carried no scent of decay, no trace of blood or smoke from battle. Instead, it smelled faintly of clean wind and distant snow, like the first morning after a long winter. A soft golden light bathed the land, not harsh like the sun, but gentle almost sacred.
The ground beneath her boots shimmered faintly, as if dusted with starlight. In the distance, vast rolling plains stretched endlessly, bordered by towering mountains that glowed faintly under the sky's divine colors. Ethereal mist drifted low across the fields, moving slowly like a living thing.
Astrid's eyes sparkled, reflecting the sky above.
After a moment, she glanced at Alex only to see him still staring downward, clearly lost in his own head.
She smiled faintly.
With a soft, affectionate sigh, she reached out and gently tapped his arm with the back of her fingers.
"Hey…" she said quietly, almost teasing. "You're missing it."
The touch broke his concentration.
Alex blinked once, then again, as if surfacing from deep water. He turned his head toward her, then followed the direction of her gaze.
And finally
He looked up.
The sky stole the breath from his lungs.
It was unlike anything he had ever seen.
The heavens stretched infinitely above them, painted in deep, velvety blue so rich it seemed almost liquid. Waves of aurora shimmered across it curtains of light flowing in pink, green, and faint violet, intertwining like celestial rivers. The colors didn't clash; they blended seamlessly, moving slowly, gracefully, as if guided by unseen hands.
Soft clouds drifted high above tinted rose and emerald by the auroras glowing faintly at their edges. Tiny motes of light floated in the air like distant stars that had descended to earth.
The entire realm felt alive.
Not loud.
Not overwhelming.
But vast. Eternal. Sacred.
It was as though the world itself was breathing.
Alex's shoulders slowly lowered.
His eyes widened just a fraction, reflecting the dancing lights overhead.
"…This…" he whispered, voice barely audible.
He had seen Sovngarde in a game before but this…
This was no static skybox.
This was not pixels and scripted light.
This was divine.
He stood there in stunned silence, completely still, as if afraid that any sudden movement might shatter the masterpiece before him.
For a rare moment, Alex had no calculations to make.
No plans.
No schemes.
Only awe remained.
Alex stood motionless, his chest rising and falling slowly as if even breathing too loudly would be disrespectful to the sacred realm around him. The auroras above reflected faintly in his eyes, their shifting colors dancing across his pupils. A soft wind brushed past him, carrying strands of Astrid's hair gently across her cheek, making the atmosphere feel alive almost aware of their presence.
(This is completely different from the game…)
His fingers flexed slightly at his sides, grounding himself in the reality of it.
(It's so beautiful I can't even find the words.)
He swallowed, throat suddenly dry not from fear, but from reverence.
(Is this truly the paradise of the Nords?)
The golden light illuminated the rolling plains ahead, stretching endlessly beneath the radiant sky. In the far distance, massive mead-hall silhouettes stood proudly against the horizon, their outlines glowing faintly through drifting divine mist. The land did not feel empty it felt peaceful. Eternal. As if countless honored souls had once walked these grounds.
(This… this is unbelievably beautiful.)
Beside him, Astrid's usually confident posture softened. Her shoulders relaxed, and for once, the fierce warrior expression she often carried was gone. She looked almost small beneath the infinite sky.
Her voice came out in a whisper, fragile and sincere.
"If we die… we'll come here."
She paused briefly, eyes shimmering as they traced the glowing fields.
"Because we are Nord."
There was no fear in her tone only quiet pride.
Alex's gaze slowly shifted toward the distant horizon. He narrowed his eyes slightly, focusing beyond the immediate plains.
The land didn't simply end it continued.
Far beyond the mist and fields, he could make out faint outlines of more terrain perhaps mountains, perhaps valleys, maybe even entire regions hidden beyond layers of luminous fog. The scale of it unsettled him in the best way possible.
"This place is vast," he murmured thoughtfully. "I can see far into the distance… it looks like there's more land beyond."
The aurora light flickered across his face as he studied the endless expanse, his analytical mind beginning to awaken again beneath the wonder.
Astrid finally tore her eyes away from the scenery with visible reluctance. She exhaled softly, as if forcing herself back to reality. Then she stepped closer and lightly tapped his shoulder again this time a bit firmer.
"Hey," she said, her tone shifting back to that familiar grounded strength. "We have a mission. Let's focus."
The reminder hung in the sacred air between them.
Alex blinked, as though waking from a dream. The divine atmosphere had almost pulled him into complacency.
Right.
They weren't tourists.
They were here for a reason.
He inhaled deeply once more, then nodded.
"…Yeah. You're right."
With visible effort, he tore his eyes away from the celestial sky of Sovngarde, letting the awe settle into the back of his mind.
The beauty of paradise would have to wait.
Duty came first.
They began descending the grand staircase together, their footsteps echoing softly against the ancient stone. Each step felt solid yet faintly luminous beneath their boots, as if the very structure was forged from something more sacred than mere rock.
The golden light of Sovngarde bathed them from above, casting long, gentle shadows behind their figures.
Alex let out a quiet breath, the tension that had clung to him for days finally gone. A small, almost disbelieving laugh escaped his lips.
"Astrid, there's good news."
He rubbed the back of his neck, smiling slightly.
"The negative effect in my head is completely gone. I realized it the moment we arrived."
Astrid, walking half a step ahead of him, slowed and turned her head slightly. One eyebrow lifted in curiosity.
"Ah," she said, a faint smirk forming. "So that's why you were staring down and zoning out earlier."
She turned more fully toward him while still walking, stepping carefully down each stair.
"You were thinking about that?"
Her expression shifted into concern.
"So what happened? Why doesn't your head hurt anymore?"
Alex nodded thoughtfully, his gaze lowering to the steps as he organized his thoughts. He raised a hand slightly, gesturing as he explained.
"Sovngarde can only be entered by Nords or those who possess the soul of a Nord or the spirit"
His voice was calm, analytical again.
As they continued downward, something caught Astrid's attention. A metallic glint lay scattered across several steps ahead.
She slowed.
Fragments of Draugr armor were strewn across the staircase helmets split open, chest plates collapsed inward. But inside the hollow suits…
There was nothing.
Only fine gray dust spilling from within, drifting lightly in the sacred wind.
Alex stepped closer and crouched slightly, reaching out but not touching.
"Look," he said, pointing at one of the empty armor shells. "The Draugr we pushed through the portal…"
He straightened slowly.
"They weren't accepted in Sovngarde."
A faint gust of wind passed, and the dust inside one helmet lifted and scattered into the air, dissolving like ash.
"So they perished."
Astrid watched quietly, her lips pressing together.
Alex crossed his arms over his chest, eyes narrowing as he pieced everything together out loud.
"My power is a copy of Hermaeus Mora's ability."
He tapped his forearm lightly with one finger as he continued thinking.
"In the outside world, Mora could probably still exert some influence over the power I copied. A residual connection. A lingering thread."
His gaze lifted toward the glowing horizon.
"But here…"
He slowly uncrossed his arms and spread one hand slightly, gesturing to the divine surroundings.
"His power and influence can't reach this domain. Sovngarde belongs to Shor. Daedric interference doesn't extend here."
His shoulders relaxed fully now, the last trace of strain gone from his expression.
"That's why I've been freed from the negative effects."
Astrid studied him for a moment really studied him. The tension in his face was gone. His eyes were clearer. His movements lighter.
Then she gave a firm nod.
"Ahh… I see."
A small, genuine smile curved her lips.
"That's a relief."
She stepped closer and lightly bumped her shoulder against his in a subtle, affectionate gesture.
"Good. I'd rather fight dragons than watch you clutch your head every you use telekinetic power."
Her tone carried faint teasing but beneath it was real concern.
Step by step, they descended the final stretch of stairs until their boots touched the sacred ground of Sovngarde.
The stone beneath them transitioned into a wide, ancient pathway stretching forward into the golden plains. The air felt calm almost too calm. The auroras still shimmered above, casting shifting colors over the land.
Then
The wind changed.
A low, distant rumble rolled across the plains, subtle but unnatural.
From the far edges of the path, pale mist began to seep forward like slow-moving water. At first it was thin, barely noticeable just faint wisps curling around their boots.
But within seconds, it thickened.
The mist rose higher, coiling around their legs, swallowing the ground beneath them. The vibrant horizon began to blur, colors dulling behind a creeping wall of white.
Astrid stiffened.
She turned in a slow circle, eyes narrowing as the fog rapidly expanded in all directions.
"A–Alex…" Her voice wavered slightly despite her effort to stay steady. She reached out instinctively, fingers brushing against his sleeve. "The fog… it suddenly appeared around us."
The sacred warmth of the realm seemed to dim. The air grew heavier, colder.
Alex's relaxed expression vanished instantly.
His eyes sharpened, scanning the surroundings. His jaw tightened as the mist climbed to their waists, then their chests.
(Don't tell me…)
His heart gave a heavy thud.
(Is this Alduin's doing?)
He had seen this before.
The devouring fog. The suffocating presence.
Without hesitation, he grabbed Astrid's wrist firmly not painfully, but tight enough to ensure she wouldn't slip away.
"Okay," he said quickly, voice low but urgent. "Don't stray from me, or we might get los "
His sentence cut off.
The grip in his hand
Vanished.
His fingers closed on empty air.
Alex's eyes widened.
He spun around sharply, boots scraping against stone as he searched through the blinding mist.
"Astrid?"
Nothing.
The fog had thickened into a suffocating wall of white. He couldn't see more than a few steps ahead. The golden plains were gone. The sky was gone. Even the ground beneath him felt distant and unreal.
"Astrid!" His voice came out louder this time, edged with panic.
No response.
Just the low, ominous hum of the fog itself, as if it were alive breathing.
His pulse spiked.
Moments ago, she had been right behind him.
Now
She was completely gone.
Swallowed whole by the thick, suffocating mist.
if you want to read more chapter visit my Pat_reon.com/frz10