Enter the gates

He felt hazy as he slowly opened his eyes, gradually emerging from the clutches of unconsciousness. The first sensation that washed over him was confusion—a perplexing mixture of disbelief and bewilderment. "Where the hell am I?," he murdered. He squinted his eyes as his vision adjusted, he staggered backwards in disbelief, "what the actual hell!", he shouted in shock. He could not believe it, he saw himself standing in front of towering, majestic gates that seemed to stretch towards the heavens. The grandeur and magnificence of the gates were breathtaking, adorned with intricate carvings that depicted heroic battles and mythical creatures. The air around him carried a serene and otherworldly aura, causing a shiver to run down his spine. He walked forward tracing the patterns of the walls with his hands, absorbed in his love for Viking architecture, he did not even notice the man in front of him. He jumped startled as their eyes met, within them Gregory saw the stars, the universe and everything dwelling within, with dark pools of the void beyond them.Before him stood a guard, a mighty warrior donned in elaborate armor. The guard's unwavering gaze seemed to penetrate the depths of his soul, intensifying the atheist's state of disbelief. He could hardly fathom how he had come to be in this surreal realm, standing at the entrance of Valhalla—a place he had always believed to be a mere myth. His mind raced as he attempted to make sense of his surroundings. Doubt gnawed at his core, challenging the foundations of his firmly held atheist beliefs. Was this some vivid hallucination or a bizarre dream? Or had he truly met his end, only to awaken in a realm beyond his comprehension?. The gates themselves exuded an indescribable power and radiance. Crafted with intricate precision, they were adorned with shimmering metals that reflected the ethereal light. Each detail seemed to tell a story, whispering of mythical realms and extraordinary adventures. The gates were inexplicably intimidating yet enticing, beckoning him to uncover the mysteries that lay beyond. The guard, embodying an enigmatic aura, became the epitome of the profound confusion that occupied his mind. How could he, a self-proclaimed atheist who had staunchly denied the existence of supernatural realms, find himself face-to-face with a guardian of Valhalla?. As Gregory looked closer, the guard's body paint began to take shape, they seemed to tell stories of those who tried to enter by force and perished. Possessing an air of immense strength and resilience, the warrior's eyes held a depth that transcended human comprehension. They seemed to bear witness to countless battles and the weight of untold stories. While the disbelief in the atheist's heart persisted, awe and curiosity began to mingle within him. Valhalla, a mythical fortress spoken of in ancient legends, must surely hold answers to the countless questions he had pondered in life. The very thought of stepping into this ethereal world, filled with valiant warriors and unimaginable marvels, stirred a mixture of hesitance and excitement within him.In this surreal existence, Gregory stood at the precipice of a paradigm shift. His staunch convictions were on the verge of transformation, challenged by a reality that defied logical explanation. With the gates of Valhalla bearing witness to his internal struggle, he had no choice but to confront the confounding realm before him, ready to embrace the mysteries that awaited him within.He closed his eyes and it all started to come back to him. In a time before his bewildering arrival at the gates of Valhalla, the atheist had lived a life immersed in the pursuit of knowledge as an esteemed archaeologist. His insatiable thirst for understanding the mysteries of ancient civilizations led him to embark on an excavation at a remote Viking site. Though the site held a tantalizing promise of discovery, little did he know that it would become a turning point, shattering the illusion of safety he had known. As he unearthed a trove of precious Viking tablets, their inscriptions whispered secrets of a long-forgotten era, revealing a glimpse into the enigmatic Viking culture. However, his profound unveiling did not go unnoticed. Dark forces, intent on preserving their own secret knowledge, had been closely monitoring his activities. They captured him, believing that he held the key to unlocking the full breadth of the Viking tablets' secrets. In the clutches of his captors, his world turned into a nightmarish abyss. Desperate to extract the information they sought, they resorted to merciless methods of interrogation, chained to the wall with chains that pumped unbearable volts of electricity, his skin peeled by daggers. Stuck to him was bloodied clothing, his hair wet from being water boarded, his mouth had a few missing teeth, all he could do was hold on to dear life. He was in so much pain he begged for death. The atheist was subjected to relentless torment, enduring physical and psychological pain beyond measure. The torture inflicted upon him was excruciating, leaving him scarred, both physically and emotionally. His body bore the marks of brutal beatings, his flesh a canvas of agony. The perpetrators were relentless in their pursuit, delving into the darkest recesses of his mind, seeking to break his spirit.In the midst of unbearable anguish, the atheist clung to the fragments of resistance that remained within him. The pain, both physical and mental, served as a constant reminder of his unwavering resolve to protect the knowledge he had unraveled. Within those texts was a secret that would turn the world on it's head, Odin, as he walked Midgard, now earth, had left an offspring, other than Thor and Loki, and for some reason was locked up in a cave. These tablets held the secret to the location of that cave, of cause the offspring was dead he thought, but he had to be the one to find that location. Despite the torment, he remained steadfast in preserving the truth that lay engraved upon the ancient Viking tablets. Hours of torture turned to days as Gregory waited for his captors to make a small slip up. The moment never came. In a profound moment of desperation and fueled by sheer willpower, the atheist summoned an unimaginable strength from within his battered and weary body. Bound to a chair, his spirit refused to be extinguished as he meticulously worked to free himself from the shackles that held him captive.As blood dripped from his shoulders soaking the rope behind him, Gregory started to feel the rope loosen. "Can l please have water," he whispered. With the guard having turned his back the opportunity presented itself. Through sheer determination and cunning, he managed to loosen the restraints, his hands trembling with anticipation and adrenaline coursing through his veins. Swiftly, he seized the opportunity, snatching a machete from the belt of one of his unassuming captors as chaos erupted around him. Caught off guard by his sudden liberation, his captors found themselves faced with a man unyielding in his pursuit of freedom and retribution. With a defiant roar echoing through the dimly lit chamber, the atheist unleashed his pent-up rage upon those who had subjected him to unspeakable horrors. His movements were a blur, fueled by the primal instinct of survival. Thirteen captors, driven by fear and caught off-guard by his tenacity, fell before the relentless onslaught of the machete. Each swing of the blade became a resounding declaration of defiance, a desperate plea for liberation from the confines of his torment. Amidst the frenzied chaos, a momentary lapse in his awareness proved to be his downfall. As he turned to face what seemed to be his final assailant, fate cast a cruel twist upon him. A dagger, wielded by a fallen and mortally wounded captor he had not accounted for, found its mark, plunging into his weakened back. The searing pain of the final blow became the last conscious sensation he remembered before the veil of darkness descended, engulfing his consciousness and severing his connection to the realm of the living.