Avengers: Infinity War (3)

Vormir.

The sky was a turbid orange-yellow, without sun or clouds. Wind blew, sweeping up salt grains on the ground and making a rustling sound.

Aside from that, there was no sound at all.

Thanos grabbed Gamora's arm, walking on the dead, saline-alkali land. His footsteps were heavy, every step firmly planted.

Gamora stopped struggling. She was merely dragged along, her face streaked with dried tear tracks, her eyes filled with a hatred that had burned everything away.

You will never get that stone. Her voice was dry and raspy, like it had been rubbed by sandpaper, I swear.

Thanos did not answer, only pulling her toward the distant black cliff.

By the edge of the cliff, a figure wearing a black robe drifted out, hovering in mid-air.

"Welcome, Thanos, son of A'lars."

The voice was hollow and ancient, like wind blowing out of a tomb.

Thanos stopped, his gully-ridden face very calm as he looked at this uninvited guest. "You know me?"

"My curse is to know everyone who comes here."

The black-robed figure pulled down his hood, revealing a crimson skull face. In the eye sockets, two blue flames burned.

It was Red Skull.

"Gamora, daughter of Thanos." Red Skull's gaze shifted to Gamora again.

Gamora turned her head away in disgust.

"Where is what I want?" Thanos's voice had not a trace of fluctuation. "How do I get it?"

Red Skull's withered finger pointed at the rolling sea of clouds below the cliff.

"It is down there, waiting for a sacrifice." His voice carried no emotion whatsoever. "To take the Soul Stone, you must give up the soul of the person you love most in this life. A soul for a soul."

Gamora froze.

A second later, she burst into laughter.

The laughter was shrill, carrying a