The Road to Hell is Paved with Good Intentions | The Immortal Gazette
The Immortal Gazette’s studio hummed with its usual chaos—enchantments flickering in the air, papers flying about on their own accord, and the distinctive sound of a teacup clinking against a saucer. Alice sat on her throne of mismatched pillows, swirling a glass of dark, smoky liquid that was definitely not tea, but she wasn’t going to clarify what it was. Loki lounged on the velvet couch, looking smug as ever, while Rumplestiltskin paced back and forth, his long coat trailing dramatically behind him.
Alice kicked her feet up on the edge of a nearby table, her eyes gleaming with mischief. “So, ‘the road to hell is paved with good intentions,’” she mused, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. “You know, I’ve always wondered how this little gem of a saying became so popular.” She turned to Loki, who was lazily tossing a coin in the air. “What do you think, trickster? Think this one holds up?”
Loki’s smirk grew wider, his auburn hair catching the light in that effortlessly charming way that made everyone else want to strangle him just a little bit. “Oh, absolutely. It’s perfect for anyone who pretends to have their heart in the right place, but is actually just making a mess of everything.” He caught the coin mid-air, inspecting it before flipping it again. “The true art is making everyone think your intentions are golden, while you’re causing chaos behind the scenes.”
Rumplestiltskin scowled from his corner. “Chaos, indeed. It’s the best kind of destruction—disguised as a noble cause. But let’s not forget the important part of this saying.” He stepped forward, waving his finger dramatically. “Good intentions—the key word here is ‘good.’ People always assume that if their intentions are ‘good,’ they’re beyond reproach. But let’s face it, good intentions often lead to disastrous consequences.”
Alice tilted her head, sipping her mysterious drink. “Well, well, Rumple. Sounds like someone has had a few too many of those ‘good intentions’ blow up in their face.” She shot him a sly look. “Care to share?”
Rumple huffed, clearly irritated. “Fine, fine! It’s not just me! Let me tell you about an incident from—oh, I don’t know—about a century ago. A certain innocent little plot I had to ‘help’ a group of people get their ‘freedom.’ Of course, I had the best intentions at the time!” He paced a little, shaking his head. “But in the end, it all fell apart. People died. Trust was broken. And, surprise surprise, the ones I was trying to ‘liberate’ ended up worse off than they’d been before.”
Loki raised an eyebrow. “Hmmm, sounds familiar.” He turned to Alice, winking. “What about you, your Mad Queen-ness? Ever been down a road paved with those oh-so-good intentions?”
Alice’s lips curled into a dark smile. “Oh, I’ve had my fair share. There was this one time—don’t tell anyone, alright?—I decided to ‘help’ a kingdom that was struggling. They needed a ruler, someone with vision, someone who could show them the true power of a good decision.”
“Ah, I see where this is going,” Loki grinned. “Let me guess—things didn’t end well for your ‘subjects’?”
Alice laughed. “Oh, not at all. The peasants tried to overthrow me, I had to ‘educate’ them a little bit, and poof—it all turned into a mess. The lesson here is: never try to ‘fix’ people who don’t want to be fixed.”
Rumple chimed in, unable to resist. “And then they’d blame you for the chaos, wouldn’t they? Because it was all for their own good.” He paused. “Which is the crux of the matter, really. The road to hell is paved with good intentions because people always think they’re doing the right thing. But the damage that follows? Well, that’s a side effect they don’t account for.”
Loki gave a dramatic shrug. “I’ve seen it all, love. Good intentions mixed with just a pinch of manipulation. It’s an intoxicating combination.” His smirk deepened. “Not that I’d ever do that, of course.”
Alice shot him a look. “Right. You’re the picture of virtue.”
Loki winked, clearly enjoying the chaos. “I know. But you did say I’m charming.”
“And delusional,” Alice added with a playful grin.
Rumple rolled his eyes. “We’ve gone off track! The point is—” He looked between Alice and Loki. “—good intentions are fine, but they don’t protect you from the consequences of your actions. You can’t just intend to do good; you have to think about the fallout.”
Alice nodded sagely. “Exactly. Everyone wants to save the world, but in doing so, they forget that sometimes, the world doesn’t want saving. It has a way of biting back when you think you’re being noble.”
Loki leaned forward, eyes sparkling. “And sometimes the best thing you can do is sit back and watch the chaos unfold. It’s much more entertaining that way.”
Alice raised her glass, her smile predatory. “Cheers to that, Loki.”
And so, in the midst of their chaos and wit, they left the world with the lesson: The road to hell is paved with good intentions—but the path to redemption? That’s a much harder road to navigate.
🖋️✨📜🖤
