Chapter 707

It really was that woman’s token.

Odin took the keepsake Evenson presented to him and examined it in silence. His gaze lingered on the strand of golden hair woven into it, while his fingers slowly traced the ancient pattern carved into its surface.

His expression grew distant.

Her title certainly had the same larger-than-life grandeur as his own. Though, to be fair, she had earned it.

Asgard ruled the Nine Realms, and most of them had long since bowed to its authority. Even Laufey, King of the Frost Giants, and Surtur, Lord of the Fire Giants, had once rebelled against Asgard. Odin had crushed both uprisings so thoroughly that they had been forced to acknowledge Asgard’s supremacy.

Earth was the exception.

Midgard sat within the Nine Realms, yet its relationship with Asgard had always remained strangely distant. Earth paid no tribute, swore no fealty, and certainly did not recognize Odin as its king.

Most people on Earth did not even believe he existed.

To them, the gods of Asgard were nothing more than myths invented by primitive ancestors.

By any ordinary standard, that was an outright insult to royal authority. Punishable by death.

And yet Odin had never interfered.

That was the strange part.

When Loki betrayed Asgard and Odin fell into his long slumber, several realms had mistaken his absence for weakness and risen in rebellion. Odin’s response had been immediate and brutal. The rebellions were crushed, and countless lives were lost.

Some had later whispered that the entire affair had been Odin’s design from the beginning. Perhaps he had never truly been incapacitated. Perhaps the king had merely allowed the rumors of his failing health to spread, baiting would-be rebels into revealing themselves before destroying them in one sweeping purge.

Laufey himself had died in that reckoning.

That alone made one thing clear.

Odin tolerated many things. Disrespect toward Asgard’s throne was not one of them.

So why had Earth been allowed to remain independent?

It was not because Odin was powerless to act there, nor because he had no interest in ruling it.

During the war with the Frost Giants, one of the most important battles had actually taken place on Earth. Odin himself had led Asgard’s forces against Laufey’s army there, and the fighting had left blood across the land.

Those events had eventually become the foundation of the old Norse myths.

Which left only one plausible explanation.

The Ancient One.

She had unquestionably played a major role in Earth’s independence.

"How has the Ancient One been lately?"

Odin’s expression became courteous as he returned the token to Evenson. He even addressed the Sorcerer Supreme with a measure of respect.

The sight of the keepsake had dredged up an old memory.

The last time Odin had personally descended to Earth, the Ancient One had sought him out almost immediately.

Then she had challenged him to a duel.

Odin had admired her from the moment they met. He had crossed all Nine Realms, fought countless enemies, and seen warriors of every kind.

But that woman?

That day, Odin had been willing to admit that she was the strongest opponent he had ever faced.

He had arrived in full glory, clad in golden armor and mounted upon Sleipnir, with Gungnir in hand.

He had fought her at his absolute peak.

And he had still failed to win.

The Ancient One had begun by drawing her Sword of Promised Victory. Its brilliance had shaken the battlefield, and she had driven the blade into stone, intimidating the army Odin had brought with him.

Then she had unleashed the holy spear Rhongomyniad, a weapon whose power rivaled Gungnir itself, and used the Tower at the End to seal the battlefield around their duel.

Odin had not been intimidated.

He had been confident in his strength. The woman was extraordinary, certainly, but he had not believed she could defeat him.

More importantly, she had already revealed the treasures at her disposal.

Odin had yet to unleash all of his own divine armaments.

The battle unfolded much as he had expected.

From the beginning, the Ancient One was at a disadvantage.

But now, whenever Odin recalled that duel, he could only sigh.

That cunning witch had been hiding one last secret.

One more relic.

And in the end, after a negotiation so difficult it had nearly been more brutal than the duel itself, Odin had agreed to Earth’s independence.

Perhaps her method of winning had been a little too clever.

But a duel was a duel.

Odin had failed to win, and a king who could not honor his own wager was no king at all.

Besides...

Immortality could become rather lonely.

Having a worthy opponent was not such a bad thing.

"The Ancient One remains in excellent health. She appreciates your concern, Your Majesty."

Evenson tucked the token away and answered with impeccable courtesy.

Inside, Odin sighed.

It was a peculiar thought.

He was an Asgardian, a long-lived god-king.

And yet, unless something unexpected happened, he might not outlive that mere human woman.

Worse, Odin had already failed to defeat her once.

Now his body was growing weaker with every passing year.

A rematch was hardly likely to end in his favor.

Then something hardened in his single eye.

His time was running short. There were fewer and fewer things left for him to worry about.

Once he had settled everything that needed settling, he would return to Earth and challenge the Ancient One again.

But next time, there would be rules.

No outside artifacts.

No borrowed power.

No tricks.

Just the two of them, using only their own strength.

"Ah. Forgive me." Odin gave a faintly apologetic smile. "I was lost in an old memory."

He turned his attention back to Evenson.

"For a thousand years, the Ancient One has never sent an emissary to Asgard. Why send you now? Especially when you’ve arrived alongside my wayward son and that woman."

Odin’s lone eye shifted toward Thor and Jane.

The meaning was unmistakable.

He still did not approve of this marriage.

Surprisingly, Thor did not immediately protest.

He was still trying to process what he had just learned.

Apparently, there were people on Earth whom his father knew personally, and people whom Odin respected enough to address with genuine courtesy. Now Evenson had come to Asgard at the Ancient One’s request, which meant he might be carrying information important enough to affect the entire realm.

This was hardly the time to start arguing about his own romantic affairs.

Thor had changed considerably since his exile.

The arrogant prince who had once believed himself invincible was gone.

In his place stood an heir who understood that sometimes the needs of a kingdom came before his own pride.

"The Ancient One asked me to report something important to the All-Father."

Evenson lowered his head slightly.

"And it concerns Jane Foster."

"I respect the Ancient One."

Odin’s voice carried a trace of displeasure as he slowly turned away.

"Not merely because of that... encounter we once shared. I respect her because she is fair and selfless. Which is why I cannot imagine she would interfere in my family’s affairs."

Odin had clearly misunderstood.

He thought the Ancient One had sent Evenson to ask him to spare Jane.

"With respect, Your Majesty, that isn’t what she intends."

Evenson smiled faintly.

"The Ancient One has no intention of interfering in your family affairs."

"Then what is this about?"

"This matter is of great importance..."

Evenson stopped.

His eyes shifted subtly toward the others in the room.

Odin immediately understood.

With a casual wave of his hand, the healers and guards withdrew. They bowed and quickly left, leaving only Thor and Jane behind.

"Now you may speak."

Evenson nodded.

"The Aether."

Odin froze.

"W-what?"

His single eye widened.

For one absurd moment, he wondered whether age had finally caught up with him and his hearing had failed.

"The Aether has resurfaced," Evenson said solemnly. "And it is currently inside Jane Foster."

"Impossible!"

Odin denied it instantly.

Evenson offered no argument.

He simply extended one hand toward Jane.

Odin shoved Thor aside and strode to Jane’s side.

He seized one of her hands and began examining her.

For several seconds, nothing happened.

Then a dark red energy suddenly rippled beneath her skin.

Odin’s expression hardened.

"So it is true..."

"What is the Aether?"

Thor could hold back no longer.

"Father, what in the Nine Realms is going on?"

"Come with me."

Odin’s expression was grim.

There were things Thor needed to know.

The group moved to a more private chamber, where Odin retrieved an ancient, heavy volume from one corner of the room. He placed it carefully upon a shelf and opened it.

Evenson’s eyes immediately widened.

The pages were covered in writing made of actual gold.

Odin ignored his reaction and began to speak.

"Some things are ancient enough to predate the universe itself. The Aether is one of them."

He turned the pages slowly.

"The Nine Realms are not eternal. They have their dawn, and one day they will have their twilight. But before that dawn, before the realms as we know them existed, darkness ruled the universe."

"The Dark Elves were its children."

"They were unmatched, and their leader, Malekith, obtained a weapon of tremendous power."

"The Aether."

Unlike the other ancient relics, the Aether was not fixed in form. It was fluid, constantly shifting and changing.

"Malekith intended to use its power to return the universe to darkness."

Thor barely glanced at the book.

He had no patience for ancient history while Jane’s life was hanging in the balance.

"But the Aether is inside Jane now. What does that mean? Evenson said she might..."

"Have little time left."

Odin did not soften the answer.

"The Aether seeks out a host and feeds upon that host’s life force."

His eye settled on Jane.

"And she is only human."

The statement was as blunt as it was terrifying.

To Asgardians, human life was simply too fragile to sustain the Aether for long.

Jane swallowed.

"Does the book say how to remove it?"

"Nothing."

Odin showed no sorrow.

If anything, there was the faintest hint that he found the situation almost amusing.

"Perhaps the Dark Elves would know."

Evenson stepped in.

"If they were the first to possess the Aether, then surely they understand it better than anyone."

"They may have."

Odin’s tone carried unmistakable pride.

"But it no longer matters. In the final battle, my father, Bor, defeated the Dark Elves."

"Defeated them?" Jane asked instinctively. "How exactly?"

She had a feeling that Odin’s use of the word meant more than simply driving them off.

"Destroyed them."

Odin’s voice turned cold.

"We eradicated the Dark Elves."

"Really?"

Evenson looked at him.

Then he asked the question that changed the room.

"His Majesty Bor eradicated the Dark Elves. But was that truly... reality?"

Odin’s expression darkened.

"Are you questioning my father’s accomplishments?"

His voice rose.

"Or are you accusing my father of lying?"

Power surged through the chamber.

Asgardians had built their kingdom through war. They revered victories above almost everything else, and when the honor of a former king was challenged, Odin’s patience disappeared completely.

"I meant no disrespect."

Evenson immediately bowed his head.

The instant Odin’s power erupted, Evenson knew exactly where he stood.

The All-Father might be old, but he was still the All-Father.

Evenson had no chance of matching him.

"I only meant that the reality witnessed by King Bor may not have been the whole reality."

"You are suggesting my father suffered a hallucination?"

Odin’s pressure eased slightly, though the displeasure remained.

"No."

Evenson smiled strangely.

"What King Bor witnessed was real."

"But reality can be changed."

Odin’s brow furrowed.

"Explain."

"The Aether is also known as the Reality Stone."

Evenson’s voice became deliberate.

"Its greatest power is exactly what the name implies. It can rewrite reality."

"Malekith once intended to use it to alter the very substance of the universe, transforming it and returning all existence to darkness."

He looked directly at Odin.

"If the Reality Stone could accomplish something on that scale, then why couldn’t Malekith use it in the final moments to alter the fate of his own people?"

Odin’s expression changed.

For the first time, genuine unease appeared in his eye.

Evenson’s voice lowered.

"We know that Malekith still possessed the Reality Stone at the very end."

"When his people were facing extinction and he himself was moments from death, would he really have simply accepted it?"

"Who knows what he wished for?"

The room seemed to grow colder.

"What if he used the Stone to exchange illusion and reality in an instant?"

"What if the destruction of Malekith and the Dark Elves became nothing more than a discarded possibility, while their survival became the new reality?"

"What if he escaped with his people and hid them somewhere in the endless darkness of the universe?"

"Is that truly impossible?"

Silence followed.

"So yes," Evenson said at last. "King Bor really did destroy the Dark Elves."

"But under the influence of the Aether, that reality may have been rewritten."

Odin stared at the ancient book.

"Could it really have happened..."

The possibility was difficult to dismiss.

When an entire species is facing extinction, survival becomes instinct. If Malekith possessed a weapon capable of altering reality itself, using it would have been the most natural thing in the universe.

The only question was whether he had actually done so.

And there was no way to know.

"Whether it happened or not," Evenson said with a faint smile, "we may soon find out."

Odin looked up.

"If the Dark Elves truly survived, and the Aether has now resurfaced, they will want it more than anyone."

"Then we wait."

Odin’s years as ruler had taught him how to recognize a useful idea when he heard one.

He immediately understood.

"Sit back and wait for them to come to us."

The Aether was the Dark Elves’ greatest treasure.

Everything they had once hoped to accomplish depended upon it.

And now that treasure had resurfaced inside their ancient enemy’s realm.

There was no chance the Dark Elves would simply let it go.