Asgard Healing Room.
Thor stood beside the examination bed, watching anxiously as several healers operated the Soul Smelting Furnace, searching for the cause of Jane's illness.
"Are you sure you don't want to lie down for a bit?" Thor asked, glancing at Kai. "You've got that deadly substance in your body too."
Kai shook his head. "Forget it. Jane can get checked first. She and I have the same stuff inside us anyway."
Thor sighed but smiled faintly. "Well, once we find a way to extract it, I'll treat you to a taste of Asgard's finest wine. My father's treasury has barrels of the best brew in the Nine Realms—you'll love it."
Just as he was speaking, the doors opened and Odin entered, his single eye glinting beneath his eyepatch.
"Father!" Thor stepped forward quickly.
Before he could speak, Odin's voice echoed through the room. "You never listen, Thor. She's sick."
"She's mortal, my son. Mortals get sick all the time. She doesn't belong on Asgard—no more than goat meat belongs at a royal feast. Her planet has its own healers!"
Jane's expression turned from confusion to outrage. "Who are you, exactly?"
"I am Odin, King of Asgard, Protector of the Nine Realms!" he replied, his tone regal and absolute.
Thor tried to reason with him. "Father, the substance in Jane's and Kai's bodies isn't from Earth. I've never seen anything like it before."
He glanced at Kai, signaling him to demonstrate.
Kai sighed lightly and raised his hand. Dark red Aether Particles slowly emerged beneath his skin, swirling with ominous energy.
Odin's expression changed instantly. He stepped closer and reached out, sensing the power pulsing beneath Kai's skin.
"She has this same substance?" Odin asked in disbelief.
Thor nodded. "Yes, Father. It's—"
"Follow me," Odin interrupted sharply.
Then he turned to Kai with a rare softness. "Welcome to Asgard, child. You may regard this realm as your home."
Kai inclined his head. "Thank you, Your Majesty. It's my honor."
Jane, meanwhile, sat upright on the bed, glaring at Thor.
So let me get this straight… I'm compared to goat meat, but he gets the royal welcome? Seriously?
Thor gave her a helpless smile. "He's my father. I can't control how he treats people."
Inside Odin's Library
Golden light shimmered as Odin opened an ancient tome. Symbols from before the dawn of the universe glowed across its pages.
"Some things," Odin began gravely, "can be traced back to before the formation of the cosmos itself. The substance inside both Kai and Jane belongs to that era."
He turned another page, the golden glow dancing across his face.
"The Nine Realms are not eternal. They have their dawns—and their dusks. But before all creation, the Dark Elves ruled the cosmos, unmatched in power."
Thor's eyes widened slightly. "When I was a child, Mother used to tell me stories of the Dark Elves. A race born from eternal night, who sought to steal the light from all living beings."
Odin nodded solemnly. "Their leader, Malekith, wielded a force of pure dark energy known as the Aether. It's the same substance now dwelling in both of your bodies."
He turned to the page depicting Malekith's army. "Unlike the other ancient relics—solid and unyielding—the Aether is a living, ever-shifting fluid. It transforms matter into dark matter, feeding off its host's life force."
Thor clenched his jaw. "And Malekith tried to use it to return the universe to darkness."
"Indeed," Odin said gravely. "But he and his army were defeated by Asgard's forces, led by my father—Bor."
As he spoke, Jane suddenly swayed. Her knees buckled.
"Jane!" Thor caught her before she hit the floor.
He turned to Odin urgently. "Father, does that book say how to remove the Aether?"
Odin's expression darkened. "No."
Meanwhile — The Rainbow Bridge Terminal
With a flash of rainbow light, three Asgardian warriors returned via the Bifrost, leading a group of chained prisoners.
"Damn it," grumbled Fandral. "Why are we stuck on prison escort duty?"
"Because apparently, we're the only ones Thor trusts not to start a fight," Volstagg muttered.
As they marched the prisoners toward the dungeons, none of them noticed one particular figure among the captives—a tall prisoner wearing a special mask, his presence radiating quiet menace.
Unbeknownst to them, they had brought back a Cursed Warrior of the Dark Elves.
Later, after Jane was safely placed under the care of Asgardian healers, Thor sat across from Kai in the palace's grand dining hall.
He placed two bottles of golden liquid on the table and grinned.
"Kai, you have to try this. It's one of the best wines in Asgard—aged in my father's treasury for a thousand years."
He poured two cups, the aroma rich and fruity.
Kai took one sip, then downed the rest in a single gulp.
The taste was sweet and smooth, with a fiery bite that lingered in the throat and a faint fruit fragrance that followed after.
He exhaled deeply. "Now that's good wine."
Thor laughed, clearly pleased. "Told you I wasn't lying. Loki and I used to sneak into Father's vault to steal this stuff when we were kids."
He took another hearty drink. "Every time we got caught, Father would beat the hell out of me."
Kai raised an eyebrow. "And Loki?"
Thor chuckled bitterly. "He always escaped the beating. Then he'd stand there and laugh while I got smacked."
Thor lifted his glass again, clinking it against Kai's. "But honestly? For wine like this—getting beaten was worth it."
Kai grinned. "So you're saying you risked Odin's wrath just for a drink?"
Before Thor could answer, a soft, gentle voice floated from the doorway.
"Still stealing from your father's treasury, my son?"
Both men froze.
Thor turned slowly toward the door—where Queen Frigga stood, smiling faintly.
...
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