The training grounds of Asgard rang with steel.
Odin stood at the edge of the arena, arms crossed, his single eye sharp and watchful.
"For the next ten years," he declared, "you will train."
Thor straightened immediately.
Loki's smile faded into focus.
"You will learn discipline, combat, and control," Odin continued. "At the end of ten years, I will test you."
All three nodded.
Weapons Chosen
Thor stepped forward first.
Mjölnir answered him instantly, lightning crackling faintly as it settled into his grasp.
Loki followed, rolling his shoulders before summoning a pair of daggers—balanced, elegant, deadly.
Then—
Alexander moved.
But instead of stepping into the arena—
He sat at the edge.
Watching.
Thor frowned. "Aren't you training?"
Alexander shook his head calmly. "Not yet."
Loki glanced at him, curious—but said nothing.
Odin did not comment.
Yet.
Steel and Thunder
Thor attacked with power.
Loki countered with precision.
Hammer met dagger.
Force met finesse.
Odin corrected their stances, struck their weapons aside, forced them to adapt.
They improved.
They struggled.
They grew.
And all the while—
Alexander watched.
The Blade That Answered
When the training paused, Alexander reached into his storage.
Slowly—
Carefully—
He drew out a sword no one in Asgard had ever seen.
A zanpakutō.
Plain in appearance.
But the moment Alexander's fingers wrapped around the hilt—
The air shifted.
Heat coiled, restrained.
Fire did not erupt.
It recognized him.
Alexander unsheathed it just a finger's width.
A breath of ancient flame stirred.
Then—
He sheathed it again.
As if nothing had happened.
The All-Father Watches
Odin had seen it.
Not the flame.
The response.
That sword had not been summoned.
It had answered.
Odin said nothing.
He simply turned his gaze back to Thor and Loki.
He is waiting, Odin realized.
Not hesitating.
Not afraid.
Waiting for the right moment.
Unspoken Promise
That night, Odin stood alone.
"Ten years," he murmured.
When that day came—
He suspected Thor's strength would shake realms.
Loki's skill would bend reality.
And Alexander…
Odin's grip tightened slightly on Gungnir.
"…will decide whether he wishes to stand at their side—or above them."
Closing
On the training grounds, Alexander sat quietly, legs crossed, eyes calm.
Fire slept.
Water flowed unseen.
Wisdom observed.
And a blade of absolute flame waited—
Just like its master.