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Asgard.
"Are the stars still shining as they should?"
Thor approached the Bifrost with a goblet of wine in hand, standing beside Heimdall.
"As brilliant as ever," Heimdall replied, his gaze fixed on the vast expanse of space. His golden eyes reflected the endless constellations above.
Thor took a sip of his drink. "Why aren't you at the victory feast? Normally, you'd celebrate for weeks after a battle."
Thor shrugged. "It wasn't much of a fight. Just Muspelheim and Alfheim—their news is so outdated, they probably still think Bifrost hasn't been rebuilt."
"If my father had led the charge, the war would've ended even faster."
He paused for a moment, then chuckled. "If Aaron had been there… I doubt it would've taken him a full day to crush the rebellion."
Heimdall glanced at Thor, momentarily surprised.
Thor had changed.
He was more composed now—less reckless, more thoughtful.
Ever since returning from Midgard, he had undergone a transformation.
Perhaps it was Aaron's presence that had pushed him to evolve.
Today, Thor truly seemed like a king in the making.
"You've done well, Thor," Heimdall said firmly. "Under your leadership, the Nine Realms are at peace again. The All-Father is preparing for your ascension to the throne."
As Odin's most trusted guardian, Heimdall knew more than most.
He didn't need to step into the Golden Hall to converse with Odin—his connection to the All-Father allowed him to exchange information at will.
Thor didn't argue. Odin had already spoken to him about it.
But now, he wasn't sure if he was truly worthy of the throne.
A king should be the mightiest warrior in the realm.
Was he strong enough?
Maybe he needed to become even stronger before taking the crown.
"Any news of Loki?" he asked after a moment.
Heimdall's expression darkened. "No. He's hiding deep. With the Mind Gem in his possession, tracking him has become even more difficult."
"The only thing I can confirm is that he's made an alliance with some force on Midgard. But the details are unclear. Perhaps the humans can investigate further."
Thor frowned. "That's something, at least." He took a long sip of his drink, contemplating his next move.
Heimdall clenched his jaw.
He hated magicians.
Aaron, Loki—they both had the ability to evade his sight with their magic.
It made his job significantly more difficult.
Thor, however, grinned. "At least I have a lead now. I'll head to Midgard and deal with Loki myself."
"Preferably before my victory celebration ends," he added, laughing. "Could be weeks from now."
He threw his goblet aside, the shards scattering across the bridge.
Heimdall's golden eyes narrowed.
"This is Bifrost, not a tavern, Thor. If you're going to break things, do it elsewhere."
But despite his irritation, Heimdall raised his sword and activated the portal.
Thor gave a sheepish grin just as the rainbow energy enveloped him, and in a flash, he was gone—sent hurtling toward Midgard.
Once the light faded, Heimdall turned back to the heavens, his gaze locked onto a rare sight.
The Nine Realms were nearly aligned—
A celestial event that only occurred once every thousand years.
It was breathtaking.
"The days are only getting more interesting..." he murmured.
Then, suddenly—
He heard a voice.
A strange call.
It was...
The Eternals?
Golden Hall—Ten Minutes Later
Odin sat upon his throne, listening as Ajak spoke at length, her tone almost lulling him to sleep.
His expression remained calm, but inwardly, he felt speechless.
Call Aaron back to Asgard and name him God-King?
Insanity.
Keeping the Infinity Stones within God's Domain was already a risk—one he wasn't willing to take.
And Aaron…
Even Odin himself could not fully grasp the extent of Aaron's power anymore. His strength had grown beyond prediction, beyond foresight.
For the sake of Asgard's stability and a smooth transition of power, there was no way Odin could allow Ajak's request.
Aaron may not bear the title of king, but if he returned to Asgard, the realm would effectively have two rulers.
One in name.
One in power.
And when a king fails to suppress his generals, the consequences are never good.
Odin had never been the kind of ruler who sacrificed Asgard's security for another's benefit—especially not for the Eternals, a race of alien beings he had never fully trusted.
The Eternals…
They had always been shrouded in mystery.
Seven thousand years ago, they had arrived on Midgard, capturing so-called mutants while claiming to protect humanity.
Back then, Odin's father, Bor, had ruled Asgard.
For millennia, the Eternals had maintained their presence on Earth, but it wasn't until the Frost Giant War a thousand years ago that communication between their kind and Asgard became frequent.
Their true motives remained unclear.
Could such a selfless race truly exist in this universe?
What were they really after?
Their generosity—assisting so-called "barbarians" in developing—seemed too convenient, too calculated.
And what about the mutants? When did the Nine Realms suddenly gain a new race?
Odin had long instructed Heimdall to monitor the Eternals.
Though no concrete evidence had been found, he was certain:
There was a conspiracy brewing.
A conspiracy against Midgard.
Perhaps, the looming crisis he had foreseen was connected to them.
But without proof, Odin couldn't act openly.
For now, the Eternals remained cooperative with Asgard—at least on the surface.
After all, both sides had coexisted in peace for thousands of years.
"Ajak, your concerns are unnecessary."
Odin's voice was steady as he addressed her.
"Aaron is Asgard's greatest magic prodigy. He respects his elders, protects the weak, fosters unity, and values peace..."
He continued listing off a stream of compliments, his tone unwavering.
"In short, he is an honorable man—the most benevolent god I have ever known."
"Trust me, Aaron would never harm Midgard or humanity without reason."
"And if he ever did…"
Odin's eyes gleamed.
"Then whoever stands against him must have done something unforgivable."
"So, do not worry."
Ajak's lips tightened.
How was she supposed to feel reassured?
She hadn't expected Odin to praise Aaron so highly.
Nor did he show any concern about the potential threat Aaron posed to Earth.
Even after all her careful hints, Odin remained indifferent.
"Great King of Asgard," Ajak persisted, "I urge you to reconsider.
"As you may know, Aaron's mere presence has already caused many on Earth to secretly escalate their military efforts—"
"That's only natural," Odin interrupted smoothly.
"Midgard hasn't forgotten the Chitauri invasion. They are simply preparing in case of another alien attack."
He shrugged.
"But rest assured—without the Tesseract, the humans lack the technology to create energy weapons that could threaten other civilizations."
"And with our God of Magic on Midgard, he alone is enough to deter any threats."
"If someone dares to invade Earth…"
A smile played on Odin's lips.
"They would do well to consider whether they have the strength to challenge Asgard."
His tone remained calm, yet the unspoken warning was clear.
"Aaron is our pillar of strength. Our God of Magic. Our God of War. His power is undeniable.
"The future of humanity is bright and harmonious."
Ajak forced a stiff smile.
She hadn't expected this response.
To her, this was a minor issue—a simple request.
But Odin's unyielding stance?
Why?
Why was he so determined?
With lingering doubts, she could only bow in respect and take her leave.
The moment she left the hall, Odin's expression darkened.
"I know they're hiding something," he muttered.
From the shadows, Frigga stepped forward, concern etched on her face.
"I feel the same," she admitted. "They're plotting something."
Odin nodded. "That's precisely why I refuse to bring Aaron back.
"Whatever they're planning—once it begins, we will know.
"And when that moment comes…
"We will stop them."
Frigga still looked troubled.
"Aaron is strong, but… can he stop this? The crisis is growing, Odin. I fear it may already be beyond our control."
Odin shook his head.
"It's fine.
"I cannot see through Aaron anymore.
"But his future is far greater than you or I can imagine."
His eyes burned with certainty.
"With him here…"
"In the end, everything will be alright."
Frigga sighed.
"I hope so…"
Far from Asgard, Aaron sat immersed in his studies—
Reading about cybersecurity and network protocols.
Until—
"Aaron! The celestial alignment is starting!"
Amora's urgent voice shattered the silence.
Aaron snapped his book shut and stepped outside.
Amora quickly grabbed his hand, guiding him to the rooftop.
There, a telescope stood—Aaron's own invention, designed specifically to observe cosmic events.
It combined astronomy, physics, chemistry, and magic, surpassing even the most advanced Earth technology.
He activated the magical enhancements.
Through the lens—
The Nine Realms had aligned.
The Celestial Convergence had begun.
Aaron's mind whirred.
Where would this alignment affect Earth?
His calculations were swift.
London.
The convergence point was London.
He didn't rush.
Instead, he returned to his workshop, using his knowledge of the Space Stone to craft a particle extractor—
A device capable of isolating and retrieving Aether (Reality Stone) particles from Jane Foster.
Such technology did not yet exist on Earth.
Nor in Asgard.
Only those who had directly studied the Infinity Stones could develop such devices.
Even Tony Stark wasn't as advanced in this field as Aaron.
Within moments, the extractor was complete.
Then—
He opened a portal and stepped into London.
The coordinates led him to a small factory.
And there, he saw her.
A familiar face.
Daisy.
She turned, eyes widening in shock.
Her phone slipped from her fingers.
Her voice trembled in awe.
"Y-You're… the God of Magic? The God of Magic?!"
Her jaw dropped.
"Oh my God—I need your autograph!"
Daisy had completely transformed into an excited fangirl, practically bouncing on the spot as she stared at Aaron, her words tumbling out in a flustered mess.
Aaron's mouth twitched slightly. Just how famous was he?
"God of Magic? Is today April Fool's Day?"
A male intern in a suit scoffed, clearly unimpressed.
Before he could continue, Daisy unceremoniously kicked him aside.
Regaining her composure, she turned to Aaron and spoke cautiously. "I know you! That… can you help us?"
"Something's happened to Jane. She's Thor's… uh, let's just call it a friend?"
Thor and Jane hadn't had much contact since the Mjolnir incident, though things had gradually gotten back on track. But with Thor spending most of his time searching for his brother, their interactions had been limited at best. Calling them friends was already a stretch.
But Daisy had no other options. When it came to strange, supernatural incidents, a god was obviously more reliable than the police or even S.H.I.E.L.D.
"Five hours ago, she went up to the top floor of this factory, and then—whoosh!—just vanished."
Aaron nodded calmly, taking in Daisy's nervous but eager demeanor. Then, shifting his focus, he examined the factory carefully.
The gravity and space around it were already distorted—clear signs of the celestial alignment.
Ordinary physics no longer applied here.
Just as Amora had warned, celestial fusions were rare and dangerous.
If someone entered the affected area carelessly, they could be transported to another country—or even another realm—without any way to return.
And the Aether, the Reality Stone in its raw form, was hidden within this spatial anomaly.
Aaron, however, was unfazed.
Having mastered dimensional teleportation, he could easily return even if he was flung into some far-off corner of the universe.
His deep understanding of space magic allowed him to perceive the shifting fabric of reality around him with ease.
After assessing the area, he ascended to the top floor, following the spatial fluctuations that would lead him to the Aether's location.
"Who does this guy think he is? Walking around like he owns the place," the male intern muttered.
Daisy shot him a glare. "If you don't want to die, shut up. And if you don't get those car keys back, enjoy failing your credits."
The intern went silent instantly, though his face was filled with doubt.
God of Magic? Could this really be the guy from the news?
Meanwhile, Aaron had reached the anomaly's core.
Through a special method, he located Jane, who lay unconscious.
Without hesitation, he pulled out the extractor he had prepared and moved to use it.
However, just as the needle touched her skin, Jane's eyes fluttered open.
Seeing the thick syringe in her arm, she blinked in confusion for a split second—before letting out a startled scream.
Her panic triggered a violent reaction.
A surge of crimson energy erupted from her body, sending Aaron stumbling back several steps.
"The Aether's self-defense mechanism…"
Aaron wasn't surprised.
Though the Infinity Stones were inanimate objects, they possessed their own defensive properties.
The Soul Stone even held a trace of consciousness.
While the Aether wasn't as self-aware, its current state—bonded to Jane—meant that any emotional disturbance would trigger a protective energy surge.
Extracting it while she was awake?
Impossible.
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