~ Support & Read 70 Advanced Chapters on Patreon!
❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁
A dimension is not a space, nor is it a fully formed world. It is something in between.
Because of this, a dimension has the shifting nature of spatial geometry, while also holding the recognizable contours of a physical realm.
Skies filled with golden clouds.
Ground made of rich dark earth.
Rolling mountain ranges that never seemed to end.
Dense forests whose canopies reached into the clouds.
Roaring rivers flowed by, and hidden among the mountains and trees along their banks stood tall buildings in the style of Asgard.
On the entrance platform of the Valhalla Dimension.
Golden light gathered and formed into shape. As it faded, Frigga, the former Queen of Asgard, stood on the platform—unlike her arrival, which was marked by a dazzling visual display, Hawk appeared beside her quietly, without any fanfare.
After all, Hawk wasn't dead.
Frigga was.
According to the ancient laws, Frigga, having not died in combat, did not meet the criteria for entry into Valhalla.
But now, Hawk made the rules.
The Valhalla Dimension belonged to the World Tree, which had become the Parasol World Tree. As its Lord, Hawk's word was final.
As soon as he entered Valhalla, his Seventh Sense swept over the place, noticing every detail.
It was beautiful... But Hawk only gave it a glance. His eyes locked onto a figure standing not far from the entrance platform, on a pathway paved with what looked like diamonds.
It was an old man with graying hair, wearing an eyepatch. A gentle smile creased the lines on his aged face.
Yes.
Odin!
Though Odin hadn't died in battle either, as the God King of Asgard, the All-Father, his passing had granted him a place in Valhalla.
Frigga gasped when she saw him. She ran to the man she had loved for thousands of years.
They met in a desperate embrace.
A reunion between husband and wife is always touching.
Hawk didn't interrupt. He stood back, smiling quietly as he watched them embrace.
After all, his reason for pulling Frigga out of the Witches' Dimension was to return Odin's Queen to him. If Valhalla had been destroyed along with the rest of Asgard, he wouldn't have known what to do with the Queen of the previous regime taking up residence in his Underworld.
Their embrace lasted only a few seconds before they stepped apart.
They were King and Queen after all. Public displays of affection weren't their style.
It wouldn't have been dignified.
After stepping back, Frigga gave a quick nod and walked toward the distant city of Asgard.
As Queen, she needed to comfort her people. Many had arrived in Valhalla suddenly, and the city was full of frightened souls.
Odin watched her leave, then walked alone toward Hawk. "Thank you."
"Don't mention it." Hawk met the old king's single eye, his brow arching. "So, this was your master plan. Tell me, what made you so sure I'd play along and take the World Tree off your hands?"
Hawk had only gone to that cliff in Norway to pick the old god's brain about the Eighth Sense and the concept of Life.
But right as he was leaving, Odin had dropped that cryptic warning.
The traps of Time are Omnipresent.
It was because of that sentence that Hawk had spent hours running simulations in his head, tracing out his future, only to find Time's traps waiting for him at every turn.
And that realization had led him to the concept of the Parasol Tree, and the idea that the World Tree could serve as his anchor.
Which, in turn,
Led him right here.
But was Hawk the real winner in all of this?
No... The real winner was the old man standing before him.
Odin got to spend eternity in Valhalla, and Hawk had hand-delivered his wife back to him. Reunited in paradise.
Odin had outwitted him.
——————————
Meeting Hawk's gaze, Odin offered a gentle smile. "You got what you wanted as well, did you not?"
"But I lost my wife!" Hawk spoke calmly, his eyes fixed on Odin.
The smile on Odin's face vanished. His single eye searched Hawk's face, and when he spoke, his tone was serious. "I am sorry."
Hawk didn't say a word.
The truth was, Hawk had made himself a promise. If Odin had the courage to say something like, "It's only temporary," or "My condolences"...
Hawk would have shown the old god what sorrow really meant, without a second thought.
But a simple, genuine "I'm sorry?"
Hawk stayed silent. He closed his eyes, forcing down the anger that flared in his chest. When he opened them again, he offered a bitter half-smile and shook his head. "You had your agenda, but you did warn me. And the truth is, without that warning, I never would have claimed the World Tree."
It was a fact. If Odin hadn't warned him that Time's traps were everywhere, he wouldn't have realized his plan was a dead end. He would have just sat back and watched the primary universe swallow the World Tree whole.
Hawk looked at Odin, curious. "Even if the primary universe had consumed the World Tree, Valhalla would have stayed intact. So, from your perspective, whether you warned me or not, the outcome for you wouldn't have changed."
"But the primary universe would have gained the World Tree."
"So?"
"As long as it wasn't the primary universe, I don't care who took it."
"I see."
Hawk's face relaxed.
It was the same thinking Odin had used when he hoped Malekith would throw the Nine Realms into darkness.
In a word: Odin didn't care who was in charge.
As long as it wasn't the primary universe. After all, it was the primary universe's Time that destroyed his family and broke Asgard. It was pure spite.
Hawk nodded, finally understanding the old king's reasons. He shook his head, let out a short laugh, and changed the subject.
"So, what are your plans now?"
"Plans?" Odin looked at Hawk, confused. "You are the Lord of the World Tree now. I am old and dead. It is time for my retirement."
Hawk arched an eyebrow. "Let me get this straight. You orchestrate this cosmic mess, leave me on the outside to deal with it, and you think you get to just sit back and enjoy a peaceful retirement?"
"When did I ask you to clean up my mess?"
"You just admitted it." A cold smirk touched Hawk's lips. "If I had thought of taking the World Tree on my own, I wouldn't have a leg to stand on. But I only thought of it because of your 'warning.' So, from a certain point of view, it's your fault I'm stuck with this headache."
Odin drew in a sharp breath. "Phoenix, that is unreasonable."
"Is it? Be honest. If it wasn't for you, do you think I'd be dealing with this right now?"
"But you gained the World Tree!"
"Forget the World Tree for a second." Hawk waved his right hand. "Setting aside the fact that I claimed the World Tree, I'm asking you: do you believe you bear no responsibility for the state the World Tree is in?"
This way of dodging the facts left Odin speechless. After a long silence, Odin took a deep breath and looked at Hawk. "What is it you want?"
"The souls in Valhalla cannot remain stagnant. They must flow."
Hawk got straight to the point, laying out the real reason he had come. "Life exists in its flow. A flowing stream of souls will nourish the World Tree. And Valhalla is no longer just the Heaven for Asgard—it is the heaven for the World Tree. The system requires a complete overhaul."
"In the name of the Phoenix, and by the authority of the World Tree: Valhalla is hereby reformed as the Dimension of Light."
"All souls born of the World Tree, upon death, shall transit through the Underworld. The guilty shall fall. The innocent shall ascend to the Dimension of Light."
"Odin shall be the God of Light."
"Frigga shall be the Goddess of Darkness."
"From this day forward, the realms of the World Tree shall be divided into Day and Night."
As Hawk's edict vibrated across the World Tree, the great branches shook, and two glowing leaves fell from the canopy.
The first leaf fell and landed on Odin, who had been dreaming of a peaceful, everlasting retirement. Suddenly, a flash of light brought Odin back to life. His wandering robes disappeared, replaced by attire suitable for the God of Light.
At the same time—
In the distance, among the people of Asgard, Frigga saw the second leaf and was struck by it. She was also brought back to life, her white gown changing into the dark, flowing robes of the Goddess of Darkness.
Frigga was shocked.
But not nearly as shocked as Odin.
Odin stared down at his living body, then at his glowing vestments. Hawk had resurrected him without permission and drafted him into service. The old king was floored.
How to describe the feeling? It was like the regime had changed, but instead of executing or imprisoning the old king, the new ruler had decided to put him to work on the assembly line.
Odin inhaled sharply.
"Hiss!"
"You dump this mess in my lap, force me to separate from my wife, and you think you get to wipe your hands clean, kick back, reunite with your wife, and enjoy eternity?"
Hawk let out two sharp laughs, glaring at Odin. "During the day, you will bring light to the realms of the World Tree. At night, Frigga will bring the darkness. A peaceful retirement? Reunited at last? I'm telling you right now, Odin: if I'm miserable, you can forget about being happy."
Fine...
He couldn't hold his anger back any longer.
Why should Odin get to have a happy reunion??
While he was forced into a separation from the woman he loved??
Even if it was only temporary.
Even if Gwen had told him that a temporary separation was just the price they had to pay for an eternity together. And yes, he had promised Gwen he would take the World Tree.
However... aside from his desire for the World Tree, Odin was ultimately responsible for the current separation between him and Gwen.
Retirement? In your dreams!
A happy reunion? Keep dreaming!
'Until I find my Gwen, you two are Day and Night.'
'Destined to never meet.'
——————————
Odin, meanwhile, was bewildered.
And then, not only was he alive again, but his missing eye had returned. Unaccustomed to seeing with both eyes, he looked at Hawk silently for a long moment before sighing deeply.
Just as he was about to speak.
The entrance platform nearby gleamed with golden light, drawing the attention of both Hawk and Odin.
...
❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁
~# 70 Advanced Chapters Available on my Patreon!
https://p-atreon.com/dragonnx
(Just remove the hyphen to access Patreon normally.)