Dante spent the better part of an hour moving through the Ancient One’s private collection and carefully picking materials. The hidden vaults were a treasure trove of mystical artifacts, rare crystals, enchanted metals, ancient tomes, and everything in between. He took anything that caught his eye without shame.
‘Should be enough to create my own pocket dimension.’
He had been starving for convenient storage that Illyana already had in possession. Now, it seemed like it was possible.
“I think I took enough,” he said, looking at the modest pile of items. “Should I put some away?”
The Ancient One had to be annoyed at his greed, but she kept a neutral expression. She opened a small portal and retrieved a simple, unassuming brown leather pouch, and threw it at him.
“Store everything in here.”
He raised an eyebrow but complied, slipping the items into the pouch one by one. The bag never grew heavier or fuller, no matter how much he added. “Oh. It has folded space inside?”
She stayed quiet and watched him stuff everything into the pouch. Once finished, he waved at her and made a portal to Gwen’s location. Sensing her location through the spell on her ring was easy. Well, as long as she kept wearing the ring.
The portal led him into Gwen’s bedroom. Warm afternoon light came through half-drawn curtains and a faint scent of shampoo still lingered in the air. Gwen was sitting at her dressing table, hair damp and looser around her shoulders. She stared blankly at her reflection, lost in thought.
She remained motionless even when he threw the pouch on the bed.
He approached her and touched her shoulder, noticing her eyes move to his face in the reflection. “Hey.”
“Hey…” she replied with a forced smile and picked up her brush before putting it back. She moved her hands through her hair and tied it into a ponytail. “How is your day?”
“Pretty okay so far. What about you? Did you see MJ?”
Gwen shook her head slowly. The truth was she didn’t know how to face MJ after yesterday.
He squeezed her shoulder. “I’m here if you want to talk. Anytime.”
“I know.”
He slipped a hand into his pocket and pulled out his phone. After some swipes, he pulled up a photo Felicia had sneakily taken.
“This is when we made a deal at the café,” he said softly. “This dork was working insane hours, barely sleeping, and lying at every opportunity… but she still looked happier than you.”
Gwen stared at the picture for a long time, then lifted her gaze to her own reflection in the mirror. Thanks to Dante’s biokinesis, she didn’t have dark circles under her eyes. But the fire, the raw passion of Ghost Spider, was absent from her eyes.
“This dork,” she muttered and gently took the phone from him before setting her picture as his homescreen and lockscreen wallpaper. “You’ll see her every time you use your phone.”
He chuckled. “Is this supposed to be some kind of punishment?”
Gwen smiled, which he saw slowly fade in the mirror. She lowered her gaze to the table.
“I can’t escape sacrifices on this path. It’s just how dad has done it. But Harry… he wasn’t supposed to be one of them.”
She looked at her hands, the same hands that had killed him, the same hands that had buried him.
“But it was between him…” Her voice trembled slightly. “Or dad. He wanted to torture Dad. I had to stop him.”
She had pushed every feeling behind the “responsibility” of protecting her father. Not the healthiest way to make peace with the situation, but he was glad she got over Harry for the time being. The man he had become wasn’t worth mourning over.
She stood up abruptly and pushed the chair aside with her leg. Turning around, she grabbed Dante’s collar with both hands, pulling him close.
“Nobody will hurt Dad or you as long as I’m here.”
Her smile was cold and ruthless, a promise of how far she would go to protect what was hers. It wasn’t the smile of a superhero but a villain.
Maybe… the stress had twisted something inside her.
He brushed a strand of damp hair behind her ear. “Then I’ll make sure nobody hurts you either.”
She nodded and noticed the pouch from the corner of her eyes. “Boyfriend, you got gifts for me?”
“It can count as one.” He took the pouch and withdrew several items on the bed under her eager gaze. “What’s the best spot for a portal to my room?”
Her expression brightened up. She scanned the room and locked her eyes on the closet. Walking over to the closet, she pulled it open and pushed the hanging clothes aside to make space. She squeezed herself inside and closed the doors.
“This is perfect.” She stepped out again and gestured to the back wall. “I’ll close the doors when I go through. If someone comes in while I’m gone, I can wait it out.”
“Okay. I’ll set the activation point right here.”
Gathering the materials had been the hard part, but creating the portal system was quite easy. He had to design two separate systems and link them into one seamless loop.
The first step was handling power sources by creating vessels capable of self-replenishment through ambient energy. He chose four sapphire-core amulets set in silver frames and placed them in all corners of the closet. Each one would hold vast amounts of energy and recharge itself over time.
The second system included sigils, which when activated, would open a portal to specific coordinates. He etched the magic sigils on a thin brass disc using a silver pen. The sigils also included a security measure, only allowing Gwen’s ring to activate the spell.
He connected the two systems and poured a generous amount of his own magical energy into the amulets to jumpstart them.
“Testing time. Gwen, your hand.”
Gwen held out her hand, letting him guide her ring to the brass disc. The sapphire amulets glowed softly as they channeled magical energy into the sigils.
A shimmering golden portal opened in the back of the closet, revealing a clear view into the center of his bedroom.
“This is like having the keys to my boyfriend’s home. My own girlfriend’s privilege.”
She was finally laughing and giggling like a normal girl.
He smiled and stepped through first. “We—”
“Daddy!”
Sharon tackled him with a delighted laugh. He staggered half a step and laughed. Holding her secure against his chest, he patted her back affectionately.
“Where were you?”
“Hehe. Catseye knows you open the portal on this spot. Catseye waited on the other side to surprise you.”
He couldn’t help but smile at her shrewdness. “Emma is back. You wanna visit her?”
“No. Catseye wants to see Mama Silver and Mama Death.”
“We’ll go to Silvija after we come back from Egypt.”
“Yes.”
Gwen closed the closet doors on her side before she joined him.
‘Next one is for Felicia.’
After which, he would finish preparations for his Egypt flight tomorrow and spend some quality time with his lovers.
***
Lady Sif’s POV
To distract herself from Thor’s departure, Lady Sif had thrown herself into training with a ferocity that concerned even the Warriors Three about her wellbeing. Her knuckles were bruised and her arms ached, but she didn’t stop. Every swing of her blade, every clash against training dummies, was an attempt to silence the ache in her chest. He had rejected her heart, yet she couldn’t let go of the desire to follow him on his journey.
Today, she gave up pretending breaking her body would fix anything. She let the desire win.
“I want to see Thor.”
Now that the Bifrost had been closed off, she had only two options to leave Asgard: seek permission from Hela or from her advisor, Loki. Approaching Hela felt more suicidal than walking into the realm of Frost Giants. The new ruler of Asgard was terrifying from her piercing gaze to her obsession with destroying hundreds of training dummies every day. Hela’s bloodstained past only made her more intimidating.
Loki, on the other hand, was an old friend. She, Thor, Loki, and the Warriors Three had shared countless adventures across the Nine Realms. He was far easier to approach.
It only took one question to a palace guard to locate him. “The prince is in the royal gardens, my lady. Tending to the flowers, as usual.”
The garden in question was peaceful and filled with the scent of exotic Asgardian flora. Sif rarely visited this corner of the palace since she spent most of her time holding swords, not flowers.
She found Loki kneeling among vibrant blooms, pruning and arranging plants like the perfectionist he was.
“Always the strangest man in the room.”
She was just about to step forward when she heard a distinct click of heels, which only belonged to Hela. Sif instinctively ducked behind a tall hedge of flowering bushes, holding her breath as her heart pounded. The instinct embarrassed her, of course, but she lacked the courage to face Hela.
Thankfully, Hela hadn’t noticed her. Her piercing gaze was set on Loki and Loki alone as she approached him. Rather than offering any pretense of pleasanteries, she summoned a sleek, demonic-looking sword.
Loki didn’t even look up from his pruning. “Put that toy away, sister. We both know the consequences of hurting me.”
“HE was here, wasn’t he?” Hela demanded. “Why didn’t you inform me?”
Lady Sif frowned from her hiding spot. He? Who were they talking about? What’s more, Loki spoke so casually, so mockingly, to his own sister and the current ruler of Asgard? Why did it feel like they had some animosity between them?
“Yes, he was.” Loki plucked a leaf and let it fall. “He left a friend for us to look after, but I suspect you already saw her.”
“Why didn’t he visit me then?”
“He is a busy man, sister.” Loki stood and brushed dirt from his knees. He faced Hela with a cheeky grin. “Put a lid on your murderous urges for a moment and listen to the message he left for you.”
“A message?”
Loki snapped his fingers. A golden musical note appeared inside a floating bubble, then another, and another, until they formed a loose constellation of dancing spheres.
A voice echoed from the notes: “Tell Hela to take a few days off and enjoy herself. If she refuses, say it’s an order from me. Disobedience… will be punished.”
Hela clenched her sword so tightly it trembled. Without a word, she shapeshifted into a raven and flew away.
Lady Sif remained hidden. Her mind was moving in several directions, but she couldn’t reach any conclusions. Why was Hela mad at a man, yet it seemed like she was unable to do anything? Who had threatened to punish Hela? More importantly, that voice… She had heard that voice up close and personal.
‘Skullfire…’
Everything from his easy death at Hela’s hands, to Hela’s sudden ascension to throne, to this strange exchange—all of it seemed like a massive conspiracy. Lady Sif had to get to the bottom of this. She couldn’t stay a coward, not when she had sworn an oath to be brave and valiant for Asgard.
Stepping out from behind the hedge, she blocked Loki’s path as he was about to leave the garden.
“Loki.”
His eyes sparkled with mischief like they always did. “Oh, dearie. How long were you hiding there? Haven’t adults told you how disgraceful it is to eavesdrop on someone, much less the royals?”
She wasn’t biting his sarcasm. “Why does that man’s voice resemble Skullfire? I need answers, Prince Loki.”
“Even fate itself wishes me success today.” He spread his hands dramatically. “Lady Sif, I will reveal everything… but tell me, do you have the strength to survive what comes after?”
The provocative words hit a nerve in her. She wouldn’t have anyone looking down on her. Not even Prince Loki was allowed to.
She withdrew her sword from its sheath but kept it pointing at the ground. “I fear failing to earn my place in Valhalla far more than losing my life.”
“Admirably said.” He clapped, still smiling like the scheming prince he was. “You’re a fearless warrior, but what about my dear brother’s life?”
The mention of Thor sapped her courage. “What does Thor have to do with this? He is not even in Asgard anymore.”
“The voice you recongized—he is the reason Thor had to go on a self-discovery journey,” Loki said softly like he was coaxing a child. “Because, you see, the true King of Asgard is neither Hela nor Odin. It’s the man everyone believed was slain by Hela.”
Sif’s eyes widened in disbelief. “No… That’s impossible.”
“Everyone has been dancing on his palm. Hela and I included.”
“Skullfire…”
Fury and confusion surged through her mind. She lunged and grabbed Loki by the collar, pressing her sword against his neck. “You are lying. This is one of your sick games, like the time you cut off my hair while I was passed out in that tavern, or when you shapeshifted into a snake to scare Thor.”
“I wish it was a sick game. A prank would be far more comfortable for everyone involved.” Loki sighed, looking remorseful. “As of now, Thor has no realistic chance of returning to Asgard. And as for your chances of leaving… consider them zero. You will never see him again.”
Lady Sif felt her sword shake. The rushed ascension, the coronation festival, Odin and Frigga’s disappearance, and the closure of Bifrost Bridge—everything had been staged.
“You were always a coward,” she whispered. “But I never thought you would stoop even lower.”
“I had no choice… My foolish father provoked a monster. If I disagreed, he would have killed me and my mother.” Loki smiled in contrast to his pitiful words. “Do you want Asgard to suffer because of their foolish king?”
Lady Sif couldn’t answer.
Loki revealed a smile. That smile was warm and friendly, yet it felt more terrifying than the Frost Giants. It was the smile of a devil, who believed he had already won.
“Lady Sif, I have a bargain for you. Should you agree, I promise I will ensure Thor’s safety.”
She sheathed her sword and closed her eyes shut. Odin, Thor, Loki, Hela, and Frigga were helpless. What was she, a mere warrior, to do against Skullfire?
“What do you want?”
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