A moment earlier, Soren had used the Mind Stone to sweep across the blazing world of Muspelheim. Freyja's presence flared like a lone flicker of cool light in a sea of fire. The instant he sensed her facing down a Molten Hound, he didn't hesitate.
He teleported directly and with one decisive swing cleaved the monster cleanly in half. The two halves sizzled as they slid into the lava below.
"That thing actually dared to lay a claw on our beautiful Goddess of War, that is a crime!"
He then noticed Freyja's eyes blazing hotter than the lava lake.
Uh-oh.
Soren immediately shifted topics. "Speaking of which, that Molten Hound. Didn't expect to find one this close to the boundary."
"…" Freyja was momentarily thrown off.
She had been ready to berate him for what had just happened, for the way he'd grabbed her, the way he'd held her a little too comfortably… but now she found herself caught between irritation and relief.
And, embarrassingly, a touch of gratitude.
"How did you even get here?" She asked, genuinely curious.
Soren flashed a self-satisfied grin. "I was thinking about the beautiful Goddess of War, obviously."
"Don't be ridiculous." Freyja shot him a glare, one that somehow made her even more striking. "This realm is dangerous."
"We should leave quickly. I've already checked, Muspelheim isn't harboring anything that threatens Asgard. It feels like King Odin was… worried for nothing."
Soren's expression turned cold. "Odin? That wasn't Odin. That was Loki disguised."
"What? Loki pretending to be?"
Soren exhaled slowly and told her everything… Odin's true death, Thor and Loki's failed teleportation, the reappearance of Hela, the Goddess of Death, and her attempt to reclaim the Nine Realms.
By the time he finished, Freyja's expression had lost all color. Her usual brightness dimmed under the weight of the news.
"Odin gone… Thor missing… and Hela ruling Asgard?" She shook her head slowly. "Then what are we doing here?! Asgard is in danger… I have to return immediately!"
She stepped forward, but Soren caught her wrist.
"Freyja, wait." His voice was steady but firm. "It's useless to rush back alone."
"Hela's power in Asgard is nearly limitless now. She grows stronger every day. You'd be walking to your death."
She jerked her arm. "Asgard is my home! My people, my warriors are there! I can't stand here doing nothing!"
"And I'm not asking you to," Soren replied softly. "But charging in alone isn't bravery… it's suicide. I've already prepared a portal linked to Heimdall."
"If things go wrong, he can evacuate the people through it. I'm not leaving them to die."
Freyja paused, anger giving way to raw desperation. Then suspicion flickered.
"Hela is strong, yes… but so are you." Her gaze narrowed. "So tell me the truth, Soren, can't you defeat her? Or are you simply unwilling to act?"
The accusation hung between them.
"It's not that I don't want to help," The heat of the realm shimmering around Soren. "I could fight her and have a decent chance of winning, the real problem is the power she commands."
"As long as she stands in Asgard, she can draw on the full might of the Realm. If I fight her there, if we unleash everything…"
"There's only one outcome… Asgard gets destroyed."
His voice filled with frustration, not with Freyja, but with the situation. For Thor, for the Realm, for her… he was willing to fight.
But not foolishly and not in a way that killed the very people he was trying to protect.
Freyja's anger slowly faded. Her shoulders dropped. "…Then what do you think we should do, Soren?"
"Find Thor first," Soren answered without hesitation. "Odin is gone. Thor is the rightful Lord of Asgard. With him, we might have a chance and if necessary, I'll stand with him."
Freyja nodded reluctantly. "But where do we even begin looking?"
"Spatial misfires scatter you across star systems if you're lucky… into the void if you're not. Even I know that."
"It's fine." Soren waved a hand. "I asked Heimdall before I left."
"Thor and Loki are alive, but far, far away. Some of my… friends might be able to help."
The Collector, the Guardians… he could almost picture them now.
"Come back to Earth with me first," He continued. "We'll regroup and plan carefully."
Freyja finally exhaled. With the chaos in Asgard, Soren was unexpectedly the only stable thing she could rely on.
Her gaze softened without her noticing, a brief warmth blooming in her chest as she remembered him cutting down the Molten Hound and rushing through fire just to reach her.
"…Alright," She whispered. "Lead the way."
Soren nodded and summoned a vast surge of spatial energy. This time, with coordinates locked, he could open a stable, flawless passage…
"Let's go."
A silver-edged rift carved open the air. The power of space hummed like a giant engine. Together, they stepped through.
✦••┈┈••✦••┈┈••✦
Everlife Medical Center
Light flared and then dimmed. Soren and Freyja appeared inside the medical hall as if stepping from a blink.
Without hesitation, Soren called upon the power of the Everlife Hall. Healing waves surged across the room and flowed into Freyja's body.
Her breath caught as relief washed through her, soft light knitting strength back into muscle and magic, wiping away exhaustion like dust on glass.
She felt whole again.
Strong again.