"Boss, this guy really is just like you said—the kind of person who won't shed a tear until he sees the coffin. Even after all this, he still wants to harm you."
"If you ask me, we should just kill him outright," the Commander Sister added, frowning as she glanced at Loki, who had slipped back into a coma. Her eyes gleamed with murderous intent. "That way, we eliminate any future trouble before it starts."
"Yeah, boss," 2B chimed in. "Now that we've got what we wanted, why keep him around?"
Loren shook his head, a faint smirk playing on his lips. "Heh. Your vision's too short-sighted. This guy's value isn't limited to just the Ice Box."
He paused, letting the words hang in the air. "You'll see soon enough. Lock him up again for now—he'll be very useful later."
Hearing this, the women exchanged glances but asked no further questions.
The Commander Sister covered her mouth and chuckled. "Boss, you're so naughty! When he wakes up, he's going to be furious."
"You promised to release him—but now you're arresting him again. He'll definitely accuse you of breaking your word."
Loren raised an eyebrow. "Breaking my promise? I did let him go. I never said I wouldn't arrest him again."
He shrugged, feigning innocence. "Besides, who told him to be so arrogant? We gave him a chance to run, and what did he do? Stood right at the door, showing off like a peacock. Can he really blame anyone but himself?"
The women burst into laughter. Their boss was wicked—but as the old saying went, women loved bad boys. And the more devious Loren acted, the more they adored him.
"By the way, boss," Mary Rose asked, curiosity flickering in her eyes, "is this Ice Box really as powerful as you say? Can it actually freeze an entire planet?"
All eyes turned to the artifact in Loren's hand—a crystalline device humming with ancient cold.
"Yes," he said, his tone turning solemn. "This is the Frost Giants' most sacred treasure. A thousand years ago, Laufey—Loki's biological father—used it to carve his name across the Nine Realms."
"But Odin was too strong. He crushed Laufey, seized the artifact, and locked it away. To this day, the Frost Giants plot to reclaim it."
"So if they find out it's in our hands…" 2B trailed off.
"Exactly," Loren nodded. "They'll come for us. Odin's in the Odinsleep and won't intervene—but Laufey? He won't hesitate. That's why I can't let Loki go yet. That kid's got a razor-sharp mind. The moment he's free, he'll sic his father on us."
"Until I'm strong enough to face them, we avoid war. Play it safe. Keep our cards close."
Mary Rose smiled admiringly. "Boss, you really are a step ahead of everyone."
"Of course!" 2B pounced on the praise, sidling up to Loren. "The boss is our greatest creator—a god in my eyes!"
(She had no choice—Loren had just threatened to revoke her lollipop reward, and she needed to make up for it fast.)
Sure enough, the flattery worked. Loren's expression softened with clear delight.
"2B," he chuckled, "you finally said something I like to hear. Consider your lollipop reinstated—and you and Mary Rose are starting in the lineup tonight."
"Yay! Thank you, boss! Can we start now?" 2B's eyes sparkled like a child's.
"What are you thinking? It's not even night yet," Loren chided lightly. "I still need to study this Ice Box properly. It'd be a waste to let such power sit unused."
Just then, Tifa—who'd been standing silently to the side—spoke up. "Boss… I don't know if it's just my imagination, but… this thing is calling to me. Could I hold it? I think I can use it."
"Calling you?" Loren stared at her, stunned.
Tifa nodded and reached out.
The moment her fingers neared the Ice Box—previously inert in Loren's grasp—it blazed to life with brilliant blue light. Before anyone could react, it floated into the air and shot toward her.
A wave of absolute zero erupted outward, flash-freezing the floor, walls, and air in an instant.
Thankfully, Loren and his allies weren't ordinary humans. They leapt back just in time—except Tifa, who stood rooted in place, untouched by the cold.
Then, something even stranger happened.
Her body began to dissolve—breaking down into shimmering nanoparticles at a visible pace. Without hesitation, the cloud of nanites surged into the Ice Box, merging with it as if drawn by destiny.
The artifact shuddered. Its rigid, box-like form melted away, reshaping into a towering blue cocoon—taller than a person, pulsing with icy energy. Flickers of light danced beneath its frost-veined surface.
"Boss… Tifa?" Mary Rose whispered, trembling.
Everyone stood frozen—not by cold, but by shock.
Only Loren remained calm, his eyes narrowing in realization.
Of course, he thought. I granted her cryokinetic abilities, and her nanocells can manipulate molecular structures. She didn't just resonate with the Ice Box—she was compatible with it on a fundamental level.
But the artifact's power was immense. Full integration would take time.
Without a word, Loren raised his hand and wove layers of protective energy around the cocoon. Then he sat cross-legged beside it, arms folded, eyes fixed on the glowing shell.
He'd wait.
Because
when Tifa emerged, she wouldn't just wield the Ice Box—she would be its new vessel.
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