Alexander awoke to warmth.
Not fire—
but familiar warmth.
Soft bedding.
Gentle light.
The quiet hum of Asgard.
"…Mother?" he murmured.
Frigga was there instantly, hand on his forehead.
"You are safe," she said softly, relief clear in her voice. "You frightened us."
Alexander blinked, memories returning slowly.
"…The match?"
Frigga smiled. "You were magnificent."
Big Brothers' Questions
He didn't have long to rest.
The door opened sharply.
Thor and Loki entered together.
Thor crossed his arms.
Loki's eyes were sharp, searching.
"…That sword," Thor said immediately. "What was that?"
Loki stepped closer. "You've never trained with it in front of us."
Alexander sat up slowly.
"Oh. This?"
He reached beside the bed and brought out the katana.
Ryūjin Jakka.
Silent. Plain. Unassuming.
He held it out.
"You can hold it if you want."
Thor blinked. "…Really?"
Alexander nodded.
A Normal Sword
Thor took the hilt.
Nothing happened.
No heat.
No weight beyond steel.
"…It's just a sword," Thor said, confused.
Loki took it next.
He examined it carefully, channeling magic.
Still—
Nothing.
No response.
No presence.
"…There's no spirit," Loki said quietly. "No enchantment. It's ordinary."
Alexander smiled faintly.
"That's because it isn't yours."
Thor frowned. "What does that mean?"
Alexander took the sword back.
The moment his fingers wrapped around the hilt—
The air shifted.
Not violently.
Subtly.
Like the world paying attention.
The Master's Blade
Alexander did not unsheathe it.
He didn't need to.
"Ryūjin Jakka listens to me," he said calmly. "Not anyone else."
Thor stared. "…It chose you?"
Alexander nodded.
Loki's breath caught slightly.
"…A true master-bound weapon," he whispered. "That's rare. Even in legends."
Alexander tilted his head.
"I've always known," he said simply.
Unspoken Truths
Thor scratched his head.
"So… if I tried to use it?"
Alexander smiled.
"It would just be a sword."
Loki exhaled slowly, eyes dark with thought.
That means the fire wasn't the blade, he realized.
It was Alexander.
Brotherhood, Unchanged
Thor laughed suddenly.
"…You're ridiculous."
Alexander blinked. "Is that bad?"
Thor pulled him into a rough hug.
"No," Thor said proudly. "It means you're our brother."
Loki smirked faintly. "And you owe us an explanation later."
Alexander smiled.
"Okay."
Elsewhere
Odin stood alone on the balcony.
He could still feel it.
That blade.
That fire.
Not domination.
Recognition.
"…A weapon that answers only its master," Odin murmured.
His grip tightened—not in fear.
But certainty.
The future will not merely burn, he thought.
It will choose.