Hela looked at him, said nothing, and simply nodded.
Heimdall looked at Thor and Loki again. "Prince Thor, Prince Loki, His Majesty Odin is waiting for you."
Thor nodded. "We know."
Heimdall finally looked at Wanda and Pietro. His gaze lingered on them for two seconds; it was not a look of scrutiny, but of observation.
"Midgardians," Heimdall said, his tone calm. "It has been a long time since any Midgardians came to Asgard."
Wanda's hands clenched slightly. She could feel Heimdall's gaze piercing through her body. She said nothing, simply standing there, neither humble nor arrogant.
Mavuika said, "They are my friends. I have brought them here as guests."
Heimdall glanced at Mavuika, then nodded. "Understood. Asgard welcomes you."
He stepped aside, clearing the way.
Mavuika walked at the front, leading everyone across the Bifrost Bridge control platform and onto a wide stone path.
Both sides of the stone path were filled with golden flowers—not the golden-yellow kind found on Earth, but a true gold, as if sunlight had condensed into form. The flowers swayed gently in the breeze, emitting a faint, warm fragrance.
Wanda walked behind Mavuika with light steps. Her gaze remained fixed on the Golden Palace at the end of the stone path. As they walked closer, the Golden Palace became increasingly clear.
She could clearly see the reliefs on the palace's outer walls. Those reliefs told the history of Asgard: the epic of Odin conquering the Nine Realms, the legend of Thor defeating the Great Serpent, and also... Mavuika?
Wanda stopped walking and looked at a relief. It was a large relief, occupying the center of the entire wall.
On the relief was a woman with long, golden-red hair, holding a Burning longsword, standing atop a pile of ruins, with countless enemies fallen behind her.
"Is that you?" Wanda asked.
Mavuika followed her gaze and smiled gently. "That was a long time ago."
Wanda looked at the relief, silent for a moment, then she caught up to Mavuika and continued walking forward.
The gates of the Golden Palace were open.
The doors were over ten meters high, cast from pure gold. The door panels were carved with patterns of giant dragons and war eagles. On either side of the doors stood two guards in silver armor, holding spears, standing perfectly still.
They saw Mavuika and bowed their heads slightly, but said nothing.
Mavuika walked into the Golden Palace.
The great hall was quieter than in his memory. Centuries ago, it was always crowded with people—civil officials, generals, envoys, servants—everyone busy, everyone talking.
But now, there were only a scattering of people in the hall, and footsteps echoed in the vast space.
On the throne sat an old man.
Odin.
The King of the Gods, the ruler of Asgard, the Guardian of the Nine Realms.
He looked much older than before; his beard and hair had turned completely white, like winter snow.
His face was covered in wrinkles, his eye sockets deeply sunken. His gaze was still sharp, but the edges were clouded with the passage of time.
His body was not as upright as before, slightly hunched, like an old tree bent by the wind.
But his hand remained steady; the hand gripping the Eternal Spear was motionless.
Mavuika stopped and stood a few meters in front of the throne.
Hela stood to his left, Thor to his right, and Loki beside Thor. Wanda and Pietro stood at the very back, leaning close to each other, not daring to make a sound.
Mavuika knelt on one knee.
It was not an act of servility, but a daughter's respect for his father. His right hand pressed against his left chest, his head slightly lowered.
"Father, we have returned."
Hela also knelt on one knee; her movements were stiffer than Mavuika's, but equally standard.
Wanda and Pietro exchanged a glance. They did not know what to do; this was not Earth, and there was no rulebook to teach them how to pay respects in the royal palace of Asgard.
But when Wanda saw Mavuika's actions, she gritted her teeth and also knelt on one knee, pressing her right hand to her left chest. Pietro mimicked her, kneeling beside her.
The great hall was silent for a few seconds.
Then, Odin spoke.
His voice was not as resonant as before, no longer like muffled thunder rolling across the horizon, but it still possessed a majesty that could not be ignored. It was the weight of thousands of years of accumulated royal authority—not the sound itself, but what lay behind it.
"It is good that you have returned. Rise."
Mavuika raised his head.
Odin looked at him, a light in his eyes that he had never seen before—not the majesty of a king looking at a subject, nor the expectation of a father for his daughter, but something purer and softer: longing.
Mavuika stood up, walked to the throne, reached out, and gently took Odin's hand. It was much rougher than in his memory, with deformed knuckles and loose skin, but it was still warm.
Odin held Mavuika's hand and looked at Hela.
Hela remained kneeling, not rising. Her back was straight, her gaze fixed directly on Odin. In those deep green eyes, there was no fear, no intimacy, only a calm, almost stubborn defiance.
Odin looked at her, silent for a long time.
"Hela."
Hela stood up, her movements crisp and efficient. She stood before the throne.
"I have completed what I promised you," Hela said, her voice calm. There was no request for credit, no complaint, merely the statement of a fact.
Odin nodded. "Mm, you have done well."
Without hesitation, without sparing praise, Odin looked at his second daughter. Her personality was still arrogant, her gaze still sharp, and her ambition still burned in her blood.
But she had spent a thousand years in the Underworld, completing the inscription of the Ode of Resurrection, without taking a single step out of that cold, dark World.
This deserved praise.
The corners of Hela's mouth twitched slightly.
"Mm," she said.
Odin's gaze shifted from Hela to Thor and Loki.
"Thor, Loki."
Thor stood up, somewhat uneasy. "Father, I—"
Odin gave a soft grunt but said nothing.
Finally, Odin's gaze fell on Wanda and Pietro.
The two were still kneeling, unsure if they should stand. Wanda felt Odin's gaze land on her.
"Midgardians," Odin said. "Mavuika's friends?"
Mavuika nodded. "Father, they are friends I met on Earth, Wanda and Pietro."
Odin's gaze lingered on Wanda for a second, then shifted to Pietro, and back again.
Odin was silent for a moment, then said, "Mavuika, take them to rest first. Tonight, we will have a family meal."
Mavuika nodded. "Yes, Father."
He turned and walked toward Wanda and Pietro. The two stood up and followed behind him.
Mavuika called over a guard—a young Asgardian warrior with blonde hair and blue eyes, wearing silver armor and a short sword at his waist. He walked over quickly and saluted Mavuika.