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"You all exist beyond this single reality," Seph continued, his tone deep and steady. "In some worlds, you thrive. In others, you fall. There are versions of you that never became who you are now. Versions of you that made different choices and walked different paths. Some are wiser, some are crueler, some are weaker… and some never even made it this far."
Thor tensed. The thought of another 'him' existing elsewhere—one that wasn't the same, yet was him—was unsettling.
Loki's fingers twitched. The trickster had spent years questioning his identity and his worth. And now Seph was telling him there were infinite versions of him? Who was the real Loki, then? Which one was truly him?
Hela's eyes narrowed, but there was something deeper in them—something thoughtful.
Seph smiled faintly, though it didn't reach his eyes.
"At your core, however—no matter the differences—you are all the same," He said softly. "You all share the same origin, the same essence, the same fate."
His voice lowered, almost reverent. "And the thing about fate is… it always seeks its end."
Odin's expression darkened.
"Ragnarok," He murmured.
Seph gave a slow nod. "Yes."
Frigga's lips parted slightly. Her wise, knowing eyes searched Seph's face as if seeing the burden he carried more clearly now.
"But here's the thing," Seph continued. "The moment I arrived in this world—this universe—things changed. My presence is like a stone dropped into a still lake. The ripples alter everything, shifting what was once set, and rewriting what was once inevitable. This world—your world—has already been diverted onto a new path. And because of that, a new parallel universe has been born."
A silence fell over them, heavy and thick.
Seph exhaled, glancing at the star-streaked sky. His voice, when it came, was quiet, almost… mournful.
"But no matter how many parallel worlds exist—no matter how many possibilities branch out—there is one thing they all have in common."
His golden eyes darkened slightly.
"A story."
Loki frowned slightly. "A story?"
Seph nodded. "Yes."
He turned back to them, his expression unreadable. "A story that starts at creation… and ends in destruction."
His voice grew softer, almost like a whisper carried by the wind.
"Only to begin again."
The weight of those words crashed down upon them.
A cycle. A never-ending cycle.
Birth. Growth. Conflict. Death. Rebirth.
Over and over.
The gods felt something stir in them—something ancient, something unsettling.
Thor clenched his fists. "Then… does that mean we have no choice? That no matter what we do, our end is already decided?"
Odin's expression remained unreadable, but there was a flicker of understanding in his one good eye.
Seph studied them for a moment before shaking his head.
"Not quite," He said. "Free will exists. Choice exists. But no matter how much you struggle against fate, no matter how much you fight to change the outcome… the end will always come."
Hela's voice cut through the silence. "And why is that?"
Seph's gaze met hers.
"Because endings are necessary."
Her lips pressed into a thin line, her emerald eyes burning into his. "Necessary?"
Seph nodded. "The end of a world—the fall of civilizations, the death of gods—creates the energy needed to give birth to something new."
His voice dropped to a whisper. "Destruction fuels creation. Without an end, there can be no beginning."
A tragic, inescapable law.
Hela's expression darkened. She knew destruction well. She had wielded it, reveled in it. But now… she wondered if she had ever truly understood it.
Frigga watched Seph with an unreadable expression. She saw it now—the sorrow woven into his every word.
The burden he carried, was unseen by all.
Then Seph spoke words that sent a shiver through all of them.
"…And I envy you."
Odin's gaze snapped to him. Frigga's breath caught audibly.
Thor and Loki stared.
Seph let out a bitter chuckle, one that lacked any warmth.
"You all can die."
The simplicity of the statement made it all the more profound.
"I cannot."
A silence unlike any before settled over them.
Seph turned back to them, and for the first time, they saw something in his eyes that terrified them.
Loneliness.
An eternity of loneliness.
"I have become… something beyond death," He admitted. "I have ceased to exist as 'Seph.' As a person."
His voice was distant. "I am a Primordial God, the successor of one of the creators of reality and life itself. And because of that…"
He could never die.
Yes, he could love. Yes, he could feel joy, sadness, grief.
But he could never grow old with his loved ones.
Never fade alongside them.
Never be free.
He would live on. Forever.
Even when this world ended.
Even when Odin, Frigga, and the others were reborn in the next cycle.
They would be new.
They would forget.
But he would remember.
Always.
The weight of eternity wrapped around his soul like chains, unbreakable and relentless.
Thor looked at him, and for the first time in his life, he did not see someone powerful beyond comprehension. He saw someone who carried a burden that no strength could lift.
Loki, ever the sharpest among them, turned away, something like guilt flickering across his features. He had always longed for more—more power, more knowledge, more existence. But now, staring at Seph, he wasn't sure if he had been chasing a dream or a nightmare.
Frigga's hand twitched slightly, as if she wanted to reach out but didn't know how.
Odin… simply bowed his head.
He understood now.
Seph was not just powerful. He was not just strong.
He was alone.
And then, a hand grasped his wrist.
Seph blinked.
Hela.
Her grip was firm, her emerald eyes locked onto his, unyielding.
"I don't care."
Seph's breath caught slightly. "Hela—"
"I don't care." Her voice was sharp, filled with something fierce, something unshakable. "You are mine. I chose you."
She stepped closer, her gaze never wavering.
"So what if I die before you? So what if I forget you in the next life?" Her lips curled into something almost defiant. "You're strong, aren't you?"
Seph chuckled dryly. "That's—"
"Then find me." Her words cut through his. "Find me, no matter which cycle, no matter how many times the universe ends and begins again. Love me like you do now."
Seph stared at her, his throat tightening.
She understood.
She understood that after everyone else was gone, after the world crumbled and was reborn, the most lonely one would be him.
Because she, Frigga, Thor, Loki—everyone—would at least die.
They would be free.
But he would remain.
Alone.
Forever.
A silence stretched through the room.
Then, slowly… Seph closed his eyes.
"…I promise."
Hela exhaled softly, a flicker of something unreadable crossing her face before she smirked as if she had won some silent battle only she understood.
Thor turned away, his lips pressed into a thin line.
Loki said nothing, but his fingers curled slightly.
Frigga wiped her eyes, composing herself.
Odin let out a slow, tired breath.
The weight in the air was thick, pressing down on all of them. It was… too much.
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The titles of the next three chapters! (🔥Spoiler🔥)
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Chapter 89: Court Trial
Chapter 90: A New CEO
Chapter 91: A Mysterious Spy
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