Three months of disappearance wasn't easy to explain—especially to someone like Anji. Others might not care where Bella had gone, but Anji would definitely flip if she didn't get a convincing excuse. After all, disappearing for three whole months with no explanation? That wasn't going to end well in any relationship.
"Exchange program? Again? Another three months?" Anji's voice on the phone rose to a shocked pitch, like she'd just been hit by a bolt of lightning.
She knew Columbia University had annual academic exchange programs. That wasn't the issue. What really hit her was the duration.
"Aahhh! I have exams in a month! And you're leaving me alone for two more months? That's so cruel!"
Anji let out a sound that could only be described as a groundhog shriek. It was her favorite way to release frustration—dramatic and loud.
The thought of being stuck at home alone for two whole months made her mentally collapse. Anji had worked hard to earn her doctorate in medicine, dreaming of eventual freedom and flexibility. Now, just when she was about to be liberated, her best friend was running off again.
Bella sighed. There wasn't much she could say. She promised a few vague things over the phone, offered some emotional comfort, and essentially signed a series of "unequal treaties."
When the call ended, Bella exhaled and began making final preparations. It was time to abandon her previous responsibilities.
Three days later, Bella stood at the edge of a quiet clearing, dressed for action. She wore fitted black tights and ankle-high flat boots. Over a soft grey shirt, she'd layered a black coat, sleek and efficient. Her appearance had been altered by magic—she now wore the regal features of the King of Knights, a transformation she'd perfected.
Around her neck hung a silver cross necklace. At the center of it sat a tiny, transparent gem. If one looked closely, they would see the figure of a sleeping little girl inside, peaceful and undisturbed.
Loki gave her a once-over, his lips curling into a smirk. Bella arched an eyebrow in response.
"You seem to have a problem with how I look?" she asked coolly.
"I think your original face was better," Loki replied dryly. He'd seen through the illusion before but hadn't commented until now. Having seen her true face, he found it more expressive, more alive than this idealized knight form.
Bella didn't argue. Instead, she turned her gaze toward the sky.
"Let's go."
Together, they traveled to a remote area, where they called on Heimdall. The guardian of the Bifrost responded instantly. With a burst of radiant color, they were swept into a cascade of teleportation energy.
The stars blurred past them.
Brilliant orbs of light shimmered as they moved across space. It was a sight that never failed to stir awe. In the blink of an eye, they landed on an alien planet drenched in cyberpunk aesthetic—a mix of neon and steel, shadow and mist.
The cityscape was like a dream and a nightmare rolled into one. Skyscrapers glowed with pulsating lights in hues of red, blue, purple, and pink, their reflections shimmering across puddles from the ever-present rain. The ground was damp, the air steamy and oppressive. The planet's atmosphere carried a sense of weight, a heavy presence that pressed down on everything.
The streets were crowded with aliens. Some were humanoid in shape, but their skin came in unnatural colors—vivid blue, deep green, and metallic silver. Others were more monstrous in form, bearing too many limbs or not enough eyes.
The appearance of Bella and Loki caught immediate attention.
Dozens of eyes turned toward them—some curious, some malicious, many greedy, and a few clearly bloodthirsty.
Loki, ever smug, didn't even blink.
Bella, on the other hand, was visibly annoyed. Her aura flared.
A dangerous light flickered in her eyes, and a wave of pressure spread down the street. The atmosphere turned cold and suffocating. Pedestrians instinctively paused, feeling an overwhelming sense of dread—as though death itself had walked into the room.
Then, just as quickly as it came, the aura faded.
It was enough.
They could tell instantly: she wasn't prey. She was a predator. Her strength marked her as dangerous, someone to avoid. The crowds parted without being told, putting distance between themselves and the strange, powerful newcomer.
Loki chuckled. "Tsk. Doesn't matter what corner of the universe you're in—the strong rule, and the weak get hunted. You'll fit in just fine."
Bella didn't respond, but a small smirk formed on her lips. She wasn't here to be timid. She'd learned by now—in the universe, power wasn't optional. It was essential.
"Let's move," Loki said. "Our ship's at the spaceport."
They strolled through the chaotic district and entered the city center, which was more polished and organized than the outer neighborhoods. There, a vast docking area unfolded before them, resembling a futuristic parking garage—but instead of cars, it held spacecrafts of every shape and size.
Above them, anti-gravity ships moved in synchronized precision, some descending, some ascending without ever needing a runway. The sight was familiar to Bella—S.H.I.E.L.D. had similar tech, though not on this scale.
Her eyes locked on a sleek, black spaceship with a streamlined body. It gleamed like obsidian under the docking lights.
"Huh," Bella muttered. "Didn't expect something this low-key from you."
Loki snorted. "It's not mine. Thor ordered this one years ago."
"Ah, that explains it."
They boarded the vessel. Its interior was functional but not bare—it reminded Bella of the Milano from Guardians of the Galaxy—not huge, but comfortable.
Loki claimed the pilot seat with ease, clearly used to the setup.
Bella dropped into the co-pilot's chair, and the moment she did, a strange wave of familiarity washed over her. The cockpit controls—dozens of buttons, levers, glowing interfaces—felt right.
She understood them.
Somehow, she knew how everything worked.
Throttle, navigation, weapons, shields, hyper-jump—it was all there in her mind, as if she'd trained for years.
Then it clicked.
"Riding skill…" she whispered.
Her Heroic Spirit riding skill—something she'd always thought applied only to horses, motorcycles, and Earth-bound vehicles—was adapting to alien tech.
She laughed in disbelief.
"No way. My riding skill actually works on spaceships?"
A wave of excitement surged through her. This changed everything. She wasn't a rookie anymore—not when it came to mobility.
Without thinking, she pressed a sequence of buttons to run diagnostics.
Loki flinched. "Hey! Don't touch things randomly. That panel includes the warp drive system. If you hit something wrong—"
But Bella's hands flew across the controls with ease. Everything she did was precise. Confident. Natural.
The engines purred to life. Systems aligned. Even Loki had to shut up and stare.
"Okay... That was smooth," he admitted. "Your planet doesn't even have this kind of tech yet. How do you know what you're doing?"
Bella smiled.
"Let's just say..." —she tapped the console again— "I'm a fast learner."
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