The cold bite of the chains vanished from my wrists. I felt the iron dissolve into particles of light that faded into the air, freeing me for the first time since I had opened my eyes in Asgard.
In front of me, Odin rested his spear on the ground, watching me with the same relentless intensity as always. There was no triumph in his face, no compassion; only the certainty of a king observing his prey.
"I release you, Macht," he finally said, his grave voice filling the hall. "Not because I trust you, but because I need to see if you are capable of controlling that power. Your existence could be a blessing to Asgard… or its downfall."
I rubbed my wrists, still feeling the emptiness the chains had left behind. Thor and Loki watched from afar; the first seemed relieved, the second intrigued, as if waiting for the next mistake I would make.
Odin stepped closer to me."Tell me, how did you get here? No one crosses the veils of Asgard without being seen by Heimdall. And yet, you appeared out of nowhere."
I swallowed hard. The truth was as simple as it was unsettling."I don't know," I answered, lowering my gaze for a moment. "From the moment I remember… I was already here. There are no images of a life before this. Only darkness, and then this place—Asgard."
The silence weighed heavily. I could feel the All-Father's eye dissecting every word, searching for falsehood, weakness, or the faintest trace of a lie.
"If he distrusts me too much, he may put the chains back on me. Or worse… end me here and now."
Finally, Odin spoke."A being that appears without a past is a mystery I cannot ignore."
His gaze fell upon my horns—dark, curved backward like the mark of some infernal demon. I had already noticed how the guards shuddered at the sight of me. Yet the king neither frowned nor flinched.
With a simple gesture, he traced magic in the air. A golden light spread over me, and I felt a strange weight cover my forehead and horns. It was as if they had been wrapped in an invisible, illusory mantle.
"What did you do?" I asked, instinctively raising my hands to my head.
Odin answered without looking away:"I cast an enchantment. From now on, the eyes of mortals and the people of Asgard will not see your difference. They will not see your horns, nor feel fear upon looking at you. To them, you will be one of their own."
I remained silent, surprised and confused."And why hide them?" I asked with almost childlike innocence, tilting my head. "If you yourself wear horns upon your armor… why are yours worthy of being shown, while mine must be hidden?"
Thor's eyes widened, and Loki let out a brief laugh, savoring the boldness of my question.
Odin, however, did not smile. He merely stared deeply at me, as if there was an uncomfortable truth within my words that he preferred not to answer.
"Because my horns are a symbol, forged through countless battles," he finally replied, his voice solemn. "Yours are a mark I do not yet understand. Until I decide otherwise, they will not be seen."
His words made me press my lips together, though I did not respond. Inside me, a spark of rebellion began to smolder.
"He calls me a mystery… binds me, frees me, hides me. Am I a prisoner disguised as a guest? It doesn't matter… I will endure. And when I master this power, then… perhaps I will answer that king with something more than silence."
Thor stepped forward, breaking the tension."Father, if he truly is to remain here… what will we do with him? He cannot wander without purpose. Someone must watch him."
Loki grinned slyly."I can do it. I love enigmas."
"No," Odin replied immediately. "You would watch him too closely… in your own way, Loki."
The All-Father's eye turned back to me, hard as the steel of Gungnir."From now on you will walk through Asgard, Macht. But every step you take will be observed. If your power loses control… or if you lie about who you truly are… there will be no second chance."
And with those words, my fate was sealed. Not as a prisoner… but not free either.