patreon.com/mati6x +2 CHAPTERS
The cold bite of metal seared my skin. Heavy chains, engraved with faintly glowing runes, clung to my arms, legs, and neck as if they sought to rip my very soul away. I tried to move, but it was useless: the bindings seemed to drain any magical force that stirred within me.
Before me, seated on a stone throne carved with symbols, an old man of imposing bearing observed me. He had only one eye, but that piercing gaze alone was enough to make me feel stripped bare before him. He didn't blink, didn't relent; it was as though he wanted to tear the truth from the depths of my being by sheer force of will.
"Why… why do you keep me here?" I managed to rasp, the chains pressing against my throat. "My name is Macht… and I have done nothing to deserve this captivity."
Silence stretched for a few moments, broken only by the distant echo of metallic footsteps. In the shadows of the hall, two young figures watched. One was tall, with blond hair and the bearing of a warrior despite his youth; the other, dark-haired and sharp-eyed, wore a half-smile as his gaze missed nothing. I recognized them instantly: Thor and Loki, still young, watching intently.
At last, the old man spoke. His voice was deep and solemn, carrying an ancient power that resonated through every stone of that place.
"I am Odin, king of Asgard… All-Father."
The very air in the hall seemed to grow heavier at those words. A chill ran down my spine. I stood before the god who ruled the Nine Realms.
Odin leaned forward, resting both hands on the staff before him.
"Your appearance is that of a creature never seen in this realm. Your aura, dark, belongs to no known race. And what I witnessed with my own eye is no small matter: you transmuted a tree into solid gold with a mere gesture. That power… has no place in this world."
I swallowed hard, struggling to keep my composure.
"All I know is my name… Macht. Nothing more. I awoke here, without answers, and ever since I've been hunted as though I were a monster."
Odin's eye gleamed with intensity.
"Perhaps you are." His voice hardened. "A golden curse that turns everything it touches into indestructible wealth. That is no gift… it is a danger."
The chains rattled as I tried in vain to move.
"And what will you do with me, then?" I asked, forcing my voice to sound steady despite the weight of his presence.
Thor, who had remained silent until then, stepped forward, fists clenched.
"Father, perhaps he deserves a chance to prove what he truly is."
Loki narrowed his eyes, that half-smile still playing across his lips, carrying equal parts mockery and intrigue.
"Or perhaps, brother, he is a demon trying to deceive us with hollow words." His gaze pierced me like a dagger. "Though I must admit… there is something fascinating in his misfortune."
Odin never once broke his gaze from me. His voice cracked like restrained thunder:
"You shall have one chance, Macht. You will answer my questions and prove what you are. If you fail… your existence will end here, under the judgment of Asgard."