The global conference concluded with a unanimous decision… Asgardian civilians would be resettled along the windswept Norwegian coastline.
A vast portion of land was officially designated as a sanctuary for Thor and his people. Hoping to strengthen their ties with both Asgard and Soren, nations across the world sent caravans of supplies, construction materials, and manpower.
Within weeks, a cluster of grand houses rose along the coast still rough around the edges, but unmistakably Asgardian.
…
During this period, neither Freyja nor Thor returned to the Everlife Medical Center.
Their days were consumed with rebuilding their civilization. Now that the existence of the Realm of the Gods was out in the open, the world was watching them more closely than ever.
To ordinary citizens, the Asgardians were undeniably alien, beings of myth suddenly made real. Yet with governments mediating carefully, there was no unrest.
In fact, some curious locals had even managed tentative conversations with Asgardians, and the cultural exchange yielded surprisingly warm results.
Once the complex was established, Thor and his people refused to be ungrateful guests. They held a formal ceremony, publicly expressing their gratitude to the nations that had aided them.
As a gesture of sincerity, they offered several Asgardian technologies to Earth… innovations refined over countless centuries, far surpassing the limits of modern human science.
With these gifts in hand, global research institutions entered a feverish incubation period.
Nations scrambled to digest, interpret, and reverse-engineer the divine technology. Once fully understood, it promised to catapult Earth into an era of unprecedented advancement.
…
Meanwhile, Soren remained quietly at the medical hall.
With Asgard's crisis finally resolved, he returned to his routines. He had recently brewed a batch of concentrated Fantasy Potions for the Collector and delivered them through teleportation.
The Collector had been moved nearly to tears, showering Soren with gratitude.
"Teacher, I'm here!"
Danny's bright voice echoed as he stepped into the hall, his youthful face lit with enthusiasm.
Since accepting Danny as a disciple, Soren hadn't had much time to teach him… until now. With no pressing matters pulling him away, Soren devoted himself to the boy's training.
Danny's bloodline carried the power of Mephisto, granting him extraordinary potential, and Soren tailored each lesson.
He taught Danny every dark magic technique he had mastered over the years.
Danny absorbed them all eagerly, his control over the demonic power inside him growing with remarkable speed. By conventional standards, he had already reached a high level.
"Today, you will meditate." Soren instructed, taking a calm sip of tea.
"Feel the power within yourself. Guide it with your mind. I have something I need to take care of afterward."
Danny nodded with earnest respect.
In the time they'd spent together, he had come to view Soren not only as a teacher, but a father-like figure, steadfast and endlessly patient.
"Yes, sir!"
He slipped into the quiet chamber Soren had prepared for him. The room was lined with intricate magical arrays that linked directly to the power of the medical hall.
Training within it allowed Danny to refine his strength at an accelerated rate.
Soren leaned back. Today, Tony was supposed to visit the medical hall.
Soren planned to hand over the energy batteries he had collected from the Sovereign planet.
He had studied them thoroughly, anything treasured by the Sovereign was bound to be extraordinary, and Tony would surely make the most of them.
But before Tony arrived, the air of the room suddenly shifted. Space itself seemed to ripple…
A figure gracefully emerged from the shimmering portal.
"Jean! Finished with your practice?" Soren's voice carried uncontainable joy as he leapt to his feet and wrapped the woman in his arms.
It was Jean Gray, stepping out of the space channel with the familiar elegance that never failed to make Soren's heart skip a beat.
They had been apart for so long, and since his return, Soren hadn't even left Everlife to see her. Yet here she was, arriving unannounced as if drawn by fate itself.
"…" In his arms, Jean's body trembled slightly.
She clutched Soren tightly, unwilling to part just yet. But after a heartbeat, her expression changed…
Memories of recent news and rumors crossed her mind, and she pulled back slightly, raising her head to meet his gaze.
"Doctor… I need you to be honest with me. You can't lie."
Soren was caught off guard by the seriousness in her eyes. His smile faded as he studied her intently. "You can ask anything."
Jean inhaled sharply, gathering courage.
"Are… you getting close to Asgard's Goddess of War?" Her voice was steady, but her eyes searched his for the truth, wanting to see it reflected in him.
"…!" Soren's heart skipped violently.
Jealousy had never been simple, but he hadn't expected Jean, all the way at Kamar-Taj, to already know about Freyja.
"Jean, listen to me," Soren tightened his embrace. "Everything that has happened between Freyja and me… it doesn't change what's in my heart."
"You must understand, my feelings for you haven't diminished. You and she… It's the same in my heart. There's no comparison."
"…" Jean listened quietly, absorbing his words.
The world outside had been chaotic, news of Asgard, paparazzi reports about the "savior" Soren, and glimpses of Freyja in her war armor.
Naturally, it had raised questions in her mind. And seeing Freyja's grace and power, Jean had felt a surge of unease.
But after hearing Soren speak, Jean's lowered her head, a sigh escaping her lips. "She is strong… beautiful… a goddess of war."
"By your side, she can help you immensely. I'd only get in your way."
Soren's hands cupped her face, lifting it gently. "Jean."
"There will always be powerful women in the world. That doesn't change one thing… you are the one I love. Can you see that?"
Jean met his gaze, and for the first time in days, a genuine smile broke across her face.
In that moment, doubts melted away, leaving only trust, warmth, and the unshakable bond between them.