The nights of Asgard were never truly silent.
Even in rest, the realm breathed—magic flowing through roots of Yggdrasil, stars humming beyond the veil, divine energy cycling endlessly through the Golden City.
And somewhere within the palace—
Alexander Ashborn Odinson slept.
Adaptation
While his small chest rose and fell in gentle rhythm, Alexander's body worked quietly.
Divine energy brushed against him—
Asgardian magic, Odin-force residue, starlight filtered through ancient wards.
Where most beings would be overwhelmed—
Alexander adapted.
Cell by cell, essence by essence, his newborn form adjusted:
His body reinforced itself, strengthening beyond mortal limits His channels widened, accommodating divine flow His soul stabilized, harmonizing with godly power rather than resisting it
There was no pain.
No surge.
No violent awakening.
Only acceptance.
Great Sage (internal):
Analysis complete. Host's body is adapting efficiently to divine energy.
Rate of assimilation: optimal.
Risk to host: negligible.
Predator remained still—observing, waiting.
Alexander continued to sleep.
The All-Father Feels It
Far above, within the highest chamber of the palace, Odin Odinson stood alone.
The feast still echoed distantly, but the All-Father had stepped away, drawn by a feeling he could not name.
Something… shifted.
Not a threat.
Not an attack.
A ripple—soft, almost polite.
Odin closed his remaining eye.
He reached outward with his senses.
The flow of magic through Asgard was unchanged.
The wards were intact.
The realm was at peace.
And yet—
There was a faint distortion. Like water bending around a stone.
Odin frowned.
"Strange…"
He followed the sensation instinctively.
Through halls of gold.
Past ancient runes.
Toward the royal quarters.
The feeling grew clearer the closer he came—not alarming, but unnerving.
A Glance at Destiny
Odin paused outside the nursery.
Through the door, he sensed Thor—loud even in sleep.
Loki—quiet, controlled, masked by illusion.
And then—
Alexander.
The sensation centered on him.
Odin placed a hand against the door.
He expected chaos.
Instead, what he felt was balance.
Energy flowed into the child… and vanished, seamlessly integrated, leaving no excess behind.
No rejection.
No backlash.
No resistance.
Odin's brow furrowed deeply.
"That should not be possible," he murmured.
For a fleeting moment, Odin considered looking deeper—using the Odinforce to peel back the mystery.
Then Alexander shifted in his sleep, letting out a tiny sigh.
The sensation faded.
Odin withdrew his hand.
"…Another time," he decided.
Unanswered Questions
The All-Father turned away, unease lingering in his chest.
Not fear.
But something far more dangerous.
Uncertainty.
Behind him, the smallest prince of Asgard slept on—
his body continuing to adapt,
his power continuing to grow,
his destiny quietly unfolding beyond even Odin's sight.
And for the first time in centuries—
Odin All-Father did not fully understand what rested within his own palace