When he spoke, the entire temple fell silent.
"Tonight, we gather here to give thanks for the peace and prosperity bestowed upon us by the Nine Realms, and to Prayer that the glory of Asgard will endure forever."
The ceremony officially began. Priests chanted ancient prayers, and the temple's dome began to rotate slowly, revealing glowing gemstones embedded within that corresponded to the actual starry sky.
As the ceremony progressed, those gemstones gradually lit up, resonate with the stars in the sky.
According to tradition, members of the royal family needed to offer symbolic sacrifices to the Irminsul during the festival and display a trace of their own divine power to show their connection to the energy of the Nine Realms.
In previous years, this was only Odin's ceremony, but this year, he announced a surprising decision.
"My daughters." Odin turned to Mavuika and Hela: "Today, you will also participate in the festival ceremony for the first time!"
A murmur rippled through the crowd; it was unprecedented for such young princesses to participate in such an important ceremony.
Frigga gently pushed her two daughters' backs. Mavuika took a deep breath and stepped forward first, followed closely by Hela, whose eyes held both nervousness and excitement.
Before them was a small altar woven from branches of the Irminsul, upon which lay symbolic objects from across the Nine Realms: Moonlight Flowers from Vanaheim, Ice Crystals from Jotunheim, and Tinderstones from Muspelheim...
Mavuika followed her mother's teachings and held her hand over the altar.
She needed to channel a trace of Asgardian Divine Power to activate the altar's connection with the Irminsul.
This should have been a simple ceremony, but as she closed her eyes and tried to mobilize the energy within her body, something strange happened.
At first, it was a familiar feeling—a warm torrent of Asgardian Divine Power, like a golden tide surging through her body.
She guided this power toward her fingertips, and the runes on the altar began to glow faintly.
The spectators nodded in approval, and a look of satisfaction appeared in Odin's single eye.
But immediately afterward, another power awakened.
It was a tiny, almost forgotten flame, slumbering deep within her soul.
It came from another World, from her former essence as the "God of Fire."
In the special energy field of this festival, at the moment when Asgardian Divine Power was fully mobilized, that flame was awakened.
Mavuika felt a surge of heat spreading from her heart—not pain, but a familiar warmth, as if returning to her source.
"Eh?" Dwarf King Eitri was the first to notice the anomaly.
On the altar, a strange color mingled with the golden light that should have been shining.
It wasn't the usual golden-white of Asgardian Divine Power, but a warm, dancing orange-red, like the purest of flames.
Surprised whispers came from the viewing gallery; the Light Elves envoy widened his eyes, and the members of the Frost Giant observation team shifted uneasily.
Odin's brow furrowed slightly, but he did not interrupt the ceremony. Frigga's hand tightened slightly.
Mavuika realized what was happening; she concentrated and withdrew the flame.
At the same time, Hela also completed her preparations and reached her hand toward the altar.
If Mavuika's power was a warm and restrained flame, then Hela's power was of an entirely different nature.
A dark green light surged from Hela's palm, carrying an unsettling chill and a sense of devouring.
The light around the altar seemed to dim, as if absorbed by that green glow.
When Hela's power touched the altar, the runes did not shine brighter; instead, they became deeper, like an entrance to an abyss.
The whispers in the temple turned into a clear commotion; even the well-traveled envoys of the Nine Realms were surprised by such a phenomenon.
Odin raised gungnir and tapped it on the ground; the low resonance returned the temple to silence.
"Enough." His voice brooked no argument.
Mavuika and Hela exchanged a glance and withdrew their hands at the same time. The altar's light gradually subsided.
The rest of the ceremony proceeded in a somewhat strange atmosphere. Odin completed the main sacrificial part, and the priests continued to chant, but everyone's eyes occasionally drifted toward the pair of princess sisters standing before the altar.
At the end of the festival, according to tradition, all participants would share a feast, but Odin briefly announced that the royal family needed to leave first.
On the way back to the Golden Palace, the atmosphere was unusually quiet. Hela tried to speak several times but was stopped by Mavuika's gentle head shake. Only after returning to their living quarters and dismissing the maids did Frigga turn to her two daughters.
Hela spoke impatiently: "Mother, did you see my power? It's different from Sister's, and different from Father's! It's unique!"
"I saw it." Frigga looked at Mavuika: "Mavuika, what about you? Your flames..."
"I don't know where it came from," Mavuika answered honestly. "It just... appeared naturally like that."
Odin had been standing silently by the window, looking at the starry sky outside. Now he turned around and scrutinized his two daughters.
"Starting tomorrow, in addition to regular training, each of you will have extra lessons. Mavuika, you will follow me to learn the control of divine power. Hela, Frigga will teach you how to guide and balance your power."
He turned to his wife: "Is that alright?"
Frigga nodded: "Of course."
Odin took one last look at his daughters and turned to leave.
After the door closed, the room was silent for a moment.
"Sister!" Hela broke the silence, her voice filled with excitement.
"Our powers are very strong, right? Even Father is taking it so seriously!"
Mavuika walked to the window and looked out at the starry sky. On the festival night, the stars were exceptionally bright.
She could feel that the flame within her body had not yet fully subsided, Burning warmly in her heart.
"Yes, very strong!" she answered softly. "So we must be even more careful, Hela. Great power often comes with great responsibility."
"I will take responsibility!" Hela said solemnly.
"Once I have fully mastered my power, I will become Asgard's strongest warrior, even stronger than the Valkyrie!"
Mavuika turned around and looked at her sister's youthful face, her worries easing slightly.
She reached out her hand: "Then it's a deal. We'll learn together, master our powers together, and protect Asgard together."
Hela gripped her hand firmly: "It's a deal!"
The two sisters' hands were tightly clasped, just as they had been when they were infants.
Outside the window, a meteor streaked across the Asgardian night sky, trailing a long tail of light before disappearing behind the distant mountains.
At this moment, in the Golden Palace, Mavuika lay in bed, but found it difficult to fall asleep.
She raised her hand, and a tiny orange-red flame danced on her fingertips.
It was her Primal Fire, from Teyvat, from Natlan, from her past as the God of Fire.
"You're actually still here..." she whispered to the flame. "Does this mean something?"
The flame flickered slightly as if in response. Mavuika clenched her fist, and the fire vanished.
She turned to look at Hela, who was already fast asleep in the bed next to her. Even in her sleep, her sister's brow was slightly furrowed, as if she were continuing her dreams of conquest in her sleep.