He had seen Hela before, not in reality, but in the paintings of Asgard—those murals hanging in the corridors of the Golden Palace that recorded the history of Odin's conquests of the Nine Realms.
In the murals, Hela rode a black warhorse, holding Mjolnir, with countless undead armies behind her.
But the murals were static, while the woman before him was alive. Her eyes were colder than in the paintings, her aura stronger, and her presence far more oppressive.
"Second Sister." Loki spoke, his voice calm.
Hela looked at him, a flicker of scrutiny flashing in her deep green eyes. "Loki?"
She looked him up and down, then said, "You are thinner than I imagined."
The corners of Loki's mouth lifted slightly. "Second Sister is just as imposing as in the paintings."
Their gazes collided in the air for a fleeting moment, then shifted away simultaneously.
Thor was the second to arrive.
He flew over from Stark Tower, creating a shallow crater on the balcony as he landed. Carrying Mjolnir on his shoulder, he strode into the living room, but stopped abruptly when he saw Hela.
"Second Sister." Thor's voice was somewhat tight.
Hela looked at him, her gaze sweeping over the Mjolnir he carried.
"You are Thor?"
Thor nodded.
Thor tightened his grip on the hammer slightly. He didn't know why, but when Hela's eyes were on him, he felt as if he were being seen through—not with hostility, but with a more uncomfortable, scrutinizing gaze, like a teacher checking a student's homework.
"Although you have gained the acknowledgement of Mjolnir..." Hela said, "is that all there is to you?"
Thor's brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"
Hela did not explain. She walked to the sofa, sat down, crossed her legs, folded her hands on her knees, and watched Thor.
"Prince of Asgard, god of thunder, one of the strongest warriors of the Nine Realms—these are all your titles, but your power—"
She paused.
"Does not seem to match the hammer in your hand."
Thor's face flushed red. He opened his mouth to retort, but Hela's gaze made him swallow his words.
Mavuika walked over and patted Thor on the shoulder. "Don't mind her; your Second Sister just talks like that."
Thor gritted his teeth. "I don't mind."
Hela glanced at him, the corners of her mouth lifting slightly. "You're quite stubborn."
Thor's face turned even redder.
Wanda and Pietro were the last to arrive. They stood at the doorway, not entering, watching the people in the living room, unsure if they should interrupt.
Mavuika waved at them. "Come in. This is Hela, my sister."
Wanda looked at Hela and paused slightly. She could feel that the power within this woman was unlike any power she had ever encountered.
It was not the scorching heat of Fire, nor the coldness of darkness, but something more fundamental—an irresistible gravity, like death itself.
"Hello," Wanda said.
Hela looked at her, her gaze lingering for a second on the dark red glow upon her hands.
"You are in high spirits, actually adopting two humans?"
Mavuika smiled lightly. "They just needed a little help."
Hela gave a soft "Hmph" and said nothing more.
Loki brought out a tea tray from the kitchen and poured a cup for everyone. He handed one to Hela, who took it, sniffed it, and then took a sip.
"Not bad," Hela said.
The corners of Loki's mouth lifted slightly. "Asgardian tea leaves, with a bit of a recipe from Kamar-Taj."
Hela glanced at him. "You learned magic at Kamar-Taj?"
Loki nodded. "We exchanged some insights."
Hela set down her teacup and looked at Loki. "Your mastery of magic is stronger than your brother's."
Thor protested from the side. "Hey!"
Hela ignored Thor. She stood up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, looking out at the night view of Manhattan. The moonlight spilled onto her pale face, casting a silvery-white halo over her.
Mavuika walked to her side and also looked at the night view.
"Rest on Earth for the night first; we will return to Asgard together tomorrow," Mavuika said.
"Asgard, huh..." Hela nodded.
"It's been such a long time since I last returned."
...
The morning sun shone through the glass curtain walls of Manhattan and reflected into Mavuika's Villa, casting shimmering spots of light on the white walls.
Wanda stood in the kitchen, flipping the fried eggs. The oil sputtered and popped in the pan. Pietro sat at the dining table with a glass of orange juice in his hand, but his eyes kept glancing toward the balcony.
There, Mavuika and Hela stood side by side. Neither spoke, the morning breeze stirring their long hair—the golden-red and the pitch-black intertwined, like the moment two rivers flowing in different directions occasionally converge.
Hela had slept in the guest room last night, and there had been no words throughout the night. But when Wanda got up to drink water in the middle of the night, she saw Hela's door open; she was sitting by the bed, looking at Manhattan outside the window, her expression calm, but there was something in her eyes that Wanda could not read.
It was not longing; the distance between the underworld and Earth was meaningless to Hela. It was a kind of waiting—a long, long wait that was finally coming to an end.
"Sis," Pietro lowered his voice, "what do you think they are talking about?"
Wanda scooped out the fried eggs and placed them on a plate. "I don't know, but whatever they are talking about, it doesn't concern us."
Pietro pouted. "I'm just curious."
Wanda glanced at him. "Don't be curious. This is a matter between their family; it's best if we talk less."
Pietro nodded and asked no more.
Mavuika walked in from the balcony, with Hela following behind her.
"Breakfast is ready," Wanda said.
Mavuika glanced at the fried eggs, bacon, and toast on the table and smiled. "Did you make this?"
Wanda nodded. "Pietro helped slice the tomatoes."
Mavuika sat down at the table, and Hela sat down as well. Thor crawled off the sofa, his hair a bird's nest, wearing a wrinkled T-shirt, with his slippers on crookedly.
He walked to the dining table, glanced at Hela, then shifted his gaze and sat down next to Mavuika.
Loki walked out from the hallway, wearing a dark green shirt, his hair combed meticulously, holding a book in his hand. He sat down opposite Hela, placed the book on the edge of the table, picked up his coffee cup, and took a sip.
The five of them sat around the dining table like any ordinary family breakfast, but Wanda knew that, combined, these five people could destroy this World dozens of times over.
"Today," Mavuika began, her voice calm, "we return to Asgard."
Thor's hand paused, the toast hanging in mid-air. "Today?"
Clearly, he hadn't had enough fun yet, though life on Earth was indeed much richer than on Asgard, so it was no wonder he was reluctant to leave.
Mavuika nodded. "Hela has already returned, and it has been a long time since I went back; Father and Mother must be missing us."