The End of Odin — A Conversation with Death (Ragnarök Timeline)
The cliffs of Norway were painted with the deep amber of a dying sun. The sea churned far below, eternal and merciless, whispering songs of the forgotten. Above the waves, on the jagged rocks that had seen more centuries than any human kingdom, the end approached.
Odin stood still, his body weathered, but his posture unbroken. His one eye, sharper than the blades of Asgard, gazed into the horizon. Next to him, Thor—the God of Thunder—watched in quiet dread, feeling the weight of inevitability settle like storm clouds around them.
And then… the air shifted.
A shadow stepped forth—not from darkness, but from inevitability itself. The space around him bent ever so slightly, reality recognizing the presence even gods respected in silence.
Daniel.
No longer draped in ghostly robes or theatrical bones, but clad in his black suit, tailored to perfection. The long, obsidian trench coat trailed behind him like silk woven from midnight itself. His eyes… endless. Cold. Understanding. Inevitable.
Thor tensed, blue lightning flickering across his fingertips. "Who are you?" His voice cracked the silence, defiant but uncertain.
Odin raised a hand, stopping his son. His expression unreadable.
"Peace, my son. I know this one…" Odin's words carried the weight of ages. His gaze locked onto Daniel. "The last face every king must meet."
Daniel approached with measured steps, the ground whispering beneath his polished boots. His presence exuded finality—the smell of autumn leaves, of extinguished candles, of endings.
"You always were the wiser of them," Daniel remarked, voice smooth, yet ancient beyond comprehension.
Thor's eyes narrowed. "Explain yourself—what are you to us?"
Daniel tilted his head, amused. Shadows curled at his feet, faint, like ancient Reapers lingering just outside mortal perception.
"I'm the echo of every last heartbeat," he answered, eyes never leaving Odin. "The close of every chapter. You call me Death. But today… I am courtesy."
Odin exhaled slowly, the wind tousling his silver hair. "Courtesy… in the end?"
"For those who've earned it," Daniel nodded, stepping beside them, his silhouette casting no reflection in the shallow light. "And despite your flaws… Odin Borson, you've earned your final dignity."
Thor bristled. "You don't take my father. Not now. Not here."
Daniel's gaze flicked to him—calm, sharp as obsidian glass.
"You think I take life like a thief in the night?" His tone held no malice, just brutal honesty. "No, God of Thunder. I escort those whose time… is spent."
Odin placed a firm hand on Thor's shoulder. His expression softened—a rare moment of vulnerability etched into his ancient features.
"My time has weighed heavy, Thor. I see it now, clear as daylight." His voice faltered for a heartbeat, then straightened. "This… is not defeat. It's closure."
Daniel gestured, palm rising, and beside them, reality cracked open—a portal shimmering with impossible light. Beyond it… fields of golden stars, great halls that defied description, echoes of laughter and song, the true afterlife promised to kings and warriors alike.
"You may choose how you leave, Odin," Daniel offered, voice steady, almost gentle. "A quiet fading here, or through the gates of Valhalla."
Odin studied the portal, his eye reflecting eternity itself. "My mistakes… my wars… do they follow me?"
"Only the lessons," Daniel replied. "Regret dies with the body. Legacy survives the bones."
A heavy silence lingered.
Odin turned to Thor, gripping his son's arm firmly. "Protect them… your people, your legacy. I have no more strength to guide. It is yours now."
Thor's eyes glistened, his defiance melting into sorrow. "There must be another way…"
"There never is," Daniel interrupted softly. "Even gods fall. Even kings fade. I am the line… the door at the end of every throne room."
Odin chuckled—a low, tired sound, but not bitter.
"I have seen realms rise and burn… and still, the one constant waits at the end." He faced Daniel squarely. "Tell me… will they sing of my end?"
Daniel's expression hardened with a rare, respectful resolve. "They already do."
Odin inhaled deeply—the last breath of a king who had carried worlds on his shoulders. He stepped forward, past Daniel, into the portal of shimmering starlight.
Before crossing, he paused, glancing back one final time.
"You're different from what they fear, Daniel."
Daniel's gaze didn't waver. "I only fear those who forget their time is borrowed."
With that, Odin smiled faintly—and vanished beyond the veil, his form dissolving into the golden beyond.
Thor stood motionless, fists clenched, storm crackling behind his eyes.
"You… Death… why now?"
Daniel adjusted the cuffs of his coat, his presence still, unwavering.
"Because endings… come for all," he replied. His eyes narrowed slightly, a hint of storms yet to come. "And your trials, Thunder God, are far from over."
The sea roared below, the wind carried whispers of legacies concluded. And Daniel… the inevitable, the Morte… vanished into the shadows once more.