Star-Lord stared at the woman before him in shock.
She was draped in a long black robe, her pale fingers tracing the chain of an ancient necklace engraved with strange, sacred runes.Her aura was calm, timeless — like something pulled from myth.
"She knows about my mother… and can see my father?" Star-Lord muttered in disbelief.
Pandora smiled faintly, her voice ethereal yet warm."Don't be so surprised. Your mother has already been reincarnated — she no longer suffers in the Underworld."
Then her tone deepened."As for your father…"
The Book of Life and Death hovered faintly before her, its golden pages turning on their own.This was no ordinary relic — it was the treasure of Minos, one of the Three Judges of Hades, and one of the most sacred artifacts in the Underworld.Even Pandora herself could glimpse only fragments of its contents.
Her brow furrowed slightly."I cannot see your father clearly. He is not of Earthly origin… and…"
She hesitated.
Star-Lord's expression hardened. "And what?"
Pandora's gaze sharpened, her violet eyes shimmering with divine light.
The ever-cheerful Star-Lord suddenly felt his heart clench.This mysterious woman — this stranger — somehow knew things he had buried deep inside himself.Things no one else knew.
For years, he had wandered the galaxies, built a family among misfits, led the Guardians of the Galaxy — and yet,not even his teammates knew the truth of his parentage.
Now, a woman he had never met was peeling back the layers of his soul as if it were written in a divine record.
Her next words hit like a meteor.
"Your father," she said softly, "is the one responsible for your mother's death."
BOOM.
The sound seemed to detonate inside his chest.Star-Lord froze, his eyes widening in disbelief.
"What did you just say…?" he whispered.
But Pandora had already turned away, gliding from the tavern as calmly as if nothing had happened.
By the time he blinked — she was gone.
"My father killed my mother?! Who are you?! How do you know this?!" Star-Lord shouted into the empty street, but there was no answer.
Only Rocket Raccoon's voice cut through the silence.
"She's gone, Quill. Been gone for a while."
Star-Lord turned, his fists trembling."Gone?"
Rocket nodded. "Yeah. Slipped out like smoke. No trace of her."
Frustration surged through him. He slammed his fist into the table — it shattered with a crack, splinters flying.
"Bill, for the damages!" he growled, tossing a few Shi'ar coins onto the counter before storming out.
Rocket followed, still muttering.
As they stepped into the night, Rocket's fur bristled.Every hair on his back stood up.
"What's wrong with you?" Quill asked.
Rocket's voice dropped to a nervous growl."That woman's aura… it wasn't normal. I've been in wars, seen gods, demons, and Celestials — but that? That was like staring into a ghost. Cold. Heavy. Wrong."
Quill frowned. "You're saying she scared you?"
Rocket glared. "You're one to talk, sweatback! Look at yourself — you're drenched!"
Quill wiped his forehead. He was sweating.The woman's presence had left a chill even in his bones.
"Pandora…" he murmured. "That's what she called herself."
The name stirred something in his memory — an ancient story from Earth's myths.A woman who brought nightmares and suffering into the world.
He had never believed such legends. Until now.
Meanwhile, deep within Xandar's capital, Pandora walked gracefully through the city streets, her attendant William following behind.
"Lady Pandora," William said softly, "shall we return to the Underworld?"
Pandora shook her head, smiling faintly."No… not yet. I've heard the ruler of this world is a woman. I'd like to meet her. She seems interesting."
William hesitated. "My lady, I still have my own mission to complete…"
Pandora's eyes flickered, her tone light but firm."Then go, William. I'll manage on my own."
With a reluctant nod, William departed, leaving Pandora alone beneath the twin moons of Xandar.
Her figure dissolved into shadows — vanishing like mist.
Pandora could act freely between realms. Unlike ordinary emissaries of the Underworld, she did not need the permission of the Three Judges or a gate key to pass through the cosmic barriers.Aaron, as Hades' current vessel, had bestowed upon her a fragment of divine authority — a godhead.
Though the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss had not yet been recreated, Pandora's Small Universe had already ascended to the Seventh Sense,placing her at the rank of a third-tier deity — a "minor god" among the divine hierarchy.
In time, once her godhead fully merged with her Microcosmos, she would become something truly unique:the only human woman in the Underworld to ascend as a goddess.
But that time had not yet come.
Shi'ar Empire — Central Combat Command
The command room buzzed with tension.
Doujian, second-in-command of the Shi'ar Empire — known throughout the cosmos as the "Sword Emperor" —stood before the holographic display, his golden eyes narrowed.
He was a warrior of legendary skill, heir to the imperial blade techniques,and rumored to be the next in line for the Shi'ar throne.
"Apologies, Commander Doujian," a Nova Corps Centurion's voice came through the comm-link."But we had no choice but to contact you directly!"
"What happened, Centurion?" Doujian asked, his tone calm but sharp.
"Our long-range sensors have detected a massive Kree fleet in the Xandar sector," the Centurion reported."They're silent for now… but their formation suggests they're preparing for war."
Doujian's eyes narrowed further. The command console reflected the light of distant explosions in his gaze.
He knew that fleet.
He knew who commanded it.
"Ronan the Accuser…" he muttered.
If the Kree Empire's most ruthless general had mobilized his elite armada,it could only mean one thing: Xandar was in grave danger.
The Nova Corps were the primary defense line for the Andromeda and Sol systems.If they fell, the Kree could sweep through the galaxy unopposed — even reaching Earth.
Doujian's voice turned grim."Alert the queen. Prepare our fleets. If Xandar falls, the Kree will open a direct path to the Shi'ar core worlds."
Across the stars, war was brewing once again —and somewhere, in the shadows of both Heaven and Hell,Pandora's quiet smile hid secrets that could unmake them all.
(End of Chapter)
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