Loki heard the words and hesitated for a moment.
He was afraid.
He, who had defied others countless times, now did not dare to take the risk. Because the people he was looking at were not illusions, they were those he cared about.
Everything seemed too real. Loki, who had always been confident in his abilities, now began to doubt himself.
…
"This child…!"
Odin, hearing Alaric's voice, gripped the Eternal Spear. In his chest, a furious desire burned to show the young mortal what the majesty of the God-King meant.
"Ancient One, the magic of Kamar-Taj is so powerful it can rival the Reality Stone itself," Frigga said softly, wiping the tears from her eyes.
In the distance, both she and Thor appeared like real people, without a single trace of magic.
Such perfection could only be achieved by those who had mastered the distortion of reality. But what Alaric had just displayed, he did it with mere magic.
Frigga, whether she wanted to admit it or not, had to feel admiration.
"That is not Kamar-Taj magic," the Ancient One shook her head. "At least, I have never seen anything like it."
Her words echoed as an admission. Perhaps only Alaric possessed this ability, a demonic understanding of talent that allowed him to upgrade existing spells and create something entirely new.
For example, after learning portals from Mordo, Alaric did not simply adopt the technique. He created his own gates of space and teleportation from it, something entirely different, something that belonged only to him.
"You didn't learn this?!" Frigga asked in disbelief.
"I suspect this is a new magic," said the Ancient One seriously, "born after Alaric saw Loki's illusion and added his own understanding."
"You mean to say that Alaric created magic that can rival the very distortion of reality and all based only on Loki's phantom magic?!" Odin was visibly shocked.
Could a human even achieve such a thing?
"Exactly so," the Ancient One nodded. "No wonder he managed to deceive Loki… and even us."
Frigga then began to notice the similarities between Alaric's magic and her own illusion. But the difference was obvious, his was deeper, stronger, almost a new dimension of magic.
"Congratulations once again," she finally said.
"It's fine," the Ancient One replied with a faint, bitter smile.
She had hoped that Alaric would one day inherit her place, but after the last trial, she realized, he did not want it. He could not, and perhaps did not even wish to, walk the path Stephen Strange would one day embrace.
Because Alaric knew too much. Perhaps he even knew the future.
The Ancient One could not guess his path.
Perhaps that was for the best, she thought. The only thing that mattered was that there was no evil in him.
…
"Kill me!" said Alaric, walking step by step toward Loki.
With each of his steps, Loki retreated backward.
"Father… Yes! Father! He will surely see through your lies, your mask!" Loki backed away, desperately grasping at an escape.
Odin, Lord of the Nine Realms, God-King of Asgard, was his last hope.
Just wait, accursed Midgardian…
Just as Loki turned around, the person he most wanted to find had already arrived.
"Loki!"
"Father!"
At that moment, Loki felt as if he had seen the light. Hope returned.
"Father, listen to me, this Midgar—"
"Frigga?! What happened to you?!"
Odin suddenly saw Frigga lying on the ground. His face twisted, he rushed over and lifted her into his arms.
"Frigga! How can you leave before me!"
"How can you abandon me alone!"
"Have you forgotten the oath we made?!"
"Frigga!!"
Odin's cry shattered his majestic image as the God-King.
On the balcony, Odin suddenly looked at Frigga.
Frigga: ?
"Why aren't you crying?" Odin was bewildered.
The false Odin was just now crying so convincingly, so desperately and she was now standing calmly, without tears.
"It's kind of… fake. And crying isn't exactly pretty," Frigga sniffled and spoke quite naturally.
"…"
Odin felt pain in his chest.
Frigga, you have changed!
The Ancient One sighed, pursing her lips.
Shouldn't the focus be on Loki? If they continued like this, Loki would truly carry psychological scars for life.
"Who the hell did this?!" Odin roared.
"It was him! He's guilty!!" Loki pointed at Alaric and shouted loudly.
"Don't lie! Your dagger is still in them!" Alaric pointed at Frigga and Thor.
Odin lowered his gaze and indeed saw Loki's dagger.
"Loki! It was you! Why?! You killed your mother and brother with your own hands! Have I been too lenient with you?!"
The Eternal Spear struck the ground, lightning burst around Odin as rage flooded his body.
"I… I thought it was Alaric…" Loki was speechless, kneeling on the ground, broken and confused.
"Loki, you—"
Suddenly, an explosion!
A dagger pierced Odin's back.
Loki raised his head, his smile full of malice.
"I did it! Odin, farewell!"
"Loki! You dare—"
Boom.
Odin fell to the ground.
Loki froze, staring at the scene.
"Loki, now the throne of Asgard is ours. Are you happy?" Alaric, disguised as Loki, smiled proudly.
"Devil! Why are you doing this?! You'll kill me too!!" Loki looked lost, hopeless, as if all strength had drained away.
"How could I kill myself?" Alaric said seriously.
"If you don't kill me, I'll do it myself!!" Loki shouted, summoned a dagger, and plunged it into his own chest.
"Everything is false!! Let's go to hell together!!"
Loki had gone mad.
"Hey, wait!"
Alaric was stunned.
You're really going to commit suicide?!
Lightning suddenly flashed, striking the dagger from Loki's hand and stopping him.
"As prince of Asgard, will you really punish yourself like this? Have you forgotten how to rise and fight?!"
"Loki!"
Odin's voice echoed like thunder in Loki's head. Majestic, powerful, it pierced through his madness and restored fragments of reason.
"Father? Mother? You…" Loki raised his head and saw Odin and Frigga, alive again, standing before him. He was lost.
Was this truth? Or just another illusion?
"All of this is your games! Remove the magic!" The Ancient One quickly approached Alaric.
"Fine," Alaric calmly snapped his fingers.
In an instant, his appearance returned to normal, and Frigga and Thor who lay on the ground, together with the snowflakes, disappeared one by one.
"False… It was all false?" Loki looked at the empty ground and the clear sky, mumbling in disbelief.
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