Strax slowly moved away from the circle that was beginning to disperse, carrying the dark elf in his arms as if her weight were irrelevant—not only because of his strength, but also because of his determination. People silently made way for him. No one dared to speak. The sound of the city, once lively, now seemed restrained, respectful, as if all of Asgard were watching that specific moment to learn something.
He walked with firm but deliberately calm steps.
The elf stirred slightly in his arms.
An almost imperceptible shudder ran through her body, followed by a short, irregular sigh. Her eyes, previously closed, began to move beneath her swollen eyelids. Consciousness was slowly returning—and with it, fear.
Strax felt it.
He looked down.
She opened one eye first, then the other, blinking with difficulty. Her vision seemed blurry. The world was spinning. The blue sky of Asgard was not something she expected to see.
Her first impulse was to try to break free.
