The last traces of the figure's presence dissolved into the cold air. Erik and Liam stood in the silent corridor with their breaths ragged their and hearts pounding wildly. They'r alive. The tension that had gripped them finally began to loosen and the reality of what had just happened settled over them.
"Damn. We… We did it," Erik muttered with disbelief in his voice.
Liam nodded, smiling. "Yeah…"
They both knew that the figure wasn't gone for good. But for now at least they had survived. With that thought they turned and began to make their way back to the chamber.
As they entered the room they found Mia waiting for them. Her face was pale and her body trembling slightly. But when she saw them a relieved smile broke through her exhausted face.
"You're both alive," she said with a weak smile. "I thought…"
"We're fine," Erik reassured her as he slumped against the wall, his body finally giving in to the fatigue that had been building during the battle.
Liam followed suit, his legs giving out as he sat down heavily beside Erik. "Barely," he added with a wry grin.
Mia joined them, her knees buckling as she collapsed onto the cold stone floor next to them. The three of them sat there in silence, the adrenaline that had carried them through the fight now leaving them drained and exhausted.
Erik's vision began to blur as a wave of fatigue washed over him. Suddenly something caught his eye. Glowing symbols appeared in the air before him.
Liam and Mia saw the same thing, their eyes widening as the Runes materialized in their vision. The Runes start to forming words.
[You have defeated a powerful foe: Zareth, Warden of the Frostbound Realm.]
[Reward: 500 EXP]
[Level Up!]
The words floated before them for a moment longer, then slowly faded away. Then their bodies were too weak to revel in their victory.
As the last of the glowing Runes disappeared their eyes fluttered shut and they slipped into unconsciousness. Their bodies finally succumbing to the overwhelming fatigue.
---
Thor surveyed the battlefield with a stern gaze, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the area. The Fenrir Wolves now lay scattered across the ground with their bodies twisted and broken grotesquely.
Thor's lips curled into a disdainful snarl as he took in the carnage. "Pathetic," he muttered under his breath. These beasts had fallen so easily. It was almost insulting.
He stepped over the mangled remains of a particularly large wolf, its jaws still frozen in a death snarl, and snorted.
"Whoever sent these creatures must be a fool," he thought aloud. The idea that someone would believe this paltry assault could threaten the might of Asgard was laughable.
A pack of Fenrir Wolves, even in such numbers, was hardly a challenge for the gods of Asgard even if he was facing them alone. Whoever had orchestrated this attack was either gravely underestimating Asgard's strength or…
Thor paused, a furrow forming on his brow. Or they had another purpose entirely.
His mind raced as he considered the possibilities. Whoever was behind this attack wouldn't be stupid enough to think that a mere pack of wolves could bring Asgard to its knees. There had to be something more to it. Was this just a distraction?
The thought made Thor's blood run cold. The real threat could be lurking elsewhere, waiting for the right moment to strike while they were occupied with these decoys.
"Why didn't I realize it sooner?"
As he pondered this a warrior approached hastily, his expression tense. "Lord Thor!" the warrior called out.
Thor turned, his sharp gaze fixing on the man. "What is it?"
"There's been an attack in the infirmary chamber," the warrior reported, his tone grave. "The human children were targeted."
Thor's eyes flashed with sudden fury and concer. "The children?!" His voice rumbled like distant thunder, the very air seeming to tremble at his anger. "Who dares…?"
But even as the question left his lips, Thor felt a knot tighten in his gut. This attack on the infirmary, on the children, was not a random act. It was deliberate, calculated. The wolves were really just a distraction.
Thor dashed through the grand halls of Asgard toward the infirmary chamber. The air around him crackled with his barely restrained energy that mirroring the fury seethed within him.
He burst into the infirmary chamber, the heavy doors swinging open with a force that rattled the walls. His eyes quickly scanned the room, searching for the children. They were lying on ornate Asgardian beds, their small forms still and pale, surrounded by the soft glow of healing runes that hovered above them, pulsating with faint light.
Thor's breath caught in his throat. The sight of the children, so vulnerable and fragile, filled him with a mix of dread and fury. These children, who had done nothing to deserve this, had been targeted in an insidious attack. The thought made his blood boil.
But even as his anger surged he felt a sense of relief when he saw that the children were alive, their chests rising and falling with shallow breaths.
---
Erik's eyes fluttered open first, the world coming into focus as a soft golden light bathed the room. His body felt heavy and as he tried to move he realized something cool and soothing was flowing through his veins. He glanced down to see thin tubes connected to his arm, glowing faintly with a warm healing energy. Asgardian elixirs, delivered directly into his system.
As his vision cleared he saw his mother standing above him. Tears streamed down her cheeks. When she saw Erik's eyes open her breath hitched. She reached out to gently stroke his hair, her tears falling freely now.
"Erik… my boy…" she whispered.
Next to him, Mia stirred, her father's stern face coming into view as she slowly opened her eyes. He was a man of few words, his expression always stoic, but now… now there were tears glistening in his eyes.
When he saw her gaze upon him he quickly wiped his face with the back of his hand, trying to maintain his composure. But the relief in his eyes was undeniable. He knelt beside her and gripping her hands.
They both don't know what to say to each other.
Liam was the last to awaken, his senses returning in a hazy wave. The first thing he saw was his grandpa's kind and weathered face smiling down at him. His grandpa didn't say anything and just gave him a small smile as he patted Liam's shoulder gently.
"You're a tough one, kid," his grandpa finally said, his voice filled with quiet pride.
For a moment, the room was filled with nothing but the quiet sound of their breathing, the children still too weak to speak, their parents and grandpa overwhelmed with relief and emotion.
---