Athena's General - Chapter 336

Nathan Evenhart:

War erupted all at once across the frames surrounding me. Siegfried and I stood there, watching it all unfold. Beings flew through the skies, locked in fierce combat. A serpent fought against a man who fired lightning from his hands. A wolf battled a one-eyed, eye-patch-wearing dragon. A giant bat tore through everything, spreading poisonous smoke as it went.

Siegfried placed a hand on my shoulder.

"The clash shook Yggdrasil so deeply that the Nine Realms were severely damaged—some even destroyed," Siegfried said. "Many fell during the war, but things only got worse when Loki arrived with his army of darkness. In the midst of the carnage, no one could tell friend from foe. Loki was on the verge of winning, but… as the realms began to fall, the gods finally realized what was happening. They united and faced the demons together. Many perished."

He turned and walked into another room. I ran to follow him.

Inside, I saw a statue depicting a massive three-headed black dragon clashing with an eye-patched dragon. Beside them stood a towering man wielding a colossal spear. Surrounding them were Jormungandr, Fenrir the wolf, and the giant bat known as Hel.

"In the end, they sacrificed themselves," Siegfried said. "They put their differences aside and killed Loki. Countless races died—spirits, gods, all of them. The Aesir lost Odin and his sons. The Vanir lost Frey, Freya's brother, who had sought revenge. The races of ice and fire were wiped out. The Vanir were nearly extinct. But the World Destroyers... when they realized the pain and destruction they'd caused, they remembered their mother. And they knew this wasn't what they wanted."

He paused for a moment before continuing.

"So they gave their lives. Using the primordial power within them, they detonated themselves, releasing divine energy across the battlefield. It healed the dying and empowered the survivors."

I thought back to the story Cylla had told me. It was similar—but not quite the same.

"Cylla said they inherited traits from all three Destroyers. That's how she's able to access her dragon form," I said.

Siegfried seemed to consider that.

"The story she told you—that’s about the phoenixes, right? She was speaking from her Vanir side. The Vanir who could become phoenixes were blessed with a fragment of the primordial power. It saved them from death and even helped some awaken a third form. That form carried traits from the World Destroyers. Those who inherited all three traits could transform into a wyvern—a lesser dragon. A hybrid of bat, wolf, and serpent."

I nodded, understanding now. It all made sense.

"And that’s how Ragnarok ended," he said.

I looked ahead, staring at the statue of the three-headed dragon.

"So Loki, the main enemy... he died?" I asked. "Who are the current Nidhogg, the red-eyed demons? Who leads them?"

He looked directly at me.

"The demons are the remnants of the true Nidhogg. Most of them died. Those who survived were badly wounded. But to avoid extinction, they repeated what the Primordial did. They managed to separate a part of themselves and ‘reincarnate,’ like Sisika did through Cylla. Their method was weaker, since they aren't beings of Order, but it worked. They were rebuilt—though weaker than before. All those who remain now are on the same level of power as I am," he explained. "The most uncertain one is Loki. He’s still a mystery."

"What do you mean? Didn’t he die?" I asked, confused.

Siegfried shook his head.

"Loki was destroyed. Killed… but only his body. His soul—he managed to preserve it. Something he learned from someone..."

"From who?" I asked.

He looked me in the eye, then reached out and touched my hair.

"Freya," he said. "That woman studied reincarnation in depth, and Loki learned from her. It was similar to the method Freya used with the elves, but he managed to reverse the process for himself. From the physical body he once had, he separated—becoming spirit. But as a spirit, he can't actually do anything."

"Wait! So that guy's still alive?" I asked, stunned.

Siegfried turned his gaze to the statue of the massive three-headed black dragon.

"He's alive, and he still interacts with certain beings in his world. He still ‘rules,’ even from afar. Loki still lives—and he will return."

He looked back at me.

"His soul is still wandering, destined to reincarnate again. But it won’t be a soul-based rebirth… it’s more like possession," he told me. "Loki is going to return in the time you live in. That’s what our seers have foreseen. He’ll use someone’s body as a vessel."

I processed what that meant. Something like Ragnarok might really happen again.

"No one knows where he’ll return, or whose body his soul will ‘reincarnate’ into. That part is still a mystery. His eyes cloud the visions of the seers, making it impossible for anyone to see his future. Just like that half-demon’s eyes made him immune to frozen time, Loki’s eyes make him invisible to any glimpse of what’s to come," he explained.

That was when I realized the threats I was dealing with were far bigger than I ever imagined.

"That’s why I say—your mother looking like Freya could just be coincidence. Or maybe the Great Mother of Alfheim really did do the same thing Loki did before she died. After all, it was by watching her that he learned the art of life and reincarnation."

I was shocked by what he said.

"My-my mother’s not actually my mother?" I asked. "Is she still… her?"

He let out a small laugh and gave me a light pat on the back.

"Don’t worry. The goddess died—a death that completely erased her. But when we saw your mother, we analyzed her right away. It’s likely just a coincidence—they look alike because Freya is one of her ancestors. Or… maybe she really is the goddess, reincarnated and born without her memories?" he said, chuckling to mess with me.

"Joking about that doesn’t sit well with me," I muttered.

He started walking back the way we came.

"I promise I won’t joke about it again."

I walked alongside him.

"So… somewhere out there, someone could become Loki?" I asked.

"Exactly. In my world, in Asgard, everyone’s immune to him. So he’ll return either in your world or in the Realm of Darkness. Someone, somewhere in one of those two places will be the vessel for him," he said. "Or..."

He stopped and stared at me. Siegfried pressed his finger hard into my chest, and I was shoved against the wall. With just a single finger, he unleashed a crushing force.

"Or it could be you," he said.

"What? Me? What are you talking about?" I said, stunned.

"You carry one of the eyes that contains a fragment of him, remember?" Siegfried said. "That eye was a treasure of the Odinson family. My Master entrusted it to someone worthy of holding its power. No Asgardian can become a vessel for Loki, but with that eye—it’s possible. The soldier chosen to bear it had sworn to kill himself the moment he suspected Loki might take hold of his body. But you? I don’t know if you’d make that choice—to end your life and leave your family behind."

He kept pushing, the pressure nearly crushing me. Then he suddenly stopped and smiled.

"Don’t worry. We’ve been watching you this whole time. We even ran tests. There’s no trace of your mind being taken over by the ‘God of Madness,’" he said.

"Wait… how would I even know if I was being possessed by this demon god?"

Siegfried stopped and looked at me.

"You'd start seeing visions or hallucinations. He would take the form of people you know—or used to know—and constantly try to influence your decisions, giving you advice or hints. He'd slowly start shaping your actions from the shadows until it was too late, and he could take full control of your body."

I swallowed hard. Only one person came to mind in that moment.

It’s just a coincidence, right? Athena is just… herself. Right?

"You made a weird face when I mentioned the signs of possession," he said, stepping closer, narrowing his eyes at me.

"I-I did? Of course! Who wouldn’t freak out after hearing they might be replaced by a lunatic trying to steal their body?" I said quickly.

He seemed to accept the explanation.

"Fair enough..." he said, turning to keep walking.

"Just… out of curiosity. When was the last time you guys ran that test on me? Not that I think something’s wrong—I just want to be prepared. You know… cut the problem off at the root," I said, clearly nervous.

"Relax. It’s been a year since we last ran the test. A professional examined you while you were buying a coat and getting your measurements taken," he said.

Part of me was surprised that I’d been scanned by a divine being while shopping for a coat. But another part was still panicking inside.

"A year!? A whole year? Can you run the test again—like, right now?" I asked.

He stopped.

"Don’t worry, kid. If something was wrong, we’d know. Let’s just say… we’ve got ways of detecting things just by watching. The detailed exam a year ago was just to be absolutely sure. We used it to take a deep imprint of your Mana Gem."

"But the detailed test—wouldn’t that give us even more certainty? Even if it’s not necessary?" I pressed.

"Like I said, I can tell just by looking at you now. That exam gave us a full understanding of your Mana Gem’s structure. A professional handled it so well, you didn’t even feel it happening. I’m not exactly skilled with the Soul Aspect. If I did it now, it would hurt."

"I don’t care. Please, just do it. I need to clear this from my mind," I said.

"You sure? It might hurt a little."

"I’m sure. I need peace of mind."

Right at that moment, he moved with insane speed—and punched me in the stomach. It was the hardest hit I had ever taken in my life. But instead of being sent flying, my body froze in place. Then I collapsed forward, hitting the ground, overwhelmed by pain and struggling to breathe. The shock from that punch—if he had wanted to, I was certain it could’ve split me in two.

"Shit!" I gasped. "What was that!?"

"That was the exam. Just finished it," he said calmly. "Told you—I’m not good with the Soul Aspect. I reached into your Mana Gem and analyzed it directly. That’s why it hurt. I hit the core of your soul."

I was lying on the ground, completely drained, unable to move. My mana was gone. My whole body screamed in pain, and I felt sleep creeping in—like I was about to fall into a coma.

"Here," he said, tossing me a small fruit. "You’ve got three seconds to eat that or you’re going to be out cold for a week."

Panicked, I shoved the fruit in my mouth and bit down. It tasted weird—bitter and sweet at the same time. But almost instantly, the sleepiness vanished.

"What was that?" I asked.

"That just gave you about five percent of your mana back. Enough to keep you awake and alert, but you’ll still be weaker than usual," he said.

Siegfried reached out his hand, and I grabbed it. He pulled me to my feet and gave me a few light pats on the back.

"Sorry about the pain, kid. But... I did warn you I’m not exactly a pro at this."

"I-it’s fine... what matters is the result. So? Is my soul free from the God of Madness's possession?"

He paused, staring at his hand. A soft white glow shimmered around it, with tiny rainbow-colored particles floating around the edges.

"Strange… I saw a shadow in your soul," Siegfried said.

My blood ran cold the moment I heard those words.

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