Asgard, the Bifrost.

With a flash of dazzling light, Loki was guided back to Asgard by Heimdall using the Bifrost.

"You don't look very happy. Didn't get a good price for your loot?" Heimdall asked with a blank face, noticing Loki's gloomy expression.

He knew Loki had gone to see the Collector. So did Thor and the others, especially after a recent local conflict in Alfheim that Thor had just settled.

Loki had picked up some valuable things during that time and had gone to the Collector, hoping to trade for something nice. After all, the famous Taneleer Tivan, known as the Collector, didn't just have money—he also had all kinds of rare and strange items. Many of Loki's prank tools came from there.

That was also why it wasn't Loki's first time in Knowhere.

"I didn't sell them because some lowlife ruined my plan," Loki answered irritably.

Even though one was a prince and the other a guardian, they dealt with each other often. But for some reason, they didn't get along well, so Loki didn't bother being polite.

"You killed someone?" Heimdall asked, sniffing out the scent of blood on Loki. That was unusual—Loki had a bit of a cleanliness habit. Even after battle, he would usually make sure not to get blood on himself.

This time was clearly different, showing how bad his mood really was.

Heimdall was curious—what could possibly make someone like Loki, who usually upset others, end up so upset himself? It must have been quite the scene.

Heimdall might seem quiet and serious, but he had a dark sense of humor. He often used his special sight to find and watch interesting events.

Watching Loki embarrass himself was something he found rather amusing—as long as it didn't put Loki in danger.

Too bad Loki had gone to Knowhere, which Heimdall couldn't see.

"Just a few mortals who offended me. Nothing to worry about," Loki said casually, then walked away without even looking back, heading toward the palace.

Heimdall watched him go, shook his head, and returned to the controls of the Bifrost to continue his duties.

But unlike usual, Loki didn't run off to brag to Thor or pull a prank on him. Instead, he avoided Odin, Frigga, and everyone else. Using his magic, he slipped past all the guards and entered Odin's treasure vault.

He didn't trigger any alarms or alerts.

He wasn't like those Frost Giants in the movie who caused a mess and woke the Destroyer. He was the second prince of Asgard, and he had the authority to go into the vault.

However, Odin had placed powerful magical protections on the vault. So the moment Loki stepped inside, Odin—who was having tea in the garden with Frigga—immediately sensed it and frowned.

"What's wrong?" Frigga asked when she saw him frown.

"Loki went into the vault," Odin said without hiding it.

"What's so strange about that? He's always been fond of admiring your great achievements," Frigga replied with a smile, not taking it seriously.

"…That may be true, but for some reason, I feel like something is different this time," Odin said, suddenly thinking of the Casket of Ancient Winters hidden deep in the vault, which made him feel uneasy.

"Relax. He's just a child. What could he possibly do?" Frigga gently patted Odin's shoulder to comfort him.

"No, I have to check," Odin insisted, ignoring Frigga's advice and heading straight to the vault.

When he arrived and asked the guards at the entrance, they said they didn't even know Loki had gone inside. This made Odin feel even more uneasy.

Why would Loki sneak in secretly when he already had permission? The vault was open to him—there was no need to act like this.

"Loki, what are you doing?" Odin asked as soon as he walked into the vault and saw Loki holding a giant golden glove, trying to leave.

"Uh… Father, I was just…" Loki looked embarrassed and didn't know what to say. He stood there awkwardly with the massive golden glove in his arms.

"Just what?" Odin asked, clearly annoyed.

"I'm sorry, Father. I saw a great magic item at the Collector's place. But as you know, the Collector doesn't care about money, and I didn't have anything valuable enough to trade…" Loki lowered his head as he spoke.

"…So you thought of taking one of the treasures from my vault as a trade?" Odin said in a deep voice. "Loki, do you even realize what you're doing? This is stealing! When did a prince of Asgard fall so low to do such a thing?"

"I'm sorry… Father. I know I was wrong," Loki answered softly, his voice even starting to shake a little.

"I don't want to see this happen again. And also, your taste is terrible. Out of all the treasures here, you picked a fake!" Odin snorted and stared at the glove in Loki's arms.

What Loki had picked up wasn't just any glove—it was the fake Infinity Gauntlet.

If it had been the real one, it would've been priceless, something that could hold the power of the Infinity Stones. But the fake one… was worth nothing.

Of course, Loki already knew it was a fake. Though arrogant at times, he wasn't stupid. He could clearly tell the difference between real and fake.

The reason he chose this glove was because it was the most useless thing in the entire vault.

After all, he didn't really want a powerful item to trade. He just needed a reason to enter the vault.

Odin didn't continue to scold him after that.

Because deep down, he knew he had always given Loki less when it came to powerful weapons or treasures. But he also couldn't just hand over anything too strong—otherwise, it might threaten Thor's place.

Letting Loki take the throne… Odin had never considered that.

He could give Loki the best life, but not the throne. That was tied to the future of all Asgard.

The truth was, Loki wasn't even his real son. He was the son of Laufey, the leader of the Frost Giants—Asgard's greatest enemy.

If this secret stayed hidden, maybe it wouldn't matter.

But if Loki ever became king of Asgard, he'd eventually find out the truth.

And when that day comes… what would Loki do?

So Odin couldn't take the risk—and didn't dare to.

"Put it back," he said with a deep sigh, giving Loki a firm order.

Loki didn't argue. He quietly returned the fake Infinity Gauntlet to its original place.

As Loki did that, Odin glanced around at the treasures in the vault. His eyes stopped on a dark green tablet.

It was called the Lifeline Tablet.

A relic from Earth's ancient Atlantis civilization, it could help its owner evolve their life form, giving them longer life and greater strength.

But that only mattered to short-lived, weak mortal races.

To Asgardians—who already lived for about five thousand years and were incredibly strong—it was almost useless.

Still, it was a rare and interesting item, which was why Odin kept it in the vault.

"Take this instead. I don't know what magic item you want to trade for, but I think the Collector might like this," Odin said, handing the Lifeline Tablet to Loki.

Loki stayed silent for a while, then took the tablet without saying a word and left without looking back.

Odin didn't notice the tears Loki was holding back—or the pain on his face.

Watching Loki walk away, Odin frowned slightly, then turned and walked deeper into the vault.

Soon he reached the spot where the Casket of Ancient Winters was stored.

When he saw it was still there, untouched, he finally felt relieved.

…

Meanwhile, Loki returned to his palace. He casually tossed the Lifeline Tablet aside and walked up to the large mirror in the room, staring at his reflection in silence.

His mind was filled with thoughts of how his body had reacted when he touched the Casket in the vault.

What kind of monster was he, really?

He stood there for a long time before finally taking out the crystal Josh had given him.

The answer—whatever it was—was with Josh, that strange and annoying human Loki couldn't stop thinking about.

But soon, Loki put the crystal away again.

Asgard had protective barriers. If he tried to contact Josh with an outside magic item, it would be noticed immediately.

Not that it mattered. Loki, who had mastered magic over a thousand years, already knew about many secret passageways that led to other realms.

These hidden paths weren't just unknown to most—they could even avoid Heimdall's watchful eyes.

In Thor: The Dark World, Thor had used one of these secret paths, with Loki's help, to reach the Dark Elves' world, Svartalfheim.

Just as Loki was about to sneak out, a loud voice came from outside his palace.

"Loki! I heard you ran into trouble with the Collector. Want me to help?" Thor shouted, barging into Loki's room before he could react.

"It was just a small matter. I've already taken care of it. No need to trouble yourself, dear brother," Loki said with a forced smile, turning to face Thor.

"Is that so? Good. But if you ever run into trouble, don't be shy about it. We're brothers. Trouble is something we face together," Thor said cheerfully, slapping Loki hard on the shoulder.

"Thor's right. If you're in trouble, you must tell us. We're comrades," Sif added as she followed Thor into the palace, and the Warriors Three all nodded in agreement.

Though Sif and the Warriors Three didn't really like Loki—and Sif had even beaten him up once—they still considered him an ally when it came to outsiders.

They had their differences, sure, but if someone else tried to bully Loki, that was a different matter entirely.

Yeah, well, if you'd just hit me a little softer, I'd be thankful, Loki grumbled inwardly, trying not to flinch under Thor's heavy hand. Outwardly, he smiled, pretending to be touched.

"Yes, we're brothers, so we should face everything together… But what if we're not really brothers?" Loki asked with a forced chuckle, as if joking.

"Haha! Loki, what nonsense are you talking about? How could we not be real brothers?" Thor paused for a second, then burst into laughter.

"If you two weren't brothers, with everything Loki's done over the years, Thor probably would've smashed him straight into Helheim by now," Sif rolled her eyes.

She was clearly joking—but her words made Loki feel a cold chill run through him.

He suddenly imagined the scene of Thor really smashing him into Helheim.

"Hey, what are you thinking about? You've been acting strange ever since you got back," Thor said, frowning as he shook Loki's shoulder again.

"Oh… nothing. I just remembered something," Loki replied stiffly, forcing another smile.

"I bet he's thinking about the time Sif beat him up—man, just remembering it makes me hurt," Volstagg, one of the Warriors Three, joked, making exaggerated faces.

"...Oh? You want to try it yourself?" Sif snapped, already raising her fist.

Volstagg quickly went quiet and looked down. He wasn't about to test Sif's temper.

"Hey, isn't that the Lifeline Tablet?" Fandral suddenly asked, noticing the green item tossed aside in the room. "Wasn't that in Odin's vault?"

"Oh, that?" Loki replied casually. "Father just gave it to me as a gift. Thor, how do you think it compares to your Mjolnir?"

Thor laughed loudly. "Loki, come on! You must be joking. That thing can't compare to Mjolnir!"

The others laughed too.

Loki also laughed—but it was a bitter laugh, his eyes growing colder.

Yeah… how could I ever compare to you?

This place—Asgard—was never really mine.

After forcing himself to laugh and chat a while longer to send everyone away, Loki quietly picked up the Lifeline Tablet, left his palace, and slipped away from Asgard unnoticed.

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