"Knock, knock, knock..."
Thor stood on the top floor of the Wizard Tower, which stood alone above the Storm Sea, and gently knocked on the door.
Before he could knock a second time, the door opened silently. The hinges had been well maintained and hadn't rusted in the damp environment.
A black silhouette stood behind the door. Her curvaceous figure made it clear that she was a woman.
Thor froze for a moment, as if he had returned to the same lightless Wizard Tower from years ago and found Lady Ula standing before him.
But he soon laughed at himself.
"Lady Ula never opened the door herself."
"You're right. That's why I'm Heidi. I wonder if you still remember me." The black Shadow Monster spoke in a somewhat shrill female voice, much like the voice of an Old Witch in a story.
Thor recognized the voice almost at once.
"Heidi? Haywood's sister? You've really been transformed into this?"
Thor remembered now. Heidi was the ugly face that had once been parasitizing the back of Haywood's head.
He hadn't expected her to be transformed into the same shadow form Lady Ula had once possessed.
"I'm honored that you still remember me." Heidi bowed. She was no longer as mad as she had been back then, and seemed much more polite and rational. "But I shouldn't keep you from seeing Lord Gorsa. Please, follow me."
Heidi didn't dare say much to Thor, because Gorsa was already waiting for him in a room on the lowest floor.
As he followed Heidi down the stairs, he saw Haywood waiting on the middle floor.
Haywood seemed embarrassed to speak to Thor. He simply stood guard at the entrance to the corridor and bowed respectfully to him.
Thor returned the bow with a nod, then watched