Asgard stood atop the sea of stars, its pure-gold spires and arched bridges flowing with runic radiance like molten starlight.
The Rainbow Bridge pierced the void, with the Heimdall Observatory at its end watching over the Nine Realms.
The dome of the Valhalla Temple reflected the galaxy. Beneath it, rivers of stars flowed, while distant mountains lay shrouded beneath Odin's aurora barrier.
A cold, solitary majesty seeped through the air; every inch of splendor in the divine realm was frozen with immortal loneliness.
The old man on the throne panted in rage, unable to calm down for a long while...
The Allfather—Odin—had flown into such a fury because of events that had begun several days earlier.
Just as Thor, prince of Asgard, was about to be crowned king, the kingdom's longtime enemy, the Frost Giants, came to cause trouble.
By the time the armory guards noticed, it was already too late. The enemy's target was the divine relic—the Casket of Ancient Winters.
It had originally been a treasure of the Frost Giants, but their king, Laufey, had used it to wreak havoc and wage war everywhere, even vowing to plunge the world into an ice age.
To preserve peace across the Nine Realms, the Allfather—Odin—acted decisively, and both sides assembled armies for war.
The Casket's power was too troublesome. Even Odin at the peak of his strength had paid the price of one eye to claim victory.
After the army returned in triumph, they brought the Casket back to Asgard for safekeeping.
Unwilling to give up, Laufey sent his men to steal it again on the day of the new king's coronation.
Sensing outsiders infiltrating the treasury, Odin summoned the Destroyer and easily reduced the enemies to ashes.
Young and hot-blooded, Thor believed that trouble breaking out on the