Jotunheim, a planet of cold wastelands.
This was where the Frost Giants lived, and today, several uninvited guests had arrived.
"You've come all this way to die, Asgardians."
"Foolish Thor, you're nothing but a brat desperate to prove himself."
"Go home, little princess."
The mockery of Laufey, king of the Frost Giants, struck Thor where it hurt. His pride as Asgard's crown prince would not stand for such humiliation.
"Damn!"
The moment Laufey uttered those derisive words, Loki knew they were done for.
Sure enough, Thor's hammer had already slammed into a Frost Giant's icy face.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Thor swung his heavy hammer without mercy, smashing the Frost Giants around him to pieces.
They hadn't come here to start a war, but Loki had no choice. The fighting had begun, and there was no peaceful way out.
Loki drew his dagger, his eyes filled with resignation. There were only five of them. Where had they found the nerve to storm the enemy's lair?
"Asgardians, you truly are the epitome of stupidity."
Here in Laufey's territory, in this barren, frozen wasteland, the Frost Giants held every advantage.
With a casual sweep of their hands, sharp ice spikes burst out of the ground, hurtling toward Loki and the others.
Hogun, one of the Asgardian Warriors who had come with them, couldn't dodge in time. An ice spike pierced straight through his body.
"Thor, we need to leave!"
Sif pulled Hogun off the spike, filled with regret.
She should never have impulsively agreed to Thor's plan. It had been a mistake.
"We have to go!"
Loki shouted at his brother, who was still fighting fiercely. One of them was already wounded. If they stayed any longer, they would all be wiped out.
Thor roared, lost in bloodlust. He hurled his hammer into his enemies with all his strength, determined to erase these damned Frost Giants from the world.
Loki ran toward Thor, heedless of the danger.
"Thor, stop fighting!"
With a mighty roar, Thor summoned lightning and slammed it into the ground.
The ice beneath their feet collapsed, sending countless Frost Giants plummeting down.
"Let's go!"
He grabbed Loki and ran toward the others.
They were in a terrible position now, being chased and battered by their enemies.
They had to escape!
Loki tried to wrench his hand free of Thor's grip, but waves of cold coursed through the arm a Frost Giant had touched earlier.
"Run!"
Loki shouted anxiously.
They sprinted forward, racing toward their companions.
"Heimdall! Open the Bifrost!"
The burly Volstagg ran ahead with the wounded Hogun over his shoulder, Sif close behind. The ground kept collapsing at their backs, while a bottomless abyss lay before them.
Amid dazzling lightning and deafening thunder, Thor descended from the sky, one arm around Loki's waist as he swung his hammer, finally catching up with the others.
"Heimdall!!!"
Heimdall should have opened the Bifrost to take them back to Asgard, but there was no response at all.
What was going on?
Loki's heart lurched, and panic rose from deep within him.
Where was the Bifrost?
Countless Frost Giants already stood behind them, brandishing their arms and fists as they lunged at the group. Endless ice arrows whistled through the air.
This is bad!
Everyone's heart sank.
Suddenly!
A blinding light burst forth.
A violet glow descended from the dark sky.
Rumble.
With a tremendous roar, countless bolts of violet lightning tore through space before their eyes.
A magnificent, fantastical castle slowly emerged in the lightning's glow.
It radiated an ancient, imposing splendor. Towering stone pillars supported its gates, while exquisitely carved walls and the gems atop them gleamed with dazzling light.
Beneath the bloodthirsty gazes of countless Frost Giants and the astonished eyes of Thor's group, the castle slowly unfolded before them.
It was a breathtaking sight.
Weathered blue-green stone steps abruptly appeared in midair, stretching from the cliff's edge to the entrance of the majestic castle.
"This..."
Loki stared at the castle in disbelief.
What was that magnificent castle?
Was it... floating in midair?
Their situation left no room for hesitation. Be torn to pieces by the countless Frost Giants behind them, or seek a chance of survival in this mysterious castle? The answer was obvious.
"Let's go!"
"Go! Go! Go!"
Thor shouted excitedly, taking Loki's hand and stepping onto the stone stairs.
The other three exchanged glances and hurried after them.
They had no way back!
Loki gasped for breath, Thor's grip painfully tight around his hand.
As he ran, he glanced back.
"This..."
To his astonishment, the floating steps were disappearing as they moved!
The steps vanished so quickly that many of the Frost Giants pursuing them had no time to react before their footing disappeared.
The Frost Giants howled, roared, and wailed, tumbling into the abyss one after another like dumplings dropped into a pot.
"Run faster!!!"
Loki shouted, his eyes wide.
Before long,
They reached the castle entrance. Standing on the final step, they turned to look back. Only a quarter of the long stairway remained.
They had to get inside the castle, or they would all fall just like the Frost Giants.
"Push the doors, quick!"
All five pressed their hands against the doors and pushed with every ounce of strength they had.
But despite their efforts, the ancient, heavy doors didn't budge.
Loki's pupils contracted sharply. He felt as though he couldn't breathe.
"Thor!"
Sif's panicked cry made Thor stop trying to push the doors. He realized that the step beneath their feet had already turned translucent.
"Hit them with your hammer!"
Loki's words snapped Thor into action. He pulled out his hammer and pounded on the castle doors.
He struck them again and again, but worryingly, his efforts still had no effect.
Just as despair overcame them, they heard the beating of wings that should not have belonged to this world.
A pitch-black Night Raven swooped down from the heavens, trailing violet lightning.
Lightning swirled around him, clusters of violet thunderbolts seeming to cheer his arrival.
"What is that thing?"
The Night Raven was enormous. Beating his wings, he came to a steady hover before Thor and the others.
"Oh, what a crude approach, my friends."
"Please do not damage the gates of the Immernachtreich."
A deep, pleasant male voice flowed from the Night Raven's beak as he offered them a friendly warning:
"Otherwise, my mistress, the sovereign of salvation-the Prinzessin der Verurteilung, Her Highness Fischl..."
The Night Raven paused.
"She will be displeased."
Loki and the others exchanged bewildered looks. None of them had heard the name the Night Raven spoke.
Yet they all felt that Fischl, who bore the title Prinzessin der Verurteilung, sounded impressive, even if they had no idea what it meant.
"Her Highness has already learned of your arrival. Please allow me, Oz, to guide you into our resplendent realm, our narrow, forbidden paradise-"
"-the Immernachtreich."
With that, the Night Raven beat his great wings and flew before them.
Solemnly, he faced the towering, heavy castle doors,
And uttered four words of mysterious, awe-inspiring power:
"O~~pen~~se~~same~~"
Creak.
Well.
The doors opened.