About half an hour later, Hela and Deathstroke stood together at a harbor of the Golden Palace, watching the calm, mirror-like sea suddenly break off halfway across their view and plunge into the void as a waterfall.
The stars in the distant night sky had already lost their glow. At this hour, a greater source of light would soon rise above the sea.
Sunrise and moonset formed a cycle, and these waters would eventually flow to the roots of Yggdrasil, only to be sent back into Asgard through its trunk. That, too, was a cycle.
Neither of them spoke. Only a few seabirds swept through the faint morning light overhead, lowering their heads to look at them as if wondering when two more pillars had appeared here.
But they still had to hustle for a living. Catching little fish early was what mattered most, so none of those curious creatures actually landed beside Hela, whose entire body radiated the aura of death.
Not far away, Jean and Daisy were playing with Cosmo. They had found a ball from somewhere and were tossing it back and forth, while the silly dog ran constantly between them with his tongue hanging out, barking away.
Jean seemed to have forgotten about being controlled by the Phoenix before. Or perhaps she had truly come to terms with it and decided to coexist peacefully with it. At this moment, her face bore a relaxed smile as well.
She caught the ball Daisy had thrown, held it high where the silly dog could not reach it, then laughed and threw it back to Daisy, watching Cosmo chase after it with his tail wagging.
Tyr, standing guard farther away, rather spoiled the mood. He still wore that expressionless look as he rubbed his iron hand against a set