Chapter 17: Chapter 15: The Banished Son
The weight of Odin's words hung heavily in the air, suffocating Kai with the gravity of his newfound identity. He was the son of Odin—the heir to the throne of Asgard, a being destined to wield immense power, perhaps even the fate of the Nine Realms in his hands. But as he stood there in the magnificent hall of Asgard, something changed. It wasn't Odin's gaze that had shifted, nor Thor's concerned eyes. It was something far more profound, something older and more powerful than any god could comprehend.
A presence. A ripple in the very fabric of reality. The air itself grew dense and heavy, and the ground seemed to tremble beneath their feet. Odin's eyes widened in recognition as the tremor reverberated throughout Asgard's golden halls. This was no ordinary disturbance. This was something far beyond even his knowledge—something that even he could not control.
Then it happened.
The One Above All.
The Allfather's expression darkened, and he muttered a single word under his breath: "No."
In that instant, the heavens themselves seemed to shift, warping the fabric of space and time. A voice echoed from the very edges of the universe, a voice that resonated through Kai's soul, a sound that shook him to his core.
"Odin, Allfather. Your son is a threat to the balance of the Multiverse."
Kai's heart raced. The voice—its power, its presence—was unlike anything he had ever felt. It was as if the universe itself was speaking to him, addressing him in a way that felt both alien and intimate at the same time.
Odin's face tightened, and for the first time, Kai saw fear in the Allfather's eyes. It was not the fear of a god who had fought countless battles. No, this was the fear of a being who knew that even he was powerless in the face of what was to come.
"What are you doing?!" Odin cried, his voice full of desperation. "He is my son. He has done no wrong!"
But the voice was unyielding, and its tone was filled with authority, shaking the very foundations of reality itself.
"The balance of the Multiverse cannot be allowed to tip. Kai's power is too great for any single reality. The forces he now wields could shatter the boundaries between worlds."
Odin's jaw clenched as he stared down at his son, his pride and love for Kai battling against the incomprehensible force that spoke from beyond. Kai stood there, frozen, trying to process what was happening, what this being was saying about him and his powers.
Without warning, the air itself distorted. Time seemed to stretch, warp, and then snap. The ground beneath Kai's feet cracked open, and a blinding light enveloped him entirely. He could feel his very existence being pulled apart—his body, his soul, being torn from the reality he had come to know.
"Odin, no!" Thor shouted, his voice desperate. "Do not do this!"
But it was too late. With a thunderous roar, the very fabric of space shattered, and Kai was thrown across dimensions.