Chapter 145: Weight
"Once you can read the stars, there's not much you cannot become."
"Really, Mum?" Thor exclaimed, clutching his mother's lap even tighter, his wide eyes filled with hope and innocent wonder.
His mother smiled softly, patting his head with the warmth only a mother could give. She turned to Loki, who wore the same eager expression as his brother. "Yes, my boys. And as long as you remember, I'll always be there to help you climb those stars. You won't do it alone."
***
Thor's eyes shot open, his chest rising and falling heavily. The memory—no, the dream—lingered in his mind like a fleeting ghost. For a moment, he lay still, staring at the dark ceiling, piecing together the fragments of a simpler time, a time when he believed in those sweet promises. But reality crashed down like a weight. 'A mother's wish is to see her children reach the stars, isn't it?' he thought bitterly as he sat up. 'But not my mother... she's not like that. She's a monster.'
