He doesn't know why, but when Thor heard Odin's voice, he couldn't help but feel a sting in his nose.
It was a sensation he hadn't felt in how many years.
Perhaps ever since he was a kid, he'd grown used to his father being this ultra-stern God-King, almost never cracking a smile.
Even when Thor fell for Jane Foster, the first one to try and tear them apart was none other than the Odin standing before him.
And there were plenty more examples—Thor didn't even want to list them all.
That's exactly why Odin's place in his heart had always been one of absolute authority, no questions asked.
But today, Odin took it upon himself to smash that fixed idea to bits.
"Father, why… why would you choose to do this here?"
"Asgard can't function without you holding the fort. The Immortal Palace needs you."
Thor took a deep breath, trying to shift Odin's mindset.
What he didn't know was that Odin's decision was already locked in Vibranium—nobody was changing it now.
"No, Thor, you've got one thing wrong."
"Asgard doesn't need any one person to still be Asgard."
"Even if the Immortal Palace gets trashed, as long as Asgardians are still kicking, Asgard lives forever."
Odin's words were a little clunky, but the meaning was crystal clear.
In simple terms, one word: Asgard didn't need him, Odin, to keep spinning.
"But…"
Thor wanted to say more, but Odin cut him off first.
"Truth is, the day your grandfather chose to pass the throne to me, I was freaking out inside, big time."
"And I thought the same as you."
"I figured if Asgard lost your grandfather, it'd be chaos in no time flat."
"And me? No way I could ever be a decent king."
"But even so, even with all that panic swirling in me, I still kept my face cool as ice and took your grandfather's scepter."
"Became the God-King of Asgard."
Odin's eyes drifted off into the distance, like he was reliving that day he took the throne.
Back then, he wasn't all that different from Thor.
The only difference? He might've done an even worse job than Thor would.
"From that day on, I started learning how to be a proper God-King."
"Even now, I can still remember how hilarious some of the screw-ups I made were."
A grin of pure satisfaction spread across Odin's face.
It was like he could see that moment from way back when all over again.
Thor, standing off to the side, stayed quiet.
Sure, he wasn't as sharp as his brother Loki, but his IQ was still in the green zone.
Odin's little speech might've sounded like a trip down memory lane, but really, it was all for Thor's ears.
Odin knew the fear rattling around in Thor's head, knew the resistance he was wrestling with.
But he went ahead and did it anyway.
Or rather, he had to do it this way.
"If Loki were here, maybe he'd make a better heir than me."
Thor lifted his head, glancing at Odin's profile.
It'd been a while since he last brought up his brother, Loki.
"No, whether a king's any good doesn't come down to how smart he is."
"It's about whether he's got a heart willing to give everything for his people."
"Once upon a time, I had a seriously top-tier heir—whether it was leading troops into battle or running the kingdom, she was the cream of the crop."
When he said this, the smile on Odin's face started to fade.
A flicker of loss darted through his eyes and vanished.
"She?"
Thor zeroed in on that word like Hawkeye on a target.
"That's right. You didn't know, but you've actually got an older sister—Hela."
Odin nodded, spilling a secret he'd kept under wraps forever.
Thor was legit shocked.
Because from the day he was born, he'd never once heard he had a sister!
"But where'd she go?"
"Why've I never heard of…"
Thor asked on instinct.
Odin pressed his lips together, like he was dredging up old memories.
His whole vibe turned gloomy in a snap.
"She's sealed away in Midgard. As long as I'm alive, she stays locked up forever."
"And there's only one reason for that."
"Her ideas were too extreme. After we pacified the Nine Realms, she still wanted to take the fight outside."
"But years of war had already worn Asgard's soldiers to the bone—losses were catastrophic, even."
"So, I said no."
"And she went full-on against me, so…"
Odin didn't finish the sentence.
But Thor, standing nearby, got the ending loud and clear.
For a moment, he didn't know what to say.
Because this bombshell? It hit him like a Hulk smash.
After about ten seconds of silence, Odin's left hand landed gently on Thor's shoulder.
"Thor, maybe you're not as clever as Loki, or as powerhouse as Hela."
"But I've seen that one-of-a-kind heart of yours."
"So, you're the one who's perfect to take the throne."
Odin's smile came back online.
But Thor wasn't buying it.
Maybe when he was younger, he'd looked up to Odin as the gold standard, dreaming of being Asgard's ultimate successor.
But after time ground him down, he slowly let go of that idea.
The throne felt more like a set of shackles than a dream.
If Loki were still around, Thor'd hand it over faster than Quicksilver running laps.
"Father."
Thor still wanted to say something.
But it was already too late.
Odin couldn't hold his godly power together anymore—little specks of light started drifting out of his body.
"Thor…"
"Stop your sister. Don't let her drag Asgard down the wrong path."
"Everything… it's up to you now."
Watching Odin turn into a sky full of starlight, about to vanish right in front of him.
Thor reached out to grab him, but found he couldn't hold onto a damn thing.
Right then, he looked up, eyes full of grief, watching the starlight shoot into the sky.
His father was gone.
Just like that!
Thor stood up, opened his mouth, still wanting to say something to Odin.
But not a single word came out.
And yet, just as Thor was drowning in that sadness, a massive surge of power suddenly gathered right above his head!
Dark clouds rolled in, blotting out the clear sky. What was a bright, sunny day was now brewing a storm.
Lightning flickered in and out of sight.
Thor snapped out of his grief, spinning around to face behind him.
A black portal popped up right there.
A woman stepped out—black battle gear, jet-black hair, even her eye circles were dark as night.
Thor had never laid eyes on her, but he knew for sure.
This woman was his never-before-met big sister.
Hela!
Thor's right hand shot up high, and with a bolt of lightning crashing into him, he went full battle mode.
Armor snapped onto his body, Mjolnir locked in his grip.
He decided to test just how strong this sister of his really was.
"Ah."
"So, he's already dead?"