Mass release In honour to the support {12/10}
Axel's breath came in sharp, ragged bursts, his mind spinning wildly as the scene before him played out in agonizing slow motion. His mother's hands gripped the end of the blade, pushing it deeper into his side. The cold steel pierced through him, a wave of fiery pain following the metal's path.
"Mum? Wh—why?" Axel gasped, his voice faltering, his vision blurring. His knees buckled as the strength drained from his legs, his body collapsing in slow motion toward the ground.
The ground? No, the ground was nowhere near. Panic flared in his chest. His mind raced as realization dawned on him.
The plank—the plank was shrinking rapidly, fading into the distance as he plummeted downwards at an alarming speed. The harsh, red glow of the portal below grew brighter, more menacing, like the mouth of some monstrous abyss swallowing him whole.
This was it. He had fallen over the edge, hurtling into *the Plummet*—a portal so feared it was spoken of in whispers. But that wasn't what burned his thoughts. It was the image of his mother, the loving figure he had cherished, driving the blade into him with such cold resolve.
Why had she stabbed him? Why had she killed him? Discover more stories at mvl
Axel's thoughts shattered, unraveling in the chaos. The questions swirled in his mind, but the answers were buried beneath a rising tide of pain and confusion. He could no longer think. His body was shutting down, surrendering to the agonizing wound.
His eyes flickered, his system glitching before him.
**[Unable to reactivate system... Please dislodge blade from user's body]**
The message repeated, flashing in error as his life force seeped out of him.
**[HP 31/200]**
**[HP 25/200]**
The numbers dropped with horrifying speed. He was dying.
The pull of the portal grew stronger, its presence overwhelming. His body tumbled helplessly through the air, gravity pulling him faster toward the swirling vortex of red. This was the end.
But then—
**Thud!**
A bone-jarring impact slammed into Axel's back, knocking the wind from his lungs. His vision swam, the pain momentarily overshadowed by confusion. Had he fallen through the portal? Had he died?
No.
The portal was still there, mere feet away, swirling ominously. But he wasn't moving toward it anymore. He was... suspended. Hovering in the air, a few meters from the plank where he had fallen.
**"Get off me!"** Loki snarled, jerking forward, but Thor's grip only tightened.
**"Calm yourself, Loki,"** Thor said, his voice steady but stern. **"This isn't worth it."**
Loki turned, his eyes burning with fury. **"Not worth it? Not worth it?!"** He spat, his words sharp and venomous. **"He controlled Axel's mother! He made her kill her own son! They both fell into that fucking portal!
And you think it's not worth it?!"**
Thor remained silent, his expression unreadable, but Loki's words pierced through him like daggers. He didn't like feeling—especially guilt. But this time, he couldn't shake it.
**"You disgust me,"** Loki hissed, glaring up at Thor. **"You never cared about anyone but yourself."**
Thor's jaw tightened, the sting of Loki's words hitting deeper than he let on. But he didn't let go. **"I may not be the brother you wanted, Loki,"** Thor replied quietly, **"but killing him won't change anything."**
Loki growled, his body trembling with the urge to lash out again. **"If you have a problem with me killing him, then I'll kill you too,"** he spat, his voice dripping with malice.
But Thor didn't flinch. His grip remained firm. **"Listen to me, Loki,"** Thor said softly. **"I didn't sense any Mana from Hendricks when Axel's mother acted."**
Loki's rage faltered. His breath hitched, his mind struggling to process Thor's words. **"What are you saying?"**
Thor let out a slow breath. **"She wasn't controlled, Loki. She tried to kill Axel... of her own free will."**
The words hung in the air, heavy and suffocating. Loki stumbled back, his fury draining away, replaced by a hollow pit of disbelief.
**"No... that can't be..."** Loki whispered, his voice breaking. **"Why... why would she...?"**
Thor's eyes darkened, a distant memory flickering in his mind. **"I don't know, Loki. Some things... you just can't explain. That's how cruel this world is."**
The weight of Thor's words crashed down on Loki, his knees giving out as he collapsed to the ground. The grief, the pain, the betrayal—it all hit him at once, like a tidal wave that he couldn't fight.
Axel's mother hadn't been manipulated. She had tried to kill her own son, and now they were both gone.
And there was nothing Loki could do to change it.
Nothing at all.
***
Final Chapter of the volume Drops Now.