# 1286
Chapter 1287: "Letter"
Lead-gray clouds obscured the sunlight, rolling slowly from the north, gradually shrouding Asgard in a dim gloom. Distant thunder rumbled like the low growls of a giant beast, echoing faintly.
On the empty street, two maidservants clutched baskets of flowers, raising their heads to glance at the oppressive clouds overhead, their expressions somewhat grave.
"The thunderclouds come from the north... It seems Lord Thor will be returning soon." One of the maidservants murmured to herself.
"Lord Thor's mood seems quite poor. Could it be that he failed to catch the assassin?"
"It would appear so. He spent two days making the trip. If he hadn't caught the assassin, Lord Thor's mood would certainly be ruined. This kind of scene is quite rare..."
The other maidservant sighed heavily.
"Let's hurry back. Lady Sif asked us to pick these flowers, surely she wanted to give Lord Thor a surprise. If he returns to find Lady Sif standing among all these blooming southern stars, perhaps his mood would improve." One maidservant sniffed the rich fragrance in her arms, her eyes filled with longing.
"The flower language of southern star... isn't it eternal love? I wonder if Lord Thor will understand Lady Sif's painstaking effort."
"Let's not worry about the affairs of the gods. If we're any slower, we'll really miss the deadline!"
The two maidservants hurried along the cloud-shrouded street.
Just then, a golden rainbow light swept across the sky, as if having noticed something,盘旋半圈 in the air before flying directly toward them.
Bragi, dressed in an elegant dark-gold suit, stepped out from the light. His gaze fixed on the pale yellow flowers in the maidservants' hands, and a joyful expression appeared on his face:
"Southern star? The symbolism is quite fitting... Apologies, but I'll be borrowing these for a moment!"
Without another word, Bragi flipped his palm, and the southern stars in the maidservants' hands flew directly into his grasp. Then his form transformed into a stream of light, flying once more toward the distance.
"These flowers count as a debt. Come to the Eternal Garden later, and you can pick whichever flowers you like there!"
As Bragi's voice faded into the distance, the two maidservants stood blankly in place, their baskets now empty.
"Sis... Sister, someone snatched our flowers!" One maidservant finally snapped back to reality, nearly on the verge of tears.
The other maidservant hadn't reacted at all. She stood frozen, staring in the direction Bragi had departed, as if carved from stone.
"He's... No, that can't be? Didn't that lord go missing long ago? And the Eternal Garden..." Her brow furrowed tightly, her face full of confusion.
"Sister, what are you talking about?"
"...Quick, quick, go back! Go find Lady Sif and Lord Thor!" The maidservant's expression turned anxious. She lifted her skirts and sprinted toward the end of the road.
"Bragi has returned!!"
...
【Dearest Bragi】
【Do you still remember the winding stone path at the garden entrance? The one we built together, laying the stones we fished from the Sacred River?】
【The stones in the Sacred River truly are the hardest things in this world, closest to eternity. In the hundred years you've been away, it hasn't changed at all. Every time Vedrfolnir comes to borrow flower seeds from me, she tries to step on it with all her might. But no matter how hard she tries, she can't even make a single crack.】
【Every time I see that stubborn, frustrated expression of hers, I find her so adorable...】
【I believe that our love will be closer to eternity than even that stone path. Even if the Grim Reaper himself came to dance upon it with his scythe, nothing could tear us apart...】
...
Under the gloomy thunderclouds,
Bragi gazed at that familiar stone path from his memories and thought of the letter Idun had written to him not long ago.
Pale yellow southern stars swayed in the wind, several petals drifting down, lightly spinning across the stone path before floating toward the end of the trail... His lips curved slightly upward.
He held the bouquet in his left hand and adjusted his crisp collar with his right, looking like a spirited young general returning from battle, smiling as he prepared to greet his bride who had waited a hundred years for him.
Bragi took a step forward, following the stone path, walking slowly toward the depths...
...
【Springtime in Asgard is always so enchanting.】
【I sit on the swing at the garden entrance, surrounded by blooming goldenbud flowers on all sides. When the warm spring breeze blows, the fragrance nearly overwhelms me... Do you remember the Sea of Gold we saw atop the Giant's Kingdom peak? The way the goldenbud petals fill the garden carried by the spring wind is almost exactly like the waves of that sea.】
【Thanks to your reminder, I got Sif to help solve the wildfruit overgrowth problem. Now the garden is clean and tidy, just as beautiful as when we first married.】
【If you were to return, you would definitely love it...】
...
On the dim stone path, a wind from nowhere brought with it a hint of chill.
Bragi climbed the steps through the swirling whirlwind of withered leaves. His vivid dark-gold suit seemed to be the only splash of color in this dead world. The mournful wind carried what sounded like countless low brass instruments hidden in the woods, playing a triumphant welcome march for his return.
Bragi clutched the southern stars, stepping onto the final stair. The expectant Bragi, upon seeing the scene before him, suddenly froze in place.
The bleak wind swept across the grayish-white garden. Upon the parched soil, only scattered broken roots and withered stems stood alone in the wind.
No warm breeze, no fragrance of flowers, no golden wave of the goldenbuds she had planted with her own hands...
Beneath the thundering heavens, only a decrepit wooden hut remained, perched atop an abandoned garden that no one cared to visit.
The wind whipped at Bragi's crisp collar. He stood呆呆地 before this ruined garden, like a silent sculpture, motionless.
His eyes were filled with bewilderment and confusion... Everything was different from what he had imagined.
This shouldn't be like this...
This place shouldn't be like this!!!?
Bragi's pupils trembled uncontrollably. Even as he continuously denied in his heart that this was his home, the marks clearly imprinted in his memory seemed to have someone pressing a loudspeaker against his ear, screaming and roaring ceaselessly, leaving his mind completely blank.
"Impossible... This is impossible." Bragi's gaze was vacant, shaking his head repeatedly.
"Idun! Idun! Where are you?! I'm back... I'm back! Idun!!"
He forced his rigid legs to move, like a man driven mad, sprinting forward along the path nearly buried in dust and soil.