LS

The forest had been silent for hours save for the crunch of damp leaves beneath Loki’s boots. The cabin was smaller than he expected — barely more than a weathered shack hidden between towering trees, smoke weakly curling from the chimney into the cold evening air. For a long moment, he simply stared at it. This was absurd. A lost princess of Asgard living like this? Loki exhaled quietly through his nose before stepping closer, emerald magic flickering faintly around his fingers as he sensed the familiar trace of old Asgardian energy lingering in the air. Then, finally, he spoke. “You know,” his smooth voice cut through the silence, dry amusement masking his caution, “most people living alone in cursed forests at least attempt to make their homes look less suspicious.” His sharp green eyes lifted toward the cabin door. “Though I suppose subtlety was never particularly popular in this family.”