Claire gave up and hugged him tight as she sobbed. “Why him?” she whispered weakly. “I don’t know….” Thor whispered back unsure.  The  aura disappeared and everything stopped shaking. It was calm again. They sat there in each other’s arms and Claire eventually calmed down.  She held on tightly worried that if she let go, Thor’ll disappear from her life. Just like Being…. Then  there’ll be no one important left in her life to care for. No one to love her.

Claire slowly pushed away from Thor and took a good look at him. “Oh my goodness Thor!”  “You’re badly injured!” Claire cried in alarm. Thor was not just injured, He was bleeding heavily from his head and his broken left arm was dangling uselessly. To top it off he was completely covered in  bruises and slashes. His right cheek was scarred  and burned. With every step he took, he limped and his face contorted in pain.
Thor looked away from Claire, not bearing to see her face as he told her the awful news. Claire slumped  at the news.

“So you’re telling me that half of the gods have been wiped out, along with some of the Einherjar Warriors and the human population” “I’m  glad you managed to succeed in defeating the undead along with Nidhogg” “But I do wish it happened without  the grave cost of many lives' ' Claire stated. 

Her  mind was a mumbled mess as she tried to process this. The two floated silently in the endless vast water.

Claire held onto Being and Loki as she placed her feet on the water and walked on it. Thor hovered above her, waiting with an unconsciousofin, whom he pucked up.  It was eerily quiet. She reached Thor  and he helped carry Loki.

The both of them strolled towards Pegasus.  Pegasus was waiting patiently and could sense the despair. They both got on and pegasus took off to the sky. Claire looked below to see massive destruction everywhere.

Bodies of the undead and many others lay on the ground. There was blood everywhere. Dust clowds were everywhere.

Claire felt dizzy and threw up as they passed by. The smell was horrid. Claire's heart lifted, when she saw survivors. Pegasus landed safely on a field and they both got off. Claire waved and he took off.  She swayed, feeling weak.

Her skin was paler than usual. and Thor held her. They both buried Being and Loki quietly in the rough ground.

Thoughts raced back and forth between Claire’s mind. But it mostly consisted of her wishing she could’ve stopped Loki  without the death of anyone. The whole thing overhwelmed her and she felt far from composed. She was completely disorganized.

Claire shook and wept some more that day. Every person and god remaining returned to their homes. Claire also returned to hers. Even Atlas returned to his fellow brethren.

Odin took some time off to recover.

Time passed and everyone from the five worlds rebuilt everything from scratch.

No one could ever forget the chaos and death.

Claire took years to heal and would often snap at anyone. But she had the help of her friends and her family. It broke her heart to learn her mother died, but she didn’t despair.

She gradually started eating more and fat returned to her skinny body.  Claire often visited her mother’s, father’s and Being’s grave.

  She told Suzy everything that happened, as they caught up with each other. Suzy’s mind was blown, as she  heard all the crazy things. She worried, but found no noticeable scars on Claire to her relief.

Claire visited the gods and often stopped Thor and Zeus from fighting. It was a lot and it was overwhelming, but it made her feel relaxed and safe. This was her new normal! It felt just like the old times….

Claire got back from work one day, only to get a surprise happy birthday. All the Gods were there, along with Suzy and her family.

Claire found herself smiling genuinely, for the first time in years. She felt a little better and happy she wasn’t alone.

She sighed, while the weight on her shoulders lifted.

And Claire turned twenty seven that day.