The Other stood frozen, mouth agape, fingers clawing at the air in disbelief. Words rose to his lips only to retreat again in silence.
There was a simple reason for his shock: the one who had taken the scepter from him was none other than Thanos—the father of Prince Lothar, whom he loyally served.
"It seems the Infinity Stones indeed require a vessel," Thanos muttered, gazing down at the now-transformed scepter in his hand. He paid no heed to the wounds on his body. His gaze reflected the golden light pulsing from the gem embedded at the scepter's tip.
"Lord Thanos, we should go," came Ebony Maw's calm voice. Hands clasped together, he glanced toward the edge of the crystal palace, where frost was rapidly creeping across the landscape.
Without the Mind Stone—its central power source—the planet's artificial climate system had collapsed. The once-hospitable environment was reverting into lifeless cold.
Under Ebony Maw's command, the massive warship hovered above the Crystal Palace. A blinding beam of light descended from the sky, teleporting Thanos, Lothar, Ebony Maw, and The Other aboard the ship.
"Let's move."
Even as the entire palace and its inhabitants were entombed in ice, Thanos remained unmoved. Astra, whose body had long been reduced to ruin, was also left behind—doomed to perish in the relentless frost.
"Full speed. Leave this planet behind."
"Understood, Lord Thanos."
As the colossal ship entered the jump point, the light faded entirely from Planet B48, sealing its fate as a dead world.
The terrified races, the crowds in prayer, the panicked beasts, the swaying plants—all were frozen in place, transformed into brilliant ice sculptures, waiting to be unearthed by future generations...
"Is this… one of the legendary Infinity Stones?" Ebony Maw stared at the gem in awe. Though well-read, this was his first time seeing an Infinity Stone—an object he had previously believed to exist only in myths.
Beside him, The Other opened his mouth, hesitated, and fell silent again.
He wanted to say that the now-altered scepter had once been a sacred relic of the Chitauri, venerated for generations. But given the current situation, it was clear their ancestral treasure was not coming back.
And why had Thanos embedded the gem in a scepter rather than his signature double-edged blade? That baffled The Other most of all. But he didn't dare ask.
Especially not while the frost still clung to the crooked trees of B48—he had no desire to experience that icy death firsthand.
"This is only one," Thanos said, voice steady. "Only when all six Infinity Stones are gathered will I truly be able to complete my goal."
After a long pause, he casually tossed the scepter to Lothar.
"Father?"
Lothar caught it with one hand, confusion written on his face.
"Take it. In three days, lead your forces to Asgard."
"Why Asgard?" The mention of that name again made Lothar frown, uncertain.
"The Dark Elves—Odin's ancient enemies—possess a fragment of the Reality Stone's power," Thanos replied. Odin himself had shared this intelligence, and the King of Asgard would not lie so easily under his own name.
It was the result of a deal: in exchange for a lead on the Reality Stone, Odin hoped to ensure the unification and peace of the Nine Realms. For a king bent on conquest, it was a worthy bargain.
Especially since Odin was only offering a clue—not the stone itself.
"The Reality Stone?" Lothar's brows knitted tighter.
"Yes. It's an artifact of immense and chaotic power," Thanos affirmed. "Science and the laws of nature mean nothing before it. It can reshape them at will."
"But it has a fatal flaw—it cannot be used alone. Without support from the other Stones, attempting to wield it brings devastation… to the user."
That was why Thanos had handed Lothar the Mind Stone-imbued scepter. Without its stabilizing energy, Lothar would stand no chance of extracting the Reality Stone from the Dark Elves' domain by force.
"Do you understand now, Lothar?"
"But what if the Reality Stone isn't there?" Lothar asked, still puzzled by Thanos' unwavering trust in Odin.
"A king's word is a bond," Thanos replied. "If he breaks it, the cost will be unbearable."
"And that cost… he cannot afford."
If the Black Quadrant were to enter the Nine Realms war against Asgard, even Thanos alone would be more than Odin could handle—let alone the Black Order, his fearsome Five.
"I understand, Father."
Lothar rolled the scepter between his fingers for a moment, then nodded.
A string of rapid hyperspace jumps left little room for conversation. Upon reaching the Chitauri homeworld, Lothar and The Other bid farewell to Thanos and returned to the imperial capital in a transport pod.
"Replenish all our forces within the next three days."
As Lothar stepped into the grand hall of his personal throne room, something seemed to cross his mind. Without turning, he addressed the figure trailing behind him with practiced obedience—The Other.
"Understood, Prince Lothar," The Other replied, his voice restrained. Despite his longing, he still dared not ask for the scepter back. He was about to quietly withdraw when Lothar suddenly said—
"Wait."
"…Yes?"
"Take this."
With a casual flick, Lothar tossed the scepter he had been absentmindedly toying with back into The Other's arms.
His father had once told him: Until you've reached the pinnacle of your power, don't rely too heavily on the Mind Stone. Becoming dependent on its strength could hinder true growth.
He'd also said: Place your trust in those who have proven their loyalty. That trust will drive them to achieve even more for you—especially when it comes to matters of great importance.
But of course, that trust only matters if you have the strength to personally fix any mistakes that follow.
"W-Whoa!"
"P-Prince Lothar?!"
The Other fumbled to catch the scepter, hands trembling as he cradled it to his chest. He hadn't dared to hope that it would be returned—the scepter, topped with a legendary Infinity Stone from the cosmic myths themselves.
And now… it was back in his hands?
The weight of the artifact felt immense. But heavier still was Lothar's trust—it pressed down on The Other's heart like a mountain. The impact was unmistakable.
"Is there a problem?" Lothar turned and reclined sideways upon his throne, left hand supporting his chin, right index finger tapping rhythmically on the armrest. His gaze was steady, calm.
"N-No! Nothing at all!"
"I will never betray your trust, Prince Lothar!"
Drawing a deep breath, The Other grasped the scepter with reverent care, as though holding a relic beyond price. He bowed deeply toward the throne, his voice full of emotion.
If once his loyalty stemmed from belief in Lothar's potential—his willingness to gamble the future of the Chitauri people on it—then now, it came from something deeper. Lothar's trust was real, undeniable.
All of The Other's tireless efforts had not gone unnoticed. Lothar, cold and distant as he may appear, remembered him.
And this heavy, solemn trust? He would carry it proudly.
From this day forward, he, The Other, and all his lineage, would serve Lord Lothar unto eternity.
And somewhere, within the breeding grounds of the Chitauri homeworld, another soul worked late into the night—driven not by orders, but by loyalty.
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