In the dimly lit dark star sector, the boundless void was as silent as death, with scattered asteroid belts floating motionlessly...
This was a desolate no-man's-land at the edge of the Nine Realms, a place of utter barrenness and cold, devoid of any signs of life.
A subtle, imperceptible ripple spread out, as if triggering an alarm mechanism.
Deep within the asteroid belt, a massive black warship suddenly trembled. On its internal control panels, small lights flickered to life one by one, flashing red violently. The exiles who had lain dormant for tens of thousands of years slowly awakened upon receiving this signal.
The first to rouse from the hibernation pods was Malekith, the leader of the Dark Elves. This ambitious schemer, who had once sought to use the Aether's power to plunge the Nine Realms back into chaos, abruptly opened his eyes!
From confusion to realization, his pale face shifted through expressions as his dormant consciousness gradually sharpened. Distant memories flashed through his mind like fleeting shadows until everything came back to him.
In the primitive era of the Nine Realms, before the seeds of civilization had even been sown, the Dark Elves had dominated the galaxy, unrivaled!
At that time, Malekith had used the Aether to create the ultimate weapon, one capable of corrupting matter into darkness. It was the supreme sacred artifact of the Dark Elves.
But as civilizations emerged, the light of dawn arrived unexpectedly. The Nine Realms gradually developed, ushering in an era of light that ended the Dark Elves' reign.
Malekith refused to accept his forced exit from the stage. He sought to exploit the rare celestial event of the Convergence, using the Aether to plunge the Nine Realms back into darkness and chaos, rebuilding a perfect homeland for his people.
However, Asgard, under the leadership of Bor, Odin's father, rose up in rebellion against the Dark Elves. After a brutal and bloody war, Malekith lost the Aether and was forced into exile with the remnants of his people, retreating to the desolate dark star sector to hibernate for tens of thousands of years.
"The Aether has awakened us. The Convergence has begun again." Malekith, his skin unnaturally pale, stood on the warship's bridge, gazing into the endless void.
He had once sought to create a perfect home for the Dark Elves, only to be thwarted by Asgard. Now, it seemed the opportunity had returned. The Aether had awakened them, and the once-in-five-millennia Convergence had begun anew.
The Nine Realms orbited within the branches of Yggdrasil. Every five thousand years, under the pull of gravitational shifts, they gradually aligned with Midgard in a straight line. During this time, the boundaries between worlds blurred, triggering the astronomical phenomenon known as the Convergence.
"Someone has broken Asgard's seal. I can feel the Aether's presence... it is calling to me." Malekith turned to look at the rows of opening hibernation pods, where the last remnants of the Dark Elves lay.
The devastating war from tens of thousands of years ago had nearly wiped them out.
"The Convergence is our best chance to rise again!" Malekith's ambition burned fiercely.
He and Bor had once been galactic overlords of the same era. The Nine Realms had once been shrouded in darkness, with none spared.
But as the flames of civilization pierced the darkness, the Nine Realms rose and flourished.
Though defeated tens of thousands of years ago, Malekith's ambitions had never died. Instead, they had grown even stronger.
He had already paid a heavy price. If he could not lead the Dark Elves to rise again, how could he face his ancestors who had returned to the darkness?
The ancient black warship traversed space, arriving at Svartalfheim. Clad in black armor, Malekith knelt on the ground, scooping up a handful of sand with a sigh.
The fires of war had scorched this land. Even after tens of thousands of years, it remained unable to nurture civilization or life.
"Look at what I have left behind, Algrim."
The Dark Elf leader mourned the glory of the past. Had it not been for Asgard's sudden attack, the Nine Realms might already have been plunged into eternal darkness.
"I can barely remember the days before the light came." Malekith's eyes were filled with pain.
"The survival of our race will be the most precious legacy you leave for the future," his subordinate comforted him.
In the war between the Dark Elves and Asgard, they had suffered devastating losses. Their people had been nearly wiped out, their former glory long gone.
And Malekith, the great leader of the Dark Elves, was now running out of time. Even after tens of thousands of years in hibernation, he could not stop the slow drain of his life force.
His lifelong nemesis, Bor, the previous king of Asgard, had long returned to the embrace of the World Tree. Even the long-lived Aesir could not withstand the cruelty of time, neither could the Dark Elves.
"The suffering we have endured, we shall make Asgard pay for it tenfold! I will reclaim the Aether! I will restore the Dark Elves' homeland! I will end this galaxy where the flames of light still burn!" Malekith roared to the heavens, unwilling to accept this fate.
The Aether was his last hope...
He drew a sharp dagger and faced his towering subordinate. The Dark Elves could no longer confront Asgard head-on. A direct clash would only lead to the same disastrous outcome as before.
Only by seizing the Aether and exploiting the Convergence could they drag the Nine Realms into the abyss in one fell swoop. Then, the Dark Elves would thrive and rise again, becoming the ultimate rulers.
"You shall be the last Kursed!" Malekith stepped forward, the wind of Svartalfheim stirring the sand around them.
He could hear the faint wails of the dead, their mournful cries carried by the breeze.
With a cold expression, the Dark Elf leader slit his subordinate's abdomen and inserted a dark red stone inside.
This was a crystal forged from condensed magic. It burned like molten rock and contained terrifying power. It could unleash all the latent potential within a Dark Elf at the cost of their life.
"I willingly offer my life, as our ancestors did, as you have." The towering subordinate showed no fear or hesitation, "I will crush any enemy in our path, shatter Asgard's defenses, and build a new homeland for you!"
Under the overcast skies of the desolate Svartalfheim, the massive black warship slowly activated, descending like a colossal sword piercing through the atmosphere.
Its destination was Midgard, where the Aether now resided!
....
In the peaceful and distant Asgard, the white-haired Odin suddenly sensed something...
He rose from his throne, his gaze piercing through the palace halls and into the boundless void.
Gripping Gungnir tightly, he contemplated for a moment before dismissing the thought of having Heimdall summon Thor. Instead, he sat back down.
Perhaps this was not a bad thing for Asgard.
It was time for Midgard to witness Asgard's true power firsthand. Only then could they secure the upper hand in future negotiations and ensure Asgard's position as the sovereign of the Nine Realms.
Even after the Chitauri invasion and Thanos' assault, Asgard remained unshaken. Quelling the unrest across the Nine Realms was only the first step.
Next, they would bolster Thor's reputation, forge an alliance with Midgard, and rally all their forces to prepare for the possible return of the Black Order and the cosmic tyrant who had retreated in defeat.
As for the Dark Elves? They could serve as stepping stones to solidify Asgard's absolute dominance...