"The Convergence has begun…"
Thor murmured as the once-in-millennia celestial alignment arrived at last.
Out in the cosmos, nine planets were slowly lining up in a straight line. Between each world, a ring-like phenomenon appeared, reflecting different landscapes within—these were the interconnecting gateways of the Nine Realms.
Karl remembered that in the film from his previous life, Thor and Jane had eventually reached a cave—one that contained a passage leading back to the warehouse Jane and Darcy had visited before.
However, Karl had no idea where that cave was located. The movie had glossed over it entirely, so there was no choice but to rely on the most primitive method: blind luck.
In truth, leaving this place wasn't a problem for Karl at all. He could simply return to the Chocobo Space and then head straight back to New York. The issue was that only he—or someone holding a crystal—could enter that space. In other words, aside from Karl himself, he couldn't take anyone else with him.
Karl said nothing, allowing Thor and Jane to lead the group forward aimlessly. He knew they would eventually find the passage back to Earth.
Due to the Convergence, strong winds began to rise, showing signs of turning into a sandstorm. The already dim sky grew even darker.
"This isn't going to work. We should find somewhere to take shelter first," Thor said, looking at the massive clouds of sand gathering in the distance.
The group headed toward a nearby cliff face where barren rocky hills rose from the ground. Karl was fairly certain the cave would be somewhere there.
"Which planet do you think Malekith will conquer first?" Tony suddenly asked. He had a very bad feeling.
"No idea. But it won't be Asgard," Thor replied calmly. "Even with the Aether, taking Asgard wouldn't be easy."
"I think it'll be Midgard," Loki said, somehow having found a piece of cloth to cover his mouth against the sand. "Among the Nine Realms, Midgard's civilization is the most primitive. Mortals simply don't have the strength to resist the Dark Elves. If I were him, I'd choose the easiest world to conquer first, use it as a foothold, and then expand to the rest of the Nine Realms."
Tony looked at Loki and found himself agreeing. Though he had never visited the other realms, he had seen both Asgard and the Dark Elves. To be blunt, humanity would look like uneducated monkeys in comparison—far inferior in both individual strength and overall technology.
"That's bad," Tony said grimly. "The Dark Elves may already be invading Earth. We need to find a way back as soon as possible, or Earth is in real danger."
"Tony, do you remember what I told you about the Royal Greenwich Academy?" Karl asked.
Tony nodded, recalling Karl's earlier warning.
"You're saying Malekith will appear there? That's one of the Convergence gateways?"
Karl nodded. "That's right. That's the passage. S.H.I.E.L.D. should already be deployed around the area, so even if Malekith shows up, they can hold him off for a bit. Wanda and Skye are there too, so for now, there's no need to panic."
Tony nodded, but his heart still wouldn't settle. He knew S.H.I.E.L.D. agents all too well—ordinary humans stood no chance against the Dark Elves. In the end, Earth could only rely on the comrades from the Battle of New York.
"I can return to Earth right now," Karl continued, "but only by myself. I can't take any of you with me. I plan to go back first and help them. You stay here and keep searching for a way back."
His words made everyone turn to look at him.
"You can go back to Earth? Right now?" Tony asked immediately.
Karl nodded. "Immediately. But only me. I'm guessing the cave isn't far. You'll make it back soon enough. I just can't wait anymore—the Convergence has already begun, and Malekith may already be attacking Earth."
"Then go," Thor said decisively. "With you there, that Malekith won't be able to cause much trouble. We'll follow shortly."
Thor planned to return to Asgard first, gather its armies, and then use the Bifrost to pursue the Dark Elves. Traveling through the Bifrost to any of the Nine Realms took only an instant.
After a brief discussion, Karl immediately returned to the Chocobo Space. His sudden disappearance left everyone momentarily stunned.
Thor turned to Loki.
"Can you do that?"
Loki shook his head.
"Aren't you a sorcerer too? Why can't you?" Thor asked blankly.
Loki stared at him with a dark expression, clearly unwilling to answer.
"My magic was taught to me by Mother," Loki said at last. "Have you ever seen her perform large-scale teleportation—especially across galaxies?"
He looked at Thor as if he were an idiot.
"Oh…" Thor nodded, saying no more. He knew perfectly well that Frigga couldn't do that either.
The group continued toward the barren mountain range ahead. With his armor, Tony was barely affected by the sandstorm, but Jane wasn't so lucky. For some reason, the sand carried traces of iron, and the grains stung painfully when they struck her.
Meanwhile, Karl had returned to the Chocobo Space. Seeing Onion lazily basking in the sun, the creature looked up, spotted Karl, and immediately ran over, nuzzling him enthusiastically.
Karl stroked Onion's smooth feathers, fed it a wild vegetable, and then took it with him as he teleported out of the Chocobo Space.
Greenwich University.
By now, detectors had been planted every hundred meters across the campus, and the time had reached the moment of the solar eclipse.
The sky gradually darkened. Whether at Greenwich University, across the Greenwich district, or even far away in New York, Nick Fury and countless others unconsciously looked up at the sky.
The sun dimmed as the moon moved into place, aligning with the Earth and the sun in a perfect straight line.
Beep—beep—beep—!
Suddenly, every detector began blaring alarms. The sound echoed sharply through the silent campus, sending a jolt through everyone in the Greenwich district.
"All units, attention! All units, attention! Enter Level One combat readiness immediately! Level One combat readiness! All aircraft, take off now! All combat personnel, move to your assigned positions immediately!"
Aboard a helicopter, Coulson issued orders without hesitation.
Everyone knew—what Karl had warned them about had finally begun.
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