Thor did not learn.
That was the problem.
A Very Bad Pattern
The training grounds echoed once more.
"REMATCH!"
Thor stood proudly, Mjolnir raised, aura flaring.
Across from him—
Lady Sif stood calmly, arms crossed.
Again.
From the balcony above, Alexander watched.
"…Didn't he lose already?" Alexander asked.
Loki squinted.
"…Twice."
Frigga sighed softly.
"…He's enjoying this too much."
Below—
Thor charged.
Again.
There was a flash.
A shockwave.
And once more—
Thor was flattened into the ground.
Silence.
Then another day.
"REMATCH!"
Another loss.
Another day.
"REMATCH!"
Alexander shivered.
"…Does he have a fetish?"
Loki shuddered.
"…Please don't say it out loud."
Frigga covered her face.
"I raised him better than this."
Odin's Final Judgment
Odin had enough.
He slammed Gungnir against the floor.
"THOR ODINSON."
Thor froze.
"Yes, Father!"
"You are at the peak of Surface Level," Odin said sternly.
"And you insist on challenging Heavenly Father beings."
Thor puffed his chest.
"Confidence!"
Odin's eye twitched.
"Punishment."
He snapped his fingers.
A massive stack of books appeared.
Asgardian Scriptures.
100,000 pages.
Thor stared.
"…Father?"
"You will copy this," Odin continued calmly,
"one thousand times."
Thor went pale.
"…That's—"
"Now."
Thor collapsed.
Loki's Opportunity
Later—
Loki stood beside Alexander in the library.
"…Brother," Loki said casually,
"I've been thinking."
Alexander raised a brow.
"That's dangerous."
Loki smirked.
"About magic."
Alexander studied him.
Peak of Surface Level.
Sharp mind.
Unrealized potential.
Alexander nodded.
"I figured."
He handed Loki several books.
Ancient tomes on:
Magic theory Runes Illusion Spatial manipulation
Loki's eyes lit up.
Then Alexander handed him two daggers.
Perfectly balanced.
Etched with subtle runes.
"I made these for you," Alexander said.
"They'll grow with you."
Loki held them reverently.
"…You're serious."
Alexander smiled.
"Train properly."
Loki bowed his head slightly.
"…Thank you, brother."
Paths Diverge
Thor groaned somewhere in the palace.
"I'M ON VOLUME THREE—!"
Loki was already gone.
Training.
Studying.
Practicing magic and blades.
Alexander leaned back, satisfied.
"One brother learns the hard way," he said.
Frigga smiled gently.
"And the other," she added,
"learns the right way."
Alexander laughed.
And Asgard—
Remained chaotic.