We hold Frigga's funeral the following day and all of Asgard turns out to bid their farewells to their beloved queen. My mother lies on a funerary ship resting on the water, which we watch float out to the horizon as archers shoot flaming arrows to reduce her to ashes. Thor and I stand, one to either side of Odin as we sorrowfully watch.

Behind us, the Asgardian people have gathered, all holding sorrowful silence. I hear some stifled sniffles and tears mark nearly every face, including my own. I have no strength for illusions today. I don't know if I'll have strength for them ever again.

Valkyrie and Heimdall stand near Thor, Odin, and I, as if keeping guard. If they are, then they have already failed, for my mother is dead and nothing can bring her back. Near them, Gamora and Nebula look on, dressed in black and silent as the grave. Volstagg and Fandral are also nearby in the crowd.

I haven't spoken to Gamora at all since Frigga's death. I wasn't there when she came to, and she hadn't sought me out. Right now, honoring my mother is the most important thing. Everything else will have to come after.

The essence of my mother rises to the heavens as the flaming boat reaches the edge of the sea, the edge of Asgard. Behind us, many Asgardians release glowing orbs of light, celebrating my mother's kindness and her sacrifice. The orbs drift up into the night sky, casting rippling reflections down on the water.

My fault. All my fault.

I know Veers is standing behind me, but I don't turn to look at her. She's dressed all in black, to mourn my mother, and despite my mother's acceptance of her, it still feels wrong. She's not part of this family, she never was, and I swear she never will be.

I don't know how long we all stand there, but eventually Ebony Maw and other members of the Black Order are making their way through the crowd, sending the Asgardians home. Odin, Thor, and I all tense, waiting for him to reach us but refusing to turn and acknowledge him. Maw may be the son of Thanos, but we are Asgardian royalty, and will not bend. Frigga will be mourned.

Soon, it's just us, Valkyrie, Heimdall, Gamora, Nebula, and Veers left, against the rest of the Black Order. Ebony Maw flicks his gaze condescendingly to his younger sisters, and then lifts his hand.

Chains fly out and wrap around Nebula, clacking around her wrists and shuddering around her ankles. She cries out in surprise, jerking away but to no avail. Gamora yanks at the chains but even her strength can't free her sister. Before she can do anything else, Maw curls his fingers inwards and Nebula flies toward him, the chain wrapping around her neck.

"Maw! Stop!" Gamora screams, wheeling on her older brother. "Leave her alone!"

"Nebula has betrayed our father and as such is no longer entitled to freedom," Maw intones as Nebula comes to a stop beside him, hovering chained in the air. "She will be returned to Thanos for his decision regarding her punishment."

"No!" Gamora yells, but just as she begins to sprint forward Thor grabs her arm, yanking her back into his chest. She's so shocked that she doesn't struggle, just stares on as Ebony Maw gives Odin a malicious smirk and turns, escorting the chained Nebula away.

"Father, do something," I find myself murmuring, but the request is hollow, hopeless. Maw can do whatever he wants and expect no consequences. He did kill Mother, after all, and he's still standing.

Odin swallows, and he looks so devastated, so old. It's like he's aged a century, standing beside me just now. "I wish I could, Loki. I wish I could."

"Gamora," Maw calls, his voice firm. "Come. We have work to do, carrying out Father's bidding."

Thor reluctantly lets go of Gamora, who strides off after her brother with her eyes cast down at the ground, refusing to look back at us. We watch the members of the Black Order disappear into the city before following ourselves, tracing our way back to the palace.

The following days don't get any better. Ebony Maw leads a campaign of terror against the Asgardians, tightening Thanos' noose around our realm. Their first target is the training arena, which they destroy, firing on it as the walls collapse inward, stone shattering when blasts of blue energy strike it. A couple days later, they destroy Himinbjorg, breaking the Bifrost behind repair. The observatory and shards of the rainbow bridge fall into the abyss when they finish, the bridge now leading into nothing.

Heimdall now spends his days in the palace, walking the columned corridor open to the garden, where all the statues are. Thor continues preparing to take over rule of Asgard from Odin, and Valkyrie seems to spend more of her time with them. It's like she's woken up from the self-imposed stupor she's been in practically my entire life and is reassuming her duties as guardian of the throne. Too little, too late.

I avoid Veers as much as I can, which isn't too hard. The Kree doesn't seem too keen on spending time with me, and I don't run into her that much. I confine myself to the garden and walking along the shores of the lake, staring at the mountains where Gamora and I used to meet.

Gamora hasn't been to the palace since before the funeral. Ebony Maw makes her stay with the rest of the Black Order, enforcing Thanos' rule on the Asgardians. The couple times I've seen her from a distance, she wears a stony-faced expression, eyes fierce but distant. There has been no word on Nebula's fate since she was walked away in chains.

In the days following Frigga's funeral, I feel like I'm spiraling out of my mind. I'm trapped, trapped, and I don't know how to escape. There's nothing to do, nowhere to go, no one I can talk to. Hela never came back for the funeral, hasn't acknowledged Frigga's death, my closest friend has been torn from me, and Odin and Valkyrie are both busy with Thor and his coming coronation. It's like I've been cast aside.

About a week or so later, I get so desperate that I decide that's it, I'm done. Without another thought, I leave the palace and stride toward the bridge crossing the lake as the sun begins to slide down toward the horizon. I need the mountains, I need crisp, clean air, and I need to leave Asgard. What is there left for me here, anyway? Thanos is only going to kill me, sooner or later, and I can't get to Gamora.

I begin to run as soon as I hit the bridge. It's empty, what with the approach of dusk. I use my magic to hide myself from any curious eyes – I don't need the Black Order stopping me now. If they try, I'll kill them, or die trying. I'm done. I'm so done.

When I reach the mountains, I increase my pace, almost falling as I climb the mountainside. My boots snag in foliage and on rocks and I stagger but keep going, catching myself and skinning my palms. I need to find my escape route, the one I intended to use with Gamora.

I can come back for her, once I've cleared my mind. I'll come back and get her and we can run, like she always talked about. We'll be free, free from Thanos, free from Asgard, free from this impending doom hanging over my head.

At least, we'll be free for a little while.

That will have to be enough.

Finally, I reach the escape route and tear into the tunnel, stumbling on the uneven ground. I see flickering bursts of light, red and blue and pale yellow, spiral around me as I run seemingly to nowhere. I have no idea where I will end up; as long as it's not Asgard, not Titan, not somewhere Thanos will find me.

Then the magic grabs me and hurls me forward. For a moment, all I see is the streams of colored light, and then I'm sprawling on the ground.

Dark grey, dusty soil stretches away from me as far as I can see, rising into hills of the same dreary shade. I shove back onto my heels, furrowing my brow. I don't recognize this world from the Champion Tour – in fact, I don't recognize this world at all.

There is no life, just a barren stretch of dusty grey earth, broken by some drab rocks. Away in the distance, the wreckage of various ships is evident, but that is all. No signs of there being any sort of current civilization.

Rising to my feet, I take some cautious steps forward, small clouds of dust forming with each step. I walk for several yards, surveying my surroundings, until the toe of my boot catches on something and I stop, glancing down at it. What I see makes my blood run cold.

It's a scrap of metal, inscribed with an A inside a circle. There's only one thing that could signify.

The Avengers.

/**/

And that concludes Part I of Mastering Illusions!

I'm sorry about missing last week's update. Between hurrying to finish submitting everything for the Watty Awards, getting sick, and having to deal with midterms, I just wasn't able to write.

Hope you enjoyed!

Skylar Wittenborn