When Joseph marked the three altars on my map, he also marked the Wakanabi Holy Cave, where the tribe would be performing their own ritual while I took care of the wards. I made my way there, after telling Danny in no uncertain terms that he wasn't to follow me, no matter how exhilarating this all was.

Joseph, Ami, Kyra and the other members of the Wakanabi tribe were waiting for me inside the cave. The cave itself was beautiful, a shaft of light came down through a hole in the ceiling and there were lush plants everywhere. In the middle was a pool of water, dark and filled with stars, even though it was still day so it could not be a reflection.

"The wards are working again, for now," Joseph spoke, "but the sanctum of the mountain has already been breached. The enemy must be stopped. And now, we have one last chance. With the wards repaired and our family reunited, we might have the strength to help you fight him. But you need to confront him. We are mortals, while you… you are so much more.

The sword our enemy carries is both a weapon and a key, and it has become the source of all his power.

When you last confronted him you were no match for him. This time, you will go with the power of all the ages.

The wells of our forefathers have been filled. You will drink from them."

I eyed the water dubiously. I don't do drugs and I rarely drank alcohol, and I had no idea what this would do to me.

"It's perfectly safe," Ami reassured me.

My hands began to glow as I dipped them into the water.

"I think," Ami added.

I glared at her but I took a long drink anyway.

"We will channel the spirits of our ancestors to guide you, and you possess the thunder of the gods from the north to still the black waters." Joseph's voice rose exultantly, "You will wield this power, and the world will tremble beneath your feet!

But be quick, such magic won't last, and we have only one chance to right our wrongs!"

"Go team!" Kyra shouted enthusiastically. Ami shook her head.

"Sorry mom, but it really was one of those 'Go team!' moments."

I wasn't sure if drinking the water made me feel any differently, or maybe I was too nervous to feel the difference. This was going to be the last chance to stop Loki. I had to get it right this time!

Back into the mine I went, down the elevator and through the tunnel. The cave entrance was blocked by a blue shimmering ward. I could see Loki behind it driving the sword slowly into the Gaia engine. He wasn't wearing his horned helmet anymore.

I stepped through the ward without any trouble. It wasn't meant to keep me out, it was meant to keep whatever lay inside in.

I didn't say a word this time, didn't give Loki a chance to say one either. I held my hand up high and commanded "Mjolnir, to me!"

"What?!" said Loki rather inelegantly as he looked up, but Mjolnir was already hurtling towards him, hitting him square in the chest. Loki went flying, pulling the sword with him out of the floor.

Mjolnir returned to my hand, and I tossed it again.

"How did you…" Loki dodged the hammer which hit the wall of the cave instead.

I threw Mjolnir again, not wanting to give him a chance to get near me, but he gracefully dodged the hammer again.

"You have been busy since we last spoke," he growled, "You reek of primitive magics, you are soaked in it!"

"And how did you get that hammer?" suddenly his voice was behind me. The Loki in front of me shattered like the broken pieces of a mirror as Mjolnir hit him, it was an illusion and he was behind me!

I threw myself on the floor and rolled to the side, the sword only nearly missing my body.

I held out my hand again, but Mjolnir didn't appear right away. I called upon my own powers instead, a barrage of ice, fire and lightning blasting Loki.

He just grinned, and suddenly I was surrounded by at least a dozen Lokis, not knowing which one was the real one.

I tried summoning Mjolnir again, this time it appeared. Instead of throwing it at one Loki, I threw it in a circular motion around the cave.

"You insolent wench!" he growled, the illusions shattering one by one. "You arrogant child!"

A Filth hound appeared, and I peppered it with fireballs while waiting for Mjolnir to return to my other hand. Loki was fighting cautiously, I realised, he wasn't directly attacking me with the sword. He was fighting defensively, summoning illusions and Filth hounds to distract me from him. Was he afraid of me?

The moment Mjolnir returned to me, I threw it at Loki instead of the hound, hitting him in the chest again. He went flying, I could hear the crack as his head hit the wall. He shook his head groggily, but I had to deal with the Filth hound first. Another toss of Mjolnir took care of the hound, and I turned back to Loki, who was scrambling to get back on his feet.

This time he came at me directly with the sword, with rapid strikes that were almost impossible to avoid. The cuts from the sword burned like hell.

"Do you know who I am? What I am?" he hissed at me with each swipe of his sword, "I am a god, you vile creature!"

I let myself fall backwards on the ground while holding out my hand, hoping Mjolnir would not let me down. It didn't. It reappeared in my hand, and I threw it at Loki, once, twice, three times in rapid succession.

Loki was thrown back again and did not get up, clutching an arm around his body as he groaned in pain. The sword had fallen out of his hands and he tried to reach for it, but it was too far away.

I stood up, trying to catch my breath. I had cuts on my arms from the sword, but I was in a better condition than Loki.

I knew I had to finish it, but I hesitated. I had never killed an actual living person before.

Suddenly, I felt myself being pulled backwards. Another trick? But Loki was looking as surprised as I was. Immediately taking advantage of the situation he began to crawl to the sword, while I tried to fight whatever was drawing me backwards. I looked back and saw I was being pulled towards a portal. I fought with all my might.

Cassandra King came walking into the cave. "Cassie!" Loki's voice was weak, as he lifted up a hand towards her, but she walked right past him.

"I knew you'd come through for me," Loki gasped.

"Come for you?" Cassandra laughed, as she bent down for the sword. I knew I had to stop her, but it was taking all my power to prevent being pulled into the portal and out of the cave completely.

"Do you have any idea who I am?" Cassandra asked. She picked up the sword.

"Don't touch that, it's not for you," Loki gasped, sounding panicked.

"You have no idea what you are dealing with!"

"Funny, I was just about to tell you the same thing."

Cassandra kicked Loki in the face as she walked past him. There was a sharp crunch as she did so, and after that, he wasn't moving anymore.

"Help!" I yelled while being sucked into the portal, but Cassandra ignored me and walked out of the cave with the sword. The last thing I saw was Loki's unmoving body, and then I wasn't in the cave anymore either.

I found myself in a frozen cave, the portal that brought me there disappeared right away. Something about the place where I was didn't feel real. As I stumbled to my feet and walked a bit further I realised why: I wasn't feeling cold.

As I walked I started to hear voices:

"We can give you what you deserve. We can give you the world."

Okay? I never asked for the world. I just wanted to know where I was.

"Come, speak with us and you'll see."

I walked through a large stone doorway. It felt like a dream.

"Your potential is being wasted by your puppet masters. Your future holds so much promise. We'd hate to see you held back by their narrow-mindedness and greed."

I walked on, the snow crunching under my feet.

"We are generous and giving to those who aspire to greatness. Don't accept anything less than you deserve."

As I walked on, I was shown visions of great wealth, power and fame. I was promised anything my heart could possibly desire.

I kept walking, past the visions, ignoring the voice and its promises.

Nothing comes without a price, and I wasn't sure if I was willing to theirs. It all sounded far too good to be true.

"We can give you everything, the world. You only have to choose to accept it."

In front of me was a pedestal, and on top of it, was a present wrapped neatly with a bow on top. A bit on the nose, I thought.

Behind the pedestal was a gaping abyss.

I didn't want the world or fame, or fortune. I just wanted to go home. I hesitated for a second and then did the only thing I could think of: I jumped into the abyss.

"Run away," the voices said viciously, "You won't be able to escape the end of days!"

I was unceremoniously thrown out of a portal and found myself back at the mine. Cassandra and the sword were gone, and so was Loki's body.

But I had won. The Gaia engine had not been destroyed, whatever had been inside it had not been unleashed, and the world was still standing.

I was more tired than I had ever been in my life. I called it in and I went home.