"How does it feel?"
The Ancient One pushed a chair forward, and Strange instinctively sat down.
Then, with another wave of Wanda's hand, Strange's soul was once again blasted out of his body, returning to that fantastical realm. This time, however, he could hear the Ancient One's voice.
"As a doctor, a man of high society, you believe you understand how this world works. You think matter is all there is to the universe. But behind it all lies another, unknown domain."
Guided by her voice, Strange passed through one wondrous and surreal world after another. The scenes before his eyes shifted constantly—many changing before he could even fully process what he was seeing.
With a thud, Strange fell off the chair and collapsed awkwardly at the Ancient One's feet. Wanda quickly stepped back, returning to Karl's side.
"Mr. Strange, do you still insist on your previous beliefs?"
The Ancient One looked down at him as he lay trembling on the ground.
At this point, Strange looked completely unhinged—messy hair, disheveled beard—the full appearance of a madman.
His hands trembled as he raised them. The surgical scars were still clearly visible.
"Please… teach me~!!"
His eyes gleamed with intensity. He had accepted what he had seen—but only passively. Deep down, all he wanted was to heal his hands. He wasn't yet ready to accept the responsibility that would come after.
The Ancient One saw right through him.
"No~~"
She shook her head and refused. He wasn't ready. Not yet.
Strange froze in confusion. The world around him suddenly shifted—and the next moment, he was thrown out the door, collapsing helplessly onto the ground.
He scrambled to his feet. Seeing the door still open, he rushed forward—but it slammed shut with a bang. No matter how much he shouted or pounded on it, it wouldn't budge.
—
Inside Kamar-Taj, Wanda wandered around with Karl. There were no so-called restricted areas here—even the chamber housing the Eye of Agamotto was freely accessible. At this moment, the two of them stood right before it.
"Can you control this thing?"
Karl curiously examined the Time Stone embedded within the eye-shaped casing as he asked Wanda.
"I don't know."
Wanda shook her head. She had never used the Eye of Agamotto—she had never even seen the Ancient One use it.
"I don't know how it works."
She reached out and tapped the artifact resting on its stand. It didn't react at all.
Karl, on the other hand, wasn't nearly as cautious. He simply picked it up and examined it in his hands. He vaguely remembered that activating the Eye required specific hand gestures—but in his previous life, he had never paid close attention. If he had known, he would've studied it more carefully.
After playing with it for a while, he lost interest. He already had the Mind Stone—he didn't really need the Time Stone. The Mind Stone's energy would be enough for the system to absorb later.
Karl had no interest in the six Infinity Stones. From watching Loki, he knew these things were basically like glass marbles tossed in a drawer—barely worth a glance. And he certainly had no desire to wipe out half the universe like that purple madman. That would just be absurd.
—
Inside a meditation chamber, the Ancient One sat in meditation. Mordo knocked lightly on the door.
"That's you, Mordo. Come in."
The Ancient One opened her eyes.
"You think I shouldn't have sent him away?"
Mordo stepped inside. The Ancient One looked at him as she spoke.
Instead of answering directly, Mordo said, "He's been waiting outside for hours. I can tell—there's a determination in him. It feels… familiar."
"He reminds you of Kaecilius?"
The Ancient One remained seated cross-legged and closed her eyes again.
"I don't want another exceptionally talented student to be consumed by darkness after learning magic."
Mordo fell silent. After all, Kaecilius was a painful lesson.
"Inner demons cannot be destroyed, Mordo. Everyone has them. They are one of the conditions for falling into darkness. What we must do is learn to coexist with them—use our will to restrain and seal them. The moment that seal loosens, even slightly, is the beginning of embracing darkness."
Her tone was calm, as if she were speaking both to Mordo and to herself.
After a moment of thought, Mordo finally said, "The stolen pages of the Darkhold are still in Kaecilius's hands. If he manages to decipher them, it will bring disaster upon us. Perhaps this Strange could help Kamar-Taj deal with him."
What Mordo didn't know was that Strange had already been chosen by the Ancient One as her successor. She would never truly reject him.
The Ancient One opened her eyes, glanced at Mordo, but said nothing more.
Mordo bowed slightly and left the chamber. He had done all he could—this was as far as he could help Strange.
—
Night fell.
Strange was still outside, weakly pounding on the wooden door. Behind it lay his only hope—his entire future. There was no way he would give up.
"Don't lock me out~~"
He slumped against the door, pressing his back firmly against it, using the last of his strength in a futile attempt to push it open. He no longer had the energy to keep knocking.
Suddenly, the door swung open. Due to inertia, Strange rolled inside like a curled-up ball.
"Hey—how long are you planning to lie there? Dinner's about to start~"
Strange opened his eyes. The speaker was the young man he had seen earlier—the one with the girl. He was looking down at him while casually munching on a piece of chocolate.
When Karl brought Strange into the dining hall, the once lively room fell silent. All eyes turned toward Strange.
Karl ignored the attention and walked straight to sit beside Wanda and Wong. Wanda had already prepared his portion.
Mordo gestured for Strange to sit with them. Strange devoured the food voraciously—he hadn't had a proper meal in days. He had long run out of money and had been surviving on free food from temples—just enough to keep from starving, never enough to be full.
—
After dinner, Mordo led Strange to his new quarters.
It was a small private room. Not large—just a bathroom with a shower, a desk, and a bed. Simple and plain.
Mordo then handed him a small slip of paper—with the Wi-Fi password written on it.
Strange lay back on the bed and let out a long breath.
Finally… he had made it inside the place that could heal him. Hope had returned.
He took out the watch Palmer had given him. It was now the only valuable thing he still possessed. No matter how destitute he became, he had never once considered selling it.
Because to him, it meant far more than money.
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