"…A magnificent sight."
In a void of nothingness a colossal, singular object shimmered, nodes of light upon it interlinked like a microcosm of the Universe. No words could describe it. The empty space rippled like water, and two figures stepped through: the newly tutored Ancient One and Odin.
Odin, who had just forced the seal open, was panting from exhaustion, but the Ancient One at his side paid no heed to his fatigue—she was already captivated by the light radiating from the strange object, murmuring under her breath.
"Sorcerer Supreme… I've kept my part of the bargain. It's your turn."
Gasping for air, Odin nearly choked. Seeing the Ancient One start toward the kabbalistic tree of life, he called out, demanding she honor their pact. She glanced back at him—Odin looked ready to fight if she didn't hand over the world tree seed.
"Rest assured, I keep my word."
Smiling at Odin's wariness, the Ancient One drew a pouch from behind her and tossed the walnut-sized world tree seed to him. Odin caught it, inspected it carefully, and infused it with his divine power. Sensing the surging vitality, he knew it was genuine.
"Sorcerer Supreme, remember: you have three days. Whether you emerge or not, I will reseal this place. Don't say I didn't warn you."
"Three days… more than enough."
At Odin's words, the Ancient One replied calmly, then flew toward the kabbalistic tree of life. Odin could only sigh and step through the open portal back to Asgard. In his mind, the Ancient One would surely die here, reduced to dust—her arrogance would cost her everything.
"Ten spheres, each with its own meaning, yet interconnected: Kether, Crown; Chokmah, Wisdom; Binah, Understanding; Chesed, Mercy; Geburah, Severity; Tiphareth, Beauty; Netzach, Victory; Hod, Glory; Yesod, Foundation; Malkuth, Kingdom. Together they form the blueprint of Creation."
"Legend says God created the Universe according to the blueprint of the kabbalistic tree of life."
Memories of the tree flooded her mind. The closer she came, the more vast the flood of cosmic information—worlds, stars, living beings—until, beneath the colossal tree, she could barely endure the torrent.
With no time to marvel, she reached out with her magic to the second sphere, Chokmah—Wisdom. A tidal wave of data filled her brain; Dormammu's hidden sigil flared upon her brow, offering no relief. A mortal mind would have burst in an instant.
Moments later she felt warmth beneath her nose—blood dripping down. The second sphere blazed brighter, its light flowing along the paths to the third, then the first, until all ten spheres shone like suns. Blood now seeped from eyes and ears as her skull felt ready to split.
Yet she pressed on, sifting through countless worlds to find Earth. Odin's warning had been no taunt: the tree forced every scrap of cosmic data into the seeker's mind. Without absolute clarity, god or mortal would be shattered—brain burst, soul shattered, no hope of rebirth.
"Almost… found it."
Locking onto Earth, she filtered out everything else. Her mind felt pierced by ten thousand needles; only centuries of enduring Dormammu's dark magic had honed her will enough to survive.
"Artoria Stark."
Eyes bloodshot, she whispered the name of the girl who had long troubled her—uncertain whether she would save or doom the world.
"How can this be?"
She saw a figure cleaving Earth in two, golden eyes devoid of humanity—cold, serene—and the face was Artoria's own. Could that stubborn, proud girl truly annihilate the Planet?
"Something's wrong. Why would Artoria become that? Or… is it even Artoria?"
She did not blindly trust the vision. Wiping blood from her face, the Ancient One reflected: after so many centuries she was not easily fooled. Like the unpredictable Artoria herself, she refused to believe the child would choose ruin. Could the tree be mistaken?
"I was chasing the wrong question."
With that realization she withdrew. Unknown to her, two patterns now glowed upon her arms: one identical to the kabbalistic tree of life, the other its perfect inversion. As she left, the spheres dimmed, reversed, and rearranged into mirrored positions; the once-majestic tree now exuded a sinister aura.
The moment the kabbalistic tree of life appeared, its shadow emerged in the opposite direction. Unfortunately, the Ancient One missed this scene; had she seen it, she would have understood why Artoria had brought about the end of the world. The inverse Qliphoth is the reverse side of the kabbalistic tree of life—where there is light, there is shadow. What she saw was only one possible future.
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