Manhattan was countless times busier than the suburbs. After summer began, New York occasionally saw light rain. The rain left behind before dawn made the ground gleam, and many people were jogging and working out along the paths of New York Central Park. As Steve ran past downstairs, Schiller, seated behind his desk, stretched and set aside a parchment covered in mysterious runes.
He took some zip ties from a drawer and bundled up the parchment he had just finished writing. After checking something off on his schedule, he picked up the phone beside him and called Strange.
"I've finished all the prop assignments for the movie shoot. Should I bring them to the Sanctum Sanctorum now, or should I wait until you return to New York and come pick them up?... Didn't you say you were coming back today?"
Schiller glanced at his watch in confusion, then said, "You've been busy nonstop for half a month. Loki has disappeared too. Did something happen to Asgard?"
Strange said a few words on the other end. Schiller sighed and said, "All right. I'll head to the Sanctum Sanctorum now. Wait for me there."
Schiller went downstairs and drove to Wall Street before Manhattan's morning rush hour. After entering the Sanctum Sanctorum and greeting the receptionist, he headed straight into Strange's office.
The moment he arrived, a portal opened before him. Strange and Loki stepped out one after the other, and Schiller's gaze moved back and forth between them.
"Something happened," Strange said.
"What exactly happened?" Schiller asked.
"Don't tell me you know nothing about it." Loki walked over and sat on the sofa, then sighed. "The conflict between the Three Great Empires is becoming increasingly intense. Over the past two weeks, all their highest military commanders have sent letters to Asgard.