The first rays of morning sunlight slipped through the gap in the curtains and brushed gently across Strange's handsome face, waking him from his dreams.
Unlike most people, who enjoyed a leisurely morning, Strange started his day with a cup of black coffee and a quick scan of international medical journals.
After a hurried breakfast, Strange drove to a world-class hospital in the heart of Manhattan.
The busy yet orderly atmosphere inside the hospital felt familiar and reassuring. He changed into his white coat, put on his surgical cap and mask, and instantly became the "guardian of life," treading the line between life and death.
With his superb skills, there was no operation he couldn't handle.
Compared to him, his colleagues were practically idiots. There would never be another doctor who could match him.
His hands had earned him more wealth than most people could imagine making in a lifetime. If he didn't spend it extravagantly, he had enough to last him the rest of his life.
After finishing a day's work, Strange did what he usually did: took his luxury car out for a drive along the mountain roads.
It would be another pleasant outing, as long as nothing went wrong.
But of course, something did. The car accident that should have happened years later caught up with him now, sending the famous doctor tumbling, car and all, over a cliff.
A group of people watched the scene in silence.
"Sir, don't you think this is a little too much for the Holy Son?"
"Evans, this is the will of our Sovereign Lord. The Holy Son must endure hardship to truly grow. Do you want to defy our Sovereign Lord's will?"
The black-robed Mage named Evans trembled slightly, then immediately withdrew, a flicker of confusion in his eyes.
The Sovereign Lord had said the Holy Son needed to be tested, but wouldn't a test like this send him straight to his death?
Wouldn't the Sovereign Lord they had worked so hard to find—a truly great and generous one—fly into a rage?
"The Holy Son won't die. God is watching over him."
So said Kaecilius, whose face was covered in colorful markings.
Three seconds later, sparks flashed and a portal opened. The Ancient One calmly stepped out.
Seeing the Sorcerer Supreme arrive, Kaecilius and the other traitors panicked.
"Don't panic. So what if she's the Sorcerer Supreme? If we work together, even she can't kill us all before she runs out of Mana!"
Though Kaecilius's voice quavered slightly, he tried to stay composed and rally his equally fearful followers.
He was deeply wary of Master Gu Yi's power, but he still had confidence.
As long as Master Gu Yi hadn't found a new Sovereign Lord, her Mana was limited. She couldn't afford to use too much of it just to deal with a handful of them.
But why did she have an aura about her that he found so repulsive?
"Mage Kaecilius, your ambition and ignorance have led you astray."
Master Gu Yi's voice was calm and authoritative. Each word landed like a heavy hammer against Kaecilius's heart.
"Gu Yi, don't put on airs with me. You're no better. Do you think I don't know? You've been drawing power from the Dark Dimension all along.
"If it hadn't been for our Sovereign Lord's guidance, I would've been fooled by your hypocritical facade. Oh, and by the way, the Dark Dimension can't be reached anymore. Do you still have enough Mana to deal with me?"
Kaecilius taunted the Sorcerer Supreme with open hostility. Despite his mocking tone, Master Gu Yi's expression remained unchanged, still serene and composed.
The sight left Kaecilius momentarily dazed.
Once, he too had been a devoted follower of the Sorcerer Supreme. He had admired the Ancient One so deeply.
But after the gods disappeared and he made contact with a new Sovereign Lord, everything changed.
The Ancient One's composure only made Kaecilius angrier, reminding him of all the years he had been deceived.
His emotions were like flames, burning ever higher. Yet mixed with his fury and resentment was a complicated feeling: nostalgia for the innocence of his former faith, intertwined with anger at the cruel truth of reality.
The Ancient One offered no rebuttal. With a wave of her hand, she twisted the space around them. It warped as though bent by an invisible force, forming a vast vortex that closed in around Kaecilius and his followers.
"Mage Kaecilius, your desires and ambitions have consumed you. You've forgotten the principles and responsibilities of a Mage." The Ancient One's voice echoed through the vortex, touched with both sorrow and resolve. "Today, I'll make you face what's inside you and see what you truly seek."
As the Ancient One finished speaking, the vortex's power surged. Kaecilius and his followers felt unprecedented pressure, as though the weight of the entire universe rested on their shoulders.
Their spells seemed tiny before that force, like candle flames in a gale, ready to be snuffed out at any moment.
Kaecilius clenched his teeth, a vicious glint in his eyes. He gathered the Mana within him, trying to break the vortex that bound them.
But his efforts were futile. The vortex only tightened its grip around them.
"Kaecilius, give up!" The Ancient One's voice pierced through the vortex, clear and firm. "You can't escape unless you're willing to face what's inside you and find true redemption."
Kaecilius's heart was full of resentment and fury, but he knew that continuing to fight would only leave him in an even worse position.
Just then, one of his followers, a young and quick-witted black-robed Mage, spotted a subtle flaw in the vortex. He quickly relayed the information to Kaecilius, and the two attacked almost simultaneously, exploiting the weakness to tear open a rift.
"Go!" Kaecilius barked. He and several loyal followers seized their chance to burst out of the vortex and escape the Ancient One's confinement.
The Ancient One stood still, gazing after Kaecilius and the others as they fled. She neither pursued them nor grew angry.
Her face held only quiet sorrow and helplessness, as though she had long expected this to happen.
The Ancient One looked toward the cliff and the scene of Strange's car accident, frowning. But after confirming that the doctor was still alive, she left it alone.
With a wave of her hand, sparks flashed, and she left.
"Whee-oo, whee-oo."
As the ambulance sirens sounded, the renowned Doctor Strange was loaded into the vehicle and taken to the hospital, where his less capable colleagues could treat him in emergency care.
His hands wouldn't be saved in the future. Now, they were just as doomed.