Dream Kingdom, Muir Island.
Miles stepped out into the Void. The bizarre sights around him instantly froze, then reverted to the familiar flowing lights of the Astral Plane.
The moment he steadied himself, something stirred in his heart, and he stopped.
Almost at the same time, The Ancient One's figure descended silently before him.
"What happened?"
The Ancient One asked, "For that instant just now, I felt as though you had left this dimension."
"Something unexpected happened, Sorcerer Supreme." Miles's voice was somewhat heavy. His farewell with David still lingered in his mind. "I met my brother."
"Your brother?" The Ancient One asked in surprise. "Another you from another universe?"
"From another universe, not 'me'... but he was indeed my brother."
Miles shook his head. "Unfortunately, he was already dead. His body should still be with the Shadow King... Good. Now I have one more reason to kill the Shadow King."
"Even in death, he could leave such a profound influence in the Astral Plane... Your brother must have possessed immense power." The Ancient One sighed. "Can you tell me his name?"
"David Haller," Miles answered.
"Hmm, my intuition tells me I should remember that name," The Ancient One murmured.
Although The Ancient One had never heard the name "David Haller" either, her intuition told her it belonged to someone terrifying.
"Sorcerer Supreme, how long was I gone?" Miles asked again.
"A few seconds," The Ancient One answered, then reminded him, "Time has no meaning in the Astral Plane. The flow of time in different mental worlds may be completely out of sync. What matters is your own experiences and understanding."
"So I spent all that time in the psychiatric hospital, but only a few seconds passed in reality?" Miles murmured, then nodded. "I understand, Sorcerer Supreme."
He moved his