The foreshadowing was planted in the first chapter; I wonder if anyone has thought of it yet.
hey-hey.
The previous chapter was compensation for the late update.
I was too tired last night to do any serious editing.
Everyone enjoyed watching.
When Mordo rushed out, Strange was still standing in the center of the hall, the Cloak of Levitation quietly draped over his shoulders.
"I sense magical fluctuations! They're here! Come help!"
Mordo's voice came from the end of the corridor, and he had already rushed towards the entrance hall.
Strange didn't have time to think and took off after him.
The moment the two rushed into the foyer, the sight before them made Strange pause abruptly.
Kaecilius and his two followers stood in the center of the hall, the three of them forming a triangle, their hands tracing complex magic circles in the air.
A dark golden energy vortex was rapidly spinning and expanding among them, its edges crackling with unstable dark purple lightning, and a kind of oppressive low rumble filled the air.
He could sense that once that thing exploded, the entire Sanctum would be destroyed.
We have to stop them!
Mordo rushed forward, unleashing pale golden magical chains from his hands that precisely bound the arms of two of his followers, abruptly interrupting their spellcasting.
The two were pulled off their balance by the magical chains, the magic circle in their hands suddenly broke, and the edge of the energy vortex trembled violently.
Kaecilius maintained the formation's operation alone, continuously injecting dark magic from his palm into the energy vortex that was on the verge of collapse.
Mordo glanced back at Strange and saw he was still standing there. " Strange, come and fight!"
Just before the energy vortex was about to explode, Strange raised his hand.
The Mirror Dimension is like a glass wall that has been pushed down, instantly enveloping the entire foyer.
The energy vortex that was about to explode expanded for a moment in the Mirror Dimension, then was firmly locked in place by the rules of this folded space itself, and could no longer cause any harm to the real world.
Strange stood in the center of the Mirror Dimension, looking at Kaecilius, a cold smile playing on his lips.
" Mirror Dimension. You can't affect the real world from here. Bastard, who's smug now?"
Kaecilius looked up at him, his mocking smile widening.
"It's me."
He raised his hand, and then the entire space began to twist, fold, and flip.
The space of the Mirror Dimension was kneaded and molded like clay in his hands. The floor folded upwards to become the ceiling, the walls slid sideways to block the way out, and the stairs were folded into impossible geometric shapes.
His connection to the Dark Dimension makes him more powerful in the Mirror Dimension than in the outside world; the spatial rules here are weapons rather than constraints for him.
"Run!" Mordo grabbed Strange's arm, and the two sprinted toward the other side of the hall. As they passed Kaecilius, Strange suddenly reached out and ripped off the Sling Ring hanging from his waist.
The two burst through the side door and into the corridor. Strange, panting heavily as he ran, asked, "I stole his Sling Ring! He can't get out, right?"
Without turning his head, Mordo shouted, "You're really clever! Knowing they can fold space and matter at will in the real world, you still dragged them into the Mirror Dimension? Their connection to the Dark Dimension makes them more powerful here than outside. They can't affect the real world, but they can kill both of us! Let's run first."
Strange raised his hand, attempting to open the portal.
Orange sparks ignited at his fingertips, and a portal began to take shape, leading to the courtyard of Kamar-Taj.
But just as the portal was about to fully open, the entire road suddenly flipped upwards, interrupting Strange.
After a chase, just as Kaecilius was about to kill Strange, a pale golden light surged in from the spatial rift. The Ancient One appeared between Strange and Kaecilius, pushing her hands apart to the sides, forcibly separating the Mirror Dimension space beneath her palms.
(It's really hard to describe the sheer impact of watching the movie directly. (｡•́•̀｡) Writing too much might get me accused of padding. Just use your imagination...)
Mordo stood beside the Ancient One, his gaze fixed on her forehead.
There was a Dormammu sign enclosed in a diamond shape that emitted a faint white light.
Mordo's lips moved several times, his voice hoarse and trembling. "You really draw energy from the Dark Dimension?"
The Ancient One looked at him, opened his mouth, but said nothing.
She knew it was pointless to explain anything to Mordo; his soul was too rigid to tolerate any compromise.
The Ancient One turned to face Kaecilius. Her voice remained calm and unhurried, as if she were urging a misguided child to return home. " Kaecilius, stop."
Kaecilius stood there, his gaze lingering on the mark on the Ancient One's forehead for a long time, before slowly speaking, his voice filled with bitterness and resentment at being deceived.
When I came to you, I was heartbroken, lost, and in need of help! I trusted you and learned from you, but you were full of lies!
I just want to protect you.
Will the truth hurt me?
The Ancient One was silent for a moment. "The truth won't come out, but knowing the truth will hurt you."
"Whatever. Now I have a new mentor, Dormammu will help me!"
" Dormammu is just deceiving you. You don't know his true nature; his so-called help is nothing but endless torment."
Kaecilius finally erupted. His face was contorted with rage, the cracks etched by dark magic appearing particularly grotesque in the cold light of the Mirror Dimension. "You liar! Don't expect me to believe you again! At least he gave me hope!"
He waved his hands, and together with two followers, they rushed towards the Ancient One.
Three against one.
Kaecilius and his companions were more powerful than usual in the Mirror Dimension, with two followers launching coordinated attacks from the flanks.
The Ancient One's pale golden magical barrier steadily blocked all attacks, each parry precise and composed.
Just as the Ancient One was suppressing a follower, Kaecilius finally stopped hiding his true feelings.
He put on the Sling Ring he had just snatched from Strange, and conjured a nearly transparent folded blade out of thin air.
Without hesitation, he stabbed at the body of the follower in front of him, the folded blade piercing through his chest before sinking into the Ancient One's chest.
Kaecilius drew his Folding Blade, looked into her still calm eyes, and raised his hand to open a portal behind her that led directly to the outside world.
The cold New York wind blew in from outside the door, and he kicked her inside.
The Ancient One's body plummeted from the sky. The wind whistled past her ears, her robes billowed in the night wind, and the Dormammu mark on her forehead slowly faded.
Lynn was already waiting below. His portal was directly below the Ancient One's fall trajectory, and he was carrying a fake corpse that he had created in advance using his abilities. Its appearance, texture, and even the distribution of its weight were exactly the same as the real the Ancient One.
He threw the fake corpse out the instant the Ancient One's body passed through the portal. The two bodies crossed in mid-air; he caught one, while the other continued to fall, crashing heavily onto the street in downtown New York City with a dull thud.
This is the scene that Strange and Mordo saw when they rushed out following the Ancient One.
The Ancient One lay quietly on the cold road, her eyes closed, blood still seeping from the wound on her chest.
A faint smile seemed to linger on her lips. Strange knelt beside her, his fingers trembling as he checked her pulse, then all his strength seemed to drain away.
Strange picked up the Ancient One, opened a portal, and headed straight for the hospital where he used to work.
The red light in the emergency room came on.
Looking at the green dots on the electrocardiogram that were almost stretched into a straight line, he suddenly remembered the first time he met the Ancient One.
That palm strike to his chest blasted his soul out of his body; at that time, the Ancient One said it was Soul Dimension.
He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and then suddenly jerked his soul out of his body.
He saw the Ancient One. Her soul was sitting quietly on the windowsill of the hospital room, gazing at the New York night outside, her posture composed, as if she were waiting for a late bus.
Strange's soul passed through the walls of the ward and chased after her. The Ancient One's soul had already floated up from the windowsill and was slowly flying towards the outside. He chased her through the glass window and up to the hospital rooftop, where a cold wind passed between his and her soul forms.
"Don't do this! You're about to die! Do you have any way? Tell me! You have to get back into your body right now! We still have a chance!"
The Ancient One stopped and turned to look at him. Her soul glowed with a faint golden light in the New York night sky, her expression still that calm and gentle smile.
"There's no going back. I've spent far too much time trying to glimpse the future, but each time it's led me here. I can't see what's to come. I've prevented countless terrible futures, time and time again, but the result is always the same: I'm stuck at this moment."
"Can't you see what's behind you? Do you think you're going to die right now?"
The Ancient One looked at him, the smile on his lips deepening slightly. "Do you know what I see in your future?"
No, only I can decide my own future.
The Ancient One smiled at him without saying a word.
Strange paused for a moment, then finally spoke the truth, "Yes, I think so."
"Actually, I've never truly seen your future. I've only seen the possibilities. You've always been outstanding, but not because you want to succeed; it's more because you're afraid of failure."
That's why I'm an excellent doctor.
The Ancient One looked at him, his smile softening, tinged with a hint of helplessness. "It's precisely because of this mindset that you cannot achieve your greatness. Arrogance and fear will forever hold you back, preventing you from learning the simplest and most important thing. The individual is not truly important. When we first met, you asked me how I cured Jonathan Pangborn. I told you then that I didn't cure him. He merely channeled dimensional energy into his body."
Strange was stunned. "He's not cured, he's walking on magic!"
The Ancient One smiled and continued, "That's just how it is. He had a choice: to return to his old life or to contribute to a greater cause. He chose the former."
"So... can my hand be restored?"
"Of course. But because of your restoration, the world might become more dangerous. I used to despise those who draw energy from the Dark Dimension. But you must understand, sometimes you have to break the rules to achieve something greater. I've lived this long and haven't found a suitable successor. I can only become the person I hate the most."
" Mordo wouldn't think so."
" Mordo's soul is strong and unyielding; it's a quality forged by the flames of his youth. You have the ability to protect the Earth, and he needs your flexibility, just as you need his strength."
"You want me to take your place? But I'm not ready yet. Isn't Lynn good enough?"
"Life is exciting precisely because of the unknown. No one is always prepared. We cannot choose the timing. Death gives meaning to life; knowing that we will die sooner or later gives us a sense of urgency to do everything well. From now on... I entrust it to you."
The Ancient One's figure slowly dissipated in the night wind, the last faint golden light merging into the New York skyline.
In the Ancient One's meditation room, Lynn sat on a futon, holding a cup of tea that had gone cold. A pale golden light drifted in from the window and landed on the body opposite the low table.
The Ancient One opened her eyes, still with that composed demeanor, only the Dormammu mark on her forehead had completely disappeared.
What are your plans for the future?
The Ancient One's movements remained as unhurried and deliberate as ever.
"Our contract will remain in effect for a while longer. I've seen the sights of Earth for centuries; I want to see other places. Strange needs your supervision; his ideas are sometimes too extreme."
She took out a notebook bound with silk thread from her sleeve, gently placed it on the low table, and pushed it in front of Lynn.
"These are my magical insights accumulated over a long period of time. I hope you'll take a look; even if you don't necessarily need them, they might still be of some help."
Lynn took the notebook, her fingertips touching the ancient patterns on the cover, and remained silent for a long while.
The Ancient One stood up and drew a circle in the air with her hand. A portal opened in front of her, with countless starlight slowly flowing along the edge of the portal frame on the other side.
She walked to the door and suddenly turned back to look at Lynn. There was no sadness or reluctance in her eyes, only a very faint curiosity.
She looked at Lynn, winked, and a sly smile crept onto her lips. "There's something I've been wanting to ask you for a long time. When you came... was everything alright over there?"
Lynn was still immersed in the sadness of impending separation and, without thinking, subconsciously replied, "It's fine."
Then he suddenly raised his head and looked at the Ancient One with a shocked expression.
The Ancient One's smile deepened at his expression. "Do you remember what we said when we first met? I've never seen a complete outsider like you before. Some transmigrators die, some... live for a very long time."
She stood at the edge of the portal, giving him one last look, her voice still gentle, "Earth is in your hands now."
After saying that, she turned and walked into the endless starlight.
The portal slowly closed behind her, and the last wisp of pale golden light dissipated into the air.
The meditation room returned to silence, with only the sound of prayer flags fluttering gently in the breeze outside the window.