Chương 209: Mirror dimension training
[Kamar Taj]
The Ancient One had been expecting me for further training, especially after my... "incident" with the Mirror Dimension last time. Although I opened it before, it was unstable.
"You're late," the Ancient One's voice echoed from behind me.
I turned, only to find her standing calmly on the edge of a cliff overlooking the mountains surrounding Kamar Taj. Her usual serene smile was in place, but I could tell she wasn't impressed by my tardiness.
"Yeah, I know. Sorry, got... caught up with something," I said, scratching the back of my neck. No way I was telling her what exactly I'd been up to with Michelle.
Her smile deepened as if she knew anyway. "Time is a fluid concept here. What matters is how you use it."
She stepped forward, motioning for me to follow her. We walked in silence for a few moments until we reached a training chamber—one I hadn't been in before. The Ancient One didn't give me much to go on with her cryptic phrases, but that was part of her charm. Or annoyance, depending on the day. Today, I felt the latter. My mind was still reeling from the intense session with Michelle. Spider-enhanced or not, she knew how to leave an impression.
The chamber we entered was vast and open, almost like a void in space. The walls shimmered slightly. The energy in the room was suffocating, almost as if reality itself was bending under the pressure. I had experienced this sensation before but not on this scale.
"Today, we are focusing on the Mirror Dimension once," the Ancient One began, her voice calm yet commanding. "You've accessed it, Peter, but you've barely scratched the surface. There's much more to learn if you hope to control it properly."
The Ancient One swiped her right arm in the air, and instantly, the air around us seemed to ripple. Slowly, the chamber began to transform, walls expanding and curving inwards. The floor beneath me shifted, swirling like a whirlpool. It was like being in a dream—where nothing made sense but felt entirely natural.
"You must learn to bend the Mirror Dimension to your will. It is a reflection of the real world, but it obeys different rules," she explained, her eyes glowing faintly with power.
I watched as the room continued to shift, the laws of physics becoming mere suggestions. It's always exciting to see this place. The Ancient One stepped onto what looked like a vertical wall and walked as if it were a flat plane. Everything was kinda shiny around the place just like I remembered from my last time here. Meanwhile, I struggled just to keep my feet from sliding on the floor. With my spider power, I should be able to stick to the surface, but for some reason, it was difficult to do so.
"Follow me," She began to walk forward.
As soon as I took a step, the ground under me vanished. I was falling—or at least I thought I was. There was no sensation of wind rushing past me, no stomach-churning drop. It's a weird feeling. Like you are falling, yet you aren't. I was falling or floating, I don't know. Everything around me was while and empty... Way too empty... Am I breathing?! Feels so sleepy...
Fuck! What was that just now?! I shook my head.
"Focus," her voice echoed around me, though I couldn't see her anymore. "The Mirror Dimension responds to intent. You must believe you are in control. Only then will the environment yield to you."
Yeah, easier said than done. Something just tried to do something funny with my head.
Ok. Clear unnecessary thought. Closing my eyes, I tried to steady my breathing. Focus is my forte. Although this isn't a great place to focus and the fact that I can't feel anything... Still, gotta do it. This was all just an illusion, right? A reflection of reality. If I wanted to stop falling, I just had to will it. I pictured myself standing on solid ground, my feet planted firmly, the world around me still and calm.
Slowly, the sensation of falling began to ease.
I opened my eyes and found myself standing on a platform in the middle of the swirling, distorted space. The chamber was still shifting, slowly stabilizing around me. And it took the shape of that room we entered, but much bigger.
"Good," the Ancient One said with a nod as she reappeared beside me. "You're starting to understand. The Mirror Dimension is a reflection of your mind. If your thoughts are chaotic, so too will the world around you be."
I nodded, feeling a bit more confident than before. This was different from the physical battles I was used to. It was more cerebral, more about controlling my own mind than controlling my body. I can handle it.
Hmnn... Now that I think of it, back then it was really reckless of me to enter the mirror dimension.
"Now," the Ancient One continued, "we will move to the next phase."
With a flick of her wrist, the world around us changed again. The serene, floating platform I had been standing on shattered into a thousand pieces, and I found myself standing in what looked like a twisted, upside-down version of New York City. Skyscrapers jutted out at impossible angles, some hanging from the sky like stalactites, while others rose from the ground only to bend in on themselves.
It was dizzying, disorienting, and utterly bizarre.
"Your task is simple," she said, her voice calm as ever. "Find a way out."
I blinked at her. "That's it? Just... find a way out?"
She smiled. "That's it. But remember, the Mirror Dimension is not bound by the same rules as the real world. What works in one place may not work here. Think outside the box."
With that, she vanished, leaving me alone in this twisted version of the city.
Great. Just great.
I took a deep breath and looked around. The city was both familiar and alien at the same time. The streets were empty, but I could hear distant echoes—like the city itself was alive and watching me. There was no clear path forward. Everything was a maze of distorted buildings and warped streets.
"Okay, Peter, think," I muttered to myself. "How do you get out of a place that doesn't follow the rules?"
I took a careful step forward, testing the ground beneath me. It held firm, but I knew that could change at any moment. I needed to think of this place like a puzzle, one that responded to my thoughts and actions.
"Control your fear, control the dimension," I repeated to myself, recalling the line from one of the books I once read. Easier said than done, but I had to try. I controlled it once before, I just gotta get back that feeling.
I extended my arm forward and imagined a bridge forming from one side of the street to the other. Sure enough, the air rippled as a shimmering bridge appeared, stretching out over the gap. It was like magic. I stepped onto the bridge and took another cautious step. It held steady, despite being suspended in mid-air. I can't believe it. I'm really doing this.
With a grin, I started to run across the bridge. As I moved, the world shifted around me. The buildings twisted and turned, forming new pathways and shortcuts. It was like a living labyrinth, always changing to match my desires. I was just thinking and it was taking shape right before my eyes almost instantly.
I felt like I could do this forever. But I wasn't here to play around. I had a task to complete.
I stopped and tried to open a portal out of the place. But... it didn't work. No portal opened up. I can feel my magic, but it isn't working the normal way. So, how about trying something abnormal?
"Focus, Parker... You are the one in control," Closing my eyes once more, I pictured the city around me returning to normal. I focused on the feeling of standing on solid ground, on the sound of cars honking in the distance, and on the smell of hot dogs from a nearby vendor. I extended my harm forward and did the reverse of what I usually do while opening a portal. Slowly, I began to feel the world around me shift.
When I opened my eyes again, the city had returned to something resembling normalcy. The buildings were upright, the streets were straight, and the sky was a normal shade of blue. I was standing on the rooftop of a building with a giant clock. The space around me rippled for a moment like shards of broken mirrors but soon stabilized.
"Well done," the Ancient One's voice echoed behind me.
I turned to see her standing there, her serene smile in place.
"That was faster than Stephen's first time. You're catching up quickly," she said with a nod.
I smiled at the praise. "Thanks. But I still have a long way to go."
She nodded. "Indeed, but you have already come a long way."
This was just the start, but I knew I was on the right path. With more training, I could master the Mirror Dimension—and who knew what else I could achieve?
For now, though, I had a lot more work to do.
---
[3rd Person POV]
[Meanwhile] [Manhattan] [Alley]
A black SUV blocked the alleyway.
"Let her go," Emma Frost said, her voice cold as ice. "And I might just make it a little less painful."
"Why? Can't you get into my head and control my actions?" The man holding Chat at gunpoint sneered. He was wearing a helmet, designed to block psychic attacks.
"Or maybe try to use your telekinesis." A familiar voice came to Emma's ears as the door of the SUV opened.
"Shaw! Figures," Emma replied, rolling her eyes.
"How are you feeling, Emma?" Shaw asked in an amused tone.
Emma narrowed her eyes at him, then turned back to the man holding her daughter hostage.
"She has nothing to do with it. Let her go," She repeated herself.
Shaw gave a nod to the man holding Chat. He let her go. Chat quickly ran to Emma and hid behind her.
"What do you want?" Emma asked, cutting to the chase.
"You," Shaw said, pointing at Emma. "I want you. You see, I don't want you to suffer. So, thought I'll give you an offer."
A wisp of wind passed by Shaw as he froze in his steps. He felt an arm around his neck and heard an unfamiliar voice. "You can't be serious. Are you seriously so arrogant that you think you can take her from me?"
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