章節 57: Chapter 57
Before Liam left, the Ancient One spoke. "Bring her to Kamar-Taj."
Liam turned back with a questioning look.
"The procedure will happen there," the Ancient One clarified.
Liam nodded, understanding now. "Well, we'll be on our way then."
He exited the room, with Ava following close behind.
Outside, Ava asked, "What is Kamar-Taj?"
Liam pondered for a moment before answering. "Think of it as our headquarters."
"Headquarters?" Ava repeated, clearly curious.
"Yeah. It's not just me and my teacher who've learned magic. There's a whole group of people trained in the same teachings," Liam explained.
"For what purpose?" Ava asked, skeptical. "I've never heard about anything like this in SHIELD. Why learn magic if you've never used it to do anything?"
"That's not for me to answer," Liam replied, calmly.
Ava gave him a questioning look, while in thought. 'A magic organization? What exactly was SHIELD doing for them not to notice this? Or maybe… what have they been doing to stay so well-hidden?'
As they walked, the pair passed glass windows that held deserts, oceans, and jungles behind them.
"What is this?" Ava stopped to look, her curiosity piqued.
"Just some standard portals leading to different parts of the world," Liam answered casually, continuing forward.
Ava stared at the portals in wonder before hurrying to catch back up with him.
Eventually, they arrived at a large door named Nexus Room.
"What's this door for?" Ava asked.
"This is the nexus room—our main transportation gate between sanctums," Liam explained as he opened the door.
Inside, Ava noticed a couple doors of the same height, each named with different. Liam walked straight to one of the doors and opened it.
"This one," he said, holding it open for Ava.
Ava quickened her pace and stepped through.
On the other side, she noticed the different temperature.
"And now we're pretty much on the other side of the world—just like that," Liam said with a small smile.
He gestured ahead. "Let's get you settled in."
They began walking through Kamar-Taj. Other students greeted them warmly as they passed, and Ava couldn't help but notice the peaceful atmosphere.
"This almost seems like a perfect society," Ava observed. "Everyone is polite and kind to each other, despite being total strangers."
Liam nodded in agreement. 'Almost indeed.' Liam thought while he nodded.
As they continued, they passed a courtyard where students were in the middle of their training. Liam greeted a few familiar faces, including a teacher who had mentored him before.
"This is the courtyard," he explained. "It's where new recruits are trained."
Ava nodded, her curiosity growing. "How are these people selected?"
"It varies," Liam replied. "Some come here searching for knowledge; others come because they need help and don't see any other way out. Of course, the process isn't that simple, but that's how most people stumble upon this place."
"So anyone can do this?" Ava asked.
"Yes. The only requirements are an open mind and good intentions," Liam explained.
Finally, they arrived at a large building with open doors. Liam led Ava inside, down a long corridor with doors on both sides.
"These are rooms for new recruits," Liam said, gesturing to the doors as they walked. He stopped at the end of the corridor and opened a door on the right. "This will be your room."
Ava stepped inside, looking around.
"Well, I'll leave you to get settled," Liam said before turning to leave.
Liam returned to his own room, lost in thought. 'I don't know what the Ancient One is planning by showing her all of this, but it should work out somehow,' he reassured himself.
Once in his room, Liam opened a small portal. "Can't slack off a single day," he muttered. "Do it once, and you'll find yourself doing it more and more."
--
Meanwhile, in her room, Ava couldn't help but take another look around.
"I've never heard of or seen a place like this," she muttered to herself. "What is this place, really?"
She sat down, looking back on everything she'd heard so far.
"This procedure…" Ava thought, frowning. Deep down, she found it hard to trust the Ancient One. 'No one does something for someone else for free,' she thought.
Still, she couldn't deny how remarkable the place was.
'Magic…' she mused. 'And so many people training it too. A force like this—imagine the power. They could take over any nation. People portaling into ammunition rooms or planting bombs in the White House for example… no one would know. No one would see.'
A shiver ran down her spine as the implications hit her. 'What's stopping them from taking over the world?'
After she finished thinking, she decided to explore the sanctum. As she walked through the corridors, she was greeted warmly by people who walked past her.
Eventually, she found herself in the courtyard. 'Training,' she thought, leaning against a fence as she observed a group of twenty students practicing in perfect unison. An older man moved among them, correcting their gestures and encouraging them to 'free their minds'.
"What are those orange circles appearing in front of them?" she wondered aloud, noticing the glowing shapes that appeared infront of the students during the training.
After the group finished, a smaller group of eight students took their place. They split into pairs and waited.
A brown man with a calm presence and short black hair entered the courtyard, and the students greeted him with deep respect.
'That must be another teacher,' Ava thought, noticing the respect coming from the students.
The man gave a signal, and the pairs began sparring. Some students jumped back, forming orange circles in the air, while others charged forward wielding strange pole-like weapons.
"Fascinating, isn't it?"
Ava turned around to find the Ancient One standing behind her, hands clasped behind her back as she watched the students with a peaceful expression.
"I've never seen anything like this," Ava admitted. "How does magic even work?"
The Ancient One smiled. "We channel energy from other dimensions to fuel our imagination."
"Other dimensions?" Ava asked, interested.
"The universe isn't as simple as it seems," the Ancient One began. "Earth exists within a plane with its own rules, inhabitants, and properties. Similarly, there are countless other planes, each with its own rules, inhabitants, and properties."
Ava frowned, struggling to grasp the concept. "What?"
"Yes, young Ava," the Ancient One continued. "The Quantum Realm, which you're so familiar with, is one such dimension. However, it's a lot more unique than most."
"The Quantum Realm?" Ava repeated, surprised by the connection.
"It is a subrealm of our own, overlapping with our physical world on a microscopic level," the Ancient One explained. "Unlike most dimensions, it lacks the concepts of time and space. The Quantum Realm has a lot more unique aspects, but I won't bore you with those."
"So, is the goal of magic to explore these dimensions?" Ava asked, trying to connect the dots.
"Not entirely," the Ancient One said. "Most dimensions are hostile to us. Many even attempt to invade Earth daily."
"Invade?" Ava asked, her disbelief evident. "How come no one knows about this?"
"We have our ways of remaining hidden," the Ancient One replied with a small smile.
"But why stay hidden?" Ava questioned. "Armies and organizations could help with these invasions."
The Ancient One's smile faded slightly. "If Earth relied on armies of ordinary people, they might contain some threats. But when the truly dangerous beings come, along with their armies, all life on Earth would be wiped out within a week."
Ava fell silent, processing this information.
The Ancient One added, "Your procedure will take place in five days." With that, she turned and walked away.
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