章節 22: Seen Through
Waking up, Liam's entire body ached. Slowly, he blinked the grogginess from his eyes and took in his surroundings. The room he was in looked ancient—wooden doors, old carpets, and curtains with a design he hadn't seen anywhere in modern New York. The walls were decorated with worn-out fabric, and as he glanced through a rusted iron-barred window, he saw what appeared to be a busy alley, not a street.
"Kamar-Taj… they must have moved me here while I was passed out," Liam realized.
Getting out of bed, he stretched and walked out of the room. As he stepped into the corridor, other people moved past him, all wearing traditional robes, absorbed in their own tasks. Following the flow of the place, Liam made his way down a set of stairs and headed toward what looked like an open courtyard—the training grounds of Kamar-Taj. His goal was clear: find The Ancient One.
"Looking for someone, Liam Hawthorne?" a calm voice said from behind.
Liam turned around, instantly recognizing the figure standing before him. The Ancient One, her expression peaceful, stood with a small smile. Beside her was a familiar face—Wong. He wasn't a librarian yet, but Liam recognized him immediately from the Doctor Strange movies, known for his amazing sense of humor.
"Hello, Ancient One," Liam greeted, trying to remain composed. Then he turned to Wong and introduced himself with a nod.
"Follow me," The Ancient One said, her voice steady as she waved her hand, creating a portal. The gateway revealed another room on the other side, Liam followed her without hesitation.
The Ancient One gestured to a chair, and Liam sat down. Wong moved silently in the background, pouring tea for The Ancient One. As she sipped from her cup, her gaze settled on Liam, making his skin crawl.
"Thank you, Wong," The Ancient One said. "You can leave now."
Wong nodded and left, leaving The Ancient One and Liam alone.
"So," she began, her voice casual, "what is your purpose here, Liam Hawthorne?"
Liam met her gaze. "I want to learn. Please, teach me the mystical arts."
The Ancient One chuckled softly, but there was no warmth in it. "The mystical arts? Is that what you seek? The same arts we've used for centuries to protect this dimension from invaders and catastrophic dangers?" Her tone shifted, becoming sharper. "Why would we teach someone whose very presence has already thrown this dimension into chaos?"
Liam's heart skipped a beat as she stared him down. Her expression wasn't one of anger, but of careful examination—like she was looking past him, into him.
"You have caused quite a disturbance, Liam," she continued, her eyes flicking briefly to Incursio, which now rested dormant on his back. "Since that weapon of yours entered this world, the original timeline has gone off course. When you were first reborn here, I ignored you, thinking you'd live out your life peacefully. An error in judgment, perhaps. But ever since your weapon appeared, the threads of time have become tangled and more difficult to observe."
Liam swallowed. "I had no idea… I never meant to cause any harm. One moment, I was in my world, studying history, and the next, I was here, reborn as a baby." He paused, trying to find the right words. "I don't know how or why it happened, but I'm not here to destroy anything."
The Ancient One studied him in silence for a moment before setting her cup down.
"You misunderstand me, Liam. It's not your intentions that concern me, but your very existence here. Your presence, and that weapon… they do not belong. The natural order of this universe is already in chaos." Her tone softened, but the tension in the room only grew. "Your desire for power, for knowledge—it's understandable. Especially since you appear to have knowledge about this universe and its future. But you must understand the cost."
Liam clenched his fists. "I know I don't belong here, but I believe that this was an opportunity given to me. The battles that are coming—the wars—I can't run from them. I want to help, not tear things apart."
The Ancient One's eyes narrowed. "The battles you speak of—what makes you believe you should be involved? That your interference won't make things worse than what you already know?"
"Because doing nothing isn't an option," Liam said. "I know the threats that are coming—Thanos, the Infinity Stones, the invasion of Earth, all of them. If I don't get stronger, I'll just be another person waiting to die or be forced to watch billions die."
"You think you know quite a lot about this universe, don't you, Liam?" The Ancient One asked, her tone pointed. "While you know certain future events, what about the ones you don't know about? What about the ones from different dimensions? I doubt you've seen those threats, have you? Your influence on future battles might thin or break the barriers that keep out multiversal threats. What about those, Liam? Are you going to fight them too?"
"I will," Liam said.
"Arrogance," The Ancient One said coldly, her tone tinged with disappointment.
Suddenly, the room shifted around them. The Ancient One raised her hand, and the walls of the room melted away. In their place, vast expanses of different realities came into view—endless dimensions, each with its own cosmic dangers, some on the brink of collapse. Liam's breath stopped as he watched a universe consumed by dark matter, another shattered by unknown forces.
"This is the multiverse," The Ancient One's voice echoed, filling his mind. "The reality you know is but a small part of it. Every action you take here ripples across dimensions. You are a stone thrown into an infinite pond, and every ripple could bring ruin. Are you ready to face threats from beyond this reality? To bear the burden of potentially destroying entire worlds you have never seen?"
"Since it's my fault that this is happening, I will fight with everything I have if it ever comes to that," Liam said resolutely.
The room fell into silence, the air filled with tension. After what felt like an eternity, The Ancient One finally spoke, her voice no longer sharp, as if the entire conversation hadn't happened.
"Very well, Liam. If you seek power, I will not stop you. But know this: the path you're choosing is one of immense danger. You will not just learn the arts to protect yourself—you will learn to protect the very fabric of this universe. And the more you learn, the more you'll risk destabilizing everything."
Liam nodded. "I understand."
The Ancient One stood, gesturing for Liam to follow her once more. "Then come. Your training begins soon."
章節 23: Settling In
After following The Ancient One, Liam arrived in a different room from the one he had woken up in. Looking around, he noticed his belongings already stacked in the corner of the room, as if The Ancient One had predicted his stay.
Curious, he asked, "Did you foresee our conversation?"
The Ancient One smiled gently and shook her head. "No, just a feeling."
"Take your time to settle in," she added. "Afterward, go to the courtyard and wait for a teacher to begin your training."
"Alright, thank you," Liam replied.
Once The Ancient One left, Liam began unpacking his suitcase. As he did, he replayed the earlier conversation in his mind. 'While she could see that I have knowledge of the future and was reborn here, which I somewhat expected, she didn't mention anything about what brought me here or how I gained that knowledge.' He paused in thought, folding a shirt. 'Maybe she knows more than she's told me, like with Strange, who wasn't ready for the truth yet according to her. Not that it matters for now anyway.'
After finishing unpacking, he opened his laptop and sent an email to his grandfather. 'Settled in the new area. Gonna be here for a while, love you.' Short and vague, but it would enough. Clicking send, Liam headed downstairs toward the courtyard, where he had been told to wait for his teacher.
About fifteen minutes later, someone else appeared—someone Liam instantly recognized from the movies. Mordo. The same man who would one day train Doctor Strange, and would later become the Mage Hunter. His behaviour was just as Liam remembered from the films, serious but kind.
"So," Mordo said, with a smile on his face as he looked Liam up and down, "you are the one The Ancient One has asked me to train."
"Yes," Liam responded. "Liam Hawthorne. Nice to meet you."
Mordo gave a brief nod, getting more serious, his eyes narrowed as he assessed Liam. "The Ancient One sees something in you, so I trust her judgment. But know that her trust is not easily earned, and neither is mine. You will be tested, and you will need more than just the desire to learn."
Liam could tell Mordo ment what he said despite the smile on his face. Mordo was still super loyal to The Ancient One currently, not knowing that she is using dark energy to prolong her life.
"I understand," Liam replied. "I'm ready to learn."
Mordo responded. "Good. You will need that resolve. Follow me."
As they walked through the corridors of Kamar-Taj, Mordo continued. "The Ancient One's teachings are not merely about power. They are about responsibility, about maintaining the balance of this world. The path you are about to walk is not easy, but it is the right one."
They arrived at the library. The shelves were filled with ancient books, and the air smelled of old paper. In the corner, the librarian—a man whose life would later be cut short by Kaecilius—stood silently, watching.
"This is Master Drumm. He guards this library and will help you choose the right teachings," Mordo introduced him.
Mordo gestured to the shelves. "These are the foundational texts. Begin with them. They will teach you the principles you need to understand before we begin your formal training."
Liam nodded as Mordo continued, "The Ancient One believes you can learn, but it is your discipline and dedication that will determine how far you go."
"I will leave you now," Mordo said. "Read these books, and once you have absorbed their teachings, seek me out again. Only then will your training truly begin."
Mordo turned and left, leaving Liam alone with Master Drumm.
As Mordo exited, Liam turned to Master Drumm, who had been observing the conversation in silence. The librarian approached, holding two books.
"You are just starting out with magic?" Drumm asked, his voice calm and measured. "I am Drumm, the person in charge here. If you need help finding teachings in the future, come ask me." He handed Liam the books. "For now, you'll need these."
Liam took the books and glanced at the titles. The first read Mystical Foundations Arts, while the second was titled Dimensional Theory: Energy Extraction and Manipulation.
"Thank you," Liam said gratefully, realizing how important these first steps were, as he had no idea how to draw energy from other dimensions, let alone manipulate it.
Master Drumm nodded, a knowing look in his eyes. "Take your time. Magic is not something which can be rushed. It will reveal itself in time."
Liam returned to his room, laying the books out on the desk before him. 'It's finally starting.' Who wouldn't be excited, everybody has dreamed of using magic in their lives and so did he. He flipped open the first book, Dimensional Theory: Energy Extraction and Manipulation, and began reading.
As Liam read through the first few pages, he quickly realized it wasn't as easy as Doctor Strange had made it seem in the movies. The concept of manipulating energy and drawing it from different dimensions hadn't been highlighted accurately in the films.
As he continued reading, Liam came to the conclusion that while understanding the theory was important, actually drawing energy from another dimension was a very difficult process—and manipulating it seemed even worse.
Opening the second book to skim through, he found that it focused more on the history of the sanctums and it's ways. It detailed the lives of previous Ancient Ones and gave information about the founder of the sanctums.
"This is going to take a while to read and learn, isn't it?" Liam thought to himself.
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