Investigating a passenger list of Puritans who sailed to Maine in the 1850s was no easy task. At that time, household registration systems were still extremely rudimentary, which caused Solomon's investigation to stall for a while. Fortunately, the family he was researching was rather prominent in the area—their bloodline stretched across both Europe and North America along the same voyage path. Through a collection of family correspondence, Solomon was able to resume his work. Professor Selvig was instrumental in helping; upon learning of Solomon's request, he cheerfully drove the sorcerer to the family's ancestral estate in the U.K., where they combed through obituaries and newspaper archives at the local library. Piece by piece, the story came together. But what they uncovered was chilling, and even Darcy, who had tagged along to observe, nearly jumped out of her skin at the sight of the dusty, yellowed documents.
This family seemed cursed by the shadow of death. From the infamously powerful elders to the estranged descendants, not one died peacefully. Some fell deathly ill in their youth; others vanished mysteriously after starting families. The longest-lived among them was a writer, but upon returning to the family estate in Maine during middle age, he succumbed to incurable madness.
Following this thread, years later, Solomon once again set foot in the state of Maine.
And no, he did not miss this place.
He declined Professor Selvig's offer to accompany him—he knew this mission would be incredibly dangerous. The land of Maine always seemed inextricably bound to the unspeakable, to outer gods whose names could not be uttered. And this case was no exception. There would be no backup, for aside from the Ancient One and a few of the older families of master sorcerers, there were few in Kamar-Taj whose magical prowess surpassed Solomon's. So this time, he would go it alone.
Well, not entirely alone—he brought his apprentice, Wanda, with him. They drove along Highway 196 and arrived in Brunswick, a town on Maine's central coast at the mouth of the Androscoggin River. This was where Solomon had traced his final clue. Death's dark wings unfurled here; venomous whispers seeped into every inch of the land. To Solomon and Wanda's eyes, the very air shimmered with madness. Since the Salem witch trials, Maine had been on a path of ruin. For the young witch Wanda, this mission would be perilous. Whether in the castle or her penthouse in New York, Solomon had always shielded her from the full reality of the magical world. But after Wanda had shown her reluctance to extract secrets from Jiaying's mind, the sorcerer chose to bring her here—so she could see firsthand the terrifying truth of this world.
All magic, he explained, originated from the outer gods. All ancient gods and earth deities carried within them the blood of Azathoth. Every divine power from beyond the dimensions bore a dark underside, and even Solomon's own soul had been shaped by such forces. The cost of magic was crushing—madness was its constant companion. Every sorcerer from Kamar-Taj sprinted down a self-destructive path in order to safeguard the material plane—and there was no turning back.
Solomon quickly arranged research access at Bowdoin College's library and scheduled meetings with the college's professors of folklore and history for the following day.
"Uncle Tom's Cabin was written by Harriet Beecher Stowe, the wife of a Bowdoin professor, and first published right here by the college. Oliver Otis Howard, a prominent Civil War general, and Hugh McCulloch, Lincoln's Secretary of the Treasury, are also alumni. If you were a U.S. high schooler, you'd know the famous writer Nathaniel Hawthorne graduated from here too. We're just a 25-minute drive south of Portland. We'll stay in Brunswick for the night and wait for tomorrow's meetings… Wanda, are you alright?"
The air here made her feel dizzy, her cheeks flushed like she was burning up. The moment she moved away from Solomon, she had to focus on her breathing just to stop the dark energy in her mind from overflowing. But when she was near him, it all vanished in an instant—as if he were the only source of calm, a place where curses couldn't reach. Solomon cupped her face, examining her pupils. He could feel the blood coursing beneath the thin skin of her neck, her pulse racing. Her temperature and heartbeat were dangerously high. Wanda's sense of touch had become painfully acute—his callused fingers, shaped by years of wielding blades and firearms, now left her skin red and stinging. Her lips felt cracked and parched. Her limbs weakened even as her heart pounded faster. An indescribable pain bloomed in her lower abdomen, and disturbingly, it brought with it a dizzying pleasure that nearly made her collapse.
"Feeling faint?" Solomon had anticipated that proximity to such ancient power might affect Wanda, but he hadn't expected it to be this severe. The witch nodded with closed eyes. He supported her by the shoulders and helped her into the passenger seat of the Aston Martin DB7, canceling their visit to the Bowdoin Art Museum—even though they had already arrived at the domed building. "Come on. I'll take you to the hotel. We'll inscribe a protective talisman there. You do remember how to draw the sigils against the elder gods, don't you?"
"I remember," Wanda whispered, her voice barely more than a breath.
"This DB7 was a gift from my adoptive mother when I was in university. When you and Pietro go to college, I'll give each of you a car too—though Pietro might prefer to run everywhere. In his case, maybe a pair of wool knee braces would be better than a car," Solomon joked, pressing the accelerator in an attempt to distract her. In her current condition, Wanda couldn't travel through a portal—Kamar-Taj's portals, despite appearing simple, were incredibly advanced spells that required synchronizing time between destinations, functioning similarly to wormholes. By contrast, portals that used the cosmic veil as a medium were much easier. A silent incantation passed from his lips to her body. Wanda felt the sting of magic on her skin, but the sensation was quickly swallowed by the nausea. The spell worked quickly. Her pain began to fade, and by the time they arrived at the inn on Aristocrat Street, the sharp discomfort had vanished.
She looked at Solomon, guilt washing over her. His plans had been disrupted because of her.
"Don't overthink it. Missions always throw surprises at you," Solomon said. He got out of the car, walked to the passenger side, and opened the door for her, helping her down. "Your magical reaction is intense. Let's make the talisman first. I trust you brought your toolkit. Though the sorcerers of Kamar-Taj spent centuries trying to cleanse Maine's curses, the mark of the elder gods isn't so easily erased."
Once out of the car, Wanda quickly let go of his arm. Their luggage had already been delivered to the room by airport staff. All she wanted now was to change clothes. She was certain Solomon could smell the hormonal scent clinging to her skin. She didn't want him thinking she was some kind of loose woman.
The sorcerer, noticing her discomfort, silently took off his coat and draped it over her shoulders.
Did he notice?
Wanda's mind began to spiral. Her cheeks flushed red once more. She followed the sorcerer dizzily toward the hotel lobby, her thoughts jumping in every direction. If they hadn't already arrived, she might have broken down and cried on the spot. This was harder than defeating Ultron—psychological torment always cut deeper than physical pain. For the first time, Wanda began to truly understand just how difficult Solomon's path really was.
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Fairy Tail: Igneel's Eldest Son (Chapter 256)
I Am Thalos, Odin's Older Brother (Chapter 336)
Reborn in America's Anti-Terror Unit (Chapter 542)
Solomon in Marvel (Chapter 924)
Becoming the Wealthiest Tycoon on the Planet (Chapter 1284)
Surgical Fruit in the American Comics Universe (Chapter 1289)
American Detective: From TV Rookie to Seasoned Cop (Chapter 1316)
American TV Writer (Chapter 1402)
I Am Hades, The Supreme GOD of the Underworld! (Chapter 570)
Reborn as Humanity's Emperor Across the Multiverse (Chapter 660)
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