The monks who had once taught Doctor Doom magic were gone—completely erased from this world by Doom's own hands. No one had seen them again. Not even their corpses were ever found.
Daniel had long known bits and pieces of the tangled history between Doctor Doom and Reed Richards—better known as Mr. Fantastic. These stories had been the talk of New York years ago.
Doctor Doom and Reed Richards had been college classmates. Back then, Susan Storm—the future Invisible Woman—was Reed's girlfriend. For reasons still unclear, Susan and Reed eventually broke up, and Susan began dating Doom instead.
Doctor Doom hailed from Latveria. During his studies, he received a full scholarship from Empire State University and maintained close ties with the military. A prodigy, Doom's inventions earned him immense funding and recognition. By the time he graduated, he had founded his own high-tech company, which quickly went public on Wall Street. He became the youngest billionaire of his era.
Reed Richards, in contrast, struggled after graduation. Obsessed with studying cosmic storm particles and unlocking the secrets of human genetic evolution, he faced constant funding cuts. The government slashed spaceflight programs, leaving Reed's dream on the verge of collapse.
Desperate, Reed accepted Doom's conditional support. With Doom's backing, he and his companions launched their experimental spaceflight.
But the mission went horribly wrong. Reed miscalculated the cosmic storm's trajectory, and the ship was consumed by violent waves of cosmic radiation. The energy rewrote their DNA, giving birth to the Fantastic Four.
Doom and Susan, who had joined the mission, were also affected by the cosmic rays. They too gained powers.
Although they all emerged with extraordinary abilities, the mission itself was deemed a failure. Doom's company stock plummeted overnight, his empire collapsing as he went from celebrated billionaire to the brink of ruin.
To make matters worse, Susan reconciled with Reed. The Fantastic Four quickly rose to fame as heroes. Meanwhile, Doom's life spiraled into darkness.
Twisted by resentment, Doom tried to steal the abilities of all four members of the team to surpass them. His plan failed when Reed outsmarted him, leading to an explosion that left Doom presumed dead.
But Doom survived. He returned to Latveria, donned his iconic mask, overthrew the local lord, and declared himself the nation's supreme ruler.
To many, the Fantastic Four's story was one of inspiration and heroism. But others viewed Doom's fall with a more sympathetic eye.
Doom had lost everything—his company, his reputation, even the woman he loved—while Reed emerged victorious, with powers, wealth, and a renewed romance with Susan. Conspiracy theorists even argued that Reed orchestrated the entire chain of events: manipulating the cosmic storm, ensuring Doom's failure, and rising as the ultimate winner.
Daniel wasn't sure what to believe. He'd never met the Fantastic Four, but the rumors circulating online were impossible to ignore. Reed Richards was, after all, considered the smartest man on Earth.
Yet, deep down, Daniel felt that the stories were too polished, too neatly packaged. He once thought Doctor Doom was simply a tragic genius who had been wronged. But after hearing Genghis Daji speak of Doom, Daniel's perspective shifted.
The word doom itself haunted him. It felt less like a name and more like a prophecy. Could Doctor Doom truly be the one destined to bring about the end of the Earth?
Daniel turned to Genghis Daji. "Elder, this word—doom—were you referring to him? Or…"
"It was a revelation of fate," Genghis said softly. His eyes, usually so still, clouded with a rare sorrow. He shook his head as if casting off the weight of centuries. "Such is the curse of profound knowledge and long years. Were it not for my sacred duty, I would have abandoned this mortal shell long ago."
"The curse of years… sacred duty?" Daniel frowned. "I don't quite understand."
"Every hundred years, the stars align, and a sacred burden descends," Genghis said cryptically. "It is my responsibility. As for you… you will face your own day of reckoning."
His words were vague, but Daniel could feel their gravity. If Genghis' prophecy was true, then Daniel and Doom might one day meet on opposing sides of destiny.
"When I pointed Doom toward his path, I already foresaw what might come," Genghis admitted, closing his eyes briefly. When he reopened them, they gleamed with a strange light. "Everyone has a destiny, Daniel. So do you. Remember this: as long as your will is unshaken, you can overcome any trial. Doom has proven this truth—though his path is one of destruction."
Daniel left the Himalayas with Genghis' words etched deeply into his mind. Fate. Destiny. Willpower. They resonated with him, lingering even as he returned to New York.
He kept a low profile, rarely leaving Empire State University and avoiding unnecessary exposure. Even his visits to the small clinic near Central Park had stopped. After all, in today's world, a single phone call could solve most problems.
But while Daniel stayed out of sight, the city moved on. News broke that Wilson Fisk—better known as Kingpin—had been arrested by the police. Though his lawyers quickly secured bail, most of his lieutenants and key enforcers were also rounded up.
Then, just this morning, Daniel received startling news: Fisk had been caught again while attempting to flee New York. But this wasn't the work of the police.
According to Daniel's private sources, it was S.H.I.E.L.D., with none other than Captain America—Steve Rogers—leading the operation. Rogers himself had taken action to purge the cancer that Fisk's empire had spread through Manhattan.
The public remained unaware that Rogers had returned from the dead, but high-ranking officials across politics, the military, and law enforcement knew. It was under Rogers' pressure that Fisk had been taken down again—likely for good this time.
Daniel was taken aback. Rogers had been silent for months, focusing on adjusting to modern life in Washington. For him to suddenly intervene in New York was… unexpected.
Could it be… was this even Rogers? A fleeting, bizarre thought crossed Daniel's mind: What if Red Skull's consciousness had somehow replaced Captain America's? But he quickly dismissed the notion with a dry laugh.
Whatever the case, Rogers' direct action meant one thing: his official return as a hero was imminent. And behind him, as always, lurked Nick Fury.
Nick Fury. Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. A man who commanded armies of agents, wielded advanced weaponry, and even employed Skrull operatives.
Daniel had no illusions—Fury wasn't just a "former commando." He was a manipulator, someone who would sacrifice anyone to achieve his goals. The resurgence of Hydra within S.H.I.E.L.D. only complicated matters further. Even Fury's own boss was rumored to be a Hydra agent.
It wasn't that Daniel feared Nick Fury. But he knew better than to draw unnecessary attention from someone who could summon the combined might of Iron Man, Captain America, Black Widow, Hawkeye—and, soon enough, Thor and Hulk. The latter two were particularly problematic.
Daniel had considered eliminating Fury preemptively, but with Skrulls constantly surrounding him, there was no way to be sure who—or what—he would actually be killing.
Setting his phone down, Daniel tried calling Felicia Hardy. No response. Her phone had been disconnected for days.
There was only one explanation that made sense: Rogers and S.H.I.E.L.D. had crossed paths with the Hardys. Perhaps this was tied to Fisk's downfall.
Daniel's instincts prickled. Something big was coming. He could feel it.
As a mage of legendary rank, Daniel had begun to develop faint glimpses of the future—just as Genghis Daji had warned. This tension in the air, this shift in fate… it all pointed to an oncoming storm.
And then the message came.
Bullseye wanted a meeting.
Daniel raised an eyebrow. He had told Bullseye to stay hidden, to vanish while the chaos around Fisk's arrest settled. Bullseye had avoided capture, thanks to Daniel's warning and his own quick thinking. Yet now, of all times, he was reaching out.
"Why now?" Daniel muttered. "What happened?"