Dormammu vanished into the dimensional space, leaving behind his impotent rage. The Sorcerer Supreme, the Ancient One, was about to cast a spell to seal the rift, just as she had done before. But the young man in front of her didn't even give her a chance to act.
During the battle with Dormammu, the young man had only made two moves. First, he released a massive energy blast from his hand. The dark energy condensed into a sphere that traveled through space and exploded in Dormammu's world. The other move was the last one, where he sealed the spatial rift with a mere wave of his hand—a task that would have taken her a great deal of time and effort to accomplish. Such mastery of space magic was the most extraordinary thing she had ever witnessed.
In that moment, the Ancient One completely forgot that this man had just killed her disciple, Mordo. She only wanted to keep him at Kamar-Taj. With him there, someone would continue to guard the planet even after she was gone.
"Magician Ancient One?"
"Magician Ancient One!"
Aaron's voice snapped the Ancient One back to reality, and the light of wisdom returned to her eyes.
"Are you... interested in joining Kamar-Taj?" she asked, after a moment of hesitation.
Aaron, dressed in a black robe similar to a priest's, looked even more imposing in the confined space. His eyes were devoid of emotion, yet they seemed to contain the entire universe, a profound depth that even the Ancient One couldn't fully comprehend.
"Sorry, Magician," Aaron said, shaking his head. He had seen through her intentions at a glance. "I'm just a simple, ordinary person, and I don't have much interest in protecting the Earth. You say you haven't seen me in the future; perhaps I don't belong to this world."
"But with great power comes great responsibility, doesn't it?" the Ancient One persisted, trying to persuade him.
"I'm truly not interested," Aaron replied. "Instead of putting your hopes on me, you should find your successor."
"The time has not yet come," she said.
Though she had lived for a long time, the Ancient One couldn't understand. This man possessed an immensely powerful dark energy, yet unlike her own, it didn't seem to have been borrowed from a Mephisto. It was a power system she had never seen before—one with limitless potential.
"You don't have much time," Aaron stated.
Just as the Ancient One was observing Aaron, he was also observing her. The Ancient One's death was an inevitable fate, as painted in his visions. As the king of the underworld, in charge of life and death, Aaron could clearly feel the heavy breath of death on her body. Especially after she had once again tricked Dormammu, that aura had grown even stronger.
"I can..."
"No need. I have long since come to terms with life and death. I just don't want this planet to become a battlefield for certain conspirators after I'm gone."
Aaron nodded. As expected of the Sorcerer Supreme, she had long since become indifferent to it all. He had been about to take out the Bell of Life, which could have granted her immortality, but after hearing her words, he dismissed the idea. There was no need to stay here any longer.
"If you ever change your mind, you can come find me," Aaron said. With that, he vanished without a warning.
The Ancient One didn't even see him leave, only an afterimage left behind. "This person..." she whispered. The thought lingered in her mind that this man could reach a level she could never have predicted—even becoming a true god. With a small smile, she left the place.
That same night in Manhattan, New York, a group of figures moved in the shadows near Aaron's gallery.
"Shh! Be careful," one whispered. "The higher-ups told us to photograph every painting in this gallery. Let's be quick; the owner isn't here!"
"Don't worry, it'll be open in a minute!"
Click! A shadow picked the lock twice and the door swung open.
"Alright, hurry up!" a few figures said, slipping inside unnoticed.
But at that moment, an extreme chill emanated from the soles of their feet. From behind their shadows, a figure in black armor slowly descended from the wall. This man had a pair of devil's wings and held a black whip with a faint, bloodthirsty scent.
"How dare you trespass into Lord Hades' domain, you have great courage!" he said.
(End of Chapter)
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