Gradually, she saw more.
Not just her own memories, but something deeper.
Inside the Mind Stone, it was as if countless consciousnesses were whispering, the echoes of all life it had ever touched.
Wanda's consciousness traveled through it, touching and separating.
She saw herself in another Universe, mad, despairing, ultimately turning to ash...
She saw Xiao Han, saw his regret at being unable to save others.
Saw the powerful enemies Xiao Han faced.
Also saw the golden Sun, the boundless starry sky, and black armor gleaming in the light.
"Ah!"
Wanda suddenly opened her eyes, drenched in cold sweat.
The light of the Mind Stone slowly subsided, returning to calm.
Xiao Han looked at her quietly: "What did You see?"
Wanda's chest rose and fell violently, taking a while to calm down.
"Too much... too much." she whispered.
"The me from another Universe... she died, right?"
Xiao Han did not deny it: "That Universe has ended."
Wanda was silent for a moment, then raised her head, her eyes no longer showing confusion, but a certain determined light.
"I don't want to become like that." she said.
"I want to control this power, not be controlled by it."
Xiao Han's lips curved slightly: "Very good, this is just the beginning."
He reached out, and the Mind Stone slowly landed in Wanda's palm.
"From today onwards, it will help You sort out Chaos Magic, but remember..."
His gaze was deep and sharp, "The stone is just a medium, true power always comes from Yourself."
Wanda gripped the stone, feeling its steady pulse, and nodded solemnly.
The lights in the training room softened, as if responding to the energy flowing between the two.
Xiao Han stood up, his black short-sleeved shirt highlighting his perfectly sculpted physique. Wanda's breathing quickened as she watched, but she quickly suppressed it.
"Now, try this." He raised his hand and drew a golden rune in the air, complex lines interwoven into a three-dimensional magic circle.
"The most basic application of Chaos Magic, reality warping."
Wanda stared at the rune, tilting her head: "This looks... not basic."
Xiao Han chuckled: "For You, it is basic."
He flicked his finger, and the magic circle split into dozens of small runes, encircling Wanda.
"Use Your energy to touch them, but don't force control, let them respond to You naturally."
Wanda took a deep breath, and scarlet energy flowed from her fingertips, reaching out towards the golden runes like a living thing.
The moment they touched, the space of the entire training room suddenly warped for an instant, and the walls rippled like liquid.
"I... I did it?" Wanda looked at her hands in surprise.
"No, You are just imitating." Xiao Han shook his head.
"True reality warping doesn't require rune guidance. Close Your eyes and imagine what You wish to change."
Wanda closed her eyes again, her brow slightly furrowed.
A few seconds later, the air in front of her suddenly rippled, and a red teacup slowly took shape, with traditional Sokovia patterns printed on its wall.
"Very good."
Xiao Han picked up the teacup, lightly squeezed it, and the cup instantly turned into countless specks of light and dissipated.
"But remember, creating things from nothing consumes a lot of energy. Before You can fully control it, it's best to start by changing existing objects."
He snapped his fingers, and a metal target rose in the center of the training room. "Try to turn it into something else."
Wanda concentrated, and scarlet energy surged towards the target.
The metal surface began to writhe, gradually turning into a giant steel rose with petals as sharp as knives.
"Not bad." Xiao Han showed an encouraging smile.
"Now make it fly."
Wanda's fingers moved slightly, and the steel rose slowly ascended, but suddenly lost control about two meters off the ground, spinning and crashing towards the wall. Xiao Han raised his hand and blocked it with a golden barrier.
"Your control is not enough." He walked to Wanda's side and gently pressed her shoulder.
"Feel the flow of energy, it's as natural as breathing."
Wanda's shoulders trembled slightly, sweat dripping down her cheeks: "It's too difficult, it always wants to break free..."
"Because You are afraid." Xiao Han's voice suddenly softened.
"Chaos Magic amplifies emotions, especially negative ones. The more You fear losing control, the more violent it becomes."
Wanda was puzzled, looking up at him: "How do You know I'm afraid?"
Xiao Han pointed to the Mind Stone necklace on her chest: "It's telling me. Every time You use Your ability, childhood memories surface, those pains, anger, helplessness, these are all affecting You."
Wanda bit her lower lip, and the scarlet energy unconsciously became restless.
"Look at me."
Xiao Han looked directly into her eyes, "Those experiences shaped You, but they shouldn't define You. Pain can become power, but it must never be a shackle."
The training room fell into a brief silence.
Outside the window, waves gently lapped the beach, the regular sound like a kind of solace.
"One more time."
Xiao Han finally said, waving his hand to reset the metal target. "This time, don't think about controlling the magic, but guiding it."
Wanda took a deep breath and slowly raised her hands.
This time, the scarlet energy was no longer violent, but gently enveloped the target like a thin mist.
The metal surface rippled, gradually turning into a lifelike cardinal, flapping its wings and flying into the air. After circling the training room once, it landed steadily on Wanda's outstretched finger.
"I... I succeeded?" Wanda looked at the small bird on her fingertip in disbelief.
Xiao Han's lips curved slightly: "Better than You imagined. Now, make it sing."
Wanda wrinkled her nose: "Isn't that asking too much?"
The cardinal suddenly tilted its head and let out a series of clear chirps, the melody perfectly replicating the folk song Wanda's mother often hummed when she was a child.
Wanda's eyes immediately welled up. The cardinal turned into scarlet specks of light and dissipated, but the smile on her face lingered for a long time.
"Remember this feeling." Xiao Han's voice carried a rare gentleness.
"magic originates from emotion, but requires reason to control. You keep practicing, and we'll continue tomorrow."
He turned and walked towards the door.
"Xiao Han." Wanda suddenly called out to him.
"Thank You... not just for the training."
Xiao Han didn't look back, just waved his hand: "Keep going, tomorrow will be harder."
As the training room door gently closed, Wanda looked down at the Mind Stone on her chest, her fingertips lightly touching its surface.
The stone glowed slightly, seeming to respond to her touch.
"Turing?" she called softly.
"At Your service, Maximoff, Miss." The AI butler's voice immediately sounded.
"Could You find me some Sokovia folk songs? The kind... my mother used to sing."
"Of course. 37 traditional folk songs have been found. Would You like to play them now?"
Wanda nodded and walked towards the floor-to-ceiling window. The afterglow of the setting Sun spilled onto the sea, dyeing the entire World a warm orange-red.
A gentle melody flowed through the room, a tune she thought she had long forgotten.
Surrounded by the notes, Wanda felt for the first time that the pain buried deep in her heart no longer seemed so heavy.
Meanwhile, Xiao Han lay on a Sun lounger on the rooftop terrace of the Villa, gazing at the gradually darkening horizon.
The Mind Stone brought back from the zombie Universe hovered in his hand, but his thoughts drifted to a place much further away.