To be honest, it wasn't just strange — it was very strange.
But Peter quickly realized he wasn't completely powerless in this strange new state.
After walking only a few steps, he began to adapt. Gradually, he found he could control his spirit form with surprising ease.
By the time Strange led him through the portal, Peter had regained full control over his astral body.
He didn't try to break free — he simply let Strange pull him along.
On the other side of the portal was a balcony.
There, a familiar figure stood waiting for him.
A bald head — so it wasn't Mordo.
It was the Ancient One.
"You've come," the Ancient One said, turning toward Peter.
Peter nodded, though he wasn't sure why he'd been brought here.
"Stephen," she said, glancing at Strange, "I'd like to speak with him alone."
Strange nodded silently and drifted away.
"Come closer," said the Ancient One. "I know you've already learned how to move in this form."
Peter approached her. "Uh… respected Ancient One, may I ask what you need me for?"
"I'm dying, Peter," the Ancient One said suddenly.
Peter had suspected something — but hearing it still shocked him. "Why? Stephen and Mordo said you're the most powerful Sorcerer Supreme in the world. You've protected this realm for countless years. Even Kaecilius—"
He stopped himself.
He was going to say Kaecilius wasn't even that strong — if the man hadn't run so fast, Peter could've easily taken him down.
But since the Ancient One's death might have something to do with Kaecilius, Peter thought it'd be tactless to say that out loud.
Still, she caught his meaning and said calmly, "You're right. Kaecilius isn't strong. Even with power drawn from the Dark Dimension, he's not much. Give Stephen a bit more time, and he could defeat him easily."
Then her voice softened. "But I'll still die — killed by Kaecilius."
"Why?" Peter asked.
If she could defeat him, why would she let herself be killed by him? It didn't make sense.
The Ancient One explained quietly, "For countless ages, I've drawn too much power from the Dark Dimension. I've become an anchor — a point where the Dark Dimension connects to this reality. Even if Kaecilius hadn't reached out to that realm, Dormammu could still have invaded our world through me."
Peter's eyes widened in realization. "So you're using this opportunity to return the power you once 'borrowed' from the Dark Dimension — to sever the link between our reality and it?"
He didn't understand magic, but the logic was clear enough.
"You could say that," the Ancient One replied.
"But if you die," Peter pressed, "what happens to this world? Without you, the Dark Dimension could invade again!"
He wasn't trying to guilt-trip her — he was just stating the obvious.
After hearing Strange and Mordo explain the duties of sorcerers earlier that day, Peter had come to admire their mission. And after feeling the oppressive presence of the Dark Dimension himself, he understood just how much the Ancient One had sacrificed.
To let herself die like this — it seemed reckless.
The Ancient One slowly shook her head. "For so long, I couldn't let go. But now, Stephen exists — and he will become the best of us."
"'Us?'" Peter echoed curiously.
"The Sorcerer Supremes," she explained patiently. "Throughout history, those who mastered the deepest mystic arts or drew upon immense power from other dimensions — they were all Sorcerer Supremes. Stephen will be the greatest among us."
"Wow," Peter said, astonished. He'd never imagined that the same Strange he'd once carried under his arm mid-fight had such potential.
The Ancient One's gaze softened. "You know, when I first saw you, I almost killed you."
"Huh?" Peter froze. He instantly recalled her expression the first time they met — how seriously she'd studied him.
He'd even felt a powerful spike of spider-sense back then, but it vanished almost instantly.
Still, why would she have killing intent toward him for no reason?
"I could once faintly see the threads of the future," the Ancient One said. "But when I looked at you, I saw nothing but chaos — an anomaly. You make the future of this world uncertain. And… you carry traces of dream-walking."
"Anomaly? Dream-walking?" Peter repeated, confused.
A thought occurred to him. Could it be because he could travel between universes?
When he crossed over, did he accidentally bring something back — something that could alter this world's future?
Or maybe… his very existence here had already changed the course of this universe's destiny?
Then another word stuck in his mind — dream-walking.
Wait.
He remembered the times he had entered the bodies of other Peter Parkers across parallel worlds.
Could that be dream-walking?
After all, his soul left his body while he slept — and he acted freely within another reality. It really did feel like walking through dreams.
"But you don't use magic," the Ancient One said, not explaining further. "And if your presence truly shifts this world's path, perhaps… that's not entirely a bad thing."
As she spoke, a faint smile tugged at the corner of her lips.
Then she looked straight into Peter's eyes. "I've also sensed an exceptional talent for the mystic arts within you. If you were to train as a sorcerer, your achievements might rival Stephen's."
"Really? I could become a sorcerer?" Peter's eyes lit up. He'd always been fascinated by those dazzling spells.
But the Ancient One shook her head. "To become a sorcerer, you must first abandon your current understanding of the world. Can you do that?"
Peter frowned, then shook his head. "No… I can't."
"Magic isn't as miraculous as it looks," she said softly. "It's simply another path toward understanding the truths of the universe."
Her voice began to waver slightly. "My time is almost up, Peter. May I call you that?"
Peter nodded. "Of course."
The Ancient One's gaze grew distant, but her tone was calm. "Your future… I only hope you'll remember this: what makes us human is that we live by our own code — a rule called morality."
"If a person abandons morality and the sense of right and wrong — choosing only gain and pleasure — then he becomes their slave. And that will be a shackle he can never escape."
"Be careful, Peter. Don't become their prisoner."
-----------------------
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(End of Chapter)