Although the United States had discovered something strange lurking beyond the solar system, they were completely powerless. The distance was unimaginably vast, and even if they had the will to act, they simply lacked the means.
For three long days, high-level officials argued in endless circles. Plans were drawn up, erased, and redrawn, but no solution emerged.
Then, Voyager 1—still clinging to the very edge of the solar system—sent back its latest images. That very evening, the United States triggered a Level 1 alert and convened an unprecedented global meeting of leaders.
As the interstellar fortresses and alien warships appeared on the screens with horrifying clarity, Americans finally swallowed their pride. All arrogance, all prejudice—they were gone. For the first time, humanity collectively chose to face this alien threat as one.
But even as they resolved to unite, the truth remained grim: humans who couldn't even leave their own planet stood no chance against an enemy of this scale. The meeting, noble in intent, was destined to accomplish nothing.
Meanwhile, in the northern hemisphere, the weather had begun its seasonal rise, yet atop a remote mountaintop, the Kamar-Taj Palace remained wrapped in perpetual chill. Its residents, unfazed, still wore thick layers.
As the sun slowly climbed above the horizon, Doctor Strange appeared on a high platform. He was draped in his iconic red levitation cloak, black robes heavy and sharp against the morning light. In his hands rested a metal tome three fingers thick, its surface engraved with a perfect circle of strange runes. Around it, faint wisps of pure, potent magic drifted, like mist dancing in sunlight.
This was the artifact every sorcerer dreamed of: the Book of Vishanti. Its pages were infinite in knowledge, holding the most powerful white magic and defensive spells ever recorded. But, like all things of pure defense, it could never be used for attack—only protection.
Below him, Wanda and Quicksilver stood among other sorcerers. Wanda clutched a book similar in size, but one that radiated dark energy—the infamous Dark Book.
Their presence here wasn't a coincidence. They had been in Hydra's laboratory when Doctor Strange, leading a contingent of mages, stormed in and whisked them away. Since then, they had traveled far and wide with him, searching for magical artifacts and allies. The Book of Vishanti and the Dark Book were the fruits of their recent endeavors.
After a moment, Doctor Strange closed his eyes, summoning the Time Stone. Streams of green energy spiraled around him, suspending him in midair as he probed the currents of time for any glimpse of hope.
Those around him fell silent. Two weeks earlier, he had warned them of an unprecedented catastrophe—one that threatened all of humanity. At first, some had questioned his title as Sorcerer Supreme, but after he fulfilled one prophecy after another, doubt was replaced with conviction. Fear had begun to settle in.
Suddenly, a figure appeared, descending from the sky on bolts of lightning. Thor. His hair was cut short, his scale armor gleaming in the rising sun. He held the Storm Battle Axe in one hand, his presence radiating power that made even the sorcerers instinctively take a step back. The rogueish charm of the past had vanished; in its place was the raw majesty of one who had absorbed Odin's power, growing stronger by the day.
Although his speed had slowed after reaching the level of the Heavenly Father, it didn't stop completely. Yet at this moment, his eyes burned with a mix of anger and regret.
He had just arrived at the dwarf planet—and realized he was too late. The weight of failure pressed down on him, filling him with an almost suffocating guilt. If it weren't for me, the dwarves might not have gone extinct. If I'd arrived sooner… maybe I could have saved them.
A destructive impulse welled up inside him, craving release. But he had grown considerably since Odin's death; he had learned to suppress these darker urges.
Then he noticed Doctor Strange, manipulating the Time Stone. Instantly, he concealed all traces of his presence, melting into the crowd like an ordinary observer. Losing both his parents and witnessing his homeland's destruction had aged him far beyond his years.
At that moment, Wanda appeared beside Thor, her voice soft and cautious. "What's wrong? I see darkness in your heart."
Thanks to the suppression from Doctor Strange's Book of Vishanti, the Dark Book's influence barely reached her. Having never lost her brother or fallen in love with Vision, she remained untainted, her heart still pure. At most, she harbored trivial thoughts—perhaps a petty desire to destroy America to avenge her parents. Faced with such minor schemes, the Dark Book had no foothold in her soul.
Thor offered her a faint, almost melancholy smile and remained silent. He couldn't let this innocent, kind girl shoulder the burden of his pain and experiences.
Just then, a rotund man dressed in a yellow monk's robe, his face resembling Maitreya Buddha, approached.
"Mr. Thor, please come with me."
Thor glanced at Doctor Strange, still engrossed in observing the timeline, then nodded and followed the man into the palace.
They moved through a labyrinth of mechanisms, descending into the depths of the building. Wang paused in front of a massive gate etched with intricate runes. "Master is waiting for you inside," he said, then departed without a backward glance. As the senior disciple of Kamar-Taj and Doctor Strange's right hand, he could not linger.
Thor stepped forward, but before he could knock, the runes flared to life and the door slowly creaked open. Inside stood a bald woman—the Ancient One.
She wasn't clad in her usual yellow sorcerer's robe. Instead, a black cloak pulsed with dark energy, and a strange red mark burned on her fair, luminous forehead. The aura of malevolence was palpable; weak-willed onlookers might be tempted to swear allegiance to Dormammu on the spot.
The amount of dark energy she had absorbed had clearly reached a critical threshold. It wouldn't be long before she was consumed entirely.
Thor stepped inside, a wave of discomfort and unease rolling over him. The door slammed shut behind him with a deafening bang.
"You've come…"
Gu Yi's lips curled into a strange, almost sinister smile.
.....
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