Wong was not in a good mood.
As someone who had dedicated most of his life to the study and practice of magic, he had always known that talent varied from person to person. The Ancient One had told him, on more than one occasion, that Henry was extraordinarily gifted. Still—he hadn't expected this level of absurdity.
Opening a portal with his mind? After only a few months of training?!
Wong sighed heavily, his pride bruised. "No wonder the Ancient One chose you. You truly are... remarkable."
Henry didn't reply. He simply stepped through the portal Wong had opened, arriving at the center of Kamar-Taj.
Everything seemed normal on the surface—calm, quiet, with mages walking about as usual. But something felt different. There was a subtle tension in the air. A shift. A missing presence.
Henry closed the portal behind him and turned to Wong. "So what exactly happened that required me to be dragged back here immediately?"
Wong straightened his posture and answered seriously, "The Ancient One said you hadn't stayed in Kamar-Taj long enough. There are many things you still need to be briefed on. And more importantly, the Earth is vulnerable. Her passing leaves a gap—one that our enemies may seek to exploit."
He paused.
"The multiverse is vast. There are countless threats beyond our realm—some of them always watching Earth. Dormammu is only one of many. We can't afford to be careless now."
Henry nodded. The urgency made sense. With the Ancient One gone and no official public successor until now, the Earth's magical defense was essentially without a leader. If Dormammu, or any other dark force, realized that, they might strike.
As they walked deeper into the sanctum, Henry took in his surroundings.
He had been here several times before, but this time it felt different. The subtle shift in the way people looked at him, the air of reverence—it was the change in status. He was no longer just a student. He was the Supreme Mage.
The title still felt heavy on his shoulders.
But he carried it with grace.
"Lead the way," Henry said.
Wong nodded and began walking.
On the way to the inner chambers, Henry's enhanced hearing picked up snippets of hushed conversations among the other mages.
"Why did the Supreme Mage die so suddenly?"
"I heard… she fell."
"Fell? What kind of mage falls to their death?"
"No, no. I heard she was attacked by a powerful dark force during the night. She resisted bravely, but was mortally wounded… then fell."
"Dark force? You mean Dormammu?"
"Not sure. The protective wards didn't even detect it."
"That's terrifying. You're saying there are now enemies strong enough to bypass our temple defenses?"
"Exactly. The Earth's growing more dangerous by the day. We have to get stronger. We've already lost the Ancient One…"
"Well, she's not the Supreme Mage anymore. The new one's here. Some say he's a prodigy. Almost unnatural."
Henry's pace slowed as the absurdity of the conversation caught up with him. He turned to Wong, bewildered.
"Wong… the Ancient One fell? That's the story?"
Wong nodded solemnly. "To be precise, she was gravely injured while confronting a powerful dark force outside the Earth's boundaries. She collapsed upon returning and… passed."
Henry's expression was unreadable. But inside, his thoughts were racing.
Oh, come on...
The Ancient One's soul had moved on. He knew that. She'd joined Eternity. Her physical death was planned—probably necessary—to preserve the balance and announce his succession. But this?
Falling from a height?
Henry recognized the exact script. It was the same act she would eventually perform when fighting Kaecilius. That wasn't even supposed to happen until much later in the original timeline.
Now, she didn't even bother updating her storyline? Just recycled the same "accidental fall during battle with an unknown force" plot?
He tried not to roll his eyes.
"How convenient," Henry muttered under his breath.
"What was that?" Wong asked.
"Nothing. Just thinking out loud."
Trying to keep a straight face, Henry continued walking. But inside, he was already imagining the Ancient One's final scene—complete with poor stage direction and overly dramatic collapse.
Still, the real concern was that everyone believed it.
Wong continued, "We suspect it was a dark being of great power. Possibly something the temples couldn't even register. That means we may need to upgrade the entire detection network."
"Of course," Henry said dryly. "That makes sense. Clearly, it was an invisible cosmic terror—definitely not retirement."
Wong didn't seem to catch the sarcasm.
Soon, they reached the inner sanctum, where Mordo was waiting.
"You're here," Mordo said simply.
Henry gave him a nod. "Wong insisted."
"Rightly so. There's much to prepare."
Wong walked toward the central platform of the chamber. "Let me give you the full tour."
Henry followed.
"Look around," Wong continued, pointing at the spherical model of the Earth floating above the platform. "This is a magical simulation of the world. From here, we can monitor the protective magic around the planet."
Floating symbols and glowing sigils surrounded the model, representing the three Sanctum Temples—in Hong Kong, London, and New York.
"These," Wong explained, "are the cornerstones of our magical defense. Each sanctum contributes to the planetary barrier. If one falls, our whole network weakens."
He gestured to three stone doors marked with different sigils. "These lead to the respective sanctums. Each can be accessed via portal, but the doors here provide direct links."
Henry nodded. "Makes sense. If anything attacks one temple, we need to reinforce it immediately."
Wong smiled faintly. "Exactly. And now that you're Supreme Mage, the responsibility for those decisions falls to you."
Henry didn't flinch. "I understand."
Mordo stepped forward with a list in hand. "This is the current mage roster—names, ranks, specializations. I've confirmed everything personally. No errors."
Henry took the list and flipped through it. "I'll study this."
Then Mordo handed him a few thick folders.
"These detail our current magical artifacts, active wards, and all volumes available in the library. You'll need to familiarize yourself with them quickly."
Henry nodded. "Of course."
For nearly thirty minutes, he stood there absorbing details, listening to reports, mentally filing names and relics.
Eventually, he looked up. "Is that all?"
Wong and Mordo exchanged a look.
"I believe that covers everything," Wong said. "Unless you have questions?"
"I might later," Henry said. "But this is enough for now."
As he turned to leave, Mordo added, "One more thing. Tomorrow, around six a.m., we'll gather the mages in the training hall. You should make an appearance—as the new Supreme Mage, it's important they see and recognize you."
Henry blinked.
"Six?"
"Sharp."
Henry sighed. "Great."
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