"Can I really choose?"
Strange's voice was laced with hesitation. He didn't protest further, only turning toward the New York Sanctum, stepping into his new role as its guardian.
Ancient One was right.
Strange was no longer a mere doctor.
He had already become part of something far greater.
Watching him depart, the Ancient One ran her fingers over the Eye of Agamotto, its green glow pulsating in her grasp. She did not speak to Mordo, only exhaling a soft sigh before vanishing into a swirling golden portal.
Deep within, she knew—her time was running out.
Absorbing Dark Dimension energy for centuries had eroded her very soul. She was on the precipice of being consumed. Her only choices now were to surrender to the abyss or attain enlightenment before succumbing to corruption.
She had once planned for a dignified exit, to orchestrate her own death at the right moment. But Ragna's intervention had shattered that possibility.
Strange had cast aside the Eye of Agamotto, rejecting the mantle of Sorcerer Supreme. Yet Ragna had barely acknowledged him, waiting instead for the Ancient One's next move.
Kaecilius and his fanatics had been neutralized, stripped of their power, reduced to Ragna's test subjects. With their absence, the remaining zealots lacked the strength to breach the sanctums and unleash Dormammu's full presence. Even the London Sanctum, previously destroyed, was slowly being restored by the sorcerers.
Still, an unsettling quiet loomed.
Ragna grew restless. He attempted to locate the Ancient One, but she had concealed herself well.
She was nearing the brink. Either she would free herself—or the darkness would claim her entirely.
Regardless of the outcome, Ragna was certain of one thing: if she perished, the Time Stone would be his.
If she fell, her fractured soul would be too weak to stand against him.
Unless… she did the unthinkable and offered the Time Stone to Dormammu.
A ridiculous notion. She would never willingly doom Earth. Without the stone's protection, Dormammu would consume the planet in an instant.
And even if she did make that choice—Ragna had contingencies.
Yet, despite all his calculations, the Ancient One was still alive.
The protective veil of her magic still lingered over the planet, undiminished.
Something was wrong.
Even more concerning—Dormammu's remaining zealots had gone silent.
The eerie tranquility set Ragna on high alert.
The Mystery of Dormammu's Power
The Time Stone's ability to construct a time loop intrigued Ragna.
But there was a greater question: how had Dormammu transcended time itself?
Had he truly surpassed time's grasp? Or had he merely broken through its limitations?
And why, in another reality, had Strange failed to use the same time loop against Thanos?
The Infinity Stones were all sourced from the fundamental forces of the universe. If Dormammu could resist the Time Stone, then perhaps the other stones also held the power to resist it.
Ragna delved deeper into the nature of the Infinity Stones, seeking answers.
Meanwhile, using knowledge extracted from Kaecilius and his zealots, he orchestrated dark rituals to probe the Dark Dimension.
Some of his most devout followers—and even a few of his Angels—were tasked with conducting the ritual.
The results were disturbing.
The dark incantations created a direct link to Dormammu's consciousness.
Lesser minds could not withstand the contact.
Many of the believers who connected to the Dark Dimension were instantly enthralled, consumed by Dormammu's influence. No method—not even Ragna's power—could restore them.
With no other choice, Ragna cast them into the Hellfire Furnace within the Reincarnation Pool, burning their tainted souls into oblivion.
But what he discovered next was far more intriguing.
While humans were vulnerable to the Dark Dimension's corruption, Angels were not.
The Flames of Heaven, flowing through the Reincarnation Pool, united the hearts of the Angels, shielding them from Dormammu's whispers. Their purity repelled the corruption.
With this divine protection, the Angels ventured into the Dark Dimension, uncovering its hidden truths.
What they found was staggering.
Dormammu's very existence—and the ultimate purpose of the Dark Dimension—was not simply destruction.
It was something more.
Dormammu was not merely a conqueror.
He was a force striving to consume the entire universe.
And then, before they could unearth more secrets—
The ritual's connection to the Dark Dimension suddenly widened.
A surge of colossal energy erupted on both ends of the link.
The dark passageway violently expanded—
And in the void of space, above the colossal Heavenly Palace Battleship—
The galaxies shifted.
A creeping, malevolent black fog coiled around the battleship, swallowing entire stars in its wake.
Then—
Two massive, glowing pupils emerged from the abyss.
Strange, flickering hues twisted and swirled within them.
A monstrous face, so vast it obscured half of the Heavenly Palace Battleship, manifested from the void itself.
Dormammu had arrived.
The Battle of Wills
"Dormammu…"
Ragna stood unwavering, his grip firm on the Sun Scepter. The golden staff radiated with thermonuclear energy, a weapon of cosmic fury.
The sight of Dormammu's face alone would have driven lesser beings to madness. But Ragna was unmoved.
The Dark Lord's booming voice reverberated across the void.
"The universe will be one with me!"
"I bring the gift of eternity!"
As Dormammu's words spread, so too did a corrupting wave of soul energy.
All but the strongest among Ragna's followers—including many God-Forged Warriors—began to succumb. Their forms twisted, minds eroded, bodies shifting into monstrous zealots of Dormammu.
Ragna paid them no heed.
His gaze, instead, fixated on the space beside Dormammu.
There was a ripple in reality. A disturbance.
Then, from the depths of the Mirror Dimension, she emerged.
The Ancient One.
Her golden robes fluttered in the void, her presence still exuding an air of wisdom. But now—
Dark crimson runes pulsed on her forehead.
Veins of shadow crept near her eyes.
Dormammu did not strike. Instead, he observed—amused.
Among all Sorcerer Supremes, only the Ancient One had withstood him for centuries.
Using his own power against him.
But mortals had limits.
And now—hers had been reached.
Dormammu's eyes gleamed with hunger. But he was patient. He had waited for this moment for an eternity.
The Ancient One's voice was quiet, yet resolute.
"Sometimes… sacrifices must be made."
Ragna narrowed his eyes.
"So you summoned Dormammu yourself?"
The Ancient One did not waver.
"I have no choice. If it is between saving one or saving countless, I will choose the greater cause."
Her gaze met Ragna's, unwavering.
"You seek all the Infinity Stones. You would bring annihilation."
"Even if Dormammu defeats you and attempts to consume Earth, the sanctums will hold him at bay. He cannot devour this world."
"But you, Ragna—you will bring ruin to the universe itself."
Ragna studied her for a long moment. Then, he glanced at the ominous black lines creeping near her eyes.
He did not ask if she had fallen to darkness.
Instead, he simply spoke.
"Dormammu is powerful. The Time Stone is formidable."
"But neither of them can see the true future."
A slow, knowing smirk crossed his lips.
"Because I am the future."
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