Sebastian Shaw turned, catching Tony’s wary glance at the glowing portal. With a subtle nod, he signaled all was well, urging Tony to stand down. He stepped through the golden vortex, emerging in Kamar-Taj’s tranquil courtyard, where the air shimmered with incense and the weight of ancient magic.

The portal snapped shut. The Ancient One stood before him, her serene gaze steady but tinged with a faint weariness. “Mage Shaw, it’s been some time.”

Sebastian inclined his head, a warm smile breaking through. “Over a year, Ancient One. How’s Kamar-Taj faring? Daniel, Wong, Kaecilius—are they well?”

Her expression remained calm, but a shadow flickered in her eyes. “Daniel and Wong are steadfast. Kaecilius, however, is… troubled.”

Sebastian’s brow furrowed. He studied her, noting the subtle tension in her posture—a burden she carried alone. His concern wasn’t just for Kaecilius; it was for her. “What happened to him?” he asked, his voice softer. “Can you share?”

The Ancient One sighed, a rare crack in her composure. “It’s my error. I thought him ready and opened Kamar-Taj’s black magic tomes to him, guiding him myself. But I misjudged. His ideals twisted, his heart darkened. The black magic consumed him too soon.”

Sebastian stepped closer, his gaze steady. “Where is he now? Confined?”

She shook her head, her eyes briefly meeting his. “Kaecilius fled Kamar-Taj six months ago, cloaking himself with magic that veils him from my sight. I sense him faintly on an island in the northwest Atlantic, but his exact location eludes me.”

Sebastian’s jaw tightened, but his focus lingered on her. Beneath her stoic facade, he glimpsed a quiet weight—a fatigue she rarely showed. “Why can’t you go?” he asked, his tone gentle, almost tender. “For the Sorcerer Supreme, finding him should be simple.”

For a heartbeat, her gaze softened, as if his concern had pierced her armor. “Some matters, Mage Shaw, I cannot divulge,” she said, her voice quieter now, carrying a trace of something personal. “If I could act freely, Kaecilius would be here. But I am… bound.”

Sebastian understood. The Ancient One’s power was unmatched, but her ties to ancient entities—particularly the Vishanti Trinity—had grown into chains. Once, their strength had crowned her Sorcerer Supreme, Earth’s mightiest guardian. Now, it bound her. To counter their influence, she’d tapped the Dark Dimension’s power, even bargaining with Dormammu. Yet, even that couldn’t sever the Vishanti’s hold.

To the Vishanti, the Ancient One was a prized asset, one they refused to release. Her resistance only tightened their grip, limiting her actions. They deemed Kaecilius lost to darkness, unworthy of Kamar-Taj’s light. In their eyes, he was a problem to be eliminated, not saved. Thus, the Ancient One was confined to Kamar-Taj, unable to pursue him.

The Vishanti, though fonts of white magic, were no benevolent deities. They were cosmic entities, their motives far from human. White or black, magic was merely a tool—its morality shaped by the wielder. The Vishanti prioritized their own ends, not Earth’s welfare.

This was why the Ancient One had subtly steered Sebastian away from the Book of Vishanti, Kamar-Taj’s core grimoire. Frigga, too, had warned him in Asgard, her caution laced with maternal concern. Both knew the Vishanti’s true nature and sought to shield him from their grasp.

Sebastian wasn’t naive. His time in Asgard had peeled back the universe’s veil. Frigga’s teachings, rich with cosmic secrets, had clarified much—especially about Earth’s mystic undercurrents. Gone were the days when he relied on hazy movie memories from a past life. Now, he saw the chessboard clearly.

“I’ll help,” he said, his voice firm but warm. “Kaecilius is my friend. I’ll bring him back.”

Her eyes held his, searching, a subtle warmth kindling within them. “Why do you trust me with this?” she asked, her tone not quite teasing, but softer, as if she saw him anew.

Sebastian’s lips curved faintly. “Because I see you. Not just the Sorcerer Supreme, but the person carrying all this. And I trust her.”

Her breath caught, a fleeting tremor in her composure. For a moment, centuries of solitude seemed to lift, her gaze bright with something fragile—hope, perhaps, or gratitude. She recovered swiftly, but the warmth lingered in her eyes, unguarded for the first time.

“In exchange,” she said, her voice low, “I offer a spell of equal value.”

“The Crimson Bands of Cyttorak,” Sebastian replied, unflinching.

Her lips curved, a faint, knowing smile. “Of course.” With a graceful motion, she conjured a parchment scroll, its edges pulsing with red sigils. As she placed it in his hand, her fingers brushed his—a fleeting touch, neither acknowledged, yet heavy with unspoken weight. “This details the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak. As for Kaecilius, he’s on an island in the northwest Atlantic. Search there.”

“I will,” Sebastian said, his voice steady. “You have my word.”

“Thank you, Mage Shaw,” she murmured, her tone soft, almost wistful.

He raised his Sling Ring, a golden portal flaring to life. Before stepping through, he met her gaze one last time.

She returned his look, and for a moment, her smile was not that of a mentor, but of someone who felt seen.

Sebastian stepped through, leaving Kamar-Taj behind.

As the portal closed, the clouds above Kamar-Taj churned, forming the vague shape of a tiger’s head. Its misty eyes glared down, radiating silent judgment.

The Ancient One stared back, unflinching. “All have the right to choose,” she said, her voice low but resolute. “You cannot dictate who becomes Sorcerer Supreme.”

Her tone grew sharper. “Mage Shaw earned everything Kamar-Taj offered through equal exchange. He owes us nothing.”

She paused, a faint smile touching her lips, softer now. “If he seeks the Book of Vishanti of his own accord, I won’t bar him. But if I force it upon him, he’d see the chains. There are many gifted sorcerers in this world, and not all hunger for your power.”

With a gentle wave, the tiger’s head dissolved into the clouds. The Ancient One turned, gliding back into the temple, her steps lighter, as if a long-buried spark had reignited within her.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep