𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗶𝗿𝗹 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗞𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗿-𝗧𝗮𝗷 | Doctor Strange & LOTR [Book 1] ✓

7 | I'm Not Ready

7 | I'm Not Ready

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

Location: Kamar-Taj, Kathmandu, Nepal, Earth

Time: April 2016

Once the portal closed before them, he gestured for Illyria to head back to the main part of the sanctum in case anybody had arrived.

Honestly, no words could describe how worried he had been when he had seen Illyria appear at the hospital. How on earth did she find a sling ring in the Sanctuary? Why was she even up during the night? And why was Kaecilius in Kamar-Taj for? Surely the Ancient One would have detected him and the zealots enter the Sanctuary.

Nevertheless, he tucked those questions for another time, knowing that the masters and the Ancient One were probably freaking out that Illyria had gone missing. Also: he was a little worried that they would be mad at him for the sake of it.

Why did the kid even come to him in the first place?

One thing's for sure, the sentient cloak had been waiting for him – the dead zealot he had fought in the Astral Dimension on the floor. He quickly rushed Illyria past him; the kid didn't need to see any more after what just happened to him. As they did so, the cloak hovered over to them, spotting Illyria and carefully wrapping itself around her.

A giggle left Illyria's lips, the icepack sliding off her forehead before the cloak then returned to his shoulders. He twitched his mouth slightly. The kid at least was okay.

When they arrived at the hall full of relics, most of the cabinets shattered, he found his eyes lingering on Mordo's.

With eyes widening, Mordo approached them. "Strange! Illyria! Where on earth have you been?" He asked with concern, mostly to Illyria: "You're okay though, right?"

Stephen nodded back, "A relative term, but yeah, we're okay."

"The Cloak of Levitation. It came to you." Mordo breathed, eyeing the sentient cloak he wore.

Out of the corner of his eye, Stephen spotted the Ancient One walking over to them. "No minor feat," They spoke, "It's a fickle thing."

Stephen eyed the Ancient One for a moment, wondering if she would even acknowledge her very own ward. But she simply continued to eye him as he walked around, Illyria standing beside The Ancient One.

"He's escaped," Stephen told them.

The Ancient One replied, "Kaecilius?"

"Yeah." He explained to them, "He can fold space and matter at will."

Suddenly, the Ancient One froze as she echoed in shock, "He folds matter outside the mirror dimension? In the real world?"

"Yeah," Stephen answered, pacing around the room.

"How many more?" She asked.

"Two," He answered, his voice growing strained. "I stranded one in the desert."

"And the other?"

He shuddered out, "His body was in the hall. Master Drumm was in the foyer."

"He's been taken back to Kamar-Taj," Mordo spoke gravely.

Though all that time they spoke, all Stephen could think of was them. The people he had just killed. Lives in which he had taken by his own. He felt his stomach churn, feeling sick as the acid taste in his mouth returned.

Stephen was growing impatient as the Ancient One just idly ignored everything he had just said. She didn't even ask how he felt, how Illyria felt. For god's sake, she was her daughter and she almost got killed!