An Entity Within | Stephen Strange

7 - Too Many Questions

Kitted out in his neat blue tunic, Doctor Strange entered the library an hour later, books in hand ready to return to Wong.

"Stephen," Wong greeted the sorcerer as he appeared from behind one of the shelves, "You're up early."

"No thanks to your books." Stephen placed them on the desk in the centre of the library.

"Any luck then?"

Stephen scoffed, "Too much luck. There are countless beings that could have possessed her, all as equally dangerous as the other."

"But do you have solutions?"

"Maybe...I don't know, Wong. This seems out of my depth - the best advice so far is 'phone a priest'." The sorcerer sighed, "I'm afraid worse could happen to all of us if we don't find out the truth of what's happening soon."

"Best you keep researching then if no one will talk to you." Wong suggested.

"Yeah...keep re - "

Before Stephen could finish, the doors to the library burst open and there stood a very pale looking Marcus, panting and eyes wild with terror. The two men looked at the Master, uneasiness building up in the both of them as they waited for Marcus to catch his breath to explain. Marcus gestured with his hands out of the door as Stephen approached him.

"Master Kent? What's wrong? Is it Tessa?"

He shook his head, heaving, "No...no...I - Eli - he's - "

"Marcus, look at me - What's happened to Master Emeka?" Stephen interrogated, his tone stern as he held the Master by his upper arms, "Where's Elijah?"

Master Kent shook his head, "I'm sorry, so sorry," He muttered with a noticeable shine to his eyes, "He's dead."

* * * * *

"Uncle?" Tessa knocked on Marcus's room door, "Uncle, are you in?"

When there was no reply, Tessa decided to see if she could find Eli. Perhaps he had gone to strike up another conversation with Master Emeka? Or, at the very least, Elijah might know where her Uncle was. Her footsteps echoed down the vacant corridors and she only saw one other sorceress who looked somewhat anxious to be around her. Tessa wouldn't hurt a fly but now knowing that a lot of her fellow residents viewed her as a danger with a single look, she felt...like she shouldn't be here. But this was her home, and this would be where she would stay.

People fear what they do not understand.

"I thought you were asleep?" Tessa muttered to herself.

Your thoughts disturb me.

"Well, I can't not think."

No. They disturb me because it means we are seen as a threat. Threats are eliminated. We need to strike first.

"We are not harming anyone."

And if they harm us?

"They won't."

You see the good in everyone, child. It can be a strength but right now, it is your weakness.

"If you're going to sleep, sleep. I'm not having this conversation with you."

I will not hesitate to protect us if it comes to it.

"It won't. Now, sleep."

Tessa continued on to Elijah's room, but she paused when she reached his door. Master Emeka's door was slightly ajar. It was never left open - none of the room doors were ever left open like this. Maybe he had popped out quickly and had forgotten to shut it, but it was unlikely. She knocked on the mahogany door frame before calling out.