An Entity Within | Stephen Strange

9 - While She Sleeps...

"Fascinating. Do you know how you know this?"

Tessa shook her head, "I kind of just...knew."

Curiosity burned in the Ancient One's gaze as she ushered the child to one of the few library desks. She motioned for the child to sit as she placed the book down in front of her. Keeping her hand on it for a moment, she walked to face her from the opposite side of the desk.

"Can you read Sanskrit?"

Tessa shook her head, "What's Sanskrit?"

"Another language, one from long ago and rarely spoken today." She paused, opening the book and finding the page with the diagram of the Eye of Agamotto, "Try and read this passage for me."

Tessa shuffled forwards in her chair and pulled the book to her, "First, open the Eye of Agamotto..."

The Ancient One listened, mesmerised by child's skill and knowledge but knew it was not solely hers. That didn't take any of the novelty of the situation away though. For a moment, the Ancient One wondered if her successor was to be a unique universal hybrid, part-human, part-cosmic being.

"Did I read it right?"

The Sorceress Supreme blinked at the child, giving a slow nod as another amazed smile crept across her face, "You read the Sanskrit perfectly well, word for word."

"But I don't know Sanskrit?"

"And how odd that must be for you. Hardly a bad thing though. Come."

She removed the book from the desk and returned it to its place within her private collection before walking around the bookshelves in search of another book. When she found it, she unclipped it, leading Tessa out of the library and to the training rooms on the top floor. She excused some sorcerers from one room and slid the door shut, book under her arm before turning to face the child with a reassuring look.

"You have heard of astral projection, yes?"

Tessa nodded, "I remember...before...mum and dad used it to talk when they didn't want me to hear them talking...will mum ever come back?"

"Little one, your mother is...far away." She paused, "Your mother and numerous other sorcerers were very brave and ventured out into the plethora of dimensions there are, searching for knowledge and keeping us aware of any threats towards our own reality. I know you miss her, Tessa, but your mother is doing us a world of good."

"When will I see her again?"

It was impossible to say. An expedition such as the one her mother and the others had undertaken hadn't been done before and if it had, those previous had never returned. But she had faith in this group of sorcerers. They had received information, albeit few and far between, but they were still communicating with the sanctums. The Ancient One had even sent a message back to them, to Thea, informing her of her husband's passing and asking if she would come home to take care of her daughter - she hadn't yet received a reply.

She disregarded the question completely, "I would like to help you learn astral projection - or rather, I would like to see how you learn it yourself because I doubt you will need my assistance."

"But only apprentices learn that. And you said we had to be adults too. I'm neither."

"You, Tessa, are a very special case. You may not think it yourself but, judging by how well you have done today, I believe you are more than capable of learning such advanced sorcery." She paused, "What do you think?"

"What if I fail?"

She shrugged, "What if? The worst thing that can happen in this situation is if you fail, you fail. But failing isn't necessarily bad. We learn from our mistakes, Tessa. Failing is merely an opportunity to grow."