An Entity Within | Stephen Strange

16 - Dissonance

A/N - Heyyy, I hope y'all had a lovely Christmas or holiday if you don't celebrate/celebrate another variation of it! ❤

Ever since watching Spider-Man: No Way Home and seeing the Multiverse of Madness trailer, I have been thrown back into the swing of things with Doctor Strange woo!

I hope you enjoy this chapter!

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After the other's attempt on Stephen's life, he and Tessa returned to the sanctum. Fellow sorcerers and sorceresses watched her as she walked by them, following cautiously, all ready to make a move should she be hostile towards them. Strange called to them, beckoning them to library should they wish to hear some form of an explanation as to why they had omitted what the rest of the inhabitants viewed to be an integral piece of knowledge. All those stares unsettled both Tessa and Tee as they stuck close behind Stephen. Even focusing on the ground as they walked couldn't rid them of the spine-tingling feeling of being watched.

They will not accept us.

The Entity didn't know that for certain. Perhaps once they were able to share their side of the story, their fellow sorcerers would be put at ease.

As they gathered in the library, Stephen directed her to the front, where they both able to stand on the steps that were there so they could be seen by all who followed them. The talented sorcerer looked at Tessa, clearly anxious himself as to how they would react. He didn't want a mutiny after all.

"I know you're all...unsettled by what happened, but I can assure you, Tessa will not harm you. She is one of us."

"You aren't one of us though, Strange!"

"Who gave such an amateur the right to lead us?"

They were right, Stephen couldn't deny it. Who did give him the right? The Ancient One might have seen much in him but the others certainly didn't. He imagined she would probably say something like 'patience' to him. And he was patient...but this had been going on for a while now, maybe not as vocally as before but this had certainly made those who were quietly uncertain a little louder now.

"I understand your concerns. We're all getting used to this new dynamic, myself included. But please, trust me when I tell you, Tessa is still the same Tessa as before."

"She clearly isn't, I mean what the hell was that out there?"

"Shadow magic?"

"Dark dimension sorcery?"

"And you calling her an 'Entity'?"

"I – " Stephen felt a hand on his arm and he looked beside him to see Tessa stood there, a little apprehensive but determined.

"I'm sorry we didn't say this sooner," Tessa spoke up, "But something...unprecedented has happened. And it's something that even the Ancient One kept from you all for this exact reason - we were all worried that your fear would blind you to the potential of the situation."

"We don't even know what the situation is!"

"Please, keep calm. As Stephen said, I mean no harm – we mean no harm to you." She paused, carefully considering her words but also coming back to the fact that she couldn't dance around it anymore, "Since I was six-years-old, an Entity has been using me as a host body."

"Why? What reason would it have to do that?"

"Perhaps it plans to infiltrate these sanctums, kill us off one by one until the planet is defenceless?"