The next morning, a cleanly cut Stephen walked around Kamar-Taj. He hadn't seen Genevieve yet and he wanted to show her his new look.
He walked to the library and saw Genevieve, sitting there with Wong. Both of them stood up to look at the oncoming figure. Genevieve saw his new look and was quite impressed. He did that all by himself.
"Stephen." Wong said.
"Wong." Stephen nodded and looked at Genevieve. He had hope in his eyes.
"I like the new look. I'm proud." She smiled.
Wong glanced between the two, "What do you want, Strange?"
"Books on astral projection." Wong looked at him, Genevieve also looking at Stephen shocked.
"You're not ready for that." Wong told him.
"Try me Beyoncé." Stephen taunted with a straight face. Genevieve fought the urge to laugh. Stephen got no reaction from Wong, "Oh come on, you've heard of her. She's a huge star right?" Still no reaction, "Do you ever laugh?" Still nothing, "Oh, just give me the book."
"No." Wong said.
Stephen left the library with no book, but Genevieve followed after him, "What is it that you want?"
"I just wanted to tell you that you need to take it easy. Yesterday you almost died." This made Stephen stop.
"Yes, but how am I supposed to learn if I'm restricted?" Stephen asked her.
Genevieve placed her hands on his shoulders, "Give it time. You're just getting the hang of it. Besides, astral projections is hard and you need to concentrate on your focus."
"So my focus needs more focus." He tried to joke.
Genevieve playfully rolled her eyes, "Now is not the time for games Stephen, I'm being serious. As your master, you need to listen to me. Please. Just this once."
Stephen stood there silently, looking into her deep brown eyes. She was so beautiful in his mind, "Fine. But only if you possibly let this," he said pointing between the two, "happen."
"I can't make promises on that right now. Focus on you not me." She told him.
He placed his forehead against hers, "Fine. You know what's funny?"
"What?" She asked.
"Just a few days ago you were pissed at me, and now we're doing stuff like this."
"Well just a few days ago you weren't letting someone else take control. Now you are." She trailed her fingers down his arms until her hands clasped his, "I like a man who lets others take control."
"Oh you sly dog. You think you're funny don't you?" Stephen taunted.
"Hilarious." She pulled away from him and shoved him, slapping his butt, "Now go and focus on the basics." Stephen looked back at her and she shooed him, "I'm being serious. Go!"
Little did she know that Stephen didn't listen to her about the astral projections things. Wong was in the library listening to Beyoncé. Stephen was making portals and taking books off the shelf. He even stole the book that was in front of Wong.
Through his readings, in which he was told not to do, Stephen learned how to read in his astral form. The Ancient One has found out about his little tricks and called him and Genevieve in.
"Once in this room, you begged me to let you learn. Now I'm told you question every lesson, preferring to teach yourself." The Ancient One said.
"Once in this room, you opened my eye. Now I'm being told to blindly accept rules that make no sense." Stephen countered.
"Like the rule against conjuring a gateway in the library?" The Ancient One questioned.
"Wong told on me?" Stephen asked surprisingly.
"As I'm being told by Master Genevieve, you're advancing quickly with your sorcery skills. You need a safe space to practice your spells."
The Ancient One nodded towards Genevieve, who opened the mirror dimension. She, as well as Stephen and the Ancient One walked in.
As Stephen entered, he looked around curiously. He honestly didn't know what to think. Other than the fact that it was strange.
"You are now inside the Mirror Dimension." The Ancient One's voice echoed, "Ever present, but undetected. The real world isn't affected by what happens here. We use the Mirror Dimension to train, surveil, and sometimes contain threats. You don't want to be in here without your sling ring."
"Hold on. Sorry, what do you mean threats?" Stephen asked.
The Ancient One casted a spell on the floor that caused the ceiling and floor to change shape.
"Learning of an infinite multiverse includes learning of infinite dangers. And if I told you everything else that you don't already know, you'd run from here in terror." The Ancient One told him.
Genevieve walked up beside Stephen, "There's a lot that you don't want to know about."
Genevieve opened herself a portal out of the Mirror Dimension, holding her hand out for Stephen to take. It was time for his fighting skills with Mordo.
Genevieve watched as the boys prepared for their sessions. Stephen was fixing his gloves and Mordo was tying his shoes.
"So just how old is she?" Stephen asked.
Mordo looked up from tying his shoes, "No one knows the age of the Sorceress Supreme."
"Only that she's Celtic and never talks about her past." Genevieve filled in, playing with her staff that was once her father's.
Stephen looked at both Mordo and Genevieve, "You both follow her though you don't know?"
"I know she's steadfast, but unpredictable." Mordo said.
"Merciless, yet kind." Genevieve commented.
"She made us what we are." Mordo said, before getting into stance.
Genevieve found it funny how two men could try so hard to outdo the other.
"Trust your teacher." Genevieve said, examining them the same way the Ancient One was doing.
"And don't lose your way." Mordo added.
"Like Kaecilius?" Stephen questioned.
"That's right." Mordo simply stated before attacking Stephen.
Stephen got to a point where he had the upper hand, "You knew him."
Mordo got the upper hand as well, "When he first came to us, he lost everyone he ever loved. He was a grieving, broken man searching for answers in the mystic arts. A brilliant student, but he was proud, headstrong. Questioned the Ancient One."
"Like you Stephen." Genevieve commented.
"Rejected her teaching." Mordo continued and Stephen elbowed him in the stomach. The two men took a break, "He left Kamar-Taj. His disciples followed him like sheep, seduced by false doctrines."
"And he stole the forbidden ritual, right?" Stephen asked.
"Yes." Mordo simply answered, out of breath.
"What did it do?"
Mordo went to pick up his relic, "No more questions."
"What's that?" Stephen questioned.
"That's a questioned." Mordo pointed out and Stephen chuckled, "This is a relic. Some magic is too powerful to sustain, so we imbue objects with it. Allowing them to take the strain we cannot. Genevieve has her father's staff, The Staff of Arpolo. This," Mordo pulled apart, "is the Staff of the Living Tribunal."
He swung it at Stephen, causing him to jump back. Genevieve decided to stand up and show hers.
She pulled hers out and let the magic flow freely out of hers, shooting a pot that was in the way. Her relic caused it to smashing into a thousand pieces.
"There are many relics. The Wand of Watoomb. The Volting Boots of Valtor." Mordo clapped the boots together for Genevieve.
"They just roll off the tongue, don't they?" Stephen taunted and Mordo laughed at his cockiness, "When do I get my relic?"
"When you're ready." Mordo answered.
"Well, I think I'm ready." Stephen said.
"And that's the first sign when you're not." Genevieve told him.
Mordo agreed, "You're ready when the relic decides you are ready. For now, conjure a weapon."
Stephen agreed and conjured a basic chain. Automatically, Mordo attacked.
"Fight! Fight like your life depended on it!" Mordo knocked Stephen down, "Because one day it may."
Genevieve helped Stephen up and walked him back to his room.
"You sure got your ass kicked today, didn't you?" Genevieve taunted him.
Stephen rolled his eyes at her, "Haha, you think you're so funny."
"Damn right I do, but I liked seeing it. You're learning."
"I know, but maybe I would have liked for you to be the one who kicked my ass."
"I mean you do kiss up to my ass on a daily basis." Genevieve told him.
Stephen sighed, "I'm only trying to win in your favor. To show I've changed. For you."
Genevieve looked softly into his eyes. She patted him lovingly on the cheeks, "I know you are and you're getting there."
There was silence and Stephen held Genevieve close. It was a nice silence.
"I miss us Gem. I miss having you around me constantly."
Genevieve smiled at the nickname he had given her so long ago, "I know you do, but you pushed me away and you're earning me back slowly. We'll get there."
"Promise?" Stephen held out his pinky like a little kid.
"Promise." She pinky sweared and kissed his cheek, awfully close to his lips, "Rest up. After all, you did get a nice asswhooping."
"Shut up. Goodnight." Stephen called to her as she exited.
"Goodnight ass kisser." She said, closing his door.
The thoughts of his interactions was bothering him. He wasn't able to handle anything, so he went to the one place that helped him. The library.