(Hela's POV)
Coming to Kamar Taj wasn't that difficult after all, it remains in the end just a place on Earth although this place is a bit more special as it serves as a gateway to other dimensions and mystical realms.
I simply expanded my mind like before but this time, I concentrated on the place that seems to be interfering with it and damn, there are so many.
Most of them have barriers that didn't allow the inside to contact the outside, likely place to seal others and indeed, Earth have many being sealed in it but fortunately, I did found my objective.
Although I can just teleport there with the space stone but nah, but as I'm about to enter the place that gave Disney it run due to special effects, my appearance need to be cooler than a simple teleportation.
I thought about all kinds of entrance I could make, should it be like Obito's Kamui? Stepping out of a gate like the Doa Doa no Mi? But nah, that felt too boring. Too... try-hard. I'm not stepping out like some dollar store anime villain.
So I did something better.
I grabbed the Space Stone, focused, and boom—above Kamar Taj, the air twisted and pulled into this big floating mirror. Not a real mirror, more like space pretending to be one.
I let it tilt down slowly, nice and dramatic.
Then I walked out of it.
Yeah. Just stepped right through the mirror like it was a puddle. One foot, then the other. Slow, smooth, not even trying to rush. Behind me, the mirror cracked and shattered into sparkly blue dust. Gone.
I did all of this while making sure if not interfering with any of the barriers on Kamar Taj after all, that would be funny if by trying to appear cool, I liberated some weird cosmic entity that Kamar Taj definitely don't lack.
Indeed, the reaction from the apprentice magicians—and even the more hands-on practitioners—was one of complete shock, while the seasoned veterans had already dropped into combat stances, probably thinking some eldritch horror was about to crawl in and ask for sugar with its tea.
I don't blame them, honestly. They were in the middle of training, which meant they likely missed the live broadcast and had no idea who I was.
Fair enough—can't fault someone for not recognizing unexpected guests with god-tier stones.
Since they didn't attack, I didn't bother doing anything flashy in return.
I figured, sooner or later—probably thanks to that little space-time disturbance I caused—the Ancient One would get wind of my presence.
So when she finally came out, I wasn't surprised. What I was wondering was whether she already knew I'd show up when she invited me for tea earlier.
And if that's the case, then why wasn't she already waiting with cookies or something?
Unfortunately, for all the lifetimes of experience she clearly carries around like an ancient purse, her face gave nothing away. Neutral as a corpse in a poker game.
"You're already here?" she said. And I still couldn't tell if she was being sarcastic, passive-aggressive, or just British.
Anyway, I didn't shy away from showing off the Space Stone on me. Honestly, there's nothing more fun than trolling people who've mastered the art of keeping a straight face in the face of cosmic horror.
Sadly, it didn't work either. She didn't even blink. So I went with honesty. Well, sarcastic honesty. "After all, the tea from the Sorcerer Supreme must be good. I couldn't wait to taste it."
Still no reaction. If her emotional range were any flatter, I'd need a shovel to find it.
"Then you'll find the tea is worth your visit," she said, gesturing toward the inner sanctum. The words hit like punching a cloud. Soft. Too soft.
But I wasn't here to throw tantrums—I needed her help. So yeah, turning around like a spoiled brat wasn't an option.
I followed her through the halls of Kamar Taj. Sure, the magic in Marvel isn't quite what I'd imagined back in the day, but still, Kamar Taj has that eerie, sacred feel you'd expect from a place where reality goes to get stretched, folded, and mildly traumatized.
Everything here screams mystery. Every door looks like if you opened it wrong, a tentacled god might poke its head out and ask for a roommate.
Eventually, we reached a quiet chamber—eerily peaceful, without a trace of modernity or shiny magical artifacts. Just warm wood, soft lighting, the scent of aged parchment, and something faintly herbal that might have been calming tea or powdered demon toenail.
Honestly, the vibe was soothing. Like that rare moment you slip into the zone—no pressure, no noise, just clarity. Felt like floating. Peaceful. Dangerous.
"So, if I may not be presumptuous… how did you get the Space Stone?"
I nearly choked on the tea I was sipping. I thought we were going to have a silent staring contest—you know, her giving off that all-knowing, ominous aura while I pretended not to be care until someone blinked.
Instead, she asked a question. No smugness. No veiled threats. Just straight-up curiosity. Not at all like the omnipotent puppet master she's usually portrayed as in the fanfics I used to read.
"You who have the Time Stone, don't you know how I got it?" I asked, genuinely curious. This Ancient One was nothing like the image I had of her. Or—wild thought—was she, like me, a person from another world?
I shook that idea off real quick before it planted a red flag and started waving. There had to be a better explanation. She didn't respond immediately, just stared at me with a look that screamed suspicion.
Honestly, being stared at like that was kind of uncomfortable—especially for someone as 'straightforward' as me. I like my conversations like I like my sandwiches: with minimal judgment and ideally some cheese.
Right when I was about to voice my growing irritation, she spoke. "Someone is interfering with the timeline. Whether it's Odin or me, even with the Time Stone, we can no longer see the future."
Well. That was one way to kill the vibe.
"I don't know how you learned the way to leave Hel, but in the original timeline, you shouldn't have been able to. One of the reasons Odin was on edge and didn't dare fight you was because he suspected that the special individual was after Asgard. That may be why he freed you."
"If he had fought you, maybe that one interfering with the timeline would've finally managed to take whatever they originally wanted from Asgard."
Okay—wow. That was probably the best news I'd heard since waking up in this crazy world: Odin, the Ancient One, and probably a bunch of other cosmic meddlers can't see the future anymore.
I mean, in Marvel? Precogs are like Starbucks—you think you've seen the last one, but there's always another around the corner. Their numbers go past twenty without even needing a calculator.
I was planning to figure out a way to neutralize those powers, but it turns out someone already did the hard work for me. Cheers, mystery meddler. But of course, nothing is ever that simple.
Now things are messier than a timeline written by a drunk Loki.
Who exactly is doing it? Is it the System? Me from the future? Or just some random fourth-wall-breaking lunatic?
If it's future-me… does that mean I'm someone else's past? A walking paradox wrapped in cosmic duct tape? And if it's not me but someone else, does that mean I'll eventually have to face a person who can casually screw with the Time Stone?
Marvel World, man. You're never allowed a moment of peace. You haven't even finished your current problems before the next existential crisis is already knocking on the door with a flaming sword and a punchline.
And I'm not even 'free' yet—and already my next migraine has RSVP'd. (Répondez s'il vous plaît-Please respond)
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The bonus chapter like I promised, it's a new week meaning reset Power Stones ranking, don't let me bites the dust.