"And you can make it happen? Ensure the Starks remain dead in the eyes of the world?"
After listening to Maverick's explanation—how he planned to keep future events unchanged while keeping the Stark couple alive—the Sorcerer Supre asked one more ti to be sure.
Maverick nodded. "You say you keep the tiline in check. So, I'm guessing you have the ability to look into the future..." He paused, carefully choosing his next words. "So, can't you just look and see if anything has changed? Whether my actions were for better or worse?"
In truth, he was more interested in what exactly the Sorcerer Supre sees when she looks into the future of this world. He had half the impulse to read her surface thoughts, , to catch a glimpse of what lay ahead—but he quickly pushed the thought aside. This was the Sorcerer Supre, not so random thug he could pry into without consequences.
This world was a chaotic blend of Marvel, Harry Potter, and God knows what else. So one thing was certain—magic had always been a part of this world. Witches and wizards had existed throughout history, woven into the fabric of this world.
Magic had always coexisted alongside the non-magical and the superhuman. This wasn't a case of separate universes suddenly rging. No, they had been intertwined from the very beginning. So whatever future the Ancient One sees, it must include magicals.
The Sorcerer Supre was montarily at a loss for words at his request to look directly into future events. Of course, she wasn't about to admit that she had been blocked by so kind of cosmic firewall whenever she tried to peer into events directly involving him.
But since he himself had now asked her to do it… perhaps that changed things.
Silence stretched between them, tension hanging thick in the air. Just as the Sorcerer Supre was about to ask Maverick if he was certain about looking into the future now, rlin cut through the mont with a knowing glance in her direction.
"I believe your reason for eting the young mage has been resolved, hasn't it, Yao?"
The Ancient One exhaled softly in resignation. Now was not the ti for that. What she truly wanted was to build a better relationship—to foster goodwill early on—with this young wizard, whom she was certain would one day surpass her, far beyond her own power.
But rlin had prevented her from making any contact until today—without ever giving a proper reason. And there was nothing she could do about it. rlin was just as powerful as she was. She and him were two Supres ruling over their own domains.
And this boy was a mage, not a Sorcerer like her. rlin, who stood at the pinnacle of all mages, had the final say on anything concerning them.
However, it would be a different matter if the boy took the initiative to seek her out. And with this eting, she believed that mont wasn't far off. It wouldn't be long before they could have a proper conversation.
With a subtle motion of her hand, golden sparks ignited in the air behind her, swiftly forming into a portal.
Maverick watched, now visibly confused. That's it? Was that really all there was to this eting? Just to ask why he saved the Stark couple? And why did it feel like rlin was dismissing the Ancient One as if she were so re nuisance?
Maverick had no idea that the Ancient One's true purpose had been more to just et him then question why he had saved the Stark couple. And as for the couple themselves, she was no longer concerned. The answers she received tonight assured her that the trajectory of the future would remain unchanged.
"If you ever find yourself in Nepal," she said, stepping toward the portal, "co to Kamar-Taj. We can have a proper conversation then."
As the golden portal closed behind the Ancient One, silence settled over the space. Maverick exhaled slowly, then glanced at the legendary man beside him. Now, it was just the two of them—two wizards, standing face to face.
He had so many questions, yet before he could gather his thoughts, rlin's voice broke the quiet.
"You must be wondering why she left just because I suggested her to do so..."
Maverick gulped. That was exactly what he had been thinking.
rlin chuckled, as if amused by his reaction. "It's quite simple," he said. "I am the Supre Mage. And when it cos to matters of witches and wizards, my word is final."
Maverick remained silent and let the legendary wizard explain.
rlin continued. "It is because of that the wizarding world has remained untouched for a thousand years... free from outside interference. Otherwise, Sorcerers, or so other powers would have already ddled in its trajectory."
He paused, and then his expression turned more serious. "And believe , child—there are many beings in this world capable of stopping a group of Arch-Magi."
Maverick raised a brow. The old legend didn't seem to be joking, which only made him more curious about the powerful forces he was referring to.
But, unfortunately, rlin seed to think he had said enough.
"You will learn more in ti," he said. "For now, all you need to do is grow stronger."
He fell silent after that, as if weighing how much he should reveal. Then, after a brief pause, he spoke again.
"I can tell you one thing before we part ways for now." His eyes glead. "There is a prophecy… one that speaks of the magical world finally gaining its freedom. And you, Maverick Caesar, are at the center of that change."
Great. Just what he needed—to be tangled up in so bloody prophecy. Maverick groaned inwardly but kept his expression neutral.
Still, he couldn't just ignore it now that he had heard it. Curiosity got the better of him, so he asked, "Prophecy...? Freedom?"
"Yes, a prophecy about our liberation," rlin nodded. "For as long as I can rember—probably since the very beginning—magicals have lived in the shadows. Not because they wanted to, but because this world was too small to accommodate them alongside non-magicals."
"And the prophecy speaks of a great migration. A world will be created where magic can exist freely, a world ruled by magicals."
Now, Maverick had a pretty good idea of what rlin was talking about. After all, it aligned with a plan he had only recently set into motion.
rlin's gaze locked onto him. "The magical world is waiting for that day. I am waiting for that day," he said simply. "So you must grow stronger, because it will be your hands that shape it."
rlin turned slightly, as if preparing to leave. But before he did, he added one final ssage.
"Don't worry about anything. Use your Seer abilities as much as you wish... shape events however you see fit. If anyone tries to stop you…" His eyes glead with quiet certainty. "I will be the one to back you up..."
"Until we et again, young mage."
With those parting words, rlin just vanished, not even giving Maverick a chance to question all that he had just revealed.
Maverick stood there, staring at the now-empty space.
"...Damn."
...
A day later, at the secluded location where the Stark couple and Bucky Barnes were staying, Maverick sat across from them at the dining table.
Swishh
He slid three passports across the table, along with a thick stack of docunts.
"Passports and verification docunts for your new identities," he said. "In these papers, I've detailed everything—your backgrounds, what you've been doing up until now. Birth records, family history, schools, universities, past jobs—it's all there. Study them. morize every detail until you can answer any question without hesitation."
The three adults each took their respective passports, flipping them open to inspect their new identities.
Howard frowned as he stared at his. "Robert Downey Jr.?" He shot Maverick a look, clearly unimpressed. "This is the best na you could co up with for ?"
He didn't seem too pleased with either the na or the photo staring back at him.
"Accept it. There's no one in the world—alive or dead—who looks like that," Maverick said, tapping his temple with a finger. "Because it all ca from here."
Maria, flipping through her passport, gave an approving nod. "Gwyneth Paltrow… I like the na. Has a nice ring to it."
Bucky glanced at his own. "Sebastian Stan… I guess that's who I am now."
"Alright, the passports and docuntation are one thing," Howard said, setting his down and looking at Maverick. By now, he was used to seeing that void-like face, but it didn't make things any less surreal. "But what about us? How exactly are you planning to make us look like these people?"
"That's taken care of as well." Maverick snapped his fingers.
Three small boxes appeared in front of them.
"Open them and put them on," he instructed.
Howard picked his up with a skeptical look. "This is weird. Can't you just hand us the rings instead of packing them in fancy little boxes?"
Maverick's brow twitched. He had put a lot of effort into crafting these alchemical rings, so of course, he had packed them nicely for presentation. But now that he thought about it… yeah, it did seem a bit weird and unnecessary.
As soon as the three put on the rings, they gasped in surprise. The tal briefly shimred on their fingers before seeming to sink into their skin, disappearing entirely—leaving behind only a thin, tattoo-like marking.
"What is this?" Howard asked, looking worried. His gaze flickered to his wife, then to Bucky, who also had the sa mark on his finger.
"No need to make a fuss," Maverick said lazily. "It's just alchemy. The rings are now a part of you until I remove them with a spell."
"Part of us?" Howard repeated, clearly not liking the sound of that.
"Yes… but that's not the point." Maverick raised a finger and, without warning, fired a thin beam of magic at them. The spell split midair into three separate streams, each striking one of them before they could even react.
Imdiately, all three felt an odd, crawling itch spread across their bodies.
"What the hell did you do now?" Howard scowled, scratching his arms as if he had suddenly broken out in hives. "At least explain before you abracadabra us out of nowhere!"
Maverick smirked under his mask but said nothing. He simply watched as the changes took effect.
A few monts later—
"Howard… wait, you're Howard, right?" Maria suddenly asked, staring at her husband. Or at least, the man sitting where her husband had been.
Howard's brow furrowed, confused by the strange question—until he glanced at Maria and froze. His eyes widened as he took in her completely unfamiliar face. "You—you're Maria?" he asked hesitantly.
Bucky remained more composed but was no less shocked as he silently studied the two unfamiliar faces before him. A sinking feeling told him that if he were to check his own reflection, he'd see a stranger as well.
Maverick let them stew in confusion for a mont before finally snapping his fingers. Three mirrors materialized in the air and floated toward them.
"See for yourselves."
The three grabbed their mirrors and examined their reflections, astonishnt clear in their eyes.
"How is this even possible?" Howard muttered, running a hand over his face. "I don't feel like I'm wearing a mask…"
"Magic, Stark. It can do miraculous things," Maverick said flatly. "A small bottle of liquid can turn anyone into anyone else—down to the flesh. I used the principles of that potion to craft those rings and apply the sa effect."
Howard set the mirror down and looked at him. "Is that how you made the public think it was us who died?"
Maverick nodded. "Sothing like that. But unlike the potion, the rings don't alter your body all the way to the DNA. Just your appearance and vocal cords."
"I see." Howard leaned back in his chair before raising a brow. "So how do we turn back? Are we supposed to rely on you to magic us back every ti?"
Maverick narrowed his eyes. "Until I can trust you... Yes. You can only revert when I cast the spell."
Howard frowned. "You talk about trust, but we don't even know who you are behind that black hole of a mask. Even your voice sounds like a machine."
Maverick said nothing. He considered Howard's words carefully. These three had now committed to helping him. And if he truly wanted their trust, he had to give sothing in return.
For a while, he remained silent, his gaze unreadable.
The three exchanged glances. Howard briefly wondered if he had pushed too far. After all, this man, this unknown, had effortlessly taken down a super-soldier spy. It was easy to forget that when he sat calmly across from them.
But instead of responding to Howard's rebuke, the three of them then saw the figure simply raised his hand, and snapped his fingers.
The void-like veil covering his face began to dissolve, unraveling like smoke in the wind.
A mont later, sitting where the faceless enigma once was, they saw a young man.
A stranger.
And then, for the first ti, they heard his voice—his real voice.
"Let introduce myself again," he said. "My na is Maverick Caesar."
—————————
Author's Note:
Just a quick update — up to Chapter 143 is already available on P AT r30n!
PAT r30n [.] com / RyanFic
User Comments
0 comments from readers