The Ancient One sat quietly, savoring the fragrant tea in her delicate porcelain cup. Oddly enough, though she was alone in the room, a second teacup sat across from her—filled and waiting.
The space before her shimmered—twisted—then split open like water rippling under moonlight.
From the swirling distortion, a shadow-clad figure stepped out: Gene.
"I was wondering when you'd show up," the Ancient One said serenely, as she topped off Gene's tea without missing a beat.
Gene's gaze sharpened. "And what makes you so certain I would come?"
The Ancient One's expression didn't change. "Galan is a powerful cosmic entity. I've encountered him once—when Galactus devoured a lifeless planet."
"Galan" was the true name of the Planet Devourer.
"I observed that his power fluctuates," she continued. "When he feeds, his strength surges. But when he's hungry... he's significantly weaker."
Gene snorted faintly. "So what you're telling me is, the Galactus heading for Earth right now is hungry, and I shouldn't be too concerned? Is that it?"
There was mockery in his voice. He'd never understood why mages from Kamar-Taj always danced around the point instead of speaking plainly.
The Ancient One didn't answer immediately.
Instead, she lifted her hand, and with a casual flick of her wrist, the space around them folded.
In an instant, they stood in a pocket dimension—suspended within a mirrored sliver of the universe.
It was as if they stood both right-side-up and upside-down. Stars blurred past them, leaving brilliant streaks of light as they raced through the cosmos.
"There," she said softly, pointing ahead.
Gene turned—and saw him.
The Planet Devourer loomed like a mountain in the void. His massive form seemed endless, his features obscured by a shimmering, alien helmet. His body was cloaked in a purple battle robe that shimmered with incomprehensible power. The sheer scale of him was enough to break the mind.
He flew—silently and swiftly—toward Earth.
And from here, Gene could feel it: a cosmic pressure that dwarfed even Mephisto.
"Clearly, this isn't Galactus at his peak," the Ancient One said. "If he were well-fed, his energy would swell even more—and he'd likely already be aware of this dimension watching him."
Gene stared at the celestial juggernaut in the distance.
"You're not going to act, are you?" he asked coldly. "Even when the Earth you swore to protect is about to be consumed, you'll still sit back and observe."
The Ancient One didn't respond.
Their dimension floated silently, tracing the wake of Galactus like a shadow.
The silence lingered. A tiny meteorite zipped toward Galactus's form—poof—and disintegrated instantly.
He didn't even notice. He was beyond such things now.
Meteorites held no appeal for Galactus. He required energy—vast, planetary energy. He consumed worlds not out of malice, but out of necessity. A cosmic hunger that never ceased.
Sometimes, Gene thought Galactus and Thanos would've made great drinking buddies.
Different methods, same result.
"I've seen the threads of fate," the Ancient One murmured. "This time, Galactus's presence will not devastate Earth... because his arrival will awaken something else. Certain humans will mutate under his influence."
In the air before them, four familiar figures appeared—The Fantastic Four.
"Fate again. Always fate," Gene scoffed. "Tell me, when will you mages stop clinging to fate and start mastering it?"
"You say Galactus won't have much impact... but what exactly does that mean? Half the population could vanish and you'd still call it minor."
"The damage won't be planetary," the Ancient One replied with a shrug.
Gene narrowed his eyes. "Then why did you stand in the New York Sanctum and personally strike down Kree warriors during their invasion? Wasn't that fate too?"
The Ancient One smiled gently. "Why else would I show you the real state of Garland today, if not to tell you I intend to act?"
Gene blinked—momentarily thrown off by her oddly cheeky tone. His neural net hesitated to process the response.
"This is your help? Just... showing me Galactus's power level?" he asked, slightly baffled.
"Gene, you've always been my most remarkable disciple," she said as the room folded back around them. "I believe in you."
The tea cups were once again warm in their hands.
"You're really my dearest master," Gene said, his voice steeped in sarcasm.
"Thank you," the Ancient One smiled, unbothered. "I've always guided you toward the role of Sorcerer Supreme. When you were trapped in the Hell Dimension... your spells were exceptional."
"Alright, stop—stop right there." Gene waved her off quickly, not wanting to hear another word about being the next Supreme.
"But even if you hadn't shown me Galactus in the flesh," he added, his voice firming, "I'd still stop him."
The space around Gene began to shimmer, distorting and folding as he prepared to depart.
"Remember what I said—take care of Strange," the Ancient One called after him, repeating her last request.
Gene paused in the distortion.
"I will," he said flatly.
And then he was gone.
The room stilled once more. The folding space slowly smoothed, the room bathed again in silence.
Only two untouched cups of tea remained—silent witnesses to the powerful truths just revealed.
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