Mordo, the elite sorcerer, finally calmed down under Doctor Strange’s persuasion. However, the look in his eyes when he glanced at Gene was far from friendly.
"M-Mr. Mason... I didn’t expect it to really be you," said Doctor Strange, extending his hand toward Gene. "I’m Stephen Strange. We met briefly at a banquet once, though I imagine you’ve long forgotten..."
"Doctor Strange, the genius of the surgical world," Gene replied calmly, his voice as precise as ever as his gaze briefly shifted to Strange’s trembling hands. "For minds like yours, I never forget. After all, my brain’s built a little differently."
Gene pointed to his own head, his tone dryly humorous.
"I still can’t believe it..." Strange looked at Gene with awe. "When the Ancient One spoke of you, I thought it was some kind of myth. Who could imagine that a figure as prominent in the scientific world as you... was also a master of the mystic arts. And... in that kind of body..."
"Existence defines reason," Gene said serenely. "In my eyes, science and magic are simply two paths leading to the same destination. They don’t conflict—they complement."
"What utter nonsense," Mordo scoffed with a cold snort, but the other two ignored him completely.
"I could sense your respect for the Ancient One from your words just now," Strange said softly. "Even though she’s gone... your tone tells me you still honor her memory."
"We had our differences," Gene replied in a low voice. "But that doesn’t change the fact that she gave me everything—shared all her knowledge without reservation. That’s why I’m here now."
He looked pointedly at Mordo, who showed no reaction—no flicker of understanding in his cold eyes.
Doctor Strange didn’t catch the nuance in Gene’s tone. Instead, he nodded and said, "The Hong Kong Sanctum is barely holding. New York and London have already fallen. We need to reinforce Hong Kong."
"No..." Gene shook his head. "They won’t target the Hong Kong Sanctum next."
Seeing Strange’s confusion, he continued, "They’ve already achieved their goal—breaking the protection spell requires all three Sanctums to fall. But to attack the Hong Kong Sanctum now, knowing it’s heavily guarded, would be a foolish move."
Gene’s voice became graver. "They’ve found another way. A better way. One that bypasses the Sanctums entirely and brings Dormammu directly to Earth."
With a snap of his fingers, a shimmering holographic screen flickered into existence. On it, a sleek, futuristic machine pulsed with ominous energy—Doom’s dimensional gate.
"This is a dimensional tunneling device," Gene explained. "It tears through the boundaries between worlds. With it, Dormammu can ignore the Sanctum’s protections and manifest on Earth at will."
Gene’s tone was chillingly calm as he continued, "There’s a new sorcerer among Dormammu’s followers—one far more powerful than Kaecilius. Comparing Kaecilius to him is like comparing a spark to the sun."
"And he’s not just a sorcerer. He’s a genius scientist. This machine is his creation."
Strange and Mordo exchanged looks, their expressions grim. The information Gene had just dropped was overwhelming. A stronger follower of Dormammu? One powerful enough to create a dimensional rift? That wasn’t just a dark sorcerer—that was a threat on a cosmic level.
Then Strange frowned in suspicion. "You seem to know a lot about this sorcerer... almost too much. Do you... know him personally?"
Gene’s answer came slowly, yet firmly.
A beat of silence followed.
A stunned silence fell over the sanctum. Then came Mordo’s sharp, bitter voice:
"Look at what you’ve done. This... this is your legacy. Just like the Ancient One drew power from Dormammu and brought his corruption into this world, you—you—have done the same by mentoring someone like that."
He pointed at Gene, his voice full of disdain. "No reverence. No respect for boundaries. It’s because of you that the world teeters on the brink of destruction!"
Gene didn’t even glance at Mordo. His attention was fixed on the Eye of Agamotto hanging around Doctor Strange’s neck.
He knew exactly what it contained—one of the six Infinity Stones.
A relic of unimaginable power, capable of bending time itself—accelerating, slowing, even reversing it. It was one of the most dangerous artifacts in the universe.
Gene pointed to the Eye of Agamotto. "When the time comes, I may need to borrow that."
Strange nodded, surprisingly quickly. "This artifact came from the library. I once read a book explaining its control methods, but I’ve only grasped the basics."
"You’re tampering with time far beyond your station," Mordo growled. "You haven’t even scratched the surface of what it takes to wield such power."
Neither Gene nor Strange even acknowledged him.
"So, we’re heading to Kamar-Taj?" Strange asked.
Gene nodded. "Yes. We are."
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