No bonus chapter as the goal isn't completes.
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Mordo and Nolan locked eyes, neither willing to back down. Whenever Mordo tried to open a portal, Nolan effortlessly disrupted his spell with a wave of magical energy.
Mordo's expression darkened.
Nolan's mastery over space magic had grown terrifyingly refined. He could now interrupt portal formations on a whim.
"He's talented, but forcing him like this could kill him!" Mordo snapped. "If he fails, his body won't survive the shock!"
"I don't want him to be just talented," Nolan replied coldly. "He has the potential to become the next Sorcerer Supreme. And unlike you, I believe in that potential."
Nolan's tone was sharp. "You've coddled him. That indulgence bred complacency. That's the mindset of mediocrity. But Strange is a genius."
Gasps rippled through the gathered acolytes around the courtyard. Some murmured disapproval at Nolan's intensity.
Mordo's face darkened further. "I'll be informing the Ancient One."
"Do as you like," Nolan said, turning away.
Just then, golden sparks appeared in midair the telltale sign of a portal forming.
Out stumbled a frost-covered figure, breath ragged and body trembling from the cold.
Strange had returned.
Nolan gave Mordo a calm, knowing smile. "I told you. I understand him better than you do."
Strange collapsed onto the ground but looked up with a triumphant grin. "Master… I did it."
Nolan simply nodded. "Not bad. Get cleaned up we're going to meet the Grandmaster."
---
Strange knelt respectfully before a low table. Across from him sat the Ancient One, sipping her tea.
So this was the Sorcerer Supreme.
The Ancient One's gaze lingered on Nolan with subtle admiration. "So this was your plan all along? Clever."
She could already sense it Nolan's soul wasn't centralized. It was scattered, anchored across his entire body.
A technique only he could survive.
"Thanks for making time, Master," Nolan said quietly.
"I hope it works. I'll be waiting for your return."
Strange was confused. Something dangerous was clearly about to happen, but no one was explaining it.
"Let's do this," Nolan said, settling into a meditative position.
He raised his hands, shaping them into an arcane Tai Chi form. Mystic energy surged from his palms into the Eye of Agamotto hanging from his chest.
Golden bands of energy uncoiled, revealing the glowing green Time Stone beneath. The eye cracked open.
Chronomagic flooded Nolan's body. His surroundings blurred as visions of the past flashed before him.
Fragments of memory were erased then immediately rewritten. His mind twisted and folded in on itself.
Strange gaped. "What is this?"
The Ancient One's eyes narrowed. "So he's mastered soul fracturing too… No wonder he's so unique."
---
Elsewhere – A Luxury Hotel Suite
Wanda let out a soft moan of delight but suddenly froze.
Nolan had gone completely still.
"…Nolan?" she whispered. "What's wrong?"
But he didn't respond. Instead, arcane energy flared uncontrollably around him just like Wanda during her worst breakdowns.
She instinctively pulled away and watched, wide-eyed.
"Nolan? Say something! Nolan!"
Still nothing.
Inside Nolan's mind, it felt like the universe was splitting open. Two consciousnesses, past and present, were colliding. His memories scrambled violently.
Just as Wanda reached to summon a portal to the Ancient One, Nolan's eyes cleared.
"I'm fine," he said with a smile. "But I need to get to Oscorp immediately."
Wanda blinked, still concerned. "I'll come with you."
"Yeah. That'd help."
As he dressed, Nolan finally understood why the Ancient One had warned him.
Even that brief dip into the past had ripped open the pain of his Super Soldier transformation the kind of cellular agony no normal person would survive.
More importantly, he felt it was a mysterious force trying to erase his memories, forcing him to perfectly match his past self. Each moment felt like parts of him were being rewritten.
That forgetfulness… was pure torture.
---
Moments later, in the Oscorp lab.
Wanda stood beside him, visibly worried.
"Wanda, could you head to Kamar-Taj and let the Ancient One know I might need her assistance soon?"
Before she could leave, a golden portal shimmered open.
"No need," said the Ancient One, stepping through with a calm smile. "You've returned from the future?"
"I have," Nolan replied. "And I've found the path to becoming a Sky Father."
The Ancient One nodded. "You haven't been gone long, judging by the temporal current still clinging to your aura."
She narrowed her eyes. "But you've upset the balance. Your time jump drained Earth's protective barrier. Dormammu's arrival has been accelerated. There may be other consequences."
"I'll handle it. Once I ascend, if Dormammu doesn't come for me I'll go after him."
With that, Nolan turned to the nearest console.
"E.L.L., bring up the enhanced Spider templates. We're modifying my genome."
"Understood," E.L.L. replied.
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