A top the Himalayas, the Sorcerer Supreme and her apprentices gazed at a dark passage, vast as a mountain's base, locked in extradimensional space. An oppressive dread emanated from within.
"Teacher, what's happening?" Casilius asked, voice trembling, standing beside the Sorcerer Supreme.
Since dawn, every mage had felt the sudden spatial ripple and gathered here, awaiting the outcome. Their confidence stemmed from their infallible mentor, yet fear of the unknown lingered. Humans always feared the unseen, but they stood behind a figure of unwavering faith.
The Sorcerer Supreme—Ancient One.
Mages rallied around her, dedicating their power to protect the world. Yet, Earth's magical tradition was young. The Ancient One, gifted with the seed of magic from the Vishanti, had crafted the mage's craft through her ingenuity.
"The fluctuations are strange, like Hell itself," the Ancient One said calmly. "Something is crossing into our world, but it doesn't feel dangerous." She paused, then added, "I sense a complex mix—evil, death, and boundless rage."
Her perception caught the Hellish aura of the shattered Black Soulstone, Malthael's pure death, and the barbarian's unrelenting fury. Her tranquil tone didn't inspire fervor but calmed her followers.
Mages knew she could glimpse the future through time's river. Seeing her unperturbed, they shed their worries. Even with the Time Stone, she hadn't foreseen this event, but as Earth's guardian, fear was foreign to her.
As the mages watched, the void shifted. A massive mountain crushed their extradimensional barrier, drifting lightly into the range. It landed without a sound, as if it had always belonged, standing resolute.
From afar, the mages saw its dust-covered snow and a sprawling, half-rebuilt complex—barbaric yet grand. On Harrogath, the barbarians' unfinished homeland had turned to ash before death, scattered across its sacred ground. Massive stones formed the foundation of a grand structure.
At the peak, a bare-chested warrior with brittle white hair stood in a pit, clutching broken heavy weapons. Shattered armor and menacing weapon fragments lay at his feet.
"Teacher, what is this?" Casilius asked urgently. The Ancient One smiled faintly, her expression serene. "We're done here," she said. The vast void in the sky vanished, as if it had never been.
The mages lowered their guard, resuming their routines, though doubts lingered. If the Sorcerer Supreme dismissed it, what need was there for concern? They buried their questions.
…
"Malthael!" Bul-Kathos roared, gripping his broken weapons, his voice echoing across Harrogath. Still reeling from the brutal battle, he hadn't realized he was no longer in his world, his fierce gaze scanning for foes.
"You need help?" the Ancient One's voice reached him, startling the battle-hardened barbarian.
Under Malthael's Reapers, Harrogath should hold no living soul. The voice froze his rage-filled mind. Barbarians fueled their strength with fury, but it didn't rob them of reason. It slowed their reactions, yet never turned them into mindless brutes.
"Ignore Pain," a famed barbarian skill, numbed pain with rage, and the strongest could shrug off immense harm.
"Who are you?" Bul-Kathos asked slowly. Caught in the Black Soulstone's explosive teleportation, he felt paused, expecting to still face Malthael.
Turning, he saw a bald woman step from a glowing portal. "I am the Ancient One, a mage and Earth's guardian," she said evenly. "You and this mountain appeared in our world. I need to understand you."
Though she glimpsed fragments of possible futures after the mountain's arrival, the past and future of this place eluded her—a novel experience for one wielding the Time Stone.
"Earth?" The word stirred Bul-Kathos's sluggish mind. Earth was a distant hope from his past life, lingering even after he became Bul-Kathos. Years in Diablo's world had blurred his former memories—loved movies and stories reduced to faint echoes.
He didn't recognize her, but "Earth" sparked excitement. "Earth, also called Midgard," the Ancient One said, mistaking him for an alien, invoking Asgard's name to add caution.
Confident she could defeat any foe, she saw no harm in giving potential enemies pause.
(End of Chapter)