Slowly, she saw more.
Not just her own memories, but something deeper.
Inside the Mind Stone, it was as if countless consciousnesses were whispering, the echoes of all the lives it had touched.
Wanda's consciousness moved through them, touching, and separating.
She saw another version of herself from another universe, mad, desperate, and ultimately turned to ashes…
She saw Xiao Han, and the regret he felt when he couldn't save others.
She saw the powerful enemies Xiao Han faced.
And she saw a golden sun, an endless starry sky, and black armor shining brightly in the light.
"Ah!"
Wanda suddenly opened her eyes, covered in cold sweat.
The light of the Mind Stone slowly receded, returning to calm.
Xiao Han watched her quietly: "What did you see?"
Wanda's chest heaved violently before finally calming down.
"Too much... too much," she whispered.
"The me of another universe... she's dead, right?"
Xiao Han didn't deny it: "That universe has ended."
Wanda was silent for a moment, then raised her head. The confusion in her eyes was gone, replaced by a resolute light.
"I don't want to become like that," she said.
"I want to control this power, not be controlled by it."
Xiao Han's lips curled into a slight smile. "Good, this is just the beginning."
He reached out, and the Mind Stone slowly settled into Wanda's palm.
"From today on, it will help you sort out Chaos Magic, but remember..."
His gaze was deep and sharp. "The gem is only a medium; the true power always comes from within yourself."
Wanda clenched the gem, feeling its steady pulse. She nodded solemnly.
The lights in the training room softened, as if responding to the energy flowing between them.
Xiao Han stood up, his black short-sleeved shirt accentuating his perfectly sculpted physique. Wanda found herself catching her breath, but quickly composed herself.
"Now, try this," he said, raising his hand and drawing a golden rune in the air. Complex lines intertwined to form a three-dimensional magic array.
"The most basic application of Chaos Magic, Reality Warping."
Wanda stared at the rune, tilting her head. "This doesn't... look like basic."
Xiao Han chuckled. "For you, it is basic."
He flicked his fingers, and the magic array split into dozens of small runes, surrounding Wanda.
"Touch them with your energy, but don't force control. Let them respond to you naturally."
Wanda took a deep breath, and crimson energy flowed from her fingertips, reaching out towards the golden runes like a living thing.
The instant they made contact, the entire training room's space warped for a moment, and the walls undulated like liquid.
"I... I did it?" Wanda looked at her hands in surprise.
"No, you were just mimicking." Xiao Han shook his head.
"True Reality Warping doesn't need the guidance of runes. Close your eyes and imagine what you want to change."
Wanda closed her eyes again, her brow furrowed slightly.
A few seconds later, the air in front of her rippled, and a red teacup slowly took shape, with Sokovia's traditional patterns printed on the cup's walls.
"Good."
Xiao Han picked up a teacup, and with a gentle squeeze, the cup instantly disintegrated into countless specks of light.
"But remember, creating something from nothing consumes a lot of energy. Before you can fully control it, it's best to start by altering existing objects."
He snapped his fingers, and a metal target rose in the center of the training room. "Try turning it into something else."
Wanda focused her mind, and crimson energy surged towards the target.
The metal surface began to writhe, gradually transforming into a giant steel rose, its petal edges sharp as knives.
"Not bad." Xiao Han gave an encouraging smile.
"Now, make it fly."
Wanda flicked her fingers, and the steel rose slowly rose into the air, but at a height of two meters, it suddenly lost control and spun towards the wall. Xiao Han raised his hand, and a golden barrier blocked it.
"Your control isn't enough," he said, walking to Wanda and gently placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Feel the flow of energy. It should be as natural as breathing."
Wanda's shoulders trembled slightly, and sweat trickled down her cheeks. "It's too difficult. It always wants to break free..."
"Because you're afraid," Xiao Han's voice suddenly softened.
"Chaos Magic amplifies emotions, especially negative ones. The more you fear losing control, the more violent it becomes."
Wanda looked up at him, puzzled. "How do you know I'm afraid?"
Xiao Han pointed to the Mind Stone necklace on her chest. "It's telling me. Every time you use your abilities, childhood memories surface – the pain, the anger, the helplessness. They're all affecting you."
Wanda bit her lip, and scarlet energy stirred restlessly.
"Look at me."
Xiao Han met her eyes. "Your experiences have shaped you, but they shouldn't define you. Pain can be a source of strength, but it must never become a shackle."
The training room fell into a brief silence.
Outside the window, the waves gently lapped against the shore, their rhythmic sound a kind of solace.
"Again."
Xiao Han finally said, waving his hand to reset the metal targets. "This time, don't try to control the magic, but guide it."
Wanda took a deep breath and slowly raised her hands.
This time, the crimson energy was no longer violent, but enveloped the targets softly, like a thin mist.
The metal surface rippled, gradually forming a lifelike Red Sparrow. It flapped its wings and soared into the air, circling the training room before landing steadily on Wanda's outstretched finger.
"I... I did it?" Wanda looked at the small bird on her fingertip, disbelieving.
Xiao Han's lips curled into a slight smile. "Better than you imagined. Now, make it sing."
Wanda wrinkled her nose. "That's asking too much, isn't it?"
The Red Sparrow suddenly tilted its head and let out a series of clear chirps. The tone perfectly replicated the folk song her mother used to hum when she was a child.
Wanda's eyes instantly welled up. The Red Sparrow dissolved into crimson light and vanished, but the smile on her face lingered.
"Remember this feeling," Xiao Han's voice was unusually gentle.
"Magic comes from emotion, but it needs reason to control it. Keep practicing, and we'll continue tomorrow."
He turned and walked towards the door.
"Xiao Han," Wanda suddenly called out to him.
"Thank you... not just for the training."
Xiao Han didn't turn around, just waved his hand. "Good luck. It'll be harder tomorrow."
As the training room door closed gently, Wanda looked down at the Mind Stone on her chest, her fingertips lightly touching its surface.
The stone glowed faintly, as if responding to her touch.
"Turing?" she whispered.
"At your service, Miss Maximoff," the AI butler's voice immediately responded.
"Can you find some Sokovian folk songs for me? The kind... my mother used to sing."
"Certainly. 37 traditional folk songs found. Would you like to play them now?"
Wanda nodded and walked towards the floor-to-ceiling window. The setting sun cast its light on the sea, painting the world a warm orange.
Gentle melodies flowed through the room, tunes she thought she'd forgotten long ago.
Surrounded by the notes, Wanda felt for the first time that the deep-seated pain in her heart didn't seem so heavy anymore.
Meanwhile, Xiao Han was lying on a sun lounger on the villa's top-floor terrace, gazing at the darkening sea.
The Mind Stone he'd brought back from the zombie universe was floating in his hand, but his thoughts drifted even further away.
-------------------
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