The sky above was a soft blue, untouched by the troubles of the world below. The Ancient One stood at the edge of the cliff, her back straight, her eyes calm. Slowly, with a grace born of centuries, she reached up and unclasped the Eye of Agamotto from around her neck.
The green jewel pulsed faintly, like a living heart sealed within metal. She held it in both hands and stared at it for a long moment, the weight of ages reflected in her gaze. Then, unexpectedly, she smiled—a soft, knowing smile that touched only the corners of her lips.
John, who stood a few steps beside her, caught the expression. It stirred something inside him.
"Why are you smiling like that?" he asked gently, his tone curious.
The Ancient One didn't answer immediately. She let her fingers brush across the smooth surface of the Eye of Agamotto, as if saying a silent farewell. Then she turned slightly, her eyes meeting John's.
"Because… you were born."
John blinked, surprised. "Me?"
"Yes." She nodded slowly. "For centuries, I've looked through countless futures. Some were bright, others devastating. No matter how far I searched, one truth remained—I was meant to hand over the Eye to Stephen Strange. That was the future that led to the least chaos. And… I made peace with that. I gave up on the physical path long ago and decided to fade away quietly."
Her voice softened, touched by something almost maternal. "But ever since you were born, the futures changed. Or rather… they vanished. I can't see them anymore. Everything ahead is hidden—shrouded in fog. Like reality itself is uncertain. You… changed something fundamental, John. And if I can no longer guide the future, then there's no need for me to hold onto this."
She held out the Eye of Agamotto, the Time Stone still sealed inside. Her hands trembled just slightly—not from weakness, but from the weight of the moment.
John stared at it, stunned. The air around them seemed to still.
"I'm giving this to you," she said with a quiet finality. "Stone and vessel both. I trust you'll use it wisely."
John stepped forward slowly, as if moving in a dream. His hands reached out and closed gently around the relic. The moment his skin touched the cool metal, he felt it—time itself thrumming through his bones. The artifact hummed with ancient power, but he remained still, absorbing the weight of the gift.
Then, something stirred within him.
A temptation.
John stared down at the Time Stone nestled within the Agamotto. He remembered the Space Stone—the way he had connected with it using his spiritual energy, unlocking something deeper. Now… the urge returned.
Should he?
For a moment, he hesitated. The wind pressed against his back, the sky vast and still before him. The Ancient One watched silently, as if sensing his internal debate.
In the end, curiosity and instinct won.
He slowly let his spiritual power flow into the Eye of Agamotto, reaching toward the core of the Time Stone.
The Ancient One, who saw this, raised her eyebrow but didn't stop him.
The moment his energy brushed the surface of the stone's inner core—everything shattered.
Blackness. Silence.
John collapsed like a puppet with cut strings.
The Ancient One gasped, immediately kneeling beside him. "John?"
But there was no response.
Inside John's spiritual sea, a storm had begun. A mysterious transformation was taking place. A translucent image of the Time Stone floated inside his spiritual sea, glowing brilliantly.
Then, unexpectedly, its color shifted—from emerald green to a deep, ethereal purple. The stone dissolved into countless particles of light and began to fuse with the very essence of his spiritual sea.
But right after, in its place, a rune formed. Mysterious and otherworldly, pulsing with time's rhythm. The rune spun slowly, then collapsed into many dots of light, sinking into his spiritual sea and vanishing completely—assimilated.
John remained unaware of this internal change.
But his unconscious mind was not silent.
In his darkness, he saw a vision. A field of burning stars, collapsing into nothing. A figure—blurred, enormous, and horrifying—stood among the cosmic wreckage. Its hand reached out across the void… and crushed entire galaxies in its palm.
The vision was so intense, so real, that even in unconsciousness, John trembled.
Back in reality, the Ancient One stared at his still form, baffled and concerned. She could feel no spiritual backlash. No visible damage. And yet… he wouldn't wake.
---
Hours later…
The courtyard of Kamar-Taj had transformed into a gathering place of tension. The rest of the group had arrived, and they all now surrounded John's unconscious form, which rested on a mat inside the healing chamber.
Tony Stark's voice cut through the silence like a knife.
"What the hell did you do to him?!"
His eyes blazed with panic and anger, fists clenched as he stood face-to-face with the Ancient One.
"I didn't do anything," she replied calmly. "He took the Time Stone. He used his spiritual energy to touch it. Then… this happened."
"You let him?!" Tony snapped. "Why would you—"
"Because it was his choice," she said, her tone firm but not unkind. "And even if I wanted to, I couldn't stop him. It happened so suddenly and perhaps… it was his destiny."
Steve Rogers stood nearby, brows furrowed. Hulking Bruce leaned in, checking John's vitals again, frowning.
"As much as I can tell, he is more than perfectly fine."
Scott muttered under his breath, "He was fine just a few minutes ago… What is going on?"
Just then, a soft groan echoed in the room.
Everyone turned.
John's fingers twitched. His eyelids fluttered.
And finally, his eyes opened.
Disoriented and dazed, he looked around. The first face he saw was Tony's, hovering above him, filled with worry and unspoken fear.
"John!" Tony breathed, his voice cracking slightly. "You scared the hell out of me."
John blinked, confused. "What… happened?"
Before anyone could answer, the Ancient One took a slow step forward. Her eyes, for once, held a flicker of uncertainty.
"That," she murmured, "is something I would very much like to know."