Chapter 40: Strange Discovery

[Third Person's PoV] 

"Here... let me heal you," Mimosa said gently, extending her hands toward Stephen. A soft golden light emanated from her palms as she began to close the small cuts on his skin. The wounds stitched themselves together, disappearing without a trace.

Stephen watched as the magic sealed his injuries. "Thank you," he said, nodding with genuine appreciation.

"No problem," Mimosa replied, her cheeks flushing a delicate pink. She gave him a shy smile before skipping over to Klaus and Yuno, her light steps almost dancing across the ground.

"We will now be on our way," Klaus announced, his voice firm and formal as he gave his farewells to the Black Bulls.

Yuno, as reserved as ever, gave a curt nod in Stephen's and Asta's direction before turning to face the open sky. With a swift motion, he summoned his magic.

[Wind Creation Magic: Celestial Wind Ark]

A swirling gust of wind gathered beneath them, forming a majestic platform in the air. The members of the Golden Dawn stepped onto it, the wind gently lifting them off the ground. Mimosa waved one last time with a bright smile before Yuno sent the ark soaring into the sky, the group disappearing into the distance.

Stephen watched them vanish before turning to his teammates. With a smooth circular motion of his hands, he conjured a shimmering portal. The air shimmered and rippled as the gateway expanded. Without a word, he and the other members of the Black Bulls stepped through, instantly reappearing in front of their base.

"Home sweet home!" Luck exclaimed with a wide grin, marching forward and delivering a powerful kick to the front door. It swung open with a loud crash.

"GUESS WHO'S BACK FROM THEIR MISSION!" Asta hollered, following right behind, his voice echoing through the halls.

Vanessa, lounging lazily on the couch with a wine bottle in hand, lifted it in a tipsy salute. "Hey! Welcome back, everyone! Now come on, tell us about your adventures!" She hiccuped, clearly a few drinks in.

Stephen yawned, waving a hand dismissively as he made his way toward his room. "Maybe later... I'm exhausted."

"I'm going to get changed," Noelle muttered quietly, walking off while clutching the Cloak of Levitation tightly around her. She glanced over her shoulder and added, "Perhaps I'll take a hot bath as well..."

Hearing that, Nero, in her bird form, swooped down and perched herself on Noelle's shoulder, her tiny eyes gleaming with interest at the mention of a bath. The two disappeared down the hall, leaving Asta, Luck, and the rest of the rowdy group to share in the post-mission excitement.

Once Stephen reached his room, he paused briefly, taking in the familiar surroundings. He raised his hand and made a subtle gesture. In response, the air shimmered, and an opening to the mirror dimension appeared. Without hesitation, he stepped inside.

There, waiting for him by the foot of his bed, was a deep red crystal—a glowing ruby pulsating with an eerie energy. Stephen's eyes narrowed. "Now... to find out more about you," he muttered, pacing around the crystal. "But first, I need to make a little stop."

With a smirk playing on his lips, Stephen made another swirling portal, returning to the site of the dungeon they had just left. Upon arrival, he cast one of his spells.

[Arcane Magic: Image of Ikonn]

The illusion shimmered into place, making it appear as though the dungeon remained collapsed. But beneath the illusion, Stephen began his real work, preparing to restore what had been destroyed.

His fingers moved deftly, casting another spell 

[Time Magic: Time Reversal]

A green magic circle appeared in front of his hands after reciting the incantation and doing the hand movements, rotating slowly as time itself began to rewind. The stones and debris of the dungeon started to reform, assembling themselves as Stephen manipulated the flow of time, restoring the ancient structure to its former state. As he held the time spell in place with one hand, he reached for his sling ring with the other to open another portal, which caused his brows to furrow in concentration as he was now using three spells at once. 

Stephen stepped through and appeared inside the treasure hall. With a focused expression, he closed the portal and made another to the mirror dimension. He made a zooming gesture with one hand causing it to grow in size until it loomed over the chamber. He rotated his hands, the swirling energy at the portal's entrance spinning faster and faster. Soon, small coins and trinkets began to levitate from the ground, pulled into the portal by the increasing suction.

The treasure hall became a vortex of gold, magical artifacts, and ancient relics, all streaming into the mirror dimension like a river of wealth. When the room was finally empty, Stephen wiped the sweat from his brow, and stepped back in the portal slowly causing the dungeon to collapse again and undo his other spells. 

"I know I'm supposed to let go of worldly desires, but come on... I'm only human. Who knows how many incredible artifacts are hidden here?" he muttered, surveying the pile of treasure with a satisfied grin.

Back in the mirror dimension, Stephen stood in his room once again, staring at the crimson crystal. The window out was entirely blocked by the towering heap of gold and artifacts. But his eyes remained fixed on the crystal.

"Now, what to do with you..." he murmured, pacing in front of it. After a moment, he reached for the Eye of Agamotto around his neck and shrugged. "Well, you're as good a place to start as any."

He made a series of complex hand motions, invoking the Eye's power. A beam of light shot from the amulet, scanning the crimson gem. Stephen's eyes widened as he gasped in disbelief.

"A Crimson Crystal of Cyttorak... My God... you're conscious in there, aren't you?" His voice was filled with awe and shock as he directed his words toward the dormant figure of the Scarlet Witch trapped within the ruby.

Her image remained still, eyes closed, arms and legs crossed in an imprisoned position. 

But Stephen could feel it—her mind was awake, alert.

"Your body is in slumber, but your mind... it's been awake all this time," Stephen muttered, shaking his head in disbelief. 

His brow furrowed, deep in thought. "This is probably a terrible idea... but screw it."

Stephen raised his fingers to his forehead, forming the eye symbol, then flipped it over and thrust it toward the Scarlet Witch, forging a telepathic link.

"Hello?" he called out tentatively through the connection.

The response was immediate. Sobbing echoed through his mind, desperate, broken, and pleading in anguish. "Please... I've been trapped here for centuries... I didn't do anything wrong, I swear! Please, I beg of you…" The Scarlet Witch's voice trembled, her relief palpable after so long in isolation.

*******************************************

+31 advance Chapters on: patreon.com/Shadow_D_Monarch3