Chapter 131 – Enid

[2009 – September]

"It's Strange, isn't it? You have been waiting for him all this time so that your 'cycle' could come to an end."

A pair of deep green eyes gazed intently at her while he voiced out his question, the look in his eyes one of focus and strength with an ethereal quality to it.

The Ancient One suppressed the trembling of her fingers as a wave of deep and complex emotions surged through her heart.

It wasn't that she had never met someone stronger or more focused than Elijah Frost, as she had certainly met beings that far surpassed the current him.

But since their first meeting on the rooftop of the young Frost's former apartment, Elijah had gone through incredible, near-earth-shaking changes, and this was especially true when one looked into his eyes. And she, of all people, could see this most clearly.

With the Eye of Agamotto, she had 'lived' through countless lifetimes and she had seen Elijah grow up in most of them, reaching for the stars in a manner no one else understood better than her.

And the reason for that was rather simple, considering that there were many timelines in which they had been the closest of friends, true compatriots in a way.

She couldn't even remember the number of times Elijah had stepped forward at her request to save this reality, even though he had no wish to interfere. Still, in the end, he had done so on account of their friendship.

The Ancient One knew that those visions shown by the Time Stone were not truly 'real' but after so many years even she found it hard to convince herself of that, especially so when it came to those that were close to her.

The deep friendship that she had shared with Elijah in other timelines affected her more than her other 'visions' precisely because she had no one else to who she was close.

She might be the Sorcerer Supreme with many many students under her, as well as many Masters to share her burden with, but while they were her friends, there was also a certain distance between them.

This was in a way only natural as her knowledge of the future had long since formed an invisible barrier between her and everyone else, and she often felt as if she didn't really 'live' in this reality but was an existence that was in a way imprisoned in between the many realities and timelines.

She knew about other people's suffering and even about their deaths but for the sake of the greater picture, the Ancient One had long learned not to interfere in those things. This knowledge in a way too made it hard to be close to others and to open up to them.

Still, part of this estrangement also had its origins in her life before becoming the Sorcerer Supreme as she had encountered great tragedy and misfortune. Were it not for Agamotto, who had seen her incredible potential, she would have most certainly died before coming to Kamar-Taj.

In a way, she had left behind part of herself when she became the Ancient One, and a part of her heart had been shut off to the outside world ever since.

Due to Elijah's own future knowledge and his temperament being what it was, he had managed to draw close to her, the two of them becoming unlikely friends. In a way, the only difference between the two of them was that she was already at the end of her path while Elijah's journey had just begun.

So the moment that she saw the look in his eyes, the Ancient One was reminded of those 'visions' and she also recognized how much the young man had changed in just a few months.

His eyes had already become the eyes of 'The Wanderer', even if his current strength was a mere faint shadow in comparison to the reality-breaking might that he was sure to possess in the future.

She forced herself to be calm but was inevitably reminded of what she had seen, of all the times those deep green eyes had looked at her with mirth, mischief, or graveness. And she was naturally saddened as she knew that in this lifetime, things would be different.

She had lived too long already, and she simply had no strength left to continue her existence for much longer, her only remaining goal being to groom a 'passable' successor.

"Kamar-Taj needs someone powerful enough to guard this reality, and he is the most qualified.", she replied to his question with a calm smile.

There was a hint of understanding in Elijah's eyes after he listened to her words as if he understood her in a way no one else could, and she knew that this might very well be true.

There was no pity or blame in his gaze, just simple and pure understanding as if the young man beside her knew exactly how she felt after living this long. It was a strange feeling for the centuries-old sorceress, and yet somehow comforting and heart-warming.

They didn't speak any more words afterward as they simply drank the tea that she had prepared for the both of them while watching the busy city through the large windows.

In truth, she had not been a fan of black tea in the past, at least not before she had seen herself share this kind of tea with Elijah in alternate futures. It was he who taught her to enjoy its bitterness in a way that she had not understood before.

That though wasn't the only thing Elijah had shared with her and taught her.

Glancing at the small leather-bound booklet that still rested in his lap while he played with his small winged familiar, his other hand holding a cup made out of simple earthenware.

Elijah had been the original author of 'The Cycle' and he had passed it on to her in a future timeline, hoping and believing that his words would be of help to the members of Kamar-Taj, that it would help them better understand their position as guardians of this world and remind them that no action taken was without consequences.

The Ancient One had written down his words in this timeline and passed them on to his younger self, seeing how troubled he was with things that concerned fate and karma. She knew that doing things like this was risky but on account of the bond that they had shared in another time, she had decided to do this for him.

Still, the Ancient One did not plan to ever tell him of the book's origins as there were certain limits to how much she could and would reveal.

Not to mention that she remembered some of the pranks Elijah had played on her in another timeline, which made this a good opportunity to get her 'revenge'. Not that he would ever know that though.

It was roughly half an hour later when Elijah slowly placed down the hardened clay cup and put away the small booklet.

Turning towards her as he rose from his seat, he voiced out: "Thank you for the tea and for your time, Ancient One. I do have some other things to take care of, as have you, I imagine, so I will be going now."

"You're welcome.", she nodded with a light smile, "Goodbye, Elijah."

"Goodbye, Ancient One.", Elijah replied before summoning a barrier and vanishing in the blink of an eye.

"Enid … My name is Enid.", she whispered as her smile slowly faded. He was already gone though while her eyes carried a lost look for a few long moments.

"It is not too late to change your decision, my student.", a masculine yet ethereal voice suddenly rang out beside her ear, "You could even make him your successor. You know we would approve."

Seemingly not surprised by this sudden development, the Ancient just lightly shook her head.

"He does not want to be the Sorcerer Supreme, his heart yearns for something else. And I will not be the reason that he gives up his dreams. Not to mention that you have already approved of Steven.", she responded calmly.

"We will naturally not go back on our word but he is a better choice. Calm, strong, and certainly not as reckless.", the voice continued, "And with him here, you might reconsider joining us. After all, you have the strength and qualification to do so, and we can help you become the incarnation of a secondary dimension. Like we are."

"No.", she replied simply but firmly, shaking her head in rejection of the offer, "I am thankful for the Vishanti's offer but I have made my decision. And I have long since found my peace with it."

A faint sigh echoed out in response to her words, its volume becoming fainter until only silence remained.