Higher Stakes

Liam left his room and walked down the corridor toward the Ancient One's study. He knocked on the door, and it opened slightly. Inside, the Ancient One sat, sipping her tea.

She looked up at Liam and gestured for him to enter, saying, "Come in, young Liam."

Liam nodded, stepping in and closing the door behind him.

"Sit," the Ancient One instructed, and Liam sat down across from her as she poured him a cup of tea. She took another sip, then gestured for him to begin.

"I successfully closed the tear, though there were some… strange situations," Liam started.

"Strange situations, you say?" the Ancient One responded. "Address them one by one."

"Let's start at the beginning," Liam began, gathering his thoughts. "I located the dimensional energy. It was completely concealed within a dense snowstorm."

The Ancient One nodded, listening carefully.

"While investigating, I came across a canyon where the creature guarding the tear was hiding. The first strange thing, though, is that this creature hadn't been seen in years."

"Uncommon, but it happens," the Ancient One remarked. "Go on."

"The creature… I think it was a drake," Liam explained, pulling out a few scales and placing them on the table.

The Ancient One smiled slightly as she examined the scales.

"I gathered these from its nest. Is there a way to verify what they really are?" he asked.

The Ancient One picked up a scale, inspecting it closely. "Interesting. We can verify them, but it will take some time."

"There's more about the drake," Liam continued, his tone more serious. "The unusual part is its abilities. This particular drake, or rather drakes could use ice magic."

The Ancient One's expression changed, a soft frown appearing on her forehead.

"Ice magic? Explain," she prompted.

Liam nodded. "The drake could gather energy in its mouth and release it as an ice-like energy blast, which turned into ice crystals on impact. One of them even coated itself in a thin layer of ice and summoned the dense snowstorm around it."

"And the tear itself?" the Ancient One asked. "What dimension was it from?"

"It was from a dimension I've never seen or read about," Liam replied. The Ancient One nodded, listening intently as he described the tear.

After a moment, she said, "I'll need you to write down the energy signature you sensed, along with details on the creature's appearance and abilities."

"That's not everything," Liam added. "Aside from the scales, I found this crystal ball." He pulled a pristine, crystal ball from his bag and set it on the table.

The Ancient One picked it up, examined it. "Hmm… no, I don't recognize this. It might just be a gem from the drake's hoarding. Like dragons, drakes often collect shiny objects."

Liam nodded, putting the crystal back in his bag. "And there's one last thing. Through the tear, I saw a large dragon."

"A dragon?" the Ancient One asked, eyebrows raised. "Are you sure it wasn't just a large drake?"

"No, I'm certain it was a dragon. Near the end, it tried to claw open the dimensional tear and go through it," Liam explained. "Luckily, the dimensional energy on our side fought back, pushing it away. Otherwise, it could have broken through and I would likely not be here."

At this, the Ancient One's expression grew grave. She sighed. "Originally, I didn't think you were ready to know this, but it seems we're running out of time, and circumstances demand it."

Liam tilted his head in confusion. "I don't understand."

The Ancient One held her hand over the table, casting an enchantment. A hologram like image of the world appeared, surrounded by a large hexagonal shield. "This is the original barrier that our forefathers created to protect us from other dimensions," she explained, pointing to the hexagonal structure surrounding the world.

Liam nodded, already familiar with this.

With a wave of her hand, cracks appeared across the shield in various spots. "These cracks represent areas where other dimensions have invaded before and are weak spots."

Liam nodded again, following closely.

"At least, that's how it should have been," the Ancient One said, her tone shifting. A large hole suddenly appeared in the barrier, spreading cracks across the entire structure. As quickly as it had appeared, the hole filled with a different, unfamiliar energy, though the cracks remained.

"This breach, and the mysterious energy filling it… it's because of you," the Ancient One said, pointing at Liam.

"Me?" he asked, baffled.

"Yes. The unknown energy that shattered the barrier appeared about three and a half years ago. Does that time frame mean anything to you?" she asked.

"Three and a half years ago… I was 16, and that's when I got Incursio. So… my weapon is the cause?" Liam asked, feeling the pieces fall into place.

The Ancient One nodded. "Yes. The cause of this disturbance is indeed you—or rather, your weapon."

"Then why didn't you kill me when you found out?" Liam asked, confused.

"You can thank your weapon for that. If I had killed you, and the energy from your weapon had turned hostile or vanished, Earth would be doomed. Think of the barrier like a balloon. A skilled doctor can insert a needle without popping the balloon, but removing the needle would make the hole worse, releasing all the air inside.'' she explained.

 ''Your weapon is that needle." She continued.

"So how does this relate to the dragon I saw?" Liam asked.

"That dragon is one of many creatures that have noticed the weakness in our barrier. Since you damaged it, the number of high-level rifts has increased by 80%, and the number continues to rise. Many ancient enemies who had given up on attacking this world have returned, and other unknown dimensions that haven't been here before are attempting to breach our world."

"Then why not use the Time Stone to restore the barrier and then kill me?" Liam asked, remembering the scenes in movies where Doctor Strange easily repaired sanctums.

"The natural order must not be tampered with," the Ancient One replied. "Not to mention, the extent of the damage is so severe that no human could bear the cost of repairing the barrier with the Time Stone."

"Then what's left to do? Why tell me this now?" Liam asked, still confused.

"Because sooner or later, you would have found out on your own," she said. "I'd rather you be prepared for what's coming. Many powerful dimensions are watching us, and so I ask you this, Liam: what will you do?"

Liam looked at her thoughtfully, then replied, "Well, what choice do I have? If these beings come to Earth, they won't leave me or my family alone either. So I will try my best to protect what I can."

'And even if I didn't want to fight, what the hell am I going to do? Can't really hide anywhere in this dimension if it's invaded.'

"But how can I help? I don't know how to repair the barrier, and I know almost nothing about the energy from my weapon," he added.

"It's not a matter of repairing the barrier," the Ancient One said. "The barrier will break in a few years, and there's nothing we can do to prevent it. When that time comes, countless dimensions will invade—some friendly, others hostile."

Liam's face changed. "But then…"

"Yes, young Liam. The break is inevitable, and billions will die if they aren't defended," she confirmed, pacing slowly around the room. ''Not only this dimension, it will be a chain reaction which will cause many other dimensions to fall in the same way.''

"But… why me? You are insanely powerful, something I am not even close to." Liam protested.

The Ancient One smiled, responding softly, "I will die before the barrier collapses." She looked at him with a faint sadness. "As for why you, consider it a gamble. The people from this dimension aren't strong enough to withstand such an invasion. But you and your weapon are an anomaly.''

''Also, I will personally guide you through the coming years, preparing you as best I can."

Liam thought about it, considering Earth's heroes. 'Yes, while the Avengers are powerful, they're like children compared to the Ancient One. Scarlet Witch, Vision, Thor—they might stand a chance, but countless threats on that level with armies behind them? Impossible.'

 Liam contemplated some more. 'I can always help the Avengers get stronger. And from what the Ancient One said, there is a possibility that other friendly dimensions out there might help.'

"But why would you still choose to die despite knowing all this?" he asked, voicing a question that had puzzled him for years.

The Ancient One only smiled, her gaze distant, and said nothing.

After a long silence, she finally spoke. "Return to your room and let this all sink in."

Liam nodded, rising from his seat and walking toward the door. As he left, the Ancient One watched him with a gentle smile.

"I wonder how this future will unfold," she murmured softly. "Too bad I won't be here to see it."

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Some people already suspected this but this is relevant towards the end. The upcoming Marvel plot events will still happen, atleast how I am thinking about it now.

For me the plot made a lot of sense and it felt logical that this would happen, so let me know if you like this development or not :).