21 | The Battle in The Mirror Dimension

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Warning: will contain violence and death.

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Location: Ravenhill, Middle Earth [Mirror Dimension]

Time: November 2941 T.A

Baron Karl Mordo had once been her teacher before Stephen Strange arrived at Kamar-Taj.

He had been amongst those who brought her up ever since she began to talk and walk and even speak her first words up until the age of eleven. There was however an odd relationship between the two, her heart never longing to call him even a father or an uncle. Illyria wasn't sure as to why she felt no close attachment to the man despite being brought up around him. Even she had found Kaecilius to be more enjoyable to be around than him and that said some things about who Illyria liked.

Mordo was set on obeying the Natural Law no matter what.

In her dad's terms, he was that stick that's up his own ass, stubbornly in place and nothing would force it to come out. Mordo would rather choose to go down in a fight than to resolve things.

Before: he had been her teacher.

Now: he was probably going to kill her.

Of course, he would, considering he had fifteen years more experience than she had alongside fighting against other wizards that were off to not only harm her but kill her. And god forbid she would allow Mordo to try and take her magic away from her soul.

He was quicker and better than his followers, already knowing how she fought as she took a defensive position rather than attacking. The sneaky bastard knew she would be tiring out after fighting the sorcerers, a tactical feat even she would be impressed by.

Either way, she would not go down with trying.

Illyria felt the ice shake beneath her, noticing one thing the other sorcerers had not attempted to do.

Warp reality itself.

She swore inwardly, focusing the energy from the other dimensions to flow through as she hit the bottom of her staff down onto the ice. The platform before her stopped moving whereas the rest of the ruined fortress already looked-liked a jigsaw puzzle, clicking into the spot in jagged edges as the sky before her was now filled on random parts of the structure sticking upside down or sideways.

Both Glorfindel and Elrond were trying to reach for her, startled at the change of scenery (who probably have seen too much magic in one day) before leaping down from the sideways outcrop of rock. Gravity had now played less of a role in here, and with both her brother and Elrond in this plane – Illyria needed to find a time to get them out of here.

With her free hand, she folded the platform in front of her, creating a staircase back to him as she blocked his whip with her shield.

Mordo leapt from where he stood, using the Boots of Valtorr [1] to hop through the air and throwing down his whip at her face. Illyria took a sharp cut of her breath, blocking it with her staff before pulling back a step.

He asked her loudly, "Why must you make this harder for yourself, Illyria?"

Illyria threw another bolt of light at him, which he easily deflected by the landscape itself as he warped the ice in front of him.

"Because I'm not the one going around and taking people's magic!" She cried out, pleading all she could to make Mordo stop. Her legs were quaking beneath her, ready to bend themselves under her weight.

Mordo took that chance to toss his staff at her, tugging her staff from her hands as it flew and landed far from her reach – her staff clattering to the ground. She did all she could wrap the reality once more, stomping her boot on the ground as she channelled every part through her body.

Bits of ice and rock and debris formed clumps into a mosaic pattern until she created a platform for her and Mordo. The area that was left of Ravenhill was now floating, morphed by both of their magic. Elrond and Glorfindel were situated far enough from them, safe for them to escape if need be.

Stalking around him, she summoned her staff back into her hand and worriedly looked at Mordo – wondering why he hadn't even attacked her again.

"There are too many of us in this plane of existence. What if one turns against the Natural Law? What then?" He questioned her.

Bold of her to snort at that. "Rather hypocritical of you."

She wasn't wrong, clearly, Mordo was all in his head with this. Illyria knew that Mordo sought to bring the sorcerers of their world down in hopes to cut numbers on those who weren't worthy of their magic. Illyria had learnt magic ever since she was a child, brought into magic itself.

There must be more than Mordo's clear objectives – because he shouldn't be using all his effort to take her down.

Illyria sighed and tiredly replied, "Look, Mordo just please let us talk. I don't want to fight you anymore." She exasperated, "There are other ways to resolve this!"

Mordo tutted and scoffed, "That was what your father said to me years ago when I walked away after Strange broke our sacred rules." He snarled, "The very rules you were brought up to!"

There was a fraction of a second which Illyria wanted to lash back at him, to tell him that he was wrong. Rules were implemented for the safety of the Natural Law, but it didn't mean they had to follow it entirely. The Ancient One once told her that not everything that was put in place needed to be done; there are times in desperate need that one must bend the rules for the better and safety of others.

Like the Ancient One's immortality. Like her dad's bargaining with Dormammu and the use of the Time Stone to find a way to defeat Thanos.

"And look what has happened," Mordo spoke. "The destruction of the Infinity Stones, the breaking of reality and the multiverse. Death to countless lives. Do you think he had the right to send Tony Stark to his death just to bring back half of the universe?"

Her heart lurched inwards - stabbed by the sudden choice of words Mordo had used.

He had no right to speak of that man either way and how Mordo knew she had gotten close to the Starks confused her. No one other than the Avengers, Darcy, Wong and her dad knew about their odd familial ties. And even the Avengers always called her Strange's kid rather than Stark's when she had begun aiding them to build their time machine.

Mordo must have talked to her dad in the past year, and it meant something else which her dad had hidden from her since his return.

However, this didn't waver Illyria for long. (She's not gullible enough for Mordo's guilt-tripping.) The grip on her staff loosened slightly, the effects of hearing his name after death still shocking her.

Illyria would not bow down now. Not ever.

"No, he didn't," She answered plainly. "But my father and Stark already knew the consequences. They had seen the outcomes because it was the only way out of fourteen million that we would win."

They both stopped at their spot and looked at each other.

"That battle with Thanos... he chose to do that. Because he looked through all the possibilities and realised that was the only way." She spoke, swallowing the bile in her throat, "Even then, we can't always resolve things with a fight."

With an eyebrow raised, Mordo didn't seem impressed by her words. "Really?" He continued; his staff now prepared once more. "Then I will encourage you to surrender when I fight your companions."

Raising his hand, the platform in which Elrond and Glorfindel stood began to shake. She hadn't been swift enough to stop them, instead of distracting Mordo as she sent an Eldritch fan at him.

Mordo spotted this and paused his arm, ducking over the fan before she caught the fan at ease. However, it has caused the platform to collide with theirs, the two elves leaping off. Illyria had sucked in her breath as Mordo sent his flail over to them, bringing the two apart as the ice between them split. She ran as fast as she could, jumping over the large gap before hitting Mordo with her staff. He let out a grunt before blocking her next blow.

She had then seen the built-up of energy between their weapons and took an intake of breath.

Suddenly, she felt her body thrown across the plane – a surge of heat rising as her back slammed onto the ground. The air was knocked out of her lungs, her sight spinning. As a groan left her mouth, she achingly moved – pushing her hands against the ice before wavering up to her knees.

Though as Illyria glanced back at Mordo, her eyes widened as he brought his arms at the familiar incantation. A red burst of light formed from his hands and there was no time for Illyria to cast a shield.

However, a figure appeared in front of her. Elrond had thrown himself between Mordo.

Holding his hand in front, the power of Vilya roared with familiar energy around them. A shield encased them as Mordo threw the blast of magic at them.

Illyria could only stare in shock at what just happened.

He waved his hand to the side, sending hurling wind towards Mordo before it gave enough time for Glorfindel to swoop it, parrying with Mordo. Whereas for her, Elrond had stretched out his hand and Illyria took it to stand up. She shared a quick thanks to him, letting her hand linger more in his before they nodded – their eyes now focused back on Mordo and Glorfindel.

Forming a portal, Elrond raced ahead to aid Glorfindel.

Mordo's feet hovered slightly, aided by his boots before Illyria jumped through the portal and sent another light at his back.

The three of them took their turns, both light, air and sword.

How Mordo could have taken three of them baffled her, though the longer they fought: Illyria realised he wasn't faltering or tiring from their blows. Somehow the opposite as he grew stronger every time, they had tried to push him down. Every incantation and spell he cast was growing larger and stronger, overcoming Vilya's own energy whilst lessening her own.

As Illyria finally brought a slam against his torso, he lurched backwards and took Glorfindel's arm – locking him from behind with a binding spell.

Mordo materialised something from his hand, a translucent shard from the air.

And in one quick movement: he plunged the crystalline shard right into Glorfindel's chest.

Glorfindel's body froze from the spot, his eyes bulging out.

Once Mordo shoved him away, Glorfindel staggered in his steps before crumbling into the ground. The sword on his right hand clattering after him.

All of the air from her lungs left her.

"NO!" Illyria screamed.

When she got to him, Illyria dropped the staff and knelt on the floor. Her eyes immediately went to where the shard had been, with blood already seeping through his armour and the stench of orc blood and dirt beginning to mix with him. His breathing was becoming shallower, his lips moving partly as he tried to reach for her.

Illyria adjusted herself, taking his head onto her lap as she tried to pull out the shard from him. In the small part of her mind, she was screaming at herself to not do it – knowing the damage had been fatal and perhaps already went through his heart.

She didn't want to believe it. She could not.

Glorfindel's hand slowly went up to her cheek, his large fingers cupping her damp skin.

"Fin! Fin...please it's going to be fine!" She cried, begging all she could. "Please don't be fucking around, Fin!"

His hand began to grow colder, limping back down onto his torso. His eyes growing weary but never leaving her face.

Illyria felt him slipping.

"WAKE UP! Wake up...please." Her sight went blurry through her tears, the tears dropping onto his cheeks.

His eyes. There was no light left in them. His fëa was gone.

Her brother was gone.

She had failed him again. Promised him to be beside him at the end of this all.

Illyria scrunched her eyes, her teeth clamped together as she curled herself against him, cradling the body of Glorfindel of Gondolin. The Lord of the House of the Golden Flower.

She heard Mordo's voice not far off in the distance. "This...This is the consequence, Illyria!" Mordo shouted, "Surrender, Illyria! Or many more will die like him!"

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Ondolindë had fallen. [2]

Orcs were overrunning them, the gaps through the mountains of Cristhorn encasing them in a trap they hadn't thought of. She had kept back most of the orcs and the fire that was blazing around them, keeping the entrance of the hidden tunnel secure. Though as the Balrogs appeared before them, King Turukáno had led the last of his kingsguard and the rest of the lords of the houses to protect those who could escape. [3][4]

Elemmírë was left to fend the back of the last group, holding her blades: Calimmacil and Thúlíra [5] in both hands as she sliced down the orc in front of her. When there was a second of space for her, she had noticed her brother already bringing his best soldiers up to the cliffside of the mountain. And once she realised what he intended to do, she cried out his name.

Turning back to her, Laurefindelë shouted back, "You must go!"

Yelling back, Elemmírë ran to him and clutched his free arm. "No! I won't leave you!"

At the cry of the dark creature getting closer, her brother prepared his longsword – Soronúmë – out in front before ordering the rest of his soldiers to lure the Balrog up.

"Go, Elemmírë!" Laurefindelë ordered her before running back to where his group had been.

More orcs continued to file through, though none had surpassed her along with the rest of her house. All the light which had filled the area had been her light along with the flames the dark demon possessed in its body. As she kept her people moving forward, she turned back her eyes and panned to where her brother had been.

Upon the high rock, she could spot him with his golden armour gleaming in the moon that began to show through the peaks of the mountain. She watched him leap forward from the boulder, gaining closer to the Balrog upon the outcrop of rock. He had left his men, shocking her at his recklessness before he beat a heavy swing on the creature's helmet.

The Balrog roared, its claws knurling the metal off her brother's armour before its whip-like tail tossed the shield from his hands. Elemmírë could see the crag already faltering beneath them as the claws grappled Laurefindelë shoulders and stabbed him through.

Elemmírë sucked in her breath, catching the moment her brother thrust his longsword into the belly of the Balrog as it shrieked – falling backwards from the rock. Its claws still lingered over his shoulders before yanking him along with the demon down into the abyss.

"Laurefindelë!" She cried in horror, tears already down her cheeks as she watched her brother hit the unknown ground along with the Balrog.

Her knees grew weak, and her chest grew hot as a blinding light engulfed her entire body. The entire area was lit with white light.

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Her memory of his first death had surfaced, every moment of feeling she had the minute his body was tugged down by the great dark creature down the mountainside before slamming onto the ground.

She had seen her brother die already.

Now, Illyria had seen him die again in the worst possible way she could imagine.

Her sobbing quietened as her lips trembled and the heat began to surge up through her entire body. Hands shaking, the numbness beginning to grow as her head grew warm and all she felt a sharp pain thrust into her heart.

And in that sudden moment: Illyria Strange screamed.

The ground before them all shook, and every part of the crystal-like walls immediately shattered over them.

The Mirror Dimension collapsed before them, every part crumbling out of existence as the ice reformed and the skies above them returned to its grey clouds and blues skies. An explosion of white light brought anyone around her to the floor as the force pushed their feet down.

She could sense nothing and everything at the same time, a sense of extreme pain and yet strength as Illyria opened her eyes and saw what the world around her to have become. They had returned to the icy lake in the material plane, the entire perimeter enveloped by a glow neither hot nor cold.

Mordo's eye went wide in horror, jaw loosened as he gasped, "That is impossible...No one has ever broken through the two planes..."

Her breaths grew shallow, staring down at Glorfindel's body. He had yet moved in her arms, though every inch of his cuts and bruises had disappeared. His hair was braided back, the shard still left on his chest despite the blood had stopped. There was a serene expression on his face, a sense of peace despite how the colour in his eyes had gone.

The glow around him was gone, evident as she brought her hand to his face and spotted her hand to be illuminated in a glow. It wasn't the trick of the light at all – she was glowing. As she carefully shut Glorfindel's eyelids, Illyria stood up and brought herself to look around.

Illyria spun her head around and inhaled sharply at the green-robed sorcerer. The bastard was just waiting several metres away, still in surprise at what she must have done. When their eyes met, rage fuelled her body until she brought her clenched hands to her sides. With her head raised, she approached Mordo across the ice.

He immediately brought his staff in defence, throwing a shard of crystal towards her. Though as her hand rose upwards, she stopped the shard mere feet from her arms as it suspended into the air before shattering small crystals. The anger began to grow in Mordo's face as she deflected each shard and sent a blast of red light towards her.

Illyria countered, conjuring a shield of opaque light as the spell burst into a rain of red droplets around her.

Once she was close enough, Mordo took one step back. But he wouldn't easily get out of her grasp. As he took the whip and fail and slammed it against her, she easily brought the staff down – stopping it mid-air with her magic before yanking it from his hand. The staff flew across the lake, sliding over the ice.

That was when Illyria saw the speck of fear in his eyes. She didn't need to look into his mind to know that dread was beginning to grow. Mordo was terrified at what she had done, and Illyria allowed it.

With his last attempts, Mordo threw a punch at her gut. Illyria stepped back as she ducked, the light around her someone sensing every movement at a slower pace. She caught his other fist, twisting it as he cried out in pain.

As she heard him cry in pain, she narrowed her eyes and felt the energy surge up once more before she let go and felt Mordo's hands glow. Illyria moved her hands in a gesture, moving Mordo's arms at his side with her magic before bringing his entire body down to his knees.

He began to struggle under her magic, grunting as he looked at her.

In his spot, Illyria held her hand out waved it in the air. Around him, a white glowing rope twisted around his body up and around his legs and arm – putting him in a kneeling position in front of her.

Suddenly, she grabbed his collar – creating a small white blade in her hand...and brought it against his neck.

Mordo's eyes flashed in horror before he hissed, "Kill me then, Illyria." He questioned her, "What would your father say if he sees you with blood in your hands?"

Narrowing her eyes, she brought it closer to him until she faltered slightly. Mordo wasn't looking at her at all, his eyes focused to the side.

She then felt a hand over her shoulder.

"Let him go, Illyria." The familiar voice calmly told her.

When the voice of her father entered her head, Illyria began to shudder under her hold. Tears threatening to spill down her cheeks again as she shoved Mordo's collar downwards. Mordo was struggling to breathe under her grasp, shaking his arms.

She shook her head and shouted in despair, "No! He killed...he killed him."

Mordo had taken him away from her again.

"He took him...he took him away from me," Illyria jeered through her teeth, tasting the tears on her lips.

He answered solemnly, "Remember what I told you."

There were other ways besides killing.

'Yes, I do remember,' She said in her mind. 'But how can you when you just lost your brother twice.' Illyria sniffed, never moving.

How could she not? He deserved to die after what he had done. Not just for her brother but even her and every sorcerer that walked on Earth. He had taken away countless lives, ripped the very essence which people needed to live with. He was hardly doing the goodness of the Natural Order; he had become the very thing Kaecilius had been years ago. A fanatic and a zealot.

"Melmenya, please. Do not do this." She heard Elrond plead behind her.

She kept her blade of light pressed again his throat.

However, there was a part in her that was beginning to surface above her anger. The very thing which had brought her away from truly ending Mordo's life there and then. Why she had found Stephen Strange out of many people to stand out for the girl in Kamar-Taj. He had sworn to save lives, not to take them. If she did this: Illyria would not be better than him.

She couldn't bury herself as low as he was.

What did Elrond think of her? Her children, Bilbo and the Company? What would Gandalf and the Valar think of her?

She would become the very thing she didn't want to be.

The grip on her blade and his collar slackened as she gradually pulled away and inhaled her breath. Her arms slowly lost their glow until there was a small halo around her as she brought her hands in a gesture. The rope around Mordo fell onto the ground, fading away as he got up and began to choke in the air.

Even though she had done what she could, it didn't mean Illyria had liked it. Even Elemmírë somehow was annoyed at her choices, leaving the sorcerer free without any damage.

Maybe she should have done it. Taken his magic away.

'No, Illyria.' Her father must have heard her thoughts as she brought herself by his side, now looking back at the former Master of the Mystic Arts. 'Even things such as that, you are doing the very thing he would want you to have done. Don't fall into his trap.'

Mordo said, "Strange."

Her father stood in front of her now, his hands at his side as he replied, "It's been a long time, Mordo." Stephen Strange questioned, "Let me guess, enjoying your time in Middle Earth?"

"It's been bearable." Mordo pointed, nudging his head at her, "It would seem your daughter has got her own following. Perhaps even a family."

Illyria brought herself back to where Elrond had stood, now beside her brother's body in protection whilst he held his sword in his right. Elrond took her hand, his thumb rubbing circles at the back of her palm which soothed her heart and mind. He must have seen it all go down; watched her almost kill a man with no difficulty.

Blowing out a short breath, Illyria brought her fingers to intertwine with his.

Stephen eyed them for a moment before shrugging his shoulders. "Eh, I've been a shitty dad for the past year." He added, "Been busy being Sorcerer Supreme and whatnot."

Summoning his staff once more from across the room, Mordo and Stephen walked around each other. The rogue sorcerer answered, "You do not deserve that title."

He didn't react, replying plainly. "No, I don't." Stephen conjured two mandala shields with his hands in front. "But you tried to take my daughter's magic. That's enough for me to know that you need to be stopped."

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It only took Illyria twenty-five seconds to realise who was fighting Mordo.

Her dad was here, he had returned. Or perhaps this was an illusion again and this was all a dream. She was asking so many questions in her head that it only took a sudden jerk of her chest to stop herself.

Illyria clutched the left part of her chest, stumbling under her feet. Elrond let go of her hand, bringing it to stable her shoulder – concerned grey eyes boring into hers.

She glanced away, seeing the billowing of the Cloak of Levitation as the two sorcerers fought around them. "I need...I need to help him." Illyria spoke, "Elrond, you have to let go of me."

His jaw tightened, as he replied, "No, I cannot lose you. Not when Glorfindel is gone-"

And then she suddenly cut him off with her lips, pressing quickly against his cheek.

When she pulled away, her hands lingering on his own – she saw Elrond's face froze in surprise at what she did.

To be honest, she wasn't sure where she got that confidence from.

Illyria spoke confidently, "You won't lose me." She added, "I know what to do."

Elrond breathed in, though she did not know what he had said the moment she brought her hands to summon her staff again and raced after her father.

Wherever they went off.

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Entering the portal hadn't been the difficult part of the search for Illyria.

However, it had been the hardest to get through. Going through the portal wasn't anything like the sling-ring portals he had been conjuring for years. It felt like wading through water, pushing against the current as he barely could see where he was going. Everything was just a flash of multiple colours until he felt himself fall.

And fall.

And fall.

Thank the Cloak of Levitation for not being helpful as he faceplanted into the cold snow, his ass up and possibly his entire person vulnerable to the elements around him. When Stephen rolled on his back, he sat up with a groan, massaging his nose from the impact as the collars of the Cloak wiped the snow off itself. He then brought himself up to his feet, dusting the rest off him before studying his surroundings.

There was one singular mountain on his left side, taller than anything he has seen - perhaps even taller than Mount Everest. Stephen spotted the ruins just further down as well what seemed to be green sickly pale creatures wearing leather armour crawling around.

'Are those...goblins?' He thought, furrowing his eyebrows before he heard the thrum of energy behind him.

Turning around, all he could see was the same tear through the air. He guessed this was where the portal ended up, or perhaps one of the connections. Though despite it appearing here, Stephen noticed the energy fluctuating. The light flickering into bursts. The portal was becoming unstable, meaning he needed to find Illyria as soon as possible.

The first thing Stephen did was recollect the set of rules Wong had told him about travelling through new parts of the multiverse. Well: he already knew his name and where he came from so that was that. The next bit was trying to find any similar beings or things or locations that could possibly pinpoint civilisation or safety points.

Somehow it was not the case when a bunch of goblins were crawling around before getting shot by an arrow from nowhere.

Stephen then noticed the hidden figures from the mountaintops and realised they were wearing metal armour. 'Some backwashed medieval fantasy place with goblins.' He took note in his head before striding up to the ruins.

When he arrived at the top, Stephen darted his eyes upon the frozen lake and noticed the crystal geometric formation shimmering in the air and rose his eyebrows. He wondered who had created a portal into the Mirror Dimension. Carefully, he brought himself down before walking straight through the portal.

He wasn't expecting Mordo to stand there in the broken plane around him. The entire dimension had been warped.

Stephen was too shocked at the familiar face until he spotted the red robes dotted in the middle of the platform. Though he froze the moment he realised who had been in her arms. She was sobbing, cradling the blonde-haired person (was it a man or a woman? He wasn't too sure) in her arms until he heard Mordo shout.

And suddenly, the world around them broke.

He had only seen one person do this – back on Titan. However, that purple alien had used two of the Infinity stones to break through the Mirror Dimension.

Illyria Strange easily broke it with her own natural magic.

Conjuring a shield around himself, he quickly noticed the other figure standing close to his spot. The tall man with the long dark hair was staring in shock at Illyria, trying to reach for her despite reality itself breaking back into its original form. Stephen spotted the fallen crystal and immediately brought his shield around the man.

Once the shield disintegrated, Illyria brought herself up and began assaulting Mordo with magic. He had never seen her once do this in her entire life, even though the many futures he had once looked with the Time Stone.

Not one predicted future saw her shine as bright as a star.

She easily deflected the space shards Mordo threw at her, and Stephen's chest tightened in fury as the rogue sorcerer almost attempted to hit her. Space shards created by space reality itself were difficult to survive if wounded by them. It had been the cause of the Ancient One's death, and now possibly the reason for the death of the blonde person.

Illyria was beginning to worry him, the closer she got. By the time she got Mordo onto his knees – Stephen swooped in to intervene.

It was there he felt it all. The pain and agony his daughter was in. The anger and the fury and the sorrow that had fuelled her magic. He had already seen something similar from someone else just last year.

Like Wanda Maximoff, both of their magic was fuelled by emotions and their hearts. And she had just unlocked the magical abilities Stephen had predicted years ago.

It took him some time to persuade Illyria to not go through her plan, wary that his own daughter would clearly kill Mordo. He knew the reasons underneath Mordo's murder. It was why it's been months since Stephen's been trying to track him down.

Stephen had found out that Mordo wanted to take Illyria's magic and had been searching for answers. He had yet to tell Wong and the other masters of this, afraid that he would risk any more despite the trust between the Masters.

He couldn't lose Illyria again. Or else: he would not forgive himself if he did.

"It's time to surrender, Mordo," Stephen said with a stern gaze.

Mordo lunged forward, blocked by Stephen's Eldritch whip. He snarled, "You think I will bow down to the gracious Sorcerer Supreme. I pity anyone who would willingly learn under your guise!" He laughed in a mocking tone, "You do not understand this all. I've been trying to tell you. Every moment, every spell you use you are giving away more of the powers not everyone should possess."

"Then why do you go and start killing them? You think you're doing a good deed?" Stephen questioned him,

Mordo smirked and twirled his staff. "I think after what the Scarlet Witch had done to the multiverse it shows we must take down every threat."

That caused him to raise his brow. It seemed that Mordo knew what happened the past year with the sorcerers around the multiverse. Well, it wasn't a secret. Every magic user and the TVA [6] knew about the disruption (an understatement) the mythical Scarlet Witch had done after the fall of the Hex. Not only a bunch of energy anomalies but the creation of magical points in their world, attracting all dimensional beings into Earth.

However, being the Sorcerer Supreme didn't mean ridding of the threat. He wasn't like that. He protected the world, and that meant choosing ways to allow the threats to resolve themselves without bloodshed.

If Mordo had stayed, he would have simply killed the Scarlet Witch...or died trying to.

There wasn't a dragging moment for him until he finally brought Mordo's feet down, using the Eldritch whips to lock him into place. To his surprise, he found a white whip locked into Mordo's staff and found Illyria holding on by his right.

She didn't look good at all despite her body glowing. Her eyes were strained, a glowing blue that was fading in and out. He just needed to keep Mordo down long enough to trap him.

"I'm sorry Mordo." He spoke.

Mordo heaved, "No, Strange." He grinned, "I'm sorry for you." His hand stretched out, breaking from the grasp.

Out from his hand materialise a dagger, purple and black from his sight.

And in a swift lunge, the blade flew straight towards him. However, it had not hit Stephen.

When he glanced to his right, he found Illyria freeze from her spot...The blade embedded into her stomach.

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[1] - Vaulting Boots of Valtorr: mystically enhanced pair of boots to move freely in the air. Mordo uses this as his relic.
[2] - Ondolindë: The Quenya name of Gondolin
[3] - Cristhorn Throronath: the pass through the northern part of the Echoriad, the mountains which encircled Gondolin.
[4] - Idril's Secret Way: a tunnel under Gondolin that Idril built in secret in which the survivors including Idril, Tuor and Earendil escaped along with Elemmire.
[5] - Calimmacil and Thúlíra: Calimmacil meaning Bright Sword in Quenya. Thúlíra meaning Eternal Breath in Quenya. They are the identical elven swords that Elemmire uses throughout her entire life.
[6] - TVA: Time Variance Authority, the organisation in which operates to monitor timelines throughout the multiverse.

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A/N: Hehehe, I am very evil with that cliffhanger. :) Thoughts on how that turned out? Expected or not?

I loved this scene so much. And imaging it, I thought very hard and watched the scene where Stephen Strange, Mordo, the Ancient One and Kaecilius fight in Doctor Strange so many times just to get it right. And to give Elrond some power using Vilya, in a way, the power of the elven rings are also heightened in the Mirror Dimension. 

But yeah. Please do not hurt me about what happened to Glorfindel. I promise it's all for a purpose!

Edited: 13/10/2021