"Once in this room, you begged me to let you learn. Now I'm told you question every lesson, preferring to teach yourself." the Ancient One recalled the next morning.

Stephen followed beside her, his mind still on last nights events.

"Once you told me to open my eyes. Now I'm told to blindly accept rules that make no sense." he replied.

"Like the rule against conjuring a gateway in the library?" she asked, turning to him after she set down a pot of tea on a table.

"Wong told on me?"

"You're advancing quickly with your sorcery skills. You need a safe place to practice your spells." she told him, turning to the open room and lifting her hands.

In the air, a jagged crack appeared, breaking around to form some sort of mirror pattern around it. The Ancient One walked through it, Stephen hesitant to follow. He entered through it, seeing everything on the other side completely the same, although everything seemed to be shifted in the slightest.

"You are now inside the Mirror Dimension." her voice echoed off. "Ever present, but undetected. The real world isn't affected by what happens here. We use the Mirror Dimension to train, servile, sometimes to contain threats. You don't wanna be stuck in here without your Sling Ring."

"Hold on. Sorry, what do you mean threats?"

She threw her arms towards the ground, the floor instantly changing in pattern. Raising her arms, the whole room changed, continuously repeating itself.

"Learning of an infinite Multiverse includes learning of infinite dangers. And if I told you everything else that you don't already know, you'd run from here in terror."

Stephen stared at the ceiling once it stopped moving, then at the Ancient One. Both of them exited the Mirror Dimension, as the Ancient One motioned towards the courtyard. "Amber and Mordo are training outside. You are welcome to join."

Stephen's eyes lit up, excusing himself to change into combat attire. After he was set, he set for the courtyard.

The Ancient One went off to observe others, as Stephen watched Amber and Mordo train in the distance. Both had different clothes on, instead of their regular cloaks, they now had tight-fitting compression shirts on.

Amber used her sorcery skills, forming long glowing orange rope, while Mordo used a long wooden staff.

Stephen mentally admitted that he was intimidated by them both, as they made training look so easy.

A hand made Stephen look up to the Ancient One. She held out a pair of wrist gloves. Nodding in gratitude, he slowly made his way over, starting to fasten them on.

Mordo was about to swing down on her but stopped midway when he caught sight of Stephen.

"Stephen." he greeted with a pant, standing to his full height along with Amber. She blushed at him, lowering her arms to her side as the rope disappeared.

"Mordo, Amber." he nodded back professionally, his eyes lingering on Amber which wasn't oblivious to Mordo.

Amber nodded, averting her gaze. "I'll let you two–"

"No, no. I'll let you handle Stephen." Mordo smirked. Amber shrugged, catching the wrist gloves Mordo tossed at her.

Mordo stood off to the side, watching the two in amusement.

"So how ancient is she?" Stephen asked, tightening the velcro on his glove. Amber's head peaked up, glancing over to the Ancient One.

"No one knows the age of the Sorceress Supreme. Only that she's Celtic and never talks about her past." she answered, clenching her fists once her gloves were properly fastened on.

"You follow her but you don't know?" Stephen teased, turning unconsciously as Amber walked around him to his other side.

"I know she's steadfast but unpredictable. Merciless but kind. She made me what I am." Amber quickly got down in a fighting pose, Stephen following on instinct. "Trust your teacher, Stephen. And don't lose your way."

"You mean like Kaecilius?" Stephen asked. Amber nodded. She went to round kick him but Stephen jumped away.

"Hey, don't do that."

Amber chuckled, standing up from her pose into a casual stance. "Why?"

"I don't want to hurt you." Stephen swallowed nervously.

Amber bobbed her head to the side. "Oh, I wouldn't stress about it."

"She is the best combat fighter in all of Kamar-Taj," Mordo commented, hands held behind his back.

"That's comforting," Stephen muttered annoyingly.

She went for another kick, only for Stephen to dodge it, grab her by the stomach and push her back. Amber gripped Stephen's shoulder, receiving a forearm to the throat; Stephen holding her back.

"You knew him?" he asked, his eyes narrowing, seeming to grow a little jealous. Amber shoved his arm away, twisting him around to take him in a chokehold.

This was harder for her, as she was a couple of inches shorter than him. Stephen held tightly onto her arm, his legs forcibly being bent due to Amber's height.

"When he first came to us, he lost everyone he ever loved. He was a grieving, broken man who was searching for answers in the mystic arts. A brilliant student; he was proud. Headstrong. Questioned the Ancient One, rejected her teaching," she explained in his ear, her voice wavering from Stephen's struggles.

Stephen gave a sharp jab with his elbow to her stomach. Amber let out a cough, her arm unwinding from his neck as she stumbled back. She stood up with a huff in her breath. Amber smiled cockily, as Stephen gingerly touched his sensitive neck.

"He left Kamar-Taj," She continued. "His disciples followed him like idiots, giving in to his false beliefs."

"He stole the forbidden ritual, right?" Stephen asked as they paced around. Amber nodded. "What'd it do?"

Amber approached Mordo, getting handed a short wooden staff that was ribbed. "No more questions."

Amber flipped the wand in her hand as Stephen watched her intently.

"What's that?"

Amber pointed the staff at him. "That's a question."

Stephen chuckled. Amber smiled, holding the weapon out to him horizontally. "This is a relic. Some magic is too powerful to sustain, so we imbue objects with it. It allows them to take the strain we can't. This is the staff of the Living Tribunal."

She grabbed onto the other end, suddenly extending it into a whip, striking the ground beside Stephen and frightening him. Holding the rod up, it tightened back to normal.

"There are many relics. The Wand Of Watoomb, The Volting Boots of Valtoor..."

She glanced over her shoulder, down at Mordo's boots; the Volting Boots.

"Really just roll off the tongue, don't they?" Stephen remarked sarcastically. Amber laughed at his wittiness. "When do I get my relic?"

"When you're ready." She answered with a smile, flipping the staff once more.

Stephen shook his shoulders loose, nodding surely to himself. "I think I'm ready."

"You're ready when the relic decides you are ready. For now, conjure a weapon, just like you saw me do before." Amber jutted her chin towards him with a smirk.

Stephen nodded, planting his feet wider apart on the ground. Cupping his hands, he sparked a mystical web-like weapon. Amber watched before quickly swinging the staff his way, getting tangled in his sorcery.

"Fight!" Amber yelled, continuing to swing at him as hard as she could. Her staff got caught in his web. She twisted the wand and pulled sharply, making Stephen's defence disappear. "Fight like your life depended on it!"

With a sharp twist, she tossed the relic to Mordo, who caught it with ease.

Using her magic, Amber ran around him in the air, punching him in the jaw and sending him to the ground. Landing with both feet on either side of his waist, she bent down close to his face. "Because one day, it might."

After training, Stephen sat in his bathroom, tenderly dressing the bruise on his cheek. A couple of soft knocks made him look over to the door, Amber shyly walking in.

She now wore regular Kamar-Taj apparel, one of her hands wrapped in cloth. Stephen quickly noticed the dark bruising peaking from the bandage.

"Hey." She greeted, folding her hands together. "Sorry for the bruise."

Stephen turned back to the mirror, shaking his head and waving it off. "It's nothing. Should clear up quickly."

She chuckled, moving towards him. Placing her wrapped hand on his shoulder, she leaned down and pecked his cheek gingerly. "Still as handsome as ever."