≿━━━━༺❀༻━━━━≾

𝗦𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗡:      𝗕𝗘𝗔𝗨𝗧𝗜𝗙𝗨𝗟 𝗗𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

"NO, DON'T STOP running! The killer will -- " Cassandra sighed, shaking her head in disappointment. "And she's dead. Why did you stop? You were so close! I was rooting for you not to die! Oh, well." She shrugged, grabbing her chopsticks. "You will be sorely missed, Helen."

The young woman pulled her bowl of dumplings close to her, picking one of them up using her chopsticks. The slasher movie, I Know What You Did Last Summer, played on her laptop's screen and it was already nearing its climax. It was her rest day from work and she and Karl decided not to teach so as to give the students more time to study and practice the spells they have recently taught.

Months have passed ever since the shooting incident and everything was going very well. Stephen excelled in his studies of the Mystic Arts, something she wasn't already surprised since he was bound to be the next mystical protector of Earth. Due to this, he started to challenge the other Masters' lessons and now preferred to teach himself. He still asked her for advice and information though despite of this.

She brought the dough near her lips when a vociferous roar emerged from her doorway, startling her and causing her dumpling to fall in her bowl.

"CASSANDRA!"

The door swung open and Cassandra, alarmed by this, armed herself with her chopsticks. She conjured a large Mandala in front of her to shield herself, ready to defend herself. In came a seething Wong, nostrils flared outwards and hands balled into fists, glancing around her bedroom.

"Wong!" She yelled, dropping her Mandala. She placed a hand above her chest in an attempt to slow down her racing heart and catch her breath. "For Vishanti's sake, what are you doing?!"

"Where is he?!"

"Where's who?"

"Strange! Where is he?" Wong thundered, his voice echoing in her bedroom. "He's not in his room!"

Cassandra almost slapped her forehead. "I-I don't know where he is at this time!" She pinched the bridge of her nose, finally calming down. "Why are you looking for him, by the way? What did he do?"

She rarely saw Wong this infuriated since he was always calm and stoic. The last time she had seen him get angry was when Kaecilius attempted to murder the Ancient One. Cassandra wondered what Stephen had done to enrage the librarian.

"Strange stole all the books related to astral projection. He opened a dimensional gateway inside the library and stole them all -- including the book I was reading!"

The woman's lips fell open in shock and she screwed her eyes shut in frustration. "Shit. He really did it. The idiot really did it." she mumbled under her breath.

Few days ago, during their practice lesson, Stephen asked her about the relativity of time in the Astral Dimension and soon expressed great interest when he realized he could utilize it to speed up his learning process. Cassandra told him that only apprentices had the access to the books that discuss about the Astral Plane and that he wouldn't be able to understand it since it was a very advanced and complicated lesson.

The brunette released a tired sigh. Of course, he took it as a challenge. Why didn't I think he would? She mentally grumbled. Gods, I can already picture the cause of death in my autopsy report: stress from Stephen's recklessness.

Wong tsked, exiting her room. "I will report this atrocious act to the Ancient One. Strange's behavior is unacceptable!"

Cassandra plopped down on her chair, setting down her chopsticks. She then rubbed her temples in a circular motion to alleviate her headache. "You're so dead, Stephen. Like so dead."

Seconds later, she heard a wooden rapping-like noise reverberating from her door. The brunette rolled her eyes. "Quit hammering on my doorjamb already! Who are you -- Woody Woodpecker?"

She swung the door open to reveal a breathless Stephen, holding a couple of books to his chest. To be honest, he looked like he feared for his life. "Cassie, I need your help. I need refuge."

Cassandra's lips hung open for a moment, registering what he had done. She blinked once, twice. "No."

And she slammed the door in his face, choosing to drown out his pleads to let him in. "Seriously. Can't I just have one peaceful day-off?" She complained, looking up to the ceiling as if the gods could see her.

"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, her robes billowing around her as she walked inside the Sanctuary. Cassandra followed beside her, tugging her emerald cloak. She gracefully bent forward to pour herself, Master Hamir, and the Ancient One a cup of tea. The young woman had just finished giving Stephen his new uniform since he finally reached the apprentice rank. He was only one step away now from being a Master.

To be honest, during the last few months, Cassandra observed that Stephen became more humble gained a newfound appreciation for the natural order of things. However, he still retained his cocky attitude when dealing with people and things. This, coupled with his inquisitiveness and willingness to break rules, made him an odd one in their compound and constantly an annoyance to many of his peers. Only she and her parents understood him since they would challenge his intelligence and creativity.

Her parents adored the former neurosurgeon very much that they often invite him to eat lunch and dinner with them. They would then converse about their achievements and contributions in the medical field while Cassandra would go talk to Wong and Karl about recruiting new students to train. If she was actually going to br honest, her parents looked like they were checking if Stephen was qualified to be their son-in-law.

Stephen lightly scoffed. "Once, in this room, you told me to open my eyes. Now, I'm being told to blindly accept rules that make no sense."

"Like the rule against conjuring a gateway in the library?" Cassandra sipped her tea, raising an eyebrow as she spun around to meet him.

"Wong told on me?"

"Yep, and I highly advise that you do not visit the library for a while if you want your head still attached to your body."

"Guess I'll just have to ask you to borrow for me then."

Cassandra snickered, smirking. "If you can convince me."

"Oh, I can be persuasive."

The Ancient One cleared her throat, catching both of their attention. "You're advancing quickly with your sorcery skills. You need a safe space to practice your spells. Cassandra?" She called, stepping away from the center.

The young sorceress nodded and set down her cup of tea before throwing her hand forward. A jagged crack appeared in the air and fractal patterns formed around it like a mirror had been shattered. Cassandra continued to twist her hands in a circular motion, opening a gateway to the parallel dimension by splitting their reality. She then unhesitatingly sauntered towards the dimension, surveying the area around her. The sorceress often used the Mirror Dimension whenever she had to practice dangerous spells since it wouldn't harm anyone around her in case it failed or backfired.

"You are now inside the Mirror Dimension. Ever present but undetected. The real world isn't affected by what happens here." taught the Ancient One as she followed closely behind. Cassandra watched Stephen look around with pure awe and wonder.

"We use the Mirror Dimension to train, surveil, and sometimes to contain threats. You don't want to be stuck in here without your Sling Ring."

That brought Stephen back to the moment. "Hold on. Sorry, what do you mean, threats?"

Cassandra felt the floor beneath her rumble as the Ancient One thrusted her hands down to the ground, shifting everything around them into a never ending loop of patterns. "Learning of an infinite multiverse includes learning of infinite dangers." The Sorcerer Supreme warned. "And if I told you everything else that you don't already know, you'd run from here in terror."

The young sorceress' eyes flickered over to Stephen who was at the far side of the room, eyes wide with confusion and slight fear. The Ancient One really had a way with her words. Cassandra remembered the times how her mentor always advised her with the same tone. They were always double-edged and vague that almost everytime, Cassandra found herself not sure of what her teacher exactly meant. The Sorcerer Supreme soon dismissed them both, letting them continue their plans for the day.

"Is she always like that? Like..."

Cassandra raised an eyebrow as she wore her Sling Ring, opening a portal to the training grounds. "Like what? Like scary? Blunt? Intimidating?" she finished, directly.

"All of the above."

"She's like that because she wants the best for everyone." She shrugged, straightening her posture once the gateway has been established. The amber glow illuminated her features, her eyes knowing. "She just wants you to know that there is a limit to everything. That you should be careful for you might cast something... dangerous." Cassandra tugged his sleeve once. We can't let you die before you become a Sorcerer Supreme. She added in her mind. "Now, come on. I'd hate for us to be late for this practice session."

"After you, sweetheart."

"COME ON, KARL! I'm barely sweating in here." Cassandra teased as she dropped down to a fighting stance. It was already afternoon and he glowing sun, a crisp circle in the bloody sky, illuminated across the grounds. It bathed in the wispy clouds in a burning red, giving Cassandra a calm and peaceful feeling.

Now, Cassandra loved combat training. She loved feeling the thrill course through her veins especially when she was stressed from work. Whenever she needed to blow off some steam, she would call Karl for a quick sparring and the two of them would converse about what strained her. This would then relieve her stress and get her to focus again.

Cassandra ducked the blow Karl threw easily. From under his guard, she sent his fist forward in a quick jab, feeling it connect with her friend's ribs with a crunch. Enough to hurt, but not serious enough to injure.

Karl grunted, doubling up, but quickly lashed out with a right hook. Caught off guard, Cassandra stumbled backwards, barely avoiding the blow. She was off balance, and her opponent knew it. The sorceress had to get her feet under him, but now Karl was lunging forwards, perhaps sensing his advantage.

There was nothing for it. She couldn't block anything while she was still off-balance so she dropped to the ground, and felt Karl land on her a second later. Got to get out! She thought. She knew if Karl got his full weight on her, she would have a hard time escaping. She squirmed to the side. Her opponent wrapped an arm around her, trying to choke her, but she writhed her arm under Karl's, breaking the choke.

"Ha! I remain undefeated!" She grinned as she stood back on her feet. The young woman watched as her friend stretched his arm, shaking his head.

"But, I caught you off-guard." he noted, smirking. "You seem a bit distracted."

"I'm not."

Karl chortled, glancing at Stephen. The former neurosurgeon was fixing his combat uniform at that moment since he was next in training. "Are you sure?"

Cassandra shook her head. Of course, her bestfriend knew about what was going on with her and Stephen. "Oh, shut up!" She hurled the towel she picked up from a chair nearby at his head.

Karl only removed the towel from his face, letting out a laugh. "Strange, get in here!"

Stephen approached them, fastening his gloves. His gaze was fixed on the Ancient One who was observing the other two apprentices fight one another, occasionally correcting them. Cassandra snapped her fingers in front of him, breaking his stare. She wrapped her green cloak around her shoulders. "Hello! Earth to Strange? What's our number one rule in combat training again?"

"Don't get distracted."

Cassandra hummed. "Go get your ass to the other side. Karl will be your sparring partner for this afternoon. Let's begin."

Stephen followed her instructions, tightening the velcro of his gloves again. He once again let his gaze sweep back to the mystical mentor, his lips pursed tight. Cassandra knew then there was a question burning in his mind since he often had that look whenever he wanted to ask something.

"What is it, Strange? Spit it out." She tapped her foot against the concrete.

The apprentice directed his eyes at her direction. "Just how ancient is she?" he asked, jutting his chin out slightly.

Mordo answered for Cassandra. "No one knows the age of the Sorcerer Supreme. Only that she is Celtic and never talks about her past."

"So, you both follow her even though you don't know?" Stephen furrowed his eyebrows, confused. Mordo clicked his tongue, beginning to circle him.

Cassandra clasped her hands behind her back. To be honest, she had that question lingering in the back of her mind for years. She always wondered why the Ancient One never aged. One might say that maybe it was her healthy diet and constant physical exercise that preserved her youth, but no, she had been in Kamar-Taj longer than everyone else... even Master Hamir. She knew then it was something else.

Even her own parents advised her to just trust the Ancient One when she raised the question one time during dinner. They told her that surely whatever their teacher was doing, it was for the greater good. It was then she began to think that perhaps, her long life was a gift to her. If it was indeed, why should she question it, right?

So, Cassandra never asked again after that, choosing only to trust her mentor who had also raised her. She buried that question in the back of her mind only to be revived by Kaecilius when he betrayed them all. He told her the Ancient One was a false teacher and the proof was in her long life.

"I know that she's steadfast, but unpredictable. Merciless, yet kind. She made what Cass and I are today." Karl swiftly got down into a fighting stance, and Stephen followed his pose, raising his hands to defend himself. "Trust your teacher, Strange, and don't lose your way."

"Like Kaecilius?"

"That's right."

Karl threw a roundhouse kick at his head, only for Stephen to dodge it, push him forward by his stomach. Her friend attempted to counter his attack, but Stephen held his forearm against his throat. "You both knew him." commented he, narrowing his eyes.

"I taught him." Cassandra quipped, crossing her arms. "I was nineteen when he came here, asking for answers."

The other master forcefully shoved Stephen's forearm, slid his arm around his neck, and put him in a choke-hold. "When he first came to us, he'd lost everyone he ever loved. He was a grieving and broken man, searching for answers in the mystic arts. A brilliant student, but he was proud, headstrong. Questioned the Ancient One, rejected our teaching."

Stephen struck Karl's stomach with a sharp jab, causing him to double over and stumble back. Cassandra bit her bottom lip, fighting the urge to grin. She taught him that move. Stephen's eyes wandered over to her and he lightly shrugged, the corners of his lips tugging upwards. He then touched his neck, grunting.

"He left Kamar-Taj." Karl heaved, recovering from his opponent's attack. "His disciples followed him like sheep, seduced by false doctrine."

"He stole the forbidden ritual, right?"

At this, Cassandra walked over to a shelf, and seized hold of the Staff of the Living Tribunal. She tossed the short wooden staff to her friend who caught it with ease. "Yeah." replied she, tapping her foot against the concrete again. "The one from the Book of Cagliostro."

"What did it do?"

"No more questions." Karl firmly ordered, twirling the staff around.

"What's that?"

Cassandra chuckled. Stephen was relentless.

Karl shook his head, chuckling as well. "That's a question." He pointed his staff towards Stephen. "This is a relic. Some magic is too powerful to sustain, so we imbue objects with it, allowing them to take the strain we can not. This is the Staff of the Living Tribunal."

He then suddenly extended the weapon into a whip, striking the ground surrounding Stephen twice. It was then that Cassandra instinctively moved forward, her hands reaching down to her dagger as thoughts of protecting Stephen came to her mind. Her body was pushing her to step in, but she stopped herself for there was no real danger.

"There are many relics: the Wand of Watoomb, the Vaulting Boots of Voltorr." lectured Karl, tapping his boot in the air, causing it to emit orange sparks. "The Flaming Sword of Aganar, the Cloak of Concealment..."

"They just roll off the tongue, don't they?" Stephen jested, making Karl laugh. "When do I get my relic?"

"When you're ready."

The former medical practitioner rolled his shoulders, nodding. And there it is, his overconfident self. Cassandra thought. "I think I'm ready."

"You're ready when the relic decides you're ready. For now, conjure a weapon." Karl smirked, almost as if he expected Stephen to fail.

To Cassandra's surprise, he widened his stance and cupped his hands, successfully generating enough Eldritch magic to conjure a rope-like weapon. "Oh, shit." She muttered just as Karl struck his staff to Stephen's fiery cord.

"Fight!" Her friend bellowed, hitting the apprentice's weapon repeatedly. "Fight like your life depended on it!"

Karl's staff got tangled in Stephen's rope and he twisted it, disarming Stephen. He then used his boots to skip through the air and came down to punch Strange in the face, sending him rolling across the ground. Cassandra couldn't fight anymore the urge in her body and stepped in, but her friend approached him before she could. He bent down close to him. "Because one day, it may."

"Karl, that's enough." strongly stated Cassandra, swiping her cloak to the side. She gathered Stephen in her arms before glaring at her friend. "Take it easy, will you?"

She watched as Karl shake his head and walk away, leaving them both in the court. "I just want him to learn. The easy way is not always the right way, Cass. He should know that by now."

"God, what's up with the ominous warnings today?" Stephen grunted, sitting up. "Do I have a bruise on my face?"

"No, you still look pretty." Cassandra blurted out without thinking. She mentally slapped herself. Great! Now, he's going to use that against you. Well done!

"I look pretty?"

"Shut up. Let's just go practice your inter-dimensional travelling." Cassandra wrapped her arm around his waist to hoist him up. Stephen then grabbed her shoulder and together, they limped to the entrance of the Temple.

"Where are we exploring this time?"

"Stephen, if you don't stop asking questions, I'm sending you to the Mandelibus Dimension."

"Oh, dear god. Send me anywhere, but there."

"ALRIGHT, SO THIS locator spell will allow us to find anyone and create a portal to their location. Correct?"

Cassandra paced across Stephen's room, sitting down on his bed. "Yes, but you will need an item that belongs to the missing person or to the next of kin. It can be anything... a piece of cloth, a glass, an heirloom, or even a hair strand."

"Got it. Easy."

"Don't be so cocky." She pointed her finger toward him. "This is a complicated spell. One wrong gesture and you will badly injure yourself."

"Noted. So, are we going to practice it now? I'm very sure I have memorized the incantation." he asked, his eyes lighting up like a child in Christmas. This was one of the many things that Cassandra liked about Stephen. He was always eager to learn more.

The young sorceress plucked out a strand of her hair, grimacing in pain. She handed it to Stephen, tilting her head. "Alright, so we will be playing a mystical version of hide-and-go-seek." She clapped her hands together, smiling lightly when she remembered the times she played this game with Wong.

"Mystical version?"

"Wong and I modified the rules of that children's game when we were kids. Fun times." She grinned. Actually, the rules of their mystical version of hide-and-go-seek was simple. The hider will hide around the compound and the seeker will use the locator spell to find them. Once they are found, they have the chance to run or defend themselves until they are tagged. "Give me fifteen seconds to hide and then locate me using my hair strand. Okay?"

"Only fifteen seconds?"

"Trust me, that's enough time for me to hide in this compound." She winked before opening a portal in front of her and stepping inside it.

"And what do I get if I successfully find you?"

"Uh, nothing?"

"You know, behavioral research consistently demonstrates that performance levels are highest when rewards are contingent upon performance."

Cassandra rolled her eyes. "What do you want as reward, Stephen?"

Stephen narrowed his eyes, the corners of his lips tugging upwards and immediately, the young woman regretted giving him the chance to decide his prize. "Dinner with me this Saturday evening."

Cassandra shook her head, sighing. Sbe knew he recently had a job. He was now working in one of the restaurants outside of their compound. That's why he could now afford to bring food during the Mason family's lunch and dinner.

"You're relentless."

"One of my best attributes, I am often told."

"It's the reason why I keep rejecting your invitation." remarked Cassandra. "But, okay, fine. If you successfully cast this and find me within eight minutes, let's have dinner."

The woman swore Stephen's stance changed like his determination has been boosted more than ever. "No return, no exchange." he quipped.

"Whatever. See you in eight minutes... or six hours later if you fail." Cassandra shut the gateway and surveyed the courtyard she entered. Remembering one of her best hideouts, she dashed inside the other building and concealed herself in a dead-end corridor.

Exactly six minutes had passed since she hid and there was still no sign of a portal around, not even sparks. At this, Cassandra furrowed her eyebrows and peeked at the corner of the hallway she was in. She hummed. "Where is he?"

"Are you expecting someone?" A voice behind her spoke.

Cassandra clicked her tongue, completely oblivious that Stephen was already behind her. "Yeah. He should be here any minute now."

The voice hummed. "What does he look like?"

"Uh, tall, lean, handsome."

"That's it? Nothing else?"

Cassandra arched her eyebrow. "Uh, crystal blue eyes, sharp cheekbones, heart-shaped lips... gorgeous man but incredibly annoying. I mean -- " She then paused. "Wait a second..." The young woman spun around to see a smirking Stephen Strange behind her, a few meters away from her personal space. She groaned. "Oh, come on! How did I not hear the portal?"

Stephen chuckled. "You were too distracted, sweetheart."

Cassandra flinched slightly. It was the second time she heard the word distracted and it scared her a bit. She was letting her guard down too much, something she shouldn't allow to happen. Distraction will only lead her to be unwary. She might not be able to fulfill her duty properly because she's too distracted.

"Cassie? Are you okay?"

The brunette lifted her head. "Yeah, uh, I'm-I'm good. You were saying?"

"Dinner this Saturday in London? I already made reservations."

"Oh, is that why it took you... what?" She checked her watch. "Six minutes to find me? Because you were searching for a restaurant?"

"Actually, it only took me thirty seconds to locate you, four minutes to find a restaurant and make a reservation since the wifi connection slowed down again -- seriously, I had to climb up a cabinet just to get a stronger signal... and one minute to -- are you even listening to me?"

Cassandra yawned. "Sorry, I fell asleep."

"While standing? Possible, but really difficult." voiced out Stephen. "Sleeping while standing is difficult for humans due to the loss of muscle tone that occurs during REM sleep."

"Oh, boy."

" -- The neurons in our brain produce neurotransmitters that relax muscles during sleep time. The anatomy of humans is designed to relax our muscles during sleep time. So, when you fall asleep, you fall over."

The master sighed, pinching her nose. "This Saturday night, right?"

"Yep." Her student responded, popping the 'p'. "I look forward to our dinner, sweetheart. You're so stunning today, by the way. " he winked. "Such a beautiful distraction."

here's a character edit for our prettiest sorceress! i adore her vv much!

"i've never stood behind a man." get jt??? because well, she'll always protect stephen first. also, this chapter almost made me rip my hair out- it's messy but i still like it??? lmaoo- then, can i just yell about the new what if episode??? that sht was dark, i swear. i will totally write a bonus chapter at the end of act one. "what if doctor strange lost the love of his life? what if he lost his fianceé, cassandra mason?" y'all not gonna be ready for that..

gif banner and new sign off gif by cookieneon