At that moment, Henry felt a chill travel down his spine.
Standing across from him, in the surreal, kaleidoscope-like mirror dimension, was the Ancient One. And Henry knew—this wasn't just a casual visit.
The Ancient One.
The most powerful Sorcerer Supreme on Earth. Guardian of the mystical arts. Protector of reality itself. A woman who could see the future and pull enemies out of time like weeds from a garden.
And now she was here, face-to-face with him—a random guy who had time-traveled into this universe. A nobody in a world filled with legends.
Henry swallowed nervously.
There's no way someone like her didn't notice a traveler like me the moment I arrived, he thought.
"I found you, multiverse traveler," the Ancient One finally said.
Henry's heart sank. Yup. I'm screwed.
She hadn't just noticed him—she had tracked him.
He straightened up instinctively and spoke quickly, choosing his words with care. "I admit it. I'm not from this world. I didn't come here on purpose. I don't even know how I got here. I swear—I have no ill intentions toward Earth. And… I don't think I can go back."
He laid everything on the table, desperation and honesty in his voice.
The Ancient One didn't respond right away. Her piercing eyes studied him, dark and unreadable, as if she were peering into the very core of his soul.
The silence dragged. Her expression gave away nothing. Just calm scrutiny.
Henry's palms grew damp. His throat tightened. He wanted to look away but couldn't.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she spoke again. "I tried to look into your future... but I couldn't see it."
That alone sent a chill through Henry's body.
"I looked instead at the future of Earth," she continued. "And what I saw… had changed. Your arrival shifted it."
Henry's heart skipped a beat.
"Wait... changed? Changed how? For the better or worse?"
She shook her head. "I cannot say. I see paths, not certainties. But because I cannot clearly define your role, I cannot judge you either. The future is fluid. You will have to decide what kind of impact you'll make."
Then, as if it had always been planned, she reached into her robe and pulled out a heavy, ancient-looking book. Its cover shimmered faintly with magical energy, and across it were four ornate words: The Complete Collection of the Supreme Being.
Henry's jaw nearly dropped.
This was a Kamar-Taj magic tome.
Was she seriously handing this to him?
He reached out and took it, his hands trembling slightly. "Is… is this for me?"
The Ancient One nodded. "You may borrow it. Consider it a test. I hope your presence here is not a curse, but a blessing."
And with that, the mirror world shattered.
The pieces of shimmering light dissolved around him. The swirling walls of space folded back into the normal world. The mystical hum faded away.
And the Ancient One was gone.
Henry stood alone again, back in the quiet villa. He blinked rapidly, trying to process what had just happened.
Only the weight of the book in his hands reminded him that the encounter was real.
What just happened?!
He hadn't been banished. He hadn't been erased from the timeline or thrown into a dimensional rift. Instead… the Ancient One had trusted him. She had handed him one of the most sacred magical tomes on Earth.
Was that… a blessing? Or a setup?
Either way, Henry was ecstatic.
Before, he had nothing—no powers, no system, no direction. Now, he had a starting point. A real shot.
"Okay, maybe things are finally looking up," he said aloud, smiling.
Just as he was about to crack open the book and see what secrets it held, the doorbell rang.
"Right. The hot pot!"
He raced to the door and received the food delivery with visible excitement. Moments later, he was seated at the dining table, spicy aroma wafting in the air, flipping open the first page of The Complete Collection of the Supreme Being.
Only to frown.
"What the hell is this?"
The text was incomprehensible.
Ancient languages. Strange symbols. Some words were vaguely familiar—maybe Latin? Sanskrit? But others were completely foreign.
He squinted, hoping that staring longer would magically translate the words.
It didn't.
Henry groaned. "Okay, tech magic time—Google Translate!"
Then it hit him.
He had no phone.
No laptop.
No money.
He looked around the opulent villa with frustration. It was beautiful. Expensive. Probably cost more than some entire buildings.
But not a single dollar to his name.
"God, I'm living in a mansion and I can't even afford a bag of chips," he muttered.
He poked at the hot pot and sighed. It suddenly didn't taste as good as it smelled.
"I need to make money. But I'm a guy with no identity, no resume, and no idea how to exist in this world."
As if on cue, the doorbell rang again.
Henry dragged himself to the door and opened it.
Standing there was none other than Tony Stark, holding a drink in one hand and a tablet in the other.
"Hey," Tony said, strolling inside like he owned the place. Which, technically, he did.
"You settling in okay?"
Henry nodded. "It's... great. Thank you for giving me this apartment—uh, I mean villa."
Tony dropped into a chair without a care. "You saved my ass. It's the least I could do."
Then he sniffed the air.
"What is that smell? It's incredible."
"Hot pot," Henry replied.
"Oh my God," Tony said, eyes lighting up. "I went straight from the press conference to a board meeting. I've had nothing but a cheeseburger. I'm starving."
Without hesitation, he grabbed a clean plate and began piling food onto it like he was at a buffet.
As he ate, he moaned in delight. "Holy hell. This is delicious. Is this food from your country?"
"Yeah," Henry said with a small smile.
Tony wrestled with a fork for a moment, then gestured. "Gimme those stick things. What are they called?"
"Chopsticks."
"Right. Those. I love those."
Henry handed over a new pair. Fortunately, Pepper had stocked several.
As Tony eagerly slurped up noodles, Henry asked half-jokingly, "So… giving me this place means you finally trust me now?"
Tony paused, looking thoughtful.
"Look, when you showed up out of nowhere while I was trying to escape terrorists, yeah, I was a little on edge. But you helped me. That matters."
Henry nodded. "So… what brings you here now?"
Tony glanced up, chewing thoughtfully. "I talked to Rhodey. He said no one could find anything on you. No records. No background. You don't exist."
Henry froze. He didn't know what to say.
"Relax," Tony added quickly. "It wasn't me who ran the check—Rhodey and the military handle that sort of thing. And not just for you. Everyone involved was investigated."
Henry put on a mock hurt expression. "So I save you, and the first thing you guys do is dig into my life?"
Tony rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I get it. It wasn't personal. Just protocol. But I told them to back off. You're safe."
He set his fork—er, chopsticks—down and leaned back. "I also pulled a few strings. Got someone working on creating an official identity for you. Documents. Birth records. Everything you'll need to function here legally."
Henry blinked. "Wait… seriously?"
"Seriously," Tony said. "Can't have you living like a ghost in a billion-dollar mansion."
Henry felt a wave of genuine gratitude. "I… I don't know what to say. Thank you."
Tony waved it off. "You earned it."
Then he stood, brushing imaginary crumbs from his shirt. "But that's not the only reason I came."
"Oh?"
"I'm throwing a party tonight. Something small. Just close friends and a few high-profile guests. Yinsen's coming too. It's a little celebration of not being dead."
Tony grinned. "You in?"
Henry wasn't big on parties. But if he was going to survive in this world, connections mattered—and Tony Stark was the king of networking.
"I'm in."
"Great! Dress smart. See you at seven."
And with that, Tony strolled out, leaving Henry alone again—surrounded by magic books, hot pot leftovers, and an invitation to a billionaire's party.
So far, not a bad start to his new life.
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