Prologue
August 27, 2017
Kamar-Taj
Dr. Stephen Strange glanced at his watch and sipped his tea. He watched the koi swim gracefully as the cherry blossoms from the trees above sprinkled onto the pristine pond. The water rippled from each flower's landing, and it would expand, larger and larger.
He noticed a spark of silver-white from his peripheral vision and turned toward that direction. The spark of light formed a circle, thus creating a rather clumsy portal. A grinning Allie walked through the other side of it with pride. Dr. Strange smiled at her genuineness and offered the cup of tea in his hand.
"It's nice you finally decided to show up for your lessons today," he said.
"Didn't you see that? I just used the portal without a sling ring," she said. When he didn't react, she threw her hands up in the air. "Oh, come on! That's pretty impressive, and you know it."
"I refuse to feed your ego."
She gave him a look. "Fine." She took the tea he offered and drank from it.
"Has your visions come back?"
She shook her head. "No, but I've had some weird dreams ever since my first arrival."
Stephen looked at her thoughtfully. "What sort of dreams?"
"I can't remember. Once I wake up, it's more like a clouded memory, and then I can't remember the details throughout the day," she hesitated to continue. "I do remember the moment right before I wake up because it's the same every time. I was in the field of tall, green grass. There were these spacecraft - like the ones from New York a few years ago. They were everywhere, and there was so much chaos. Then, I turned to dust."
"Dust?" Dr. Strange teased. "Like you just combust in flames?"
"No," her tone was serious. "It doesn't matter it was just a dream."
He watched her continue to sip her tea. "How is the tea?"
"It's delicious, thank you. What is it?"
"Poison."
Allie spit some of it out. "What?"
"You have two hours to find to antidote, that hidden somewhere in this garden before you and I both perish."
Stunned, she shook her head in denial. "There's no way you'd be stupid enough to have that much faith in me."
Dr. Strange closed his hands into a fist as he crossed his forearms against his chest and closed his eyes. He pointed both forefinger and middle finger, then uncrossed his arms, slowly exposing the bright green stone in the Eye of Agamotto. Streams of green light swirl around the stone with ease. "I always think ahead. You have one hour and fifty-nine minutes left."
"What the fu- how the hell am I supposed to find the antidote?"
"Concentrate," he said. "Focus on the one thing, and maybe you'll be able to find it once you visualize."
She sighed, closed her eyes, and did as told. She inhaled from her nose and exhaled from her mouth. With a slow breath, she ignored the buzzing from the bugs, the chirps of birds, and the leaves rustling in the wind. Within what seemed like minutes, energy surged through Allie's body. All of her limbs went numb, and her head pulsed. She screamed, there was no sound. Even with her eyes wide open, there was nothing in the darkness she could see.
"You're not supposed to be here," a voice said. Its deep voice was deafening, causing her bones to vibrate from every syllable. "How did you get here? What are you?"