The soft whispering was slowly turning into a rustling, which became more and more clear. It wasn't time for him to come back yet, but he had to do it nonetheless. His presence was mandatory, when something was getting near the tree.
And so he turned away from the timeline where his mind had been and went back to his physical form.
Like the last time, he saw the being through his still blurry eyes, approaching the tree slowly and sighed long and deep. He wasn't keen to meet it again.
Last time all it had left behind was a ton of new questions and a bitter taste in his mouth.
Without effort it slid through the branches, a fact which alone gave the god an oppressive feeling. By this time it was out of question, that they were protecting him, as much as he was protecting them. But in this case they didn't seem to sense any danger.
Exactly the opposite of what he felt.
"God of stories, how nice to meet you again."
Loki didn't answer, just observed how the being made itself some sort of platform besides his throne to sit. The branches still appeared unimpressed, just reacting to his own nervousness with agitation.
In the face of the being there was something that could be described as a smile.
"Suspicious to this very day, god of stories."
Loki pressed his own lips into a thin line.
"To reinforce what I said last time, I'm protecting all of this. Would be reckless, if I wasn't suspicious."
"The branches obviously aren't," it remarked and took one of them into his hand, as if it was no big deal.
Loki looked at the scene with a mixture of surprise and resentment. What was it thinking? Apart from him nobody ever touched the timelines. It was his duty and his privilege, only he was capabale of protecting them.
The being let the green branch slide through his fingers, but looked at Loki while doing so. Although looking wasn't really the right term..
Instead of eyes there was just a strange, bright light.
"Even with all those centuries of experience with time and the multiverse, you still think very linear. Do you really believe you're the first one who ever got devolved the responsibility for the multiverse?"
Loki frowned, "I made all of this, the center, the tree..destroyed the citadel and the loom.."
"The tree is something new, that's correct. But the multiverse isn't. Sylvie might have unleashed it again, but it was there a long time before you even existed..long before all of you existed."
When he heard her name, the facial expression of the god changed. It didn't go unnoticed.
"Ah yes, speaking of which..did you think about the words I said to you the last time?"
Loki didn't plan on answering this question. First and foremost, because it wasn't his business..Moreover, because it was too painful to think about it now.
"Sticking to the linear thinking..do you wanna know where your friends are at the moment?"
The god shook his head, but his eyes seemingly betrayed him.
"If I tell you, you weren't the one who watched them. It's not your fault that way."
Loki shook his head again, this time with even more force. As if by doing so it was possible to convince himself that he wouldn't want to know.
Once more he felt the weight of the horns. He didn't remember them being this heavy at the beginning.
And then suddenly, without warning, his whole body began to tense up and a sharp pain ran through every nerve, every muscle. In this moment he wished he could scream, but his throat cramped abruptly, too, and so there was no sound coming out of his mouth.
As fast as it started it was over, causing the god to take a deep breath, truly relieved that his lungs granted him this again.
The being sat there unaltered, the glance of light centered on him.
But the timelines were not the same as they were before.
With horror Loki perceived how they stiffened, too. They had transformed their elastic, twirling form into something hard, rigid. And a fact that was even more terrifying..
..they started flickering.
"What's happening?" the god asked absentminded, not really adressed to the being, more likely to himself and the branches, while they were slowly recovering.
"That isn't happening for the first time.." the other stated, touching one of the timelines again, almost casually, "..but it's getting worse, doesn't it?"
The gods glance went through the branches and back in time to the moment, when they were all dying before his eyes.
Before he had made the connection with them..before he had touched the first one..right after the destruction of the loom.
It had been a giant wasteland.
He would never forget the sound of the dying timelines, this devastating last gasp before they would perish painfully.
Fortunately it didn't last long.
Loki nodded barely visible, "Why is this happening?"
He came back completely and looked at the being, "When you're all-knowing as you say you are..then tell me what those attacks are?"
"First of all," it started, again with this hint of a smile on his face, "I never said I was all-knowing. I can see everything. But that doesn't mean, that I know it all..let alone understand it all."
Loki sighed with utter frustration and asked himself why it was there in the first place.
"But I could tell you my theory, if you wish so."
Visibly exhausted and stressed out, the god gave his approval and waited.
"To explain that in a way that makes sense, you first have to understand, truly grasp, what the multiverse is. It's not only a place with seemingly unlimited possibilities and fascinating realities..it's first and foremost one thing: unstable.."
Loki knitted his brow warily, but remained silent.
"The universes itself are self-contained and consistent. Every one of them is bound to its own rules, its own physics. What seem to be impossible in one reality, in another it's common. Some of them are very much alike and differ only a little bit, while others come across downright bizarre. Don't think for one minute, that the alligator was the strangest version of yourself.."
Loki grinned inwardly, as he thought about the green reptile with the golden horns they had met in the Void..but still asking himself, what the whole point of this was.
Apparently it seemed to sense his thoughts.
"The realities are separated from each other, that's how it should be, that's how it's meant to be. But the unknown is fascinating, appealing. Maybe your one self had to go through a loss, while another Variant has never had to deal with that kind of pain and grief.."
It seemingly thought of something specific, because his facial expression changed into a more serious one.
"Some of them are just curious about the unknown..others are changing whole realities and circumstances in their favour, which can cause a lot of damage..but there's a third group, and this one is the most dangerous of them all. They're not using the doors to satisfy naive curiosity or to change one specific life and destiny..they go through those doors with just one goal in mind: to subjugate other realities..they want nothing but to conquer."
Loki sighed long and deep. This story was yesterday's news.
He heard that one before.
"I'm aware that you know what I'm talking about. He who Remains showed you. But that isn't what I wanted to tell you.."
"Then why aren't you getting to the point of all this already?" the god asked, no longer making the effort to hide his anger.
And so it continued, "Imagine you're going through the same door again and again. Not once, not ten times, hundreds and thousand times over and over..but maybe the door is the wrong metaphor. Think of it as a membrane..it's elastic enough to stay versatile, but stable enough to hold, to protect what's inside. What happens when this membrane gets pierced again and again?"
Loki didn't have to think twice, "It gets breakable..porous."
The being nodded and the god slowly began to feel uneasy.
"And that's exactly what will happen with the multiverse. The more often the barriers get crossed, the more the realities get changed, the more porous it will become. And when that happens it doesn't matter anymore, if it's just simplicity which drives someone or a deeply selfcentered thought..at some point the whole system will get so unstable, that it looms to collapse..which in turn will pave the road for those, who don't see chaos as a pit, but as a ladder..a ladder on which they can climb to the very top without anyone noticing due to dealing with a multiversal cataclysm."
By now cold shivers were running up and down Lokis spine and the lump in his throat seemed to get bigger and bigger. His voice was rough and quiet when he answered.
"But..come what may..first it has to get past the tree. It has to get past me!"
The smile of the being almost looked stone still, yet it increased Lokis anger and the cold shiver all the same.
"And that's what brings me to the point I made last time we saw each other. You're not a super-being, you're terrestrial. Despite your roots you were always mortal and despite centuries of experience you're still human - in a demigod kind of way. With putting on your robe and taking responsibility of the timelines you might got rid of physical banalities.."
It made a pause and pointed to the gods head and chest.
"..but your emotions, your self, your soul..didn't change. All of this perpetuated. To develop the thought further..imagine there is someone who craves power, it always happens the same way: He will look for the flaw in the system, the weak spot in the equation.."
The cold shiver had turned into a freeze, which pervaded Lokis whole body.
In that moment this one specific timeline caught his attention.
The one he had tried to ignore with all his willpower.
"So I ask you, god of stories..what's your weak spot?"
Together they stepped outside the portal of light and directly onto a huge terrace. Around them there were massive walls made of stone.
A beautiful, monumental fortress.
Mobius walked to one of the walls and looked down, followed by Sylvie. While the castle was mostly made of lifeless stone, everything around them was green.
From the distance they could see large mountains covered with snow.
"Where are we?" the enchantress asked and looked at the special, multi-layered, pointed roofs of the buildings inside the fortress.
"Nepal, Kathmandu," Mobius answered her question, no less fascinated by the scenery.
Wong turned around and faced the group.
"Welcome to Kamar-Taj. What you see is the training ground of the 'Masters of the Mystic Arts'. It's a privilege to be here and not granted to many..which means that I expect respect and decency."
His serious tone was accompanied by the matching glance, watching everyone of them closely. While speaking his next words he mostly looked at Sylvie.
"Moreover I want no mess and no chaos!"
He turned around again and waved at them to follow him.
They found themselves in a room stocked with bookshelves all over, reaching up to the ceiling..a giant library.
"Take a seat, please."
Wong came back a few minutes later, a tray with a pot and four cups in his hand.
He sat down, pouring them all a cup of tea.
"Thank you very much, sorcerer Wong," Thor said gingerly, "usually I don't drink tea, but.."
The Sorcerer Supreme raised an eyebrow and before the god of thunder could even finish his sentence, he had a mug of beer in front of him.
"Anyone else a special wish? Caviar, a jar full of gold or maybe a house with ocean view?" he asked sharp-tongued and Mobius shook his head.
"Thank you very much, tea is perfect," the analyst said thankfully, bringing his cup to his mouth,"..is this traditional, Indian tea?"
"Traditional tea from the India-shop in New York," the Asian remarked dryly, taking a sip of his own.
Mobius grimaced but tried to hide it, stealthily pouring a ton of sugar into his cup.
Sylvie let her gaze roam over the slightly dusted bookshelves, "And that's the place where the sorcerers and sorceresses-to-be are trained?"
Wong looked at her with a sceptical gaze, "This is the place where those who search for a new purpose, a new meaning in life are trained..lost souls, broken people, like Stephen Strange once was."
Sylvie sipped at her tea, "Like the one you mentioned? The man who can open interdimensional portals?"
"This man is a woman..America Chavez..and yes, she too wanted to strike a new path. But back to you people: Who are you and how do you know about the multiverse?"
Mobius, Thor and Sylvie exchanged glances, before the analyst took the floor.
"What I'm about to tell you might sound strange and unbelievable, but we..or to be more precise, myself..am from an organisation which is called the Time Variance Authority. We.."
Wong raised his hand, a gesture that caused Mobius to stop immediately, "..protected the order in the universe, guarded the Sacred Timeline," he finished the agents sentence, leaving all three of them behind with eyes widened in surprise.
"This is the community of the most powerful sorcerers in this universe, guys. Did you really think we wouldn't notice what monumental things happened recently?"
He paused, nodding knowingly, "So you're from the TVA.." again his gaze fell on Sylvie, his expression impossible to read, "..one of our magicians saw something, but the vision was impaired.."
The goddess held his gaze, but didn't respond.
"He told us that he saw a woman freeing the Sacred Timeline, ultimately unleashing and exposing the multiverse.."
Sylvie clinged to her cup more nervous than she probably wanted.
"You are that woman, aren't you?"
It was hard to paraphrase the expression in Wongs face and for a long moment he just looked at the enchantress, the tension in the room palpable. Thor and Mobius looked at Sylvie now, too.
Then, in one smooth movement Wong stood, vanished between the bookshelves, mumbling.
Mobius had obviously held his breath, because now they heard his relieved exhale. Even Sylvie released the clutch of her cup.
Two minutes later Wong returned with a stack of books, placing them audibly in front of Sylvie.
The goddess of mischief shot a questioning glance at him.
"A good read for you," he commented his doing dry as dust, pragmatic, but without any ulterior motives, "I'm a fan of taking responsibility. You unleashed it, you'll get your teeth into it. Some of the facts and theories in there are really interesting."
"What else do you know?" Sylvie asked, actually a bit abashed and unsure.
"I assume you're not human. A human very likely wouldn't be able of doing such a monumental and..hazardous..thing."
There was a clearly audible undertone of irony and reproach when he spoke the word "hazardous".
Mobius looked at the chaos goddess, studying her facial expression. Even though she stood by her opinion, bit by bit she began to outgrow the naivety that she had done the one and only right thing.
He wouldn't have swapped places with her.
Forced to make this important, impossible decision, on top of that with the tremendous trauma she had to carry around for over a thousand years.
Yet it was a good thing she got confronted every now and then with the consequences of her decision.
Especially when it was coming from someone else than him or Loki. Someone who, in Sylvies eyes, wasn't already classified as a person who would choose control over freedom.
Someone else who wasn't a Variant of her, charged with so many complex emotions or an agent of the TVA.
The blonde woman shook her head, "No, I'm an enchantress. An Asgardian, to be specific..a" she hesitated, before continuing, "..Loki Variant"
This provoked a grin on the Sorcerer Supremes face, this time adressed to Thor.
"Like I said, Thor Odinson..family drama."
From one moment to the other the goddess found her confidence again. With a challenging gaze and an even more challenging voice she leaned in Wongs direction.
"Even though this tea ceremony and the funny, verbal attacks are nice and all..but unfortunately we have some more important things to do. So, why don't you tell us where this powerful woman, who can open interdimensional portals, is?!"
Mobius placed a friendly hand on Sylvies shoulder, which she shoved away without comment. Thor took a big sip out of his mug.
"She's in deep meditation right now," the Asian replied, knitting his brow, "when she has finished, you can speak with her."
Sylvie leaned back with a scoff and crossed arms, while Wong shifted his attention to Mobius.
"Now I know WHO you are..but you didn't answer me the question WHAT you intend to find with this interdimensional portal?"
"We're trying to find a friend who might be in danger..we want to make sure, that he's okay."
Wong raised an eyebrow, "And this friend of yours is stuck somewhere in the multiverse?"
Mobius thought about his next words for a moment, smiling warmly, "This friend is sitting in the center of the multiverse, holding it all together."
Darkness was surrounding him.
A black, domineering darkness.
"I told you.."
The threatening voice pervaded every cell of the gods body, freezing the blood in his veins.
"..but you refused to listen!"
And then, suddenly, it wasn't dark anymore.
It was maddening bright.
Loki was standing in the middle of a giant arena and the first thing that he heard was a deafening screaming..no..a cheering. He looked around and on the stands they all were..and cheered.
Thousands of them..
And they were all wearing his face.
A second later he saw what was in front of him. The source of the voice.
"You came to kill the devil"
And then he saw her.
Within the split of a second, his whole body was flooded by anxiety and adrenaline.
"Sylvie!"
The man held her in front of him, a sharp blade at her throat.
Her whole body was shaking, her hair messy, her eyes red and swollen.
"Let her go, you bastard!"
The god wanted to go to her, do something, react..
..but he couldn't move.
"You should have tried harder, convince her..I warned you what would happen if you kill me."
His Variants on the stands formed a diabolical choir with their cheering and the roaring echoed like thunder through the whole arena.
"And now you get the war you wanted!"
Sylvie looked him in the eyes and tears started to well up in her own.
Again he tried to move, preventing what was about to happen.
..but his body felt like it was frozen to the ground.
And so all he could do was scream in despair, helplessly witnessing how the blade cut Sylvies throat.
"NOOO!"
The last thing the god saw was blood..her blood..it soaked everything around him..
Before he woke up with a start.
Drenched in sweat and completely tense he held the branches in his hands, which wriggled more closely around him than ever before.
For a moment it seemed as if they wanted to wrap him up..
..bury him within them.
He still heard the echo of the cheering Variants and this one voice.
"See you soon"