"The Ancient One said it? Or did you see it on TV?"
"The Ancient One said it. I don't watch TV very often."
Strange wiped the cold sweat remaining on his forehead. He noticed something strange. His hands, which had been trembling ever since the car accident, were now completely steady. He stared at his hands in shock. Tears welled up in his eyes. Christine, next to him, also couldn't hold back her tears. Her hands were back to normal.
"Stephen! Your hands are healed?! Is this the power of magic?"
"Not magic, Christine," Strange replied, his voice hoarse. "This is a miracle."
Strange knew how difficult it was to heal his own hands. He had read various spells in the Book of Vishanti, especially Oshtur's Wind of Resurrection. Not a single person in Kamar-Taj could do it, not even The Ancient One. But there was one name The Ancient One often mentioned: Kurohane, the sorcerer who, when opening the Book of Vishanti, received help from the Holy Dimension. If anyone could perform this spell, it could only be him.
"Kurohane, the sorcerer, thank you for healing my hands," Strange said, forcing himself to swallow his immense pride. "I don't know how to repay you."
"I'm actually a little sad," Kurohane said, his expression somber. "I haven't been away from Earth for long, but you guys don't recognize me anymore." He felt like a forgotten celebrity. "But it's okay. Since I healed you, you have to fulfill one request of mine!"
"Of course," Strange nodded. He had gone to Kamar-Taj to heal his hands. Now he was willing to pay any price.
"You must become Kamar-Taj's Sorcerer Supreme in the future. That's my request, Stephen Strange."
"Call me Doctor Strange! I can operate again! I don't want to be Sorcerer Supreme," Strange immediately objected. He wanted to heal his hands, not become a superhero. He just wanted to live a luxurious life as the world's best surgeon.
"I'll call you whatever I want," Kurohane looked at him sharply. "If you refuse again, I'll break your hands. If you don't want to be Sorcerer Supreme, should I?"
Kurohane frowned, and both Strange and Christine, who felt their breath catch, began to tremble. Kurohane, with the Phoenix Force, could cause significant damage just by subconsciously releasing his telepathic abilities.
"This is a threat. You have no choice. You will take that position, whether you like it or not."
"You can't do that!" Christine dared to stand up for Strange.
Kurohane tapped his own head, looking at the two trembling people. "I can read your minds, so I don't care what comes out of your mouth. There's nothing wrong with being Sorcerer Supreme. Kamar-Taj has no rules about dating or marriage. By the way, I've seen many parallel universes, and you two don't end up together in any of them. However, in this universe, I can make decisions. If you want to be together, that's not a problem."
Kurohane's words were like a devastating storm. The two of them gulped. When Christine wanted to speak, Kurohane cut her off. "You're wondering why you can't be together? There are many reasons. In some universes, you die. In some, he dies. In some, you both die. In some, you marry a rich black man. In some, he marries a silver-haired woman. You don't need to know much about parallel universes, but your separation is fate. The only possibility is in this universe of mine. Otherwise, you two will definitely not have a good ending."
Kurohane had that conviction. This was the authority granted to him by Loki. This was the "Kurohane Universe," not the "Stephen Strange Universe."
Both Strange and Christine were silent. Strange looked at his broken watch, suddenly understanding the meaning of "inescapable time." He shook his head. "I still can't agree. I want to see what kind of destiny time will give me."
Kurohane's expression changed. He looked at Strange in disbelief, as if he was a stubborn child. "Young people really don't know the vastness of the heavens and the earth. That car accident was still too light. A big truck should have hit him!"
His left fist was clenched. The Mind Stone shone yellow. Kurohane controlled the minds of Christine and Strange, opened a portal, and pulled Strange inside. He left Christine alone, staring blankly. "Who am I? Where am I? What happened?"