The Mirror Dimension was a silent, shifting kaleidoscope. The fractured, dreamlike scenery of Leo's apartment twisted and folded in on itself, hanging in a void of profound and tranquil darkness.
"Crystal Exarch!"
Leo and Ashem exclaimed in unison, their surprise echoing in the strange, non-space. Standing before them, his hooded figure solidifying out of a swirl of blue light, was indeed the master of the Crystarium. The moment his eyes found them, a visible wave of relief washed over him, the tense line of his shoulders finally relaxing.
"Thank the stars," the Exarch breathed, his voice laced with a weariness that went bone-deep. "I finally found you. I thought… I feared the worst had happened."
He explained that their sudden disappearance from The First had thrown him into a panic. After a frantic search yielded no trace of them, he had been forced to use the immense power of the Crystal Tower to follow the faint, residual signature of their portal, a thread that had led him all the way across the cosmos to this world.
As his relief settled, he finally took in his surroundings, his gaze falling upon the robed, bald-headed woman standing calmly beside them. The Ancient One's focus was equally fixed on him. Her eyes, deep and placid as a mountain lake, seemed to see right through him, and the air around her hands shimmered with the faint, flickering runes of ready magic.
In an instant, the air in the dimension grew heavy, charged with the silent appraisal of two colossal powers. Leo felt his heart begin to pound against his ribs, a frantic drum in the sudden, tense silence.
Just as the pressure became unbearable, the Ancient One's solemn expression broke, replaced by a gentle, knowing smile. The tension shattered.
"Mage from another world," she said, her voice calm and welcoming. "Welcome to our Earth."
The Crystal Exarch returned the smile, inclining his head respectfully. "You must be the guardian of this world. The sheer power of the ward you have placed around it is… breathtaking. Without external aid, I would never have been able to breach it. Please, accept my apologies for forcing my way through."
"No apology is necessary," the Ancient One said with a placid wave of her hand. As a sorcerer who had lived for centuries and dealt with countless extra-dimensional beings, her intuition was finely honed. She could sense no malice from the man before her, only a great weariness and a powerful sense of purpose. Besides, she could tell this was merely a magical projection—he could talk, but he couldn't act. And most importantly, she was quite certain that even at his full strength, he was no match for her. "You are welcome here," she continued, "so long as you do not interfere with the natural course of our universe."
Seeing that a wizard duel was not, in fact, about to break out, Leo let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. To break the lingering silence, he asked, "Exarch, you seemed really anxious. Is something wrong?"
Ashem followed up, her voice tight with concern. "Did something happen on the First?"
The Exarch's expression turned grave. "You have been gone for seven days," he said. "And yes, things have happened."
Ashem's gem-like eyes went wide. "Seven days? We've only been here for a few minutes!"
Leo's mind, ever the physicist, immediately jumped to the conclusion. "The time flow," he said, the realization dawning on him. "It's different between the worlds."
"That is correct," the Exarch confirmed grimly. "When I first began my work, the hero Alisaie, who arrived last, had already been on the First for over a year. On your world, Ashem, she had only been in a coma for a few days."
The Ancient One stepped forward, a folded newspaper in her hand. She offered it to Leo. "It has been one month on our side since you disappeared from the alley," she said. "That famous playboy industrialist you know of has already had his 'unfortunate accident' in Afghanistan."
Leo stared at the headline, his mind reeling. Tony Stark. It was happening. An event he only knew as a movie plot was now recent history.
"How is time passing faster everywhere but where we are?" Ashem asked, scratching her head in frustration. Combat, she understood. This cosmic clock-watching was giving her a headache.
"It's chaotic," Leo explained, finding some comfort in the familiar laws of theoretical physics. "The flow between dimensions is completely random. One minute it could be a one-to-one ratio, the next it could be a thousand-to-one. It's unstable." He looked at the Exarch, the full weight of the man's anxiety finally hitting him. "Wait… no wonder you were in such a hurry. If we stayed here for a few days, a hundred years could pass on the First."
"Theoretically, your successful summoning should have created a stable link between this world, the Source, and the First," the Exarch said, a hint of weariness returning to his voice. "Over time, the temporal rates will converge and synchronize. The problem is, the First may not have that much time." His voice dropped, laced with dread. "I have found traces of the Ascians."
"The big villains you mentioned?" Leo asked, looking at Ashem. "The ones who cause disasters?"
Ashem's jaw tightened, her eyes flashing with anger. "So it is their doing. We have to go back. Now."
"No," the Ancient One said, her voice soft but firm. She held up a hand, stopping them. "I understand your urgency. But Leo, while you have great potential, your current abilities are not enough to face the crisis you describe. Am I wrong?" She then turned her gaze to Ashem. "And you, young lady. You possess immense power and experience, but against a world-ending calamity, even your strength is insufficient."
"But people are dying!" Ashem protested, her voice filled with anguish. "Every minute we waste here—"
"Sharpening the axe does not delay the felling of the tree," the Ancient One said with a serene smile. "I know what you are concerned about. But I have been observing the temporal differential. I can tell you with certainty that for the near future, three months in our world will equate to precisely one day on the First. I have more than enough time to give you both… special training."
The offer hung in the air. Leo felt a jolt of equal parts excitement and terror. To learn magic from the Sorcerer Supreme herself? It was the dream of a lifetime. But three months to prepare to save a world? It was an impossible task. No matter. He met her gaze, his own determination solidifying. "Ancient One," he said, his voice firm. "I'm in. For the First, for the people we can save… I'll do whatever it takes."
A spark of excitement flashed in Ashem's eyes. "Me too!"
The Ancient One smiled and nodded. She then looked at the Crystal Exarch. "It is a pity I have my own duties and cannot go to the First myself. However, allow me to offer a piece of advice. Saving a world is not a burden one person can bear alone. Do not try to."
The Exarch was silent for a moment, then a sad smile touched his lips. "Perhaps," he said softly. "But everyone has a mission they must fulfill."
With that, his crystalline projection began to grow faint, blurring at the edges before dissolving into a shower of blue light, his final, resolute words hanging in the air like a solemn vow.