THE APPRENTICE II

54

There weren't many people in the Sanctum or the monastery, today. Stephen had been carrying out a few missions that he insisted on accomplishing himself while Wong had some kind of co-acting sorcerer supreme thing he had to do. She didn't mind, it was nice to have a bit of alone time. Plus, the cat was always good company.

She opened up the The Book of Wolfe and Strange with a frown. Ever since her powers fully awakened, she's been paralyzed on what to do with them. What even were its limits? What were they? They have been dark. How could she have gotten them?

There have been some physical changes, too. Sometimes, she's randomly teleport to Everest or some other planet. Other times, she'd unwillingly go to her Astro form, or her spells would glitch and mutate into deadlier and bolder ones. What was she?

"Hazel!" A voice called from behind her. She quickly whipped her head to see Heskit with a worried look on his face. Before she could open her mouth to ask him, he grabbed both of her shoulders. "Stephen's dead."

Her brows knitted and her lips pulled into a frown. She shook her head, the information still not sinking in.

"What?" She investigated his expression but it was fully sincere. Her breathing began to heave.

"He's dead, Hazel. His heart stopped-,"

"-What?! No!" Her voice boomed all around the sanctum. Cracks began to form on her skin, the sound sharp and haunting. Wisps of light were blazing from her hair and tears evaporated from the heat of her skin. "Where is he?! We can still save him!,"

"Pentadilune!"

She created a portal to the palace, tears freely streaming down her face. She could barely walk as her knees were jelly, her chest tightening with more time.

"Please, please please, if there's anyone up there! Please!" She managed to sputter out through wails. "Please don't leave me!"

She pulled the ring out of her finger and squeezed it with anger, making her skin break. Blood began to drip down her hand.

"He's over here!" Heskit slid across the marble and grabbed her arm to guide her.

She let him take the lead as she could barely muster up a thought. She began imagining the worst things possible: Stephen with a hole in his chest, him with his skin pale, maybe a slit on the throat. She let out loud cries as they ran for dear life.

She kicked the doors to the ballroom open.

"Surprise!" A collection of voices cried out.

Hazel reflexively shot out a razor sharp disk to them and they cried out, but Strange redirected it into a rain of confetti. Confusion washed all over her as she began to process the sight before her. There were people from Pentadilune, the monastery, and even a few friends from works that had fading smiles on their faces.

She began to breathe heavily to steady herself. Stephen and Wong approached her slowly but urgently.

"Hazel? What's wro-" Doctor Strange was cut off by a bone crushing hug from her. She hung onto him for dear life. Startled, he absentmindedly returned it with a pat on the back.

"He told me you were dead!" She reported and wiped the tears from her eyes. She squeezed him tighter again. Strange shot daggers at the prince.

"You what?!" His voice echoed all around the room, filled with fury.

"You told me to make something up! You told me to make sure she'd come!," he defended

"We never told you to tell her he died!" Wong put his hands on his hips and raised his voice.