"The Confession of Scarlet Witch"

Chapter 3: Echoes of the Queen

POV: Wanda Maximoff

Days had passed since the battle with the Scarlet Queen, but the weight of what had happened still lingered over me like a dark cloud. I stood at the edge of the cliff overlooking the sea, my mind swirling with fragments of the nightmare I had barely escaped.

The salty air did little to calm the storm inside me.

You may have won the battle, the Queen's voice echoed in my mind, but the war is far from over.

I clenched my fists, refusing to let the memory of her voice control me. I was free, but only barely. Alterworld had left its mark, and I could feel the cracks in reality forming around me, growing deeper with each passing day.

The visions had started again.

At first, they were subtle—a flicker of movement in the corner of my eye, a shadow where none should be. But soon they became impossible to ignore. I saw her everywhere—in mirrors, in dreams, even in the faces of strangers. The Scarlet Queen, haunting me from the edges of my mind, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

She's still out there, I reminded myself, my breath catching in my throat. And she's not done with me yet.

"Wanda?" A familiar voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

I turned to see Doctor Strange approaching, his expression one of concern. He had been keeping a close watch on me ever since the battle, sensing that something wasn't quite right. He could feel it too—the lingering presence of Alterworld.

"I'm fine," I lied, trying to mask the fear in my voice.

He raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced. "You don't have to pretend with me. I know the signs of lingering dark magic. And what you went through... it's not something that just disappears overnight."

I sighed, my shoulders slumping. "I don't know how to explain it, Stephen. It's like... she's still here. Everywhere I go, I can feel her watching me. I don't know if it's just paranoia, or if—"

"It's not paranoia," he interrupted, his tone grim. "I've been sensing disturbances in the magical realm ever since our battle with the Scarlet Queen. Something is still out of balance, and it's centered around you."

My heart sank. I had hoped that defeating her, even temporarily, would put an end to the madness. But deep down, I knew it wouldn't be that simple.

"I can't go through this again," I whispered, more to myself than to him.

Strange stepped closer, his gaze softening. "You won't have to do it alone. We'll find a way to sever her connection to you permanently. But we need to be cautious. The Queen's influence is insidious, and if you're not careful, she could find a way back."

POV: The Scarlet Queen

Wanda thinks she's rid of me. How naive.

I drifted through the void, the remnants of Alterworld swirling around me like ghosts. My body may have been shattered, my connection to Wanda severed, but I was far from defeated. I had tasted her fear, her pain, and that was all I needed.

The cracks in her world were growing.

Through them, I would return.

I lingered in the edges of her reality, watching as she tried to rebuild her life, tried to convince herself that the nightmare was over. But she couldn't run from me forever. The darkness inside her was still there, festering, waiting to be unleashed.

Soon, she would fall.

And when she did, I would be there to claim what was rightfully mine.

POV: Doctor Strange

There was something in the air—something dark and oppressive that I couldn't shake. Ever since we returned from Alterworld, I had been on edge, sensing shifts in the magical fabric of reality. It was subtle at first, but now, the disturbances were becoming more frequent, more violent.

I could feel it—Wanda's connection to the Scarlet Queen hadn't been fully severed.

I stood in the Sanctum Sanctorum, surrounded by ancient tomes and artifacts, searching for anything that could explain what was happening. My fingers traced the worn pages of an old book, its text written in an ancient language that few could understand.

"There has to be a way," I muttered, my mind racing through possibilities.

Wanda's situation was precarious. The Queen had left a mark on her soul, one that couldn't be erased easily. I had to find a way to protect her—to shield her from the darkness that still lingered. But as I turned another page, a sudden chill filled the room.

I froze.

The air crackled with energy, and I could feel the presence of something—or someone—watching me.

"Show yourself," I commanded, my voice steady.

For a moment, there was silence. And then, from the shadows, a figure emerged—a woman draped in a cloak of crimson and black, her eyes glowing with malevolent power.

"The Queen," I whispered, realizing who stood before me.

She smiled, her lips curling into a mocking grin. "Did you really think you could keep me away, Strange? Alterworld is mine, and through Wanda, I will reclaim what belongs to me."

I raised my hand, preparing a spell to banish her, but before I could act, she spoke again.

"You may delay the inevitable, but you cannot stop me. I am a part of her now, and no matter what you do, she will fall."

And with that, she vanished, leaving behind only a lingering sense of dread.

POV: Wanda Maximoff

The visions were getting worse.

Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her—the Scarlet Queen—lurking in the corners of my mind, waiting for the moment when I would slip. It was exhausting, fighting against her presence, trying to hold onto the remnants of myself.

But no matter how hard I fought, she always found a way in.

I stood in front of the mirror, staring at my reflection. My face looked the same, but I could see the cracks beneath the surface—the faint glimmer of chaos magic still coursing through me, the remnants of Alterworld's influence.

You're not strong enough to keep me out, the Queen's voice whispered in my mind.

I closed my eyes, willing the voice to disappear, but it only grew louder, more insistent.

You're wasting your time, Wanda. I am you. And soon, you'll realize that fighting me is pointless.

I slammed my fist against the mirror, shattering the glass. My breath came in ragged gasps, and for a moment, I felt the weight of everything crushing down on me. The Queen was right. No matter how hard I tried to deny it, she was a part of me.

And that terrified me.

POV: The Scarlet Queen

I could feel her weakening.

Wanda's resistance was admirable, but ultimately futile. The more she fought, the stronger I became. Soon, the cracks in her mind would grow wide enough for me to slip through, to reclaim the power that was rightfully mine.

I watched her from the shadows, waiting for the moment when she would finally break.

And when she did, I would be there, ready to take my place as the true Scarlet Witch.

The war wasn't over.

It had only just begun.