Dumbfound, I stepped back. "You're not kidding, right?" I ask shakily.
"Yes, my dear. Just a tip of the iceberg actually," she sheepishly replies. I gasp. "Not your first time I assume," she giggles.
"O-Of course!"
"You're not the first I assure you," she adds.
"Wait, there were more before us?" Phoenix gasp. Ash nodded.
"Don't worry, I'll explain to you both later on. The host needs to fetch her gift first," she smiles. Ash steps forward and gently place her palm on the door. Right after that, a pattern of a huge bird began to glow in vibrant green. The door swing inwards revealing a display case in the middle of the room. Its legs and body were made out of gold but there was no glass on top of the case. Odd. The door boom as it close its doors. Startle me for a second.
Quite disappointing though. The doors were huge but what's inside was a display case full of keys. Nothing more, just a display case and a high ceiling above us. Not what I expected. "It sure is peculiar in here," I admit. Puzzle by the library's structure, we walk towards the display case.
"As I said before, a tip of the iceberg," Ash flash us her smile again. I begin to have doubts. "Host, darling, could you run your hand across these keys?" She makes a request.
"Alright," I shrug and did so. Standing tall in front of the case I ran my hand slowly starting from the left. 'What are these keys are for?' I wonder to myself as I am running my hand. Before my hand could reach the end, a key squirm frantically under my palm. "Ash?" I call her, trembling in my voice.
Phoenix and Ash come closer. "One key for the host, coming up," Ash utter. I turn to her, feeling confused. Ash picked up the key before taking my hand. She clutches my palm and gazes into my eyes, "Promise me you will take good care of it."
"I promise," I nod. She then put the key into my palm and set it to my side. "What does it do?" A question pops into my mind.
"This key can take you wherever in the multiverse you wish for," she replies. I gasp, for the second time. "Any multiverse? You mean other parallel universes?" Ash nod again. "How can I do that?"
"This is where the fun begins," she grin. Not long, the earth begin to shake, not a big one I assure you. The case vanish and the walls begin to shift by sinking itself into the earth and the ceiling above us fades to nothing. Our surroundings are paint in white like a canvas before multiple doors begin to appear. Decorating the whole floor. "What is happening?" I ask while gripping the key tightly. I guess Ash didn't hear me as more sound invading in.
At first, these mysterious doors encircle us from one end of the main entrance to another. Next, more doors appear, floating in mid-air. The doors are so many I lost count. Awe, I let my mouth gape open. Fascinate by how magical the doors appeared before me.
"Now, to register a universe into your key, you have to insert it first before turning it anti-clockwise," she explains briefly.
"Okay, noted. Then, how can I open them once I registered it?" taking note before asking her again.
Ash giggle. "That my dear, have to wait. I might lose you once you learnt it. Now, off you go. I'll be waiting outside. Might as well take your time choosing universes that you desire," she smile.
"Bet I'll be enjoying it," I chuckle. Ash exit through the door and left Phoenix and me inside.
"How do we get up there?" I raise a question and pointing at the floating doors.
"Flying of course," he replies while observing those doors.
"And how?" I ask him.
"Didn't you remember? I'm a phoenix," he flashes me a smile before a pair of golden wings emerges from behind his back, "And phoenixes are born with wings."
YOU ARE READING
Lost in Doctor Strange's Universe
Fanfic"Something is not right here," I muttered to myself as I scanned my surroundings. And here I am between the dark and damp alleyway with not knowing where I was and no sense of direction registered in my brain. I'm used to memorizing my route but thi...
