The Perfect Illusion

Shattered Dreams

Narrator's POV

"Look at you." The Ancient One asked, looking at Stephen come out from the long hall to his room. "All dressed up for dinner."

Stephen was dressed in a black suit with the Cloak of Levitation as a bow tie. He smiled at The Ancient One. "Did I overdress?"

The Ancient One chuckled. "Of course not. You look handsome."

Stephen blushed, looking down at his shoes. "Thank you." He said shyly.

The Ancient One smiled. "You don't have to go if you don't want to, you know that." She said, going up to Stephen and fixing his collar.

"I know." Stephen said. "But I like to talk about my work. It's interesting."

The Ancient One looked up at Stephen and into his eyes. "Please be careful. Don't do anything stupid."

Stephen chuckled. "I won't."

"Mm." She gave him a gentle smile.

"Well." Stephen said. "I have to go now. The meeting is in just forty five minutes." He said, looking down at his watch.

"Ah, yes." The Ancient One stepped aside.

Stephen opened a portal to the streets of New York where a fancy car was parked at the sidewalk. "I'll see you later tonight." Stephen said.

"Of course." The Ancient One said.

Her tone different from her usual.

"Be safe." She said.

"Can't promise anything." Stephen said, going into the portal and closing it finally.

The Ancient One sighed, shaking her head and walked away with her hands behind her back.

///0///0

It had only been minutes since Stephen had driven away from his parking spot when it started raining.

He had decided to take a very narrow road in the mountains. The left lane had a drop off where you could see a small patch of forest before coming to a lake, and across that lake sat New York.

His phone rang.

He was getting a call from one of his colleagues.

"Billy." Stephen answered. "What is it?"

"We've got a few cases here that Nic may need your help with." Billy said.

"Alright." Stephen said as he drove past a car.

The rain was hard and the roads were slick, but that didn't stop Stephen from driving fast on curves and around cars.

He liked speed, going fast always excited him.

"Well I've got a thirty five year old Air Force colonel who crushed his lower spine in some sort of experimental armor. Mid thoracic burst fracture."

"I could help with that, but so could fifty other people. Find me something that they really need my help with." Stephen said.

"I have a sixty two year old female with an advanced brainstem glioma."

"They wouldn't be able to follow my directions." Stephen said.