General Hale did, in fact, possess some secret connections to the Kree, but Solomon didn't know the specifics, nor did he have any leads suitable for divination. He hadn't tried reading the secrets in Hale's mind—not just because her willpower was extremely strong, far beyond the likes of someone like Tony Stark, but also because she had hidden those secrets so deeply that unless he were to cast spells on her face-to-face over a long period, all he'd be able to retrieve were fragments of her everyday life.
Thus, Ruby's involvement could only offer a possibility of uncovering those secrets. Solomon didn't expect her to actually find anything; the real investigative work would fall to the assassins. Stephanie was placed in charge of the operation. General Hale was just the first piece—Stephanie had to complete the entire plan to eliminate any Kree spies left on Earth before war with the Inhumans began. Another part of that plan involved hunting down the remnants of Afterlife. More precisely, they were targeting Jiaying's trusted followers who knew the truth about the Inhumans' origins and the lunar city of Attilan—especially one Inhuman who possessed teleportation abilities and lacked eyes. This individual knew most of Jiaying's secrets. Finding him, eliminating him, and then tracking down the rest would ensure that no eyes or ears remained on Earth for either the lunar Inhumans or the Kree before the invasion of Attilan began.
Solomon wasn't a genetic purist—he simply despised alien beings who behaved recklessly on Earth. What he hated even more were the idiots who helped them destroy their own species. In the current state of Earth's material plane, Asgard still existed, but after Ragnarok, humanity would only have itself to rely on. Solomon formally signed the order, a decree that would bring countless tears and bloodshed to the Inhumans—a massive plan to purge Kree genes from the human ecological system had officially begun.
The moment she arrived at the Eternal City via a portal from a hidden safe house, Natasha Romanoff heard about the order. Stephanie had been authorized to inform her, and she immediately marched into Solomon's office to ask what he intended to do.
"I'm giving humanity a chance. I'm also giving the Avengers a chance," Solomon replied without looking up, still flipping through documents. "Tony Stark's beliefs are representative of what most ordinary people think—they believe humanity as it is can fend off the dark future. Some of them, even more naive, believe the Avengers alone can stop any alien invasion. I don't despise this kind of short-sightedness. It's only natural that regular people can't see as far as I can. But that doesn't mean I won't act to ensure the survival of humanity's core strengths—knowledge, industry, talent. That's the bottom line, Natasha. I'm giving the Avengers a game where they're allowed to surrender."
"Let me guess. Tony Stark pissed you off?" the spy said, scratching the chin of the little black cat who had leapt onto the desk. As she waited for an answer, the quiet office was filled only with the sounds of pen scratching paper and the cat's purring.
"No." The sorcerer finally finished sealing three documents and looked up. "You already know what the situation is like at the Avengers base. No matter what Stark does, it won't satisfy anyone."
"You know," Romanoff said, "Stark originally planned to recruit you into the Avengers once you came of age. You were supposed to be one of our heavy hitters—someone who could stand shoulder to shoulder with Thor. Even Cap didn't object."
"I know. But I don't care for that kind of ceremonial farce. I have more important things to do. As for Thor—he treats the Avengers as a game. Asgard means to him what the Eternal City and Kamar-Taj mean to me. The Avengers aren't important."
"Then why tell me all this?" Romanoff asked, confused. "Are you trying to get me to pass this explosive info along to avoid a head-on confrontation?"
"Because I know you won't say a word." Solomon's face finally lit up with an expression befitting his age—playful, almost boyish. "At the very least, the Avengers need to know where the surrender button is, don't they?"
At the same time, the Sorcerer Supreme issued a decree.
The command was broadcast through Kamar-Taj's planetary defense system to the entire magical world of Earth. Regardless of language, whether in forests, icy tundras, or desolate deserts, all spellcasters heard the same voice carried on the tides of the Sea of Souls: This was the final opportunity. All unregistered spellcasters had to report to designated Kamar-Taj locations to be documented. With the apocalypse creeping closer, the Sorcerer Supreme sought to impose strict control over all magic users on Earth—including those within Kamar-Taj itself.
This suggestion had come from Solomon personally. He believed that if Earth's spellcasters weren't tightly regulated, then when extra-dimensional invasions occurred and the strength of forces from the Dark Dimension and lower planes surged, ordinary humans could fall prey to corrupted sorcerers.
Magic, after all, was extremely dangerous. Not every Kamar-Taj apprentice could become a true mystic.
Kamar-Taj's system was still relatively humane. Apprentices who failed could join its secular ranks as administrators. Qualification wasn't determined by talent alone but by temperament—flaws in character were often the most direct path to corruption. That was why the Ancient One had planned to test and torture Stephen Strange so thoroughly—just like ancient discipleship required challenges and trials. Without unwavering will, without a clear understanding of both magic and the world, learning magic would only bring harm to oneself and others.
"When this person comes to you, your sealed memories will be unlocked," Mordo said, holding up a photo as he stood before the mountain gate of Kamar-Taj, speaking to a middle-aged man bundled up in a down coat. "Until then, you'll forget everything that happened at Kamar-Taj, because you're not allowed to join us—so you can't remember this place."
"You're going to stick magic in my head?" the man asked, alarmed.
"Your spine's already being held together by magic. One more in your brain won't make a difference," Mordo said slowly. "Besides, this spell won't affect your life. It'll just make you forget what you're supposed to forget, and remember what you're supposed to remember."
"How many is that now?" asked the young Wang the Sorcerer with a frown, once the vermilion gate had closed behind the departing man. "Is this really going to work? And why did Solomon suddenly claim he doesn't want to be the Sorcerer Supreme anymore? How am I supposed to explain that to my dad?!"
"Solomon's already proven he can solve problems with mortal power. Whether he holds the title of Sorcerer Supreme or not makes no difference," Mordo replied, rolling his eyes and clearly disdaining the petty calculations of the mystic families. Some of the old guard believed their investments in Solomon had gone to waste—but they failed to see how much more Solomon had given to Kamar-Taj in return: foundational tomes now accessible to anyone in the library, and unique spells that only those with true mystical understanding could learn. Those were the real treasures.
Still, out of old camaraderie, Mordo offered the young Wang a tip.
"The Ancient One intends to cut the title loose."
"What does that mean?" asked Wang, completely lost.
"Hamir will know. Just tell him that," Mordo said as he turned and walked off, preparing to escort another patient out of Kamar-Taj. Every mortal leaving today had one thing in common: they were all from New York and had found their way here through word of mouth from past patients. If they could do it, then so could the target the Ancient One was waiting to lure in. Now it was just a matter of casting enough bait. But unlike before, this time every mortal underwent memory manipulation. Kamar-Taj no longer intended to leak its address to the public.
There was no need anymore. A century of preparation had all been for one person to walk through this door.
(End of Chapter)
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