Chapter 456: The Quantum Realm
"A letter?" Peter's eyes widened in shock. When had this letter been hidden behind the photo?
Struggling to steady his racing heart, his trembling fingers slowly pried open the envelope. On it was written: A Letter for Peter.
"When did Silas leave this for me?" As Peter spoke, Steve's words from five years ago suddenly echoed in his mind.
"Silas's last words were to remember him often..."
The realization hit Peter like a physical blow. Silas had given him a hint five years ago, but he had been too blinded by grief to notice.
"Damn it!" Peter cursed under his breath. How could he have missed this for so long?
Trying to calm his excitement, he slowly unfolded the letter.
"Peter, if you're reading this, it means I'm dead. I'm not sure when you found this. Maybe right after I passed? A year later? Two? Surely it isn't the fifth year already."
Peter felt a wave of embarrassment so strong he almost wanted to tuck the letter away. What a coincidence—it was exactly five years later. If he hadn't been moving and packing, he might have never seen this letter.
With a heavy heart full of guilt, Peter continued reading.
"The world is large, and we are small. To bring balance to the universe, Thanos needs to eliminate half of all life with a snap. But you still have one chance. After the Snap, Thanos's body will be in a severely weakened state."
"After about twenty-two days of recovery, he will snap his fingers a second time. This time, he will destroy the Infinity Stones. You must find him before that second snap. He will be on the planet Garden, coordinates UT25."
Peter's eyes nearly popped out of his head. Silas had known. He had specifically left the location, but Peter hadn't acted because he was only finding this now.
"Time is a miraculous thing. Change just one small detail, and it branches into countless parallel timelines. Have you heard of the Quantum Realm, Peter? It's a subatomic universe teeming with life energy where entities can reside. It exists in a different dimension from our normal space; what happens on Earth doesn't affect the Quantum Realm, and vice versa."
"The Quantum Realm has layers. The deeper you go into its core, the more the concept of time loses meaning. If we use the Quantum Realm as a medium, could we achieve the concept of time travel?"
"I don't know when you'll read this, so I don't know if you've managed to build a time machine on your own. If you haven't, go find a woman named Rei."
"She should still be active in Hell's Kitchen, running a kendo dojo. Go to her. She has many things I left behind. I told her that if you didn't find her within five years, she should come looking for you. As for why five years... you'll find out when you see her. I'll leave the letter here. I look forward to our reunion."
Peter folded the letter carefully. He never expected Silas to leave behind such a massive revelation: the Quantum Realm. After a moment of thought, he set his half-packed bags aside and hurried downstairs.
In the living room, Gwen, who was chatting with Ben, turned around at the sound of his footsteps. "Peter, are you finished packing?"
"Not yet. Something came up that I need to handle immediately." Peter walked over and kissed Gwen's forehead.
"Something? What is it?" Gwen asked, confused.
"Nothing major. I'll be back soon." Peter patted her shoulder with a smile and left the house.
Gwen watched him go, wanting to follow but hesitant to intrude on his privacy.
"Sometimes, if you want to keep love close, you have to use a little initiative," Ben whispered behind her.
"Thanks!" Gwen beamed.
"I'm something of an expert on romance myself. Go on, Gwen." Ben sat back on the sofa with his coffee. Gwen dashed out the door, trailing Peter.
Dojo
BAM!
A wooden sword struck with the speed of a lightning bolt, hitting a man in full protective gear. The man flew backward, clutching his stomach and groaning in pain.
"As expected of Master Rei. Her strength is terrifying."
"Yeah, I heard she doesn't even have a boyfriend."
"Who would dare date her? One argument and the guy is on the floor."
The students whispered among themselves until Rei glanced their way, immediately silencing the room. Just then, a lean young man walked in.
"Which one of you is Rei?" Peter called out, standing in the center of the dojo.
"Who are you?" A massive, muscular man stepped forward. He was the strongest student in the dojo besides Rei.
"I'm here to see Rei," Peter said, glancing at the giant without a hint of pressure.
"Master Rei? Let's see if you're even qualified!" Angered by Peter's casual tone, the man prepared to challenge him.
"Stop, Henry!" Rei stepped forward. She looked at Peter and said, "Follow me."
She headed toward the back lounge. Peter followed, completely ignoring Henry, who punched a wall in frustration. Is this pretty boy Master Rei's boyfriend?
The Lounge
"I..." Peter started to introduce himself.
Rei waved her hand to stop him. She sat in a chair and said, "I know who you are. Peter Parker, Silas's brother."
"Yeah... that's me." Peter was surprised she knew him.
"Sit." Rei gestured to the chair opposite her.
"Okay." Peter looked around before sitting down.
"It seems you only just found our Lord's letter. I was about to come looking for you," Rei said with a playful smile.
"I'm sorry it took me so long. And... the 'Lord' you mentioned, that's Silas, right?" Peter asked.
He hadn't realized Silas had a title like "Lord" in addition to "Destiny."
"Yes. Who else?" Rei smiled, tossing her wooden sword perfectly onto the rack.
"Why did Silas send me to you?" Peter got straight to the point.
"I should introduce myself first. I am Rei. As you can see, I am of Japanese descent. Beyond that, I have another identity: I am one of the Shadow Generals, General Ikazuki."
"Shadow General?" Peter narrowed his eyes. The name sounded familiar.
"The Shadow Generals were the Holy Lord's subordinates. We were all created by him. Our power came directly from him. Now that he is gone, our energy has mostly dissipated. I only have a small amount of dark magic left in me, as well as..."
Rei was interrupted as a panicked student burst through the door. "Master Rei! A woman is fighting her way in!"
"It seems you brought a little tail with you," Rei said, sensing Gwen's presence. It was a skill she had honed through self-discipline over the last five years.
"Me?" Peter pointed at himself, then remembered Gwen. "Sorry!" He jumped up and ran out the door.
The Dojo Floor
BAM! BAM!
The massive Henry had been knocked to the ground by a flurry of kicks from Gwen, unable to get back up.
"It seems you guys aren't as tough as you look," Gwen said with a cheeky grin. Unlike Peter's more reserved nature, Gwen was more proactive. If someone provoked her, she didn't mind teaching them a lesson.
"Gwen!" Peter cried out as he arrived.
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