A/N - Heyyyy another edited chapterrr...

The above is Ryan Gosling looking kinda like what I expect Master Marcus Kent to look like only...imagine he isn't smiling...and that he is serious-looking 24/7...and that his blonde hair is greying slightly 😂😂😂

Anyways, hope ya like it 😄

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It had been a number of hours since he had sent Tessa to rest. Outside the world was shrouded in the dark of the night, tension hanging freely in the humid New York air; there were fewer people wandering the streets, fewer cars on the road and most shops were closed. The cars that still drove about had their bright headlights on, creating stunning reflections in shop windows and brought a shine to the slightly damp tarmac roads.

It was quiet in the sanctum.

Most had decided to retire to bed early and some meditated in the training rooms provided. There was effectively no one in the corridors.

Marcus paced in the relic room. His nails had been bitten down to the skin, his dark blonde, greying hair had been ruffled with anxiety and his eyes were wide, tormented with worries of the past. Tessa was getting worse. He could see it. He knew it. It had to be something to do with what had happened all those years ago, with what had happened earlier this year. His eyes fell back upon the slightly stained wooden floor by one of the relics. Even though it was years and years ago now, the guilt was still there, haunting him at every turn. Taking Tessa in was supposed to smother his burning guilt. With the Ancient One gone now and a stranger in her place, who was he supposed to confide? She was one of only two people to know about the accident. He didn't even know the new Sorcerer Supreme, yet he had the power to know about Marcus's past if he so wished.

Would he even react the same as the Ancient One did? He couldn't risk it if the sorcerer wouldn't.

If only the Ancient One were still here. He rubbed his hands over his eyes in despair. She would know what to do. She would have been able to train Tessa better than he ever could. Maybe she could have even taught her how to repress it like the Ancient One had done so for so long. That damned Entity had screwed up everything. They couldn't get rid of it; it would hurt Tessa too much. They couldn't get it to leave her; it wouldn't respond to anything they said. However, it hadn't hurt her...badly...yet. In fact, it had made her stronger and more powerful than any of the other sorcerers and sorceresses he knew. All that raw power was clear in the way she fought. Her stamina was higher than one would expect; her agility was out of this world; her reflexes were faster than a lightning bolt.

It had never fought back. At least, not until now, not until after the death of the Ancient One earlier in the year. That had to be the reason why she was having them: the headaches, the migraines, the very occasional fainting spells, the few and far between nose bleeds - it had to be because the Entity had now realised that it could fight back. 

He really did treat Tessa like a daughter but if she knew what he had done then perhaps she would never forgive him.

He couldn't forgive himself.

And knowing Tessa loved him like a father was enough to ease some of that guilt. He didn't want to give up his only source of relief from his grave misdeed.

"Marcus?"

Master Kent turned his head and saw his friend, Elijah, at the door. There was a look of anxiousness upon his face as he walked over to Marcus, who had an equally perturbed gaze.

As Eli neared, he spoke quietly, "What did you want to talk about?"

"Tessa."

"Why Tessa?"

"Elijah, she's getting worse..." Marcus shook his head, lost as to what he should do, "I have no idea what that thing is doing to her." He sighed, "Without the Ancient One, I'm worried - what if something worse happens to her?"

Elijah gazed at him unsympathetically, "Marcus, you know that I can't help. You're more experienced with the arts than I am."

"But you know what happened, you know what it is and what it can do - "

"And I can't help you because you won't help yourself."

"I'm not telling her!" Marcus looked green at the mere thought, "I can't – I can't do that - to her..."

Eli's eye narrowed as he listened to Marcus. Couldn't do that to her? He'd already killed her father, accident or not, and rumour at the time was that he had also driven away Tessa's mother (Eli was still unsure as to how much truth that rumour held though but it still didn't sit right with him). It was more like Marcus couldn't do it to himself – he didn't have the decency nor the guts to be honest with Tessa. If Elijah was honest with himself, he didn't even know why he was still keeping this man's secret now that the Ancient One had passed. When she was alive, the three had made a pact and she had designated Marcus as Tessa's new guardian – maybe she did so because it would be punishment enough for him. Eli had only just started at the Sanctum during the time of the accident and so, respected the Ancient One's wishes but now? Now when he thought back to the tragedy, he knew he would have rather kicked Marcus out and taken his magical abilities rather than let him stay on. But then perhaps that was why Elijah wasn't the Ancient One. He couldn't do this anymore though, being Marcus's confidant, not when it filled him with disgust every time Master Kent asked to speak with him.

"Please, I can't listen to this anymore." Eli scoffed.

"What? Why?"

"Listen, Marcus, I've kept your secret. For some reason, God knows why, the Ancient One kept your secret too. But that's it now, it's your business, your problem. I'll continue to keep your secret but that's it." He was firm with his statement.

"What about Tessa?" Master Kent's eyes grew with disbelief.

Elijah shook his head, "What about her? The solutions we had you wouldn't allow to happen."

"They would hurt her - "

"They were the only way." He paused, "You let your guilt dictate your decision. That's on you."

"There has to have been another way though!"

"There wasn't! Do you really think the Ancient One and I would lie to you?" Came Eli's hiss in reply before he turned his back on Marcus and started heading for the door.

"Eli."

"No. I'm done with this now."

"Please. Elijah!"

Eli stopped by the door and turned back for the last time, "You know, there is a way to sort this," He nodded, "Tell Tessa. Don't you think she deserves the truth by now, twenty-two years on?"

"You know I can't do that."

Elijah looked at the Master, bemused, "You're a coward, you know that?"

Marcus stood there for a moment, holding his betrayed gaze with Eli, someone who he thought was his friend. He processed the words but dismissed him and tried to ask again in a calmer tone.

"Please, help her."

Elijah shook his head again, "I offered my help when the Ancient One was here for a reason, Marcus. Only she could perform the spells necessary."

"Well, I'm not getting the new Sorcerer Supreme involved."

"That's your choice then." Eli paused, "Don't talk to me about this again."

And with one last hard stare, the door slammed shut in the relic room. Elijah wouldn't waste his time anymore on someone who continued to reject the help he tried to give. Marcus wasn't even steadfast in character but more so stubborn and selfishly scared for himself. Tessa deserved to know. If Master Kent wouldn't tell her soon then maybe she would perish or maybe the Entity would take over her and crush her consciousness so it would have complete control over her body. That constant thought would always be on Elijah's mind, but he had to remind himself that it wouldn't be his fault if it did happen. He hadn't denied her any help, nor had he denied her the truth because it wasn't his truth to tell. Tessa was old enough (God, more than old enough at twenty-eight!) to know and to make her own decisions but he no longer wanted any part in this unless Tessa came to him specifically asking for his help.

Letting out an exasperated exhale, Marcus's hands clutched at his hair for a moment as he watched Eli walk away. Perhaps he was right. In fact, he knew Eli was right but, even then, he still couldn't imagine telling Tessa the truth.