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𝗙𝗜𝗩𝗘:     𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗛 𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗧

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CASSANDRA WANDERED ACROSS the training grounds, correcting the students made while conjuring their own gateways. Her hands were clasped behind her back and she glanced down at her beige robes -- the color she chose when she became a master at the age of eighteen.

"Mastery of the sling ring is essential to the mystic arts. They allow us to travel throughout the multiverse. All you need to do is focus. Visualize. See the destination in your mind." vocalized Mordo, clenching his fist. Cassandra passed by him and waved her hand in the air, fiery, amber magic emerging from her fingertips.

"Look beyond the world in front of you. Imagine every detail. The clearer the picture, the quicker, and easier, the gateway will come."

Wearing a nonchalant expression, she proceeded to check on Stephen, who was struggling to create a portal. His hands rattled and his entire face was beaded with sweat. A soft sigh escaped her blood-red lips at this and she shook her head. Actually, he wasn't even supposed to receive his Sling Ring since he still had not successfully conjure a Mandala, but Karl argued that they cannot delay the classes anymore because of Stephen and so here they were, moving on to the next lesson.

Now, what the new student lacked in application, he made up for theory and knowledge. Just last night, he pored over every reading material that Cassandra had and committed every word written into his memory. The brunette stayed by his side all night through this, supplying him with other information that wasn't in the books. Due to this, they accidentally fell asleep inside the library, backs against a bookcase and her head laid on his shoulder.

Cassandra admired Stephen. He was brilliant, headstrong, attractive... very attractive, but he was arrogant, selfish, and egoistic. He reminded her of Tony Stark a lot. What a spectacle would it be if they ever meet one another.

She watched as Stephen's movements grew more ungiving by the minute and he elicited a loud groan. Even when he exerted all his effort, there was no circle of sparks materializing through the air, just small amber flickers. Cassandra crossed her arms and just continued observing him trace his hand in a circular pattern.

"This is really ha -- woah..." uttered Stephen in surprise when a half circle of sparks appeared in front of him. Cassandra's eyes widened and she drew herself closer to the former neurosurgeon.

"Strange, do it again."

"Obviously, I will." And immediately, Stephen repeated his action, but unfortunately, this time, nothing occurred. No particles, no smoke, nothing. Not even one. The man grunted, his foot stomping the ground. "No! I was so close!"

"You're surrendering, Strange. You have to let the magic flow through you." calmly advised Cassandra, placing a hand above his right arm to lift it higher. "Silence your ego, your arrogance is acting again as a barrier."

"I..."

"And stop!" Mordo commanded, making all of the students pause and drop their hands to their side. Turning their gaze to the Ancient One, they all bowed their heads in acknowledgement.

"I'd like a moment alone with Mr. Strange." declared the Sorcerer Supreme. Without looking at Cassandra's direction, she added, "Master Mason, kindly stay with us."

"Of course." Cassandra spoke. "Master Hamir, how are you doing? Did you receive the Incense Sticks I have sent to your room yesterday?"

The elderly master bowed his head. Master Hamir had been one of her mentors when she wanted to learn about the relics in the chamber. He was very patient with all of her questions, answering them very thoroughly. He was often the person she was with when the Ancient One wasn't present to teach her, dealing with her antics around the whole compound. "I am well, Master Mason and yes, I have received them. I like their scent. Thank you very much."

"You're welcome."

As soon as Mordo and the students left the training grounds, Stephen began to complain, raising his hands in the air to show that they were the main reason why he was performing very poorly. "My hands -- "

"It's not about your hands."

"How is this not about my hands?"

Cassandra rolled her eyes. If she had her whole bin of crumpled paper balls with her, she would've already thrown three pieces at his head for that. She couldn't count anymore how many times she had explained it wasn't his hands, but he was incredibly stubborn. He even medically explained to her how it was the source of his problem, wildly gesticulating his arms like a theatre actor doing a monologue in front of an audience. The sorceress impassively slammed her journal atop his head while asking the gods why they decided to choose him as the succeeding Sorcerer Supreme.

To think I'll be accompanying this man until I take my last breath. She internally grumbled. I think I'll die of frustration first before I could lay down my life for him.

"Master Hamir." called forth the Ancient One. At this, her companion stepped forward and pulled back the sleeves of his robes, revealing a stump instead of a hand. He then quietly proceeded to draw a pattern through the air, successfully casting a mandala. Cassandra raised her eyebrow at Stephen when he flicked his gaze to her, flabbergasted as if to say 'told you so.'

"Thank you, Master Hamir."

Cassandra bowed her head when he passed by her, smiling. He then left not sooner than later. "You cannot beat a river into submission. You have to surrender to its current, and use its power as your own. Master Mason has explained this to you so many times, I believe."

"Then, how do I control it if I have to surrender? I don't understand. This really doesn't make any sense."

"Not everything does. Not everything has to. Your intellect has taken you far in life, but it will take you no further." The Ancient One raised her hand and formed a portal in front of them. As Cassandra inhaled the strong crisp cold air breezing from its other side, a smirk played on her lips. She already knew what would transpire next. The woman called it The Method and she and the current Sorcerer Supreme only used it to make the hard-headed students understand the point of the lesson. "Surrender, Stephen. Silence your ego and your power will rise. Come with me."

The Ancient One beckoned Stephen to follow her and they both conversed atop the Mt. Everest. As they did this, the sorceress grabbed her sling ring and opened a gateway that led to her room. She opened her cabinet, snatched a body towel, and returned to the training ground to wait for Stephen to return. She knew he would need it later.

"Surrender, Stephen."

"No, no! Don't!"

Those was the last words she heard from the former neurosurgeon just as her mentor shut the portal, preventing Stephen to return. Cassandra then stepped beside the Ancient One, her lips pursed tight in slight worry and anticipation.

"Ancient One," she voiced out, a question popping in her head. She had been meaning to ask it for quite some time, but always forgot since her head would then be occupied by other things. "You saw various futures of me as Strange's guardian or protector, right?"

Her teacher hummed. "Yes, there are about thousands of timelines where you two meet in that graduation party of yours and they all end up the same."

Cassandra's head snapped to her right in shock. The corners of her mystical mentor's lips quirk upwards and her eyes widened in realization. "You know." She murmured. "You know about me and Strange."

The Ancient One only tilted her head and smiled even further.

"Oh, my gods! That's why you didn't want me to change into my robes that day because -- " She cried out, slapping her forehead. "Ancient One!"

"Don't worry, your secret is safe with me."

"This is embarrassing..."

"There's nothing to be embarrassed about."

Cassandra buried her face in her hands, her voice now muffled as she said, "I know. It's just..."

"Your path has always been intertwined with Strange's, Cassandra. You were constantly in his futures... either his protector, his lover, his friend or his enemy." implied she. "There were only a few timelines where you weren't together because of some unfortunate circumstance."

The words lover and enemy were the ones Cassandra gave more notice. Why did she feel like the universe just took away her freedom of choice? She was either Stephen's lifelong partner or greatest adversary. It felt like she had no other choice, but to be what the Ancient One just described. "What is this unfortunate circumstance?"

"How is our new recruit?" Karl's voice rang through the grounds, interrupting their conversation. Cassandra furrowed her eyebrows. A feeling of dread crept up from the pit of her stomach. She had a feeling that unfortunate circumstance meant her death. She then wondered if this timeline was part of those few where they had no future together.

"We shall see. Any second now."

"No, not again." sighed Karl, shaking his head. He reached for his sling ring. Cassandra knew her friend knew the feeling of being trapped in the middle of nowhere with nothing but a sling ring on hand. She did trap him in the Sahara desert herself. He came back after an hour, almost dehydrated. "Maybe I should..."

Cassandra tsked, lightly swatting away his hand. "No, no, no. I have faith in him. He'll come through." she assured, narrowing her eyes at the wide space in front of her. "If not, then... whoops."

Karl tilted his head towards her, bewildered. "Sometimes, I question myself why I am friends with you."

"Oh, please, you love me and my shenanigans."

He rolled his eyes.

Seconds later, the familiar amber portal materialized in front of them, lighting up Cassandra's face. She sighed in relief. The cold, unforgiving air from Earth's highest mountain blew at her face, but she picked up her feet when Stephen stumbled and fell on the ground. He was badly shivering and his entire face was covered in snow even his long beard. Swiftly, she wrapped her thick towel around his shoulders to warm him up. It felt almost instinctual of her when she moved to reach him like her feet and hands already knew she had to tend to him. She briefly wondered if it was her guardian duty driving her to be like this.

His cold hand tightly gripped her wrist and he leant his head against her shoulder for support. She easily enveloped him in her arms and shut her her eyes, muttering an incantation. Almost immediately, the towel began to emit a gentle warming sensation and she heard Stephen release a breath.

"It seems that the cold bothered you anyway." Cassandra joked, referencing a quote from a children's movie she watched with Wong before, but then cringed at how awful it was. Stephen chuckled and heaved a second later. "No, wait, forget that awful joke. Let's go get you warmed up."

ENTERING THE HALLWAY hung with bright wall lamps, the sorceress tapped rapidly on her phone, texting her assistant and her catering manager. Cassandra was in a very good mood, having nailed a brand-forward experience that will certainly boost her agency's reputation and bring in more clients. Her journal was tucked under her arm and her heels clicked on hard flat floors, echoing off corridor walls. Her sharp, blue eyes caught the light illuminating the narrow hallway. She knew it came from Stephen.

She peered inside his room and did a double take. Stephen was standing in front of a mirror, shaving his beard, shirtless.

She froze in her movements and within another seconds, she gathered herself and sent her last text to her teammates. Cassandra wasn't going to lie. Stephen Strange looked gloriously attractive.

His brown hair was now slicked back including his grey hair temples. Cassandra badly wanted to run her hands through them to touch if they were as smooth as they looked. Her gaze lowered to his lean body. His robes didn't give him enough justice. He was defined, incredibly chiselled, but from what she can see, he was scarred too, his skin worn and cut in places it shouldn't be.

"Enjoy admiring me?"

Cassandra snorted. And there goes his cocky self again. "As if. You're not my type."

He smirked. "That's not what you said inside my room that night."

"Say one more word and I will enchant that razor to shave your eyebrows off while you're sleeping."

Stephen tossed his towel on the sink and turning to her, he offered an impish smile. "One more word."

The woman spluttered a laugh, losing her composure. She shook her head. "You're insufferable! Seriously, how were your colleagues able to put up with you? I can just imagine their faces when they see you in the operating room."

"What do you mean? Everyone in the department loves me."

"No, I don't think so. Not with that attitude of yours."

He rolled his eyes and checked his appearance again in the mirror before fully facing her. Stephen approached, closing the distance between them with a few large strides. The orange light was heavily accentuating his features especially his cheekbones and she admired that for a bit. "You like it?" he implied, tilting his head to the side slightly.

"It looks great!" She hummed. "I like it very much. However, this beard style reminds me of Tony Stark. You imitating him?"

Stephen shot a glare at Cassandra. "I'm more good-looking than him."

"I don't know... Tony Stark's a charmer and you..." Cassandra shrugged, feigning indifference. She received a deadpan expression from him and gave him a victorious grin. "I'm kidding... or maybe not."

"You seem to be in a good mood tonight."

"Ooh, astute observation, Sherlock."

"You know," he sighed, stepping backwards and half spun around to snatch the shirt laid atop his bed. "I've been feeling lately that you don't enjoy my presence anymore."

"Oh, really?" Cassandra took out her journal and crossed her arms. "And what could possibly be giving you that gut feeling, doctor?"

"Aside from the fact that you look like you're barely controlling the urge to smack my lips with your lips?"

"Remember the threat I said earlier? It still stands."

"I am proficient in basic body language assessment, Cassie." flaunted he, sauntering back to her again as he dressed himself. His cerulean irises seemed to be fixated on her every perceptible move. "So, is it true?"

"It's not that I don't enjoy our time together. It's just that you annoy me, Stephen. A lot." She spoke the truth. Actually, Cassandra loved spending time with him, but of course she wasn't going to say that to him. It would add to Stephen's already inflated ego. "Like a lot, lot."

Stephen confidently leant against the doorframe. "Let's have dinner." he invited, eyes crinkling at the edges and the corners of his lips turning upwards. Was he asking her out?

Now, Cassandra knew they fancied one another despite their slightly contrasting personalities. Whatever drew her to him that night in the bar when he charmed her with his intellect and good looks, she knew it was there, waiting for a spark to be ignited. She still had his shirt, wearing them to remind herself of him, not only because she lacked shirts to wear those day and he still had her watch. He was even wearing it when he came to Kamar-Taj. It was not hard to figure out that he was holding on to it.

But, despite of this attraction between them, she wasn't going to give in easily. Cassandra knew her value, her worth. She was more than just being someone's lover or partner. She was not some consolation prize. She was not something a man will resort to. The sorceress knew she was worth more than that. So, she smiled back and placed her hand on his chest. Fluttering her eyelashes, she whispered, "No."

Stephen looked taken aback for a moment, and then he forced himself to show no emotion. At this, Cassandra concluded from his reaction that he wasn't used to being rebuffed because he was a "I want it, I get it" type. He was so used to getting everything he wanted with just a snap of his fingers. She smirked. For a man who always succeeded, she knew he'll consider this rejection from her a failure. He failed to charm her. That was a blow to his ego.

Cassandra stepped away from him, giving an innocent smile. "Don't we all work hard for the things we want?" She tilted her head, winking. "Good night, Stephen. I hope you sleep well this fine evening." She sang, leaving his stunned self in the doorway.

"WHAT'S TAKING YOU so long?"

Cassandra tapped her chin, lips puckered. "I am currently having a dilemma with these." She picked the two lotion bottles from the shelves and showed them to Stephen who was standing behind her. Once again, he towered her and she had to look up to lock eyes with him. "I don't know whether I should choose this white lily and rose or this orange blossom and jasmine one. They both smell nice and feel light on the skin."

Stephen furrowed his eyebrows, confused. He took one of the bottles from her grip. "Why not just buy both?"

"I have a budget that I strictly follow."

It had been a couple of weeks ever since Cassandra rejected Stephen's invitation and he had been constantly asking her why she wouldn't go out with him. Everytime they had a session together, he would ask her what she didn't like about him and invite her, but she'd reject him again and again. She thought this would make him lose his interest but no, it only pushed him to pursue her and honestly, she liked it.

Today, the two of them went shopping in New York. Actually, she was supposed to go alone, but then Stephen saw her passing by and offered to accompany her. So, here they were, roaming around the store like a young couple, buying their own necessities. An elderly woman even mistook them earlier for being in a relationship because they had a banter about biscuits.

Stephen opened the bottle's cover and brought it close to his nose, inhaling the scent. He then grabbed the other bottle and repeated his previous actions. Cassandra patiently waited for his opinion and crossed her arms. "I like this one better." he decided, twirling the bottle, making its open flip cap face her. Suddenly, the man in front of her lightly squeezed the bottle and the air inside the bottle blew on Cassandra's face, causing her to jerk away and swat Stephen's arm.

The woman scrunched up her nose and immediately slapped her companion's arm twice when he laughed at her reaction. Stephen rubbed the area she hit and moved away from her. "Okay, okay! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

"I am this close to punching you, Stephen, I swear." Pinching her nose, she snatched the lotion bottle from him and tossed it into their grocery cart, pushing it forward.

The now intermediate student walked ahead of her, suddenly turning so he was walking backwards alongside her without taking his gaze off of her. "Okay, so I have a question." he chirped, inserting his hands inside the pockets of his sweatpants.

"Go."

"Are teacher-student relationships forbidden in Kamar-Taj?"

Cassandra arched an eyebrow, looking at him incredulously. "No, we don't have any rule like that."

"Good."

"Oh, by the way, the Ancient One knows about the grad party. She knows that we... you know, fucked." She shrugged, attempting to be nonchalant about it. She had lately realized that she had been so embarrassed about that event in her life. It was normal. There was absolutely no reason why she should be ashamed of it.

Stephen snapped his head towards her, surprised.

"Yeah, I forgot to tell you. She told me weeks ago about it." Cassandra continued, casually.

A burst of laughter escaped his lips as he shook his head. "As if she wouldn't know."

She hummed, agreeing. "Yeah, there's really nothing you can hide from her."

"What else did she say about it?"

"Oh, she just said that there was nothing I should be ashamed of. That's it." She half-lied. Cassandra wasn't going to tell yet that she was going to spend the rest of her life, protecting him from harm. Stephen couldn't know about her duty and his future title for he wasn't ready for that.

The woman picked up another essential item from the shelf. Around her, buyers moved about in all directions, and she heard children wailing as they clinged to their parents, trying not to get lost in the herd of shoppers. Shelves after shelves are stocked with cans, packets, bottles and other common items and Cassandra smiled when she found another item on her list. The woman absolutely loved shopping since she felt in control of everything because she could decide what she wanted to buy and when she will buy it. Checking her grocery list, she snapped her fingers when she realized they already bought everything they needed. "Bingo. We're done! Let's head to the counter."

At this, Stephen took ahold of the cart and pushed it to the counter despite her protests that she'll do it. Finally, they left the shop and Cassandra screwed her eyes up, squinting because of the glare of the sun. It was already afternoon and the sun was like a great big inspirational fire in the sky. The former neurosurgeon carried all of their plastic bags as they made their way back to the New York Sanctum.

"And what is the Shield of the Seraphim?"

"Oh, the Shield of the Seraphim is a magical blockade of energy." he easily answered as if he knew it already by heart. "The Shield is effective when it comes to protecting the caster from physical harm. The Book of Splendor Solis describes it as a large, circular barrier and forms between the sorcerer and whatever danger is facing him. Only a sorcerer of an apprentice rank is allowed to cast it -- which in my opinion by the way is ridiculous." he complained. "I should be able to learn how to cast this because..."

As they returned to the Sanctum, Cassandra took it upon herself to quiz Stephen again and she rolled her eyes as he began to grumble again about the limitations in Kamar-Taj. Well, actually, there weren't too many limitations, it was just that the lessons depend on the ranking of each student. Obviously, they can't just teach a powerful spell like the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak to a novice. Stephen needed to understand that.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket and she pulled it out to see one of her clients calling her. Raising a hand to excuse herself from Stephen, she raised the gadget to her ear and conversed with the person on the other line. "Alright, no problem, sir. Of course! Gladly! No problem! Thank you so much. I'll see you tomorrow at the gala, sir."

Cassandra ended the call and shut her eyes, groaning. Biting her bottom lip, she uttered, "Shit."

"Is there a problem, Cassie?"

"I need a date." declared she, lifting her phone again to text her team about the news. "I need a date to this charity night gala our client will have tomorrow evening. He requested each of my team to have a plus one so we all could have some fun."

"And do you already have someone in mind?"

Without looking up from her smartphone, she mildly replied, "Actually, it's Daniel or you know, Master Drumm, who I invite in this type of events, but he's badly needed here in the Sanctum Sanctorum. I could ask Wong though to come with me since I brought him to this charity event in Jakarta two months ago." In her peripheral vision, she caught sight of Stephen and knew he was waiting to be asked. Noting this, she then tsked. "Oh, wait, he just told me earlier that he was going to be busy tomorrow. Ah, I have one!"

"Who?"

Cassandra's crimson lips curled into a delighted grin. "Karl! Karl and I won't be teaching tomorrow to give you all some rest so he's free. I'm going to -- " She lifted her gaze and paused. "You were expecting it would be you, weren't you?"

"No." The forcibly impassive expression that displayed on his face said it all. She succeeded.

The sorceress then hummed, tapping her chin. She then made a decision in the spur of the moment. "Fine, it's you I'm bringing tomorrow." She wiggled her eyebrows. "You'll even get to see me in action, sweetheart."

"I'm not something you resort to when you're out of options, Cassie."

Cassandra puckered her lips and she planted her hands on his chest, brushing the lints off his shirt. "I'm not resorting to you. I was just teasing you. I want to be with you tomorrow so please, come with me, darling." She beamed, pecking his cheek. Feeling satisfied, she walked away and gathered her paper bags from the table near the stairs.

"You want to be with me?"

She hollered as she ascended the stairs. "Don't let that go to your head or I'll change my mind."

"I will try! Although, I do want to know what you mean -- "

"See you tomorrow, Stephen! I'll be in the London Sanctum tonight with my parents. That means I won't see you until seven in the evening tomorrow. Bye!" She let out another chuckle as she left him in the main foyer.

I honestly have a love-hate relationship with this chapter like something's wrong with it. Lol. I'll edit it later or just rewrite this. #Bye.