Truth be told, Gwen Stacy had fantasized countless times about where Ronan lived.
Was it like a normal family, in some regular house?
Or maybe, like the wizards "recorded" in books, dwelling in a so-called "mage tower"?
For a young girl, daydreaming was par for the course.
But she never could've imagined that Ronan's "hometown" was perched atop the world's tallest peak!
That's right—when Gwen Stacy heard the Ancient One say this was the summit of the Himalayas, her mind went blank.
In an instant, a million questions flooded her head.
Like, why didn't she feel any altitude sickness?
Or, how the heck did they even get up here?
Especially when she followed the Ancient One into this palace-like building, she was floored by the vibe inside.
It didn't look all that big, and the decor wasn't exactly dripping with luxury.
But every corner radiated a kind of magic she couldn't put into words.
How it was magical, Gwen Stacy couldn't quite say.
"Sit, Gwen—think of this place like home. No need to be shy."
The Ancient One took a seat first, gesturing for Gwen Stacy to sit across from her.
Gwen glanced at Ronan. Seeing him sit with a smile, she plopped down beside him.
Looking at this golden boy and jade girl duo, the Ancient One's face lit up with a satisfied grin.
"Looks like Ronan hasn't spilled the beans about who we really are."
She smiled at Gwen Stacy, whose face was brimming with curiosity.
When dealing with a stranger, the trick to chatting is simple.
Start with someone both sides know—talk about them. It's a killer icebreaker.
"Yeah, he never told me."
"But I only asked once."
Gwen Stacy nodded, smiling back.
Clearly, she was instinctively covering for Ronan.
"It's kind of a rule around here—a tradition passed down through Kamar-Taj for generations."
"We don't talk about ourselves to outsiders."
The Ancient One threw Ronan a lifeline with that explanation.
"So, does that mean I'm an insider now?"
Gwen Stacy blinked playfully.
She'd shaken off her initial nerves and was starting to show her sharp, lively side.
"Of course. Anyone who makes it here is already one of us."
No question—the Ancient One's words sealed the deal.
Gwen Stacy was officially in the club.
"Aunt Ancient One, why didn't I feel any altitude sickness when I got here?"
"Normally, going from New York to this height so fast, my body should've freaked out."
Gwen Stacy patted herself down, feeling zero discomfort.
If no one had told her she was on the Himalayan peak, she'd swear she was somewhere at New York's elevation.
"Sorry—if that's a tough question, just pretend I didn't ask."
Gwen Stacy seemed to realize something and quickly backtracked.
But the Ancient One just shook her head with a smile.
"Actually, a lot of our mages come here as ordinary folks from all over the world."
"They've had the same questions you do."
"At the end of the day, it's just a spell—a trick to make your body ignore the altitude gap."
A servant brought in three cups of tea, placing them in front of each person.
The Ancient One made a polite "please" gesture, inviting Gwen Stacy to try it.
Gwen didn't hesitate. She picked up the cup and took a small sip.
Miraculously, the tea—steaming hot to the eye—felt perfectly warm going down.
As it hit her stomach, a cozy heat spread through her whole body.
Ronan glanced at the tea and smirked to himself.
This was the Ancient One's stash, hoarded for who-knows-how-long.
In his sixteen years here, he'd only tasted it once—when he was six, and the Ancient One decided to train him in magic.
He hadn't seen it since.
According to her, this tea was a one-and-done deal. Each sip heightened your spiritual peak.
She'd only broken it out back then because Ronan was starting his magical journey.
Now, with Gwen Stacy showing up, she'd pulled it out again.
Favoritism—total favoritism!
"Didn't think magic could do stuff like this."
"I figured spells like those portals were already pretty badass."
Gwen Stacy perked up, chugging the rest of her tea.
She felt her mind buzzing in top gear.
"So, wanna see what the *real* world looks like?"
The Ancient One locked eyes with Gwen Stacy.
Gwen froze for a sec, instinctively turning to Ronan for his take.
Ronan just shrugged.
"Your call."
"If you want to, go for it. It's harmless."
He'd been through this himself.
How to put it? For a young him, it was a total eye-opener.
It also clicked why Stephen Strange—die-hard science guy, zero faith in the mystic—flipped to believing in the supernatural after one go.
The feeling was just *that* wild.
"Really? I can?"
Gwen Stacy couldn't help asking.
The Ancient One smiled. With a flick of her right hand, it landed on Gwen Stacy's chest.
Right before their eyes, Gwen's pupils shrank.
She froze in place.
Seeing her sitting there stock-still, Ronan calmly sipped his tea.
For the next half hour, Gwen Stacy wouldn't budge.
"Teacher, you sure she's okay?"
"This kind of thing hits her worldview pretty hard."
Ronan flashed back to his own experience.
Honestly, if he hadn't known this was the Marvel universe and that magic was real, it would've wrecked his reality too.
"Don't worry. She's no genius like you, but she's far from fragile."
"If she set her mind to being a mage, she might not match you, but she'd still be damn good."
The Ancient One chuckled. She'd clocked Gwen Stacy's potential ages ago.
Spotting mage talent was her thing—she could tell at a glance.
Heck, she could even read someone's whole personality.
Take Kaecilius. She knew he'd betray her someday but took him on anyway.
Partly fate, partly because he'd never stir up *that* much trouble.
"Alright, while she's out, how about you clear up some questions for your student, Teacher?"
Ronan thought back to his recent stuff.
Like Chaos Magic and Dormammu.
"About Chaos Magic—I heard from Wong already."
"But I'll tell you this: I don't know much more than what's in the books."
"Though, there's one thing I can share."
The Ancient One clearly knew about Ronan's last trip to Kamar-Taj.
"What's that?"
Ronan couldn't help asking.
"Well, from the records, Chaos Magic is indeed a terrifying force."
"But in all my years, I've never met a Chaos Magic user. It's like it vanished from the world."
"And over time, magic itself has shifted a lot."
The Ancient One sipped her tea, launching into a history lesson for Ronan.
"Back in Master Agamotto's day, Kamar-Taj's magic was beyond what we've got now."
"In Eastern terms, we could've moved mountains and filled seas—total omnipotence."
"But as the world changed, the spells we could use started shrinking."
"Eventually, we had to borrow power from Vishanti just to cast our fixed set of tricks."
The Ancient One stared at her tea's reflection, lost in memory.
Ronan, sitting nearby, was floored.
How'd he never heard this before?
"Why'd it taper off later?"
Ronan couldn't resist asking.
At that, the Ancient One looked up at him.
Her eyes held relief, satisfaction—and maybe a hint of envy?
"Because we can't draw usable mana from the world anymore."
Her words hit Ronan like a brick, and he froze.
Wait a sec.
Didn't Kamar-Taj mages always borrow power from Vishanti to cast spells?
What's this about drawing mana from the world?
Was that even a thing?
"Don't freak out—it's real."
"Otherwise, I couldn't have pulled energy from the Dark Dimension to stick around this long."
The Ancient One dropped her biggest secret like it was nothing!
Yep, she'd never hidden it from Ronan—told him when he was little, even.
Hearing it back then blew his mind.
Not because she tapped the Dark Dimension—he already knew that.
What shocked him was that she *told* him!
Years later, he still couldn't figure out why she was so open with him.
She'd never explained it either.
"Teacher, you mean the way you pull energy from the Dark Dimension—"
"Is the same trick the old masters used to draw mana from the world?"
Ronan connected the dots.
Here's the thing: fleecing a fat sheep like Dormammu isn't a casual grab-and-go.
The *how* of shearing matters.
And after you've got the wool, turning it into a sweater? That's just as big.
Without that know-how, the Ancient One would've been a dark slave long ago.
"Exactly. You're sharp."
"I'm telling you this to also clue you in—"
"Chaos Magic might've been warped by some factors, causing unknown shifts."
"Just like us Kamar-Taj mages."
She took a sip, eyeing Ronan across from her.
He was already in full brainstorming mode.
On one hand, learning one of Kamar-Taj's oldest secrets blew his mind.
But the other hand? That was the kicker.
Because he could meditate, tap the world's energy, and recharge his mana.
Ronan's body was like a computer running two operating systems.
One system borrowed Vishanti power to sling Kamar-Taj spells.
The other pulled mana from the world, casting system-tweaked versions.
Uh…
The two didn't clash—they vibed perfectly.
The first system was a diligent porter, hauling Vishanti magic into Ronan's body.
Then his system kicked in, tweaking it bit by bit.
Finally, the second system fired off the remixed spells.
*Erm…*
Ronan guiltily glanced at the sky.
He half-expected Vishanti to smite him dead for this.
"So, Teacher—"
"I've got another question."
To dodge a divine shower, Ronan switched topics.
This one was too risky!
"Dormammu's the Dark Dimension's lord, right?"
"But why do I feel like something's off?"
Ronan scratched his head, not holding back. He spilled last night's trip to the Ancient One.
When she heard he'd been to the Dark Dimension, her surprise was palpable.
But as he finished, that shock morphed into a smile.
She seemed… pleased?
"No need to be shocked."
"Dormammu wasn't born the Dark Dimension's lord."
The Ancient One sipped her tea, dropping another bombshell like it was casual chatter.
Ronan sucked in a breath.
How were today's headlines bigger than the last?
Was his teacher psychic—picking these whoppers just to mess with him?
"These are dusty old tales—ancient, even."
"So old that even Master Agamotto only heard them secondhand."
The Ancient One smiled, soothing Ronan's nerves.
Her point was clear: even in Agamotto's time, Dormammu was already the Dark Dimension's boss.
We're talking eons ago—years don't even cut it as a measure.
"Truth is, Dormammu started as a broke-down sorcerer."
"Then, by fluke, he stumbled into the Dark Dimension."
"Feeling its raw power, he ditched his body to claim that insane dark energy."
"What he didn't know—"
"The Dark Dimension was never unclaimed."