Chapter 161: Ashes of the Supreme
Inside the Sanctum of New York, what was once a majestic and golden sanctuary now lay in ruins. The sanctum, which had long stood as one of the key anchors protecting Earth from interdimensional threats, had just been destroyed by a band of Dormammu’s zealots led by none other than Kaecilius. With the magical nexus severed, the sanctum was no longer capable of fulfilling its sacred duty.
In the midst of the rubble stood Mordo, motionless and hollow-eyed, as if his soul had been sucked out. He was a man of discipline and order—rigid to the core. From the moment he had first stepped into Kamar-Taj, Mordo had revered the Ancient One with absolute devotion. To him, she had always been the perfect mentor—powerful, wise, and incorruptible. She was his guiding star in a chaotic universe.
But now, everything had changed.
Kaecilius’s words still echoed through his mind like a curse:
"Do you know why the Ancient One lived so long? Do you know why she forbade you from reading certain books? It’s because she secretly drew power from the Dark Dimension—from Dormammu himself!"
That mocking laughter. That sneering voice. It had cracked Mordo’s world apart. The very foundation of his belief system—his loyalty, his discipline—had been built upon a lie.
What could be more crushing than finding out that your mentor, the person you trusted most, was secretly consorting with a cosmic horror?
A golden light shimmered across the debris-strewn floor as the new Sorcerer Supreme arrived—Doctor Stephen Strange, clad in his crimson Cloak of Levitation.
Once a world-renowned neurosurgeon, Strange had lost the use of his hands in a devastating accident. Desperate to heal himself, he had traveled across the globe and finally found Kamar-Taj. Under the Ancient One’s guidance, he had awakened to a new destiny—one shaped not by scalpel and science, but by spell and sorcery. In mere months, he had surpassed most of his peers in magical talent, and he continued to grow stronger by the day.