Marvel: The Psychologist Who Stole Wanda and Gwen's Hearts!

As the green stone wall closed shut, Tony pushed his glasses up and examined it carefully. Once the stones sealed together completely, there wasn’t a single mark left—it was as if nothing had ever happened.

Stephen stood beside him, hands clasped behind his back, silently watching. When Tony finally turned back around, Stephen asked calmly,

"Seen enough?"

"Uh... yeah, I’ve seen it."

"Then let’s go."

Stephen offered nothing more, simply turning on his heel. Tony hurried to follow.

As they walked across the training grounds of Kamar-Taj, Tony looked around curiously, much like Stephen had done on his first visit. It was close to seven o’clock now, and many apprentices were already up preparing for practice. Some went to the armory to collect their sling rings or staff-like artifacts, while others gathered in the training yard to drill together.

Watching this, Tony asked, intrigued,

"Don’t sorcerers train by meditating?"

Stephen kept walking without turning his head.

"Where did you hear that?"

"Hmm... from fantasy novels."

Tony didn’t feel the slightest embarrassment. Even if his question sounded childish, he asked it openly. The reply was just as simple, but that wasn’t important. What mattered was that Tony was learning about a completely new worldview.

But Stephen didn’t answer him directly. Instead, he said evenly,

"When I first came here, I also liked asking questions about everything. But eventually, I realized it wasn’t much use. In this place, talent and effort speak louder than anything."

"Only those who show respect, have some talent, and work hard at magic earn the respect of others."

Tony nodded naturally. He understood that well enough. The childish-sounding questions he asked were deliberate—just ways to learn more about things he didn’t know yet. Since Stephen said those answers would come with time, Tony saw no reason to press further.

...

Stephen led him into the main hall of Kamar-Taj. Wong had just risen and arrived there as well. When he saw Stephen bringing in an outsider, he gave a respectful nod before going about his business.

In the original timeline, the Avengers and Stephen had known each other. But under Lorien’s influence, Stephen had never met any of them, nor had he participated in any of their affairs. Aside from a trace of his old humor, his demeanor now leaned closer to that of the Ancient One.

So when Tony noticed how much respect those around him showed Stephen, he asked,

"Looks like they really respect you."

Stephen stopped in the hall and turned back.

"Did Lorien not tell you what the Sorcerer Supreme Stephen looks like?"

Tony froze for a moment before it clicked. The man before him was the Sorcerer Supreme—the very friend Lorien had mentioned.

"Oh..." Tony rubbed his chin, eyeing him with interest. "I just didn’t expect the Sorcerer Supreme to be so young. I thought you’d be some old sorcerer, even older than me."

Stephen shook his head.

"In any field, age alone isn’t what matters. Only when age comes with talent does it mean anything."

Which meant that, in the end, talent was the key. Without talent, Tony wouldn’t be Iron Man. Without talent, Stephen wouldn’t be the Sorcerer Supreme. That much was certain. Unless either of them relied on mutation—and that was just luck. With the wrong mutation, they might not even remain human.

With that, their casual exchange ended. Tony glanced around before turning back to Stephen.

"Yesterday I told Lorien I wanted to learn magic. He told me to come here, find someone named Stephen, and give his name. I’m guessing that person is you."

At this, Stephen couldn’t help but let out a faint smile. Shaking his head slightly, he replied,

"I knew you’d come looking for me. For Lorien’s sake, I’ll pass some magic on to you. But no one else will teach you. You’ll have to learn it yourself."

Self-study wasn’t an issue—if he had the right texts, Tony could teach himself anything. But one thing nagged at him.

"You knew I’d come?"

At first, Tony assumed Stephen was waiting because he knew Tony had already arrived. But it turned out Stephen had known in advance that he would come.

And those were two very different things. The first was hindsight. The second was foresight.

Precognition.

So how was that possible?

Simple. Stephen carried the Time Stone, and with it, he sensed someone was coming for him. A quick glimpse told him who it was.

Of course, if it had been Lorien seeking him out, Stephen wouldn’t have known in advance. In that case, he would’ve realized it only afterward.

That was the difference in ability.

"That’s the wonder of magic."

Stephen deliberately avoided the topic of the Infinity Stones.

"I know you, Tony Stark. Superhero. Iron Man. Just... retired for now.

For Lorien’s sake, as long as you study magic at Kamar-Taj and gain the ability to enter and leave on your own, you can come and go freely.

But once you use Kamar-Taj’s tomes to develop magic, you’ll be considered a sorcerer of Kamar-Taj. From then on, your interests will be tied to Kamar-Taj’s interests. I hope you understand that.

So, do you still want to pursue magic?"

Stephen’s meaning was simple: once you board this ship, you’re one of us. The good, everyone shares. The bad, everyone bears.

For Lorien’s sake, Tony could enjoy privileges ordinary apprentices couldn’t—like earlier access to the library and the ability to come and go ahead of time. But the condition was that Tony would also become a sorcerer of Kamar-Taj. If his contributions grew great enough, he could even rise to Grand Sorcerer, second only to the Sorcerer Supreme.

But no matter how far he went, once he joined, he was committed. Stephen made that clear.

Unlike Stephen, who had no choice when he began, Tony still had a better life waiting in the real world. Which meant he did have a choice.

It was up to him.

What Stephen didn’t expect, however, was that Tony only asked one question.

"If Lorien needed help, would you go without hesitation?"

That went without saying. Whether as Sorcerer Supreme, or simply as Lorien’s friend, Stephen nodded firmly.

"Of course."

"Then I’m in."

Stephen blinked, then suddenly smiled. He understood instantly.

Another one, drawn in by Lorien’s charm. Otherwise, why use such a question as the deciding factor?

Stephen realized Tony wasn’t certain about the future of the Sanctum or about what joining might mean for him personally. So instead, he went straight to the top and asked about Stephen’s relationship with Lorien. If that bond was solid, then Tony decided the sorcerers had a future worth investing in.

It was like viewing sorcery as a stock. The stock was Kamar-Taj. Its representative was Stephen.

How did Tony judge the stock’s potential and value? He found out that the representative was deeply tied to Lorien. That was insider information. If Warren Buffett was backing this stock, why wouldn’t Tony buy in?

All in.

"I think I should join."

Tony extended his hand.

But Stephen only smiled.

"Then you should bow to me, not shake hands."

Tony: ...

Damn, he’d just downgraded himself. After becoming a sorcerer, he’d have to bow to the Sorcerer Supreme!

"Cough, cough..."

Tony looked around quickly to make sure no one was nearby. Seeing the coast was clear, he gave a hurried bow before straightening again.

"Okay."

Watching him return to normal, Stephen’s smile grew wider. He raised one hand, conjuring a mirror. Inside it, Tony’s bow replayed on a loop, while Stephen looked on, clearly delighted.

"Alright, you can go find Wong now. He’ll take you through the basics of a sorcerer’s training."

Tony: Oh, motherfucker!

That curse was about the best way to capture Tony’s current state of mind.

Thɪs chapter is updated by novel⦿fire.net

Now he understood—Stephen’s air of depth was just for show. In front of friends, he was a prankster through and through.

He just wanted leverage over Tony early on.

Tony, on the other hand, felt like he’d chosen the wrong person to trust. The Sorcerer Supreme, playing tricks on him!

He jabbed a finger at Stephen in exasperation.

Stephen merely clasped his hands behind his back and raised his chin.

Tony turned to leave, heading toward Wong. But just before he reached the doors of the hall, he spun back and pointed at Stephen again.

Stephen hadn’t moved—still hands behind his back, chin lifted.

Only after Tony disappeared did Stephen finally nod in satisfaction.

In truth, he understood something. Lorien didn’t have many close friends. Perhaps only himself, and now Tony. But anyone Lorien considered a true friend—that was a mark of quality. Someone worth knowing.

It was one of the reasons Stephen believed Tony had a future. And in reality, that belief was right.

If Lorien was willing to be friends with someone, that person was solid. Stephen and Tony both were. Banner too.

And if you counted girlfriends, Gwen and Wanda even more so.

As for Hela—she didn’t really count as a girlfriend. To put it bluntly...

She was more like a mistress both main wives were aware of.

Yes, that was exactly it.

As for the future—Lorien didn’t dwell on it. He only had goals. He lived in the present.

Like when he first laid eyes on Gwen. He knew immediately he wanted to make her roll her eyes.

Cough, cough. Same with Wanda.

...

That morning, at 7:50, Lorien stirred awake in warmth.

Opening his eyes, he found Hela demonstrating to Galacta exactly how she "swallowed."

Lorien: ???

Ah... seriously?

He sucked in a sharp breath, but with Gwen and Wanda still clinging to him, he took a deep breath and decided to just let it go.

Damn it, as long as big sis and little sis were enjoying themselves this early in the morning, what was the point of overthinking? He didn’t care about motives or reasons—only the process and the result.

After making sure each only had one turn, no overindulging, Lorien slipped back into another nap. This time, he slept until 9:30.

By then, Wanda and Gwen were also close to waking. Lorien stretched lazily, and at almost the same moment, Gwen’s eyes opened.

"Mmm~"

Seeing Lorien so close, she pressed herself against him happily, rubbing her face against his.

"Alright, alright."

After a while, Lorien pushed away Gwen’s nuzzling face.

"Ugh..."

That movement stirred Wanda awake. She opened her unfocused eyes, glanced at Lorien, then hugged him even tighter before closing her eyes again to doze.

On weekdays, Monday through Friday, Wanda usually couldn’t wake properly. Lorien often kept her up until late into the night, and by the time he got up around 8:30, she still needed another hour and a half of rest.

Most mornings, Wanda never felt Lorien beside her when she woke. Only on weekends did she sometimes catch him still there. Sometimes. If Lorien’s energy overflowed and he had no outlet, he’d wake early and quietly slip away just so Wanda could sleep in peace.

Which made mornings like this, waking up with him still by her side, something rare and precious.

After another ten minutes of rest, Lorien sat up, pulling the blanket away and exposing smooth, fair skin. But he wasn’t trying anything—he was simply getting out of bed.

"It’s almost ten. Get up, or the whole day will slip by with nothing done."

Gwen checked her phone. Sure enough, it was nearly ten. She immediately slipped out from under the covers to get dressed.

By then, Lorien had already left the room.

Greedy? For what? There was plenty of time at night. If he had wanted to indulge, he could have done so the moment Gwen first woke. No need to rush now.

Wanda, meanwhile, got up slowly and dressed with her usual calm grace.

When it came to clothing—whether putting on or taking off—Lorien always preferred Wanda’s unhurried style. One piece at a time, never rushed, movements smooth and elegant.

Gwen, on the other hand, was more like someone waking up late for school, rushing but not quite frantic. Almost late, but not quite. Because if she really were late, she’d probably just give up altogether.

After washing up in the bathroom, Lorien came out to find Galacta and Hela sitting cross-legged on the carpet, playing games.

Hela, too focused on her controls, blinked in greeting.

Galacta, still glowing with joy after sharing a full snack tube with Hela, looked even happier. Even while gaming, she freed one hand to wave at Lorien.

He pointed toward Gwen, then headed for the kitchen to ask Nora to prepare lunch.

Galacta noticed him point at Hela and whispered with concern,

"Won’t Lorien get mad if you sneak me snacks like that?"

"He will," Hela nodded matter-of-factly.

"What?" Galacta froze.

"But we didn’t break any real rules, right?"

Hela winked. "Last time Lorien got mad, I only had a bloated stomach for a couple of days."

Ah...

Hearing that, Galacta blinked her big purple eyes. She honestly didn’t know if that was supposed to be good or bad. For her, though, it sounded like a good thing. Didn’t that mean she got to eat her fill?

Hela patted the space in front of her.

"Don’t worry, Galacta. Since you said we’re best friends, we share blessings and hardships together.

And you’re my best teammate. Of course I’ll help you with something this small."

Galacta was so moved she nearly cried. What a great friend—willing to share such delicious snacks with her.

"Mhm!" Galacta patted her chest in return. "From now on, if I get something good, I’ll share it with you too. Blessings and hardships together!"

"No problem." Hela kept gaming.

By the time Lorien finished ordering food, Gwen and Wanda had also come out, dressed and ready.

Just then, Wanda’s phone rang.

Which was unusual—she hardly had any contacts stored. The odds of someone calling were slim.

She took it out and glanced at the screen.

"It’s Natasha."

Answering and switching to speaker, a slightly anxious voice came through immediately.

"Wanda, does your magic work on the Quantum Realm?"