CHAPTER 22

c22 : Time Stone

Nepal, Kamar-Taj, Ancient One's Courtyard.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a golden hue over the courtyard, a figure leaned against a tree, eyes closed, pretending to sleep.

Russell, having had a late night the day before, was trying to catch up on some much-needed rest. He had risen early this morning to meet the Ancient One, as per their arrangement.

However, in his grogginess, he'd overlooked one key factor: the time difference between Nepal and New York.

Nepal operates in the UTC+5:45 timezone, while New York is in UTC-5:00. That meant Nepal was roughly 10 hours and 45 minutes ahead of New York.

Whoosh!

A sound cut through the air, and Russell, half-conscious, heard something come at him. He didn't move—figuring that if it hit him, it wouldn't hurt.

Snap.

A green, glowing gem struck Russell's forehead and then dropped into his arms.

Stretching, Russell slowly woke up. The moon had already risen in the sky.

The Ancient One, stepping out from the shadows of the courtyard, spoke: "Didn't I tell you to come tomorrow?"

Russell blinked in confusion. "Mage, time difference..."

The Ancient One, though silent for a moment, eventually spoke again: "Russell, what do you think time really is?"

Russell paused. The Ancient One's question wasn't about time's definition or its philosophical concept. He focused inward, attempting to feel the passage of time.

The gem in his arms began to glow with a faint green light. Suddenly, Russell's perception of time sharpened. He could sense the flow of time more acutely, noticing how different objects experienced time differently.

Looking at the Ancient One, Russell raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Want to know more?" the Ancient One asked.

"Yeah," Russell answered, his curiosity piqued.

The Ancient One gestured at the gem in his hands. "This is the Time Gem. Go find the answers for yourself."

"Is this really the Time Gem?" Russell asked in disbelief, lifting the gem.

"Yes, but I only mimicked its powers," the Ancient One replied, a calm tone in her voice.

Russell let out a relieved breath. He had thought the gem might be the genuine article, but it was, in fact, a replica.

The Ancient One continued, "Its powers are similar to the real Time Gem, though somewhat weaker. Also, it doesn't have the infinite energy properties of the original. To activate it, you'll need to use your own energy."

Russell looked at the gem, his face contorted in thought. Consume my own energy? he wondered. Will my physical energy or spiritual energy work?

He dismissed the idea of using Kryptonian life force—he needed to save that for boosting his stats. Permanent improvements were far more valuable than temporary ones.

He decided to try spiritual energy first.

As he channeled his mental power into the gem, a surge of visions overwhelmed him. The scene in the courtyard sped past him, showing moments where he and the Ancient One had been talking, before finally, he saw himself leaving.

"Is this... a glimpse of the future?" Russell murmured to himself, wide-eyed.

The gem's power seemed to amplify his ability to perceive the future.

Suddenly, the Ancient One stood up and asked, "What would you like to drink? Coffee or tea?"

She blinked playfully at him.

But Russell knew something was off. This event hadn't appeared in his vision of the future.

He now understood what the Ancient One was trying to teach him. "Master, I understand. The future is not set. It's simply one of many possibilities. The real question is—what future do I choose to create?"

The Ancient One nodded, a knowing look in her eyes. "Precisely. The future is uncertain. But what you do with that uncertainty is up to you."

She paused for a moment before adding, "Go enjoy yourself. If you need guidance, come back tomorrow."

With that, the Ancient One produced a hammock and tied it between two trees. "I've been busy all day. Time for rest," she said, settling in.

Russell chuckled. The Ancient One seemed to be giving him the cold shoulder.

He stepped forward, and with a flicker of light, he was instantly transported to a deserted island.

On the island, the sun was rising.

Russell took a moment to stretch, appreciating the silence and isolation. He then resumed his practice with the Time Gem.

As he focused on the gem, an image suddenly flickered to life before him.

It was of Gwen and her father, George. The image showed George taking Gwen to meet with her teacher, explaining why they hadn't been at school for the past few weeks.

Wait, didn't she miss more than just two weeks of school? Russell wondered. Then it clicked.

The discrepancy in time was due to the different rates at which time passed in various universes. The Time Gem had recorded events in real-time, but due to fluctuations in time speeds, there was an error.

Russell frowned as he pondered the implications. What is the relationship between time speed, mass, energy, and the microscopic realm? The complexities were beyond him at the moment. It was enough to make him wish he could just punch his way through it like a hero from another world.

He decided to focus on something more pressing—figuring out Gwen and George's future. He wanted to help them avoid any tragedy.

Russell began to perform a mental calculation, trying to predict the events that might unfold.

The Time Gem revealed a potential future: a critical event involving Gwen and George. Gwen would eventually become Ghost Spider and, after a confrontation, would be surrounded by police. George would step in to protect her, but his career would be ruined in the aftermath.

Russell gritted his teeth, anger rising. Just as he braced himself for more details, the image flickered and collapsed.

"What the hell?!" Russell muttered, his confusion growing. "Gwen chose a low-probability outcome, and now reality has overridden my prediction."

He furrowed his brow in realization. It wasn't the deduction method that was flawed—it was the fact that time and fate couldn't be neatly controlled. The future wasn't merely a series of options to pick from—it was about the choices you made.

Russell, feeling mentally exhausted, decided to pause his research and let his mind rest.

While the vision didn't show the mastermind behind the chaos in Gwen's life, Russell had a pretty solid idea of who might be responsible. In the original timeline, it was George, Kingpin, or Mark Murdock—none of them were particularly good people, especially in Earth-65.

To avoid mistakes, Russell silently began plotting his next steps. A quick investigation was in order—just in case he needed to deal with any criminal masterminds.

And, of course, the Spider Silk criminal organization needed to be dismantled as well.

As he processed all this, Russell mentally sentenced those responsible for Gwen's troubles to their fates.