Chapter 016: If You Are Lucky, You Can Do Whatever You Want?!

The Eye of Agamotto—an ancient, ornate amulet known to few and truly understood by even fewer. A magical weapon, yes, but more accurately, it was a container. Housed within it was one of the six most powerful artifacts in the known universe: the Time Stone.

In the Marvel universe, there exist six Infinity Stones—also referred to as rough stones or gems. They are Time, Power, Space, Reality, Soul, and Mind. Each stone governs a different aspect of existence and is fiercely protected by those who possess it.

The Time Stone originally resided in Kamar-Taj, the sanctuary of sorcerers nestled deep within Nepal. It had been safeguarded for centuries by the lineage of the Sorcerer Supreme. This title came with the grave responsibility of watching over the Time Stone, hence why each Sorcerer Supreme was also referred to as the Guardian of Time.

So when the Ancient One, the current Sorcerer Supreme, handed over the Eye of Agamotto to Henry, it naturally raised eyebrows—especially Henry's own.

Wait. Did this mean… the Ancient One wanted him to succeed her?

Sure, Henry had talent. In fact, his potential had been described as limitless by many. But even he knew the truth—he hadn't undergone formal training at Kamar-Taj. His magical education had only just begun. How could someone so inexperienced be entrusted with an artifact capable of altering the very fabric of time?

Despite the swirling questions in his mind, Henry accepted the relic with humility. "I'll protect it with my life," he said. "So... this thing is really for me?"

"Yes," the Ancient One responded calmly, placing the Eye of Agamotto into his hands.

Henry took it, a mixture of confusion and awe in his eyes. He examined the amulet with fascination, his fingers tracing the engravings of ancient runes along its frame.

"The Eye of Agamotto itself is a magical device used to house the Time Stone," the Ancient One explained, stepping beside him. "To wield its power—to control time itself—you need not only the stone but also a reservoir of magical energy. And right now, Henry, you are still developing your reserves."

She glanced at him with a rare smile. "But I believe it's only a matter of time before you grow into it."

"To open the Eye, one must use a spell," she added. "A complex incantation created over centuries by generations of Sorcerer Supremes. It serves as a security measure—an absolute safeguard. I am about to pass the spell to you, but understand this: you must never share it. Only you—and your successor—will know it."

Henry nodded solemnly, feeling the gravity of her words. She was placing ancient secrets into his hands. But before she could even begin reciting the incantation, Henry's hands began to glow. Green magical energy flickered across his fingers as he instinctively mimicked her hand movements from earlier that day.

And then—click.

A radiant green light poured out from the Eye of Agamotto. The amulet opened smoothly, revealing the swirling vortex of the Time Stone within.

The Ancient One froze.

"????"

Henry blinked. "????"

For a full minute, the two of them stared at each other in stunned silence.

The awkward tension was thick enough to cut with a blade. Henry could practically see the disbelief in the Ancient One's eyes. Her mouth hung slightly open, her pupils widened in pure shock.

"How did you open it?" she asked at last, voice trembling with uncharacteristic disbelief.

Henry scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Supreme Mage... Uh... if I told you I was just really lucky, would you believe me?"

Her silence was telling.

Her face screamed, Do I look like someone who believes that kind of nonsense?

But here was the kicker: Henry wasn't lying. He was blind to how it worked—he simply went with his gut and, by some cosmic fluke, activated the spell.

The truth? He had read ahead in the plot. He knew that a spell was required to access the Time Stone. So naturally, he'd spent some time tinkering with the Eye of Agamotto on his own, experimenting with different hand signs and focusing his magic to see if he could intuit the opening mechanism.

And somehow—by pure accident—he triggered the exact sequence required.

He wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry.

"I mean, it's not the first time something like this has happened," he added weakly. "I've always had pretty good luck... maybe too good."

The Ancient One furrowed her brow, clearly unconvinced. "Good luck? That's an understatement."

Sure, she had heard of mutants and beings blessed with extraordinary probability manipulation—Scarlet Witch came to mind—but this was something else entirely. Breaking Agamotto's security spell with sheer dumb luck?

It defied logic.

Still, she sighed and let the matter drop. "Fine. As long as you know how to use it, that's enough for now. You'll find more information in the library. Study it well."

Henry nodded, eager to dive into the forbidden knowledge of time manipulation. He tucked the Eye of Agamotto safely around his neck and turned toward the exit of the temple.

But just as he reached the threshold, the Ancient One spoke again.

"Wait—one more thing. You should return Thor's weapon to him. Asgard and Kamar-Taj have always maintained a delicate peace. It's best to keep it that way."

Henry stopped in his tracks. "Oh. Right."

He'd almost forgotten that he still had Thor's hammer—Mjolnir.

"I've already got the Time Stone," he muttered to himself. "What do I need a lightning hammer for?"

With a flick of his wrist, Henry cast a teleportation spell. A swirling golden portal opened in the air before him, and he tossed Mjolnir through it.

Back in Asgard…

At the royal dining hall, Thor was fuming. He slammed his mug of ale onto the table, shattering it into pieces.

"I had it in my hand just a minute ago! Where in the Nine Realms did my hammer go?!" he roared.

His friends, seated around him, looked equally confused.

"Maybe someone stole it?" one of them suggested timidly.

"Impossible!" Thor snapped. "Only I can lift Mjolnir. No one else could possibly wield it!"

"And yet… you've been trying to summon it for the last hour," another friend pointed out. "And it hasn't come back."

Thor scowled. "I know that! It's never done that before."

Just then, a small yellow circle appeared in the air near the table.

"Hey! What's that?!" someone shouted, pointing.

Everyone turned to look. Out of the portal came… Mjolnir.

The hammer flew straight into Thor's waiting hand with a satisfying whomp.

For a moment, there was stunned silence.

Then cheers erupted throughout the hall.

"My hammer!!" Thor bellowed with joy. "It's back!!"

But amid the celebration, Thor's instincts kicked in. He narrowed his eyes. Something about this was... wrong.

"That was a teleportation portal," he said, his voice lowering. "Someone returned Mjolnir. But who?"

His friends quieted down. No one had seen who had cast the spell. No one had any answers.

"It didn't feel like Asgardian magic," someone finally said.

Thor clenched his jaw. "Which means someone outside Asgard was able to pierce our realm's defenses. That's no small feat."

He stood up, determination flaring in his eyes.

"I'm going to see Heimdall. He sees all. If someone broke into Asgard—no matter how briefly—he'll know who it was."

Without another word, Thor stormed off toward the Bifrost Bridge, his friends trailing behind.

And somewhere far away, Henry strolled out of the temple, humming to himself, completely unaware that he had just made an accidental enemy of the God of Thunder.

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