Early the next morning, Wanda and Strange arrived together at the London Sanctum.
They came very early.
Even the rising sun failed to dampen their enthusiasm.
It had been a long time. A very long time since either of them had returned here.
The memories tied to this place weren't exactly pleasant, but for both of them, the London Sanctum was where everything changed.
And Noah was the one who changed it.
They glanced at each other, but neither spoke.
Although they were both Noah's apprentices, they weren't particularly close.
To be honest, both felt a faint unease.
What did Noah want this time?
Or rather-what was he planning to teach them now?
Noah had already taught them a great deal.
At times, the greatest sorcerer of the British Wizarding World felt unreliable.
Even so, their respect for this unnaturally young-looking Mentor was absolute.
And beneath that respect, there was excitement.
Because whenever Noah summoned them, it meant something new.
For quite a while now, both Wanda and Strange had been working as exorcists.
But their work had long surpassed the level of ordinary exorcism.
No matter how dangerous the target, they would try to handle it.
The difference was simple.
Wanda carried out her missions under protection.
Strange did everything alone.
As a result, Strange looked noticeably worse.
Scars covered his face.
It was obvious he'd been beaten more than once.
"Hello." Feeling the silence drag on, Strange turned toward Wanda.
"My name is-"
"I know who you are," Wanda cut in, her tone cold.
"You're not the Mentor's only apprentice, but you're one of the earliest."
She looked at him directly.
"Wanda. Call me that, Stephen. Or should I say... Sherlock?"
"...Alright." Strange nodded helplessly.
"Nice to meet you, Wanda."
Once again, he was reminded that sorcerers tended to have... personalities.
Maybe his Herbology mentor was the only normal one.
Still, Strange had long since gotten used to it.
In a world where mysterious voices could suddenly whisper in your head, eccentricity felt normal.
So he didn't try to continue the conversation.
He closed his eyes and waited in silence.
About half an hour later, the Sanctum doors finally opened.
The one who opened them was Jason.
The former CIA agent, quiet as always.
After Noah's decisive purge of the assassins, Jason had returned here and resumed his peaceful routine.
Opening the doors every morning was his job.
As for when he did it-
That depended entirely on the mood of the sorcerers inside.
Today was later than usual.
What Jason didn't expect was to see two familiar figures standing outside.
Both were apprentices of this place.
They had left for a time-"tempering," as Noah called it.
Clearly, this was their return.
But something felt off.
Why were they just standing there?
"Why are you standing here?" Jason asked, puzzled.
"Because... the door wasn't open?" Strange replied, equally confused.
Wasn't that obvious?
Jason's expression turned strange.
"Did you really not know?"
"The Sanctum doors are never locked."
"It's an unwritten rule. The doors don't close."
"Of course, not just anyone can enter. There are security measures."
"But you're obviously not on the blacklist."
Which meant-
Wanda slowly turned her head toward Strange, her gaze dark.
"So we could've gone in at any time?"
Jason didn't answer.
He simply nodded casually and walked past them.
He still had to buy daily supplies.
Something he genuinely enjoyed.
Especially when several messy-looking young sorcerers rushed out to follow him.
Jason looked very pleased.
Strange stared at his retreating back, his expression sour.
Wanda was glaring at him.
If he hadn't stood there like an idiot, they'd have been inside long ago.
Clearing his throat, Strange walked straight in.
He didn't dare meet Wanda's eyes.
He went directly to the library.
Whether Noah had arrived or not didn't matter.
The library was always the right place to wait.
And if Noah wasn't there, Wong would be.
The Master whose authority and strength in the Sanctum were second only to Noah.
Strange didn't dare enter Noah's office uninvited.
Respect played a part.
So did a bit of fear.
Wanda followed shortly after.
She said nothing.
Didn't even look at him.
Which made Strange quietly relax.
He had zero interest in her anyway.
Besides-
Just knowing who her father was made his heart skip.
Erik.
Magneto.
That alone was terrifying.
Their arrival quickly caught the attention of the Sanctum.
Naturally, Noah was informed.
Before long, subtle magical fluctuations appeared around them.
No light.
No spectacle.
Just a brief distortion.
Their vision blurred.
And in the next moment, they were standing inside Noah's office.
Noah was dressed casually.
He didn't look like he'd just woken up.
But he didn't look imposing either.
He looked like an ordinary young sorcerer.
Neither of them would ever treat him as ordinary.
They straightened instantly and bowed deeply.
"You're here?" Noah stretched, smiling faintly.
"Quite early."
"Looks like you're both looking forward to what comes next."
"I'm ready, Mentor," they said in unison.
"Good." Noah stood and examined them closely.
Their progress was impressive.
Their potential was clearly being drawn out.
They hadn't reached their limits.
But it was enough to satisfy him.
He didn't know what Wanda had experienced.
But her current level was already around Tier Seven.
At her age, that was absurd.
As for her brother-
Noah wasn't sure.
But the fact that he was still alive told him enough.
Strange was different.
In raw power, he couldn't match Wanda.
But his application of magic-
Especially techniques.
That was exceptional.
Noah couldn't see that directly.
He sensed only power.
The rest came from Wong.
Strange believed he'd been acting alone.
In reality, he'd been watched the entire time.
Wong had kept Noah updated.
Strange had mastered countless techniques with frightening precision.
And he showed genuine genius-level talent in Space Magic.
His spatial control was excellent.
Aside from limited mana, his application of space was already on par with many Masters.
That kind of talent was rare.
Even more importantly-
His bond with the red cloak was deepening.
Perfectly compensating for his weakness.
Space Magic was the art of miracles.
Noah had proven that long ago.
In the Warcraft universe, he had killed Gul'dan and outplayed a Naaru using Space Magic.
Both were stronger than him.
And yet, he won.
If Strange continued down this path, his future strength would be terrifying.
"And I'll be giving you some assistance," Noah said at last.
"I'll be teaching you something new."
"Knowledge from other universes."
"Other universes?" Wanda and Strange frowned.
"What kind of magic?"
"Arcane," Noah answered plainly.
"The Arcane is fascinating."
"You can study it seriously."
"Or treat it as reference material."
"Either is fine."
"But when this study period ends-"
"There will be an assessment."
"An assessment?" Both of them stiffened.
That wasn't what they expected.
They were used to tests.
Noah tested them often.
But this sounded... different.
Was it specific to Arcane knowledge?
Or a comprehensive evaluation?
They weren't afraid of being tested.
They were afraid of disappointing him.
"No need to overthink it," Noah said, stretching again.
"The assessment covers many areas."
"Knowledge."
"Combat."
"And more."
"Oh, and this Arcane material isn't just for you."
"The entire Sanctum will participate."
"Possibly more people later."
He paused.
"And of course-"
"There's a reward."
"As for what it is..."
Noah smiled.
"You'll find out when the time comes."