The temple in Hong Kong.
"Daniel, why did you suddenly come? Did the Sorcerer Supreme arrange for you to take my shift?"
Kaecilius looked at Daniel, who had appeared out of nowhere, and asked with a hint of curiosity.
"Nothing special. The Sorcerer Supreme is satisfied with your guarding of the temple. I was just bored, so I came to take a walk and visit you," Daniel replied somewhat uncertainly.
Of course, he didn't dare to tell the truth, that he had run away because he was afraid of meeting Alaric again.
"All right then, come in. I'll make you tea from the best leaves I have. There are also many specialties here that we don't find in Kamar Taj. You must try them," said Kaecilius, although he was inwardly suspicious of Daniel's words.
If the Ancient One truly trusted her disciples, why was she constantly hiding from them?
Kaecilius muttered to himself while preparing the tea.
He had long known that the Ancient One possessed power that allowed her to live much longer than an ordinary person. When he found out that she had actually achieved near immortality, doubt began to take root in his heart.
He had read many ancient texts about magic and knew well that the Vishanti had forbidden any sorcerer, even the Sorcerer Supreme, from using their power to resist death.
And yet, the Ancient One had done exactly that.
To Kaecilius, it was a betrayal of the very principle of magic. If she hid such a secret from her disciples, then she was not worthy to lead them.
That's why he began gathering those who shared his opinion and started investigating the origin of the Ancient One's power.
"Thank you. I won't stay long," Daniel said with a forced smile.
But his fake calmness didn't last long, because the next moment, Alaric appeared.
"Daniel."
The sudden voice made Kaecilius jump to his feet. Magical sparks appeared around his hands as he instinctively took a combat stance.
"Alaric!? How did you know I was here?!" Daniel turned toward him, his voice trembling.
Oh no! He ran away from Kamar Taj only for Alaric to find him here!
"You're Alaric... that so-called reincarnation of a demon?"
Kaecilius studied Alaric, not hiding his surprise and suspicion.
This was his first time meeting him, but in Kamar Taj, stories about the miracle called Alaric had long been circulating.
Apparently, he was an ordinary man whom the Ancient One found at the foot of the snowy mountains, but his magical talent surpassed all known disciples.
That wasn't natural.
Kaecilius couldn't accept that someone with such power was merely "gifted." He was convinced there was a deeper truth behind it.
"Reincarnation of a demon," he repeated quietly, as if testing how true that legend might be.
But the more he observed Alaric, the more he became convinced that this was no ordinary mortal standing before him.
Because how could someone who appeared out of nowhere master the hardest spells in just a few months?
Even when he secretly investigated him, he found nothing, no trace of his origin, no record of his life before coming to Kamar Taj.
As if he had simply… come into existence from nothing.
That mystery obsessed him.
Combined with the rumors spreading among sorcerers, that Alaric might have some connection to the source of the Ancient One's power, Kaecilius began forming his own theory.
Perhaps there was a secret pact between them.
"Kaecilius, don't talk nonsense! What reincarnation of a demon, that's the reincarnation of the God of Magic!"
When Daniel heard Kaecilius's words, his face turned pale.
Do you really have to pour oil on the fire?
As if I'm not already in enough trouble!
He glanced at Alaric, whose face had darkened, and quickly started explaining:
"The God of Magic reincarnated? Did you see that with your own eyes?" Kaecilius asked, raising an eyebrow skeptically.
"Yes! Wong and I saw with our own eyes how Alaric summoned the God of Magic!" declared Daniel without a hint of doubt.
That image still returned to him in his dreams.
Even now, every time he remembered that moment, shivers ran through his whole body.
"Are you sure it was the Honorable Vishanti?" Kaecilius asked doubtfully.
"Uh… well, I'm not sure," Daniel hesitated, trying to recall the details.
Every sorcerer who masters magic must go through a spiritual connection with the Vishanti, the deity that grants the power of white magic.
Theoretically, every mage who uses spells has already come into contact with its will in the spiritual world.
But only the exceptionally gifted can sense its true presence.
The most talented sometimes glimpse only a flash, a sphere of light shining like the sun, while its true face remains unfathomable.
So when Daniel said he saw the real Vishanti, even he wasn't sure.
Maybe what Alaric summoned wasn't Vishanti, but someone or something that resembled it.
"Oh… I see," Kaecilius said, nodding with a mysterious smile.
The God of Magic isn't just Vishanti.
Besides white magic, there is also black magic, ruled by other lords of dimensions: Dormammu, Mephisto and many others.
All of them, in their own way, can be called gods of magic.
If Alaric was truly the reincarnation of one of them… that would be fascinating.
Kaecilius smiled, and that smile made Alaric's skin crawl.
What is this guy imagining now?
I don't exactly look like a demon, do I?
Or maybe… this guy has some other ideas?
"Daniel, time's up. Let's go!" Alaric said seriously, grabbing him by the shoulder.
He opened a portal and pulled him toward it.
"Can't you stay a bit longer?" asked Kaecilius, genuinely disappointed.
"Sorry, I only like beautiful women," Alaric said calmly, looking him straight in the eyes.
Kaecilius blinked. "…What?"
Daniel groaned, trying to get away. "Alaric, maybe you shouldn't—"
"Enough nonsense. Let's go!" Alaric pulled him and stepped through the portal.
Daniel tried to resist, but it was useless, his magic couldn't even come close to matching Alaric's.
All he could do was hope that Alaric wouldn't beat him too badly once they got back.
Kaecilius watched as the portal vanished into thin air, then stared into the empty space irritably.
After a few moments, he clenched his fist and cursed angrily:
"Damn it! I love women too!!"
...
Kamar Taj, the hall.
The door burst open as Alaric entered, arms crossed and eyes cold as ice.
Behind him, Daniel quietly followed, covering his face and lowering his head like a child caught misbehaving.
Wong, who was sitting in the corner drinking tea, turned, and froze.
When he saw Daniel's flushed face and Alaric looking like he was burning with rage, he only thought: Oh no…
He looked toward the Ancient One, hoping she would say something or intervene, but she simply continued meditating peacefully, with a faint smile on her lips.