For this, Stephen thought for a moment, then could only look at Lorien.
At that moment, Lorien stroked Wanda's head and asked,
"Still want to get your hands dirty?"
Wanda shook her head.
"They need to undergo trials. Constantly begging for help won't let them grow."
He was right. Lorien nodded, then beckoned to Stephen.
Stephen approached.
"Hold out your hand."
Stephen extended his palm.
Lorien snapped his fingers. A tiny phoenix shot from his palm, landing in Stephen's open hand. It glanced around, then burrowed directly into his flesh. A fiery phoenix tattoo formed.
"Whoa~~~"
Feeling the searing heat, Stephen sucked in a sharp breath.
Lorien finally waved his hand and said,
"Go now. For the next week, it will only provide energy assistance, enhancing your magical power. Unless you face a life-threatening crisis, it won't do anything special."
Stephen nodded immediately, indicating he understood. Still, he curiously touched the tattoo, astonished such a power existed. Wasn't this like an old man leaving a safeguard for his grandson?
Ahem, never mind that. With it around, he felt genuinely more at ease.
After acquiring the phoenix tattoo, Stephen turned to the young Stephen and asked,
"When do we leave?"
"The sooner, the better," the young Stephen explained. "Our world might hold out a while longer before it's destroyed, or it could be the very next moment."
"Then let's go."
Stephen waved his hand, beckoning America and asking,
"I'm going to his world. When I return, can you help bring me back?"
"Um…" America hesitated. "I should… be able to."
"As long as you can, let's go."
Young Stephen nodded, preparing to lead them away. But Stephen turned back to bow to Lorien.
"I'll be going now, Lorien."
As Stephen spoke these words, the cloak on his back flew out, bowing courteously to Lorien.
But somehow, young Stephen's cloak also flew down, bowing to Lorien.
Young Stephen: ?
You're my cloak, aren't you? Besides, what business is it of yours? You two are meeting for the first time, right?
After a moment's hesitation, young Stephen thought it over. He also gave Lorien a slight nod of respect. Judging by the attitude everyone showed, this godfather was someone special. And quite powerful at that.
Facing the group's salutes, Lorien accepted them calmly with a nod.
"Go."
The two Stephens then turned and led America away. Lorien watched as America opened the space-time gate. Then the three of them stepped inside together.
With that, three people had departed.
Inside the castle now, only Lorien, Wanda, and Elder Stephen remained.
Perhaps fearing Lorien might be uneasy, Elder Stephen stated calmly,
"I can walk there in front of you. There—meaning the cosmic ruins."
With his frail sorcerer's frame, entering meant certain death. Anyone below Sky Father–level, even Sky Father–level itself, would perish. There was no exception. Even Odin would die there.
But whether he lived or died—what did that have to do with Lorien? Would Lorien really try to talk him out of dying?
What nonsense.
Lorien shook his head helplessly.
"Once we're gone, leave with some dignity.
Let you decide how you'll die.
This is the greatest kindness I can offer."
Lorien waved his hand, not in a hurry to leave. Instead, he took Wanda to wander through the castle.
Old Stephen gave no response. He returned to the table, picked up his old envelope and photographs, and murmured over them, stroking them again and again.
It wasn't that he was reluctant to die. He truly wanted to. Now, he was simply replaying the fleeting memories of his youth.
...
Lorien and Wanda descended the stairs, exploring the other floors of the medieval castle.
The stone walls were gray-brown or bluish, with moss creeping over certain spots.
Wanda glanced around the architecture and shook her head.
"I don't really like this. It feels gloomy."
Lorien looked around. Indeed, the place carried a faint sense of decay. When empty, it felt eerie—like now.
"I don't like it either. Compared to castles, I'd rather have an open apartment, a small cabin, a warm fireplace, wide open views… things like that."
His words matched Wanda's thoughts perfectly. Both of them liked that sort of place. That's why the top floor of the Northern Tower was filled with natural touches and countless floor-to-ceiling windows.
After wandering around the castle for a while, they finally stepped out through the main gates.
Outside, the atmosphere was even more unsettling.
Gray earth without grass. A battered iron wall. Everything around them looked desolate.
Anyone living here long-term would probably lose their mind.
Wanda shook her head, hugged Lorien's arm, and said,
"Let's go home. See if Gwen's coming back tonight."
"Uh…"
Lorien already knew the answer. She wouldn't be back.
The preview had shown the Spider-Alliance clashing with Venom and the Symbiotes.
So… Ahem. Tonight, Wanda would be the one suffering.
"Alright, let's go home."
Lorien reached out, preparing to open the Multiverse Barrier.
At that moment, in the corner of their vision, a silhouette resembling Stephen slowly drifted into the fusion zone of the cosmic barriers—only to be erased into nothingness in an instant.
Old Stephen was gone.
He hadn't waited for Lorien and Wanda to leave. Instead, after replaying his memories one last time, he chose to depart. And he took the Darkhold with him. Clearly, he knew it was nothing good.
Immediately after his death, this universe's collapse sped up.
What had been eroding the castle's edge now spread at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Lorien and Wanda admired the sight for three seconds.
Then Lorien drew his index finger through the air.
"Zzzzt~"
A Multiverse rift opened. They gave the world one final look, then stepped inside together, returning home.
...
While crossing through the cosmic barrier—the spaces between universes, the bubbles—Lorien noticed something.
The Watcher wasn't watching him this time.
It seemed that one look from him had been enough to leave the being cautious… maybe even afraid. At the very least, it wouldn't dare meet his gaze again.
The next moment, Lorien and Wanda appeared back in the living room of their Northern Tower home.
Hela, still playing her game, looked up when she saw them and waved.
"Hey!"
"....."
Wanda blinked at her, then sighed and knocked her lightly on the head.
"Couldn't you just say 'Welcome back, I missed you'?"
"I did miss you," Hela nodded quickly. "But I'm also hungry…"
Her expression was practically saying Daddy, Mommy, hungry, food.
Wanda's heart softened. She tapped Hela on the head, then went to the kitchen to have the succubus fridge, Nora, prepare dinner.
Lorien grabbed a raw tomato, sat down in the Little Universe, and started eating while playing on his phone.
...
Meanwhile,
in New York City.
Three girls in Spider-Suits and another piloting a Spider-Mech were gathered on the rooftop of a skyscraper.
They had just wrapped up their routine crime-fighting and were now lounging at the top of the building, snacking on fries, bubble tea, and other treats while chatting.
Gwen took a sip of the bubble tea Tony had launched with Lorien's backing and sighed happily.
"This is so good."
Each of them held a cup of bubble tea. Their nano-suits had retracted the masks automatically, though the suits still covered them from the neck down.
Peni sipped her drink, popped two fries into her mouth, and added with approval,
"In my world, this would be the peak of overtime madness—oh wait, no, just regular working hours."
Mayday, sitting on the building's edge with her legs dangling, waved a hand and said,
"Your world sounds terrifying just hearing about it. Don't bring it up. When the time's right, go back, get your revenge… and then just stay in ours."
Hearing that, Peni actually paused to think. She had no family left in her original world. After revenge, staying here might really be better.
Cindy teased,
"Our world?"
The meaning was obvious. Apart from Gwen, who was native to this universe, the other three were outsiders. Saying "our" meant acknowledging this world as home.
Reminded of that, Mayday thought it over and answered matter-of-factly,
"Anyway, I think this world is great. Don't you feel it? Once I'm capable, I'll bring my parents here too. It's still New York, after all."
"What about you two?"
If Mayday, who still had parents, was saying this, Cindy and Peni—who didn't—would of course agree. Both nodded without hesitation.
So it seemed every member of the Spider-Alliance had come to love this world.
...
They kept snacking and chatting.
Mayday glanced at Gwen, who was swinging her legs over the building's edge, and asked,
"Gwen, aren't you going back tonight? It's already past nine."
"Hmph."
Gwen chuckled.
"Let Wanda wear herself out for a few more days. Give it two, and she'll be begging me to come back."
Her words made the other three instantly blush.
Mayday covered her mouth in shock.
"Lorien… is he really that impressive?"
Gwen gave an example.
"Don't be fooled by how refined Lorien looks and assume he's physically normal. His body moves like lightning. Once, he caught both Wanda and me in an instant, then ran back to the tower in the blink of an eye."
"That kind of speed isn't from an ordinary body. I think it's some kind of superpower. Like the Flash?"
"Whoa~!"
The three girls' eyes widened. Instantly back at the tower? How fast must that have been?
It definitely wasn't just running—if it had been, the ground would've cracked under the force.
And once girls get into dirty jokes, they never stop. Truthfully, their private chats are often far more outrageous than boys'. Boys worry about deleting their browsing history before they die. But girls? They'd rather die than let anyone see their chat logs with their besties.
So Cindy, restless with curiosity, asked,
"You said Wanda asked you back—so, does that mean you two are still doing the sacred two-on-one?"
"Cindy~!"
Mayday immediately jumped forward, covering Cindy's mouth and motioning toward Peni.
"She's still young."
Cindy glanced over.
Peni's face was buried in her hands, her cheeks burning red, ears crimson as she peeked at them through her fingers.
"I… I'm fine! Keep talking!"
Gwen waved casually.
"It's fine. We're all family here. Peni will go through it sooner or later—better she hears it now. Actually, it's not really a two-on-one. It's Lorien taking on two at once. And we still can't beat him. Sigh..."
Cindy, Mayday: !?
"That strong?!"
Both were floored.
That wasn't Superman—it was Superman to the point of being deadly.
"Then you..."
Cindy fidgeted, clearly itching to ask more.
But then, all four froze at once.
A chill swept over them, hair standing on end.
They all turned simultaneously in the same direction.
To be precise—toward a coastal mountain range on the edge of New York.
"There's something wrong there," Gwen said firmly.
The others nodded, exchanged looks, and said in unison,
"Let's go."
In an instant, their nano-helmets sealed shut.
All four leapt from the skyscraper together, racing toward a coastal factory.