A daughter of Thanos and an Avenger, Zaiya was a powerful being plagued by the connections she grew. Her heart hardened, she finds herself amongst the Masters of the Mystic Arts, the fate of the universe thrown onto her shoulders.
What she didn't e...
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" The soul always knows what to do to heal itself. The challenge is to silence the mind. " - Caroline Myss
•◇•
TIME. SUCH a fickle creature. It stored pain, hatred, and impatience. Nonetheless, it also allowed flowers to bloom, love to grow, and wounds to heal. For the first time in two years, Zaiya sat in the courtyard of Kamar-Taj, gracefully accepting the passage of time. Her eyes were closed as she basked in the warm sunlight streaming through the tree's branches. Every now and then, a soft breeze blew through the courtyard, the flower petals falling slowly at the mercy of the wind.
Wong was now Sorcerer Supreme. Zaiya was ecstatic, believing he was more than qualified for the role. She was offered it, but she knew she didn't deserve it. She didn't want it either. She was content as Master of the New York Sanctum, and it also allowed her to keep the Avengers close.
Wong put Zaiya to work immediately, training new students who had arrived in Kamar-Taj. Zaiya's knowledge of the universe came in handy. It was almost like sitting through a lecture, with Zaiya pointing out new books to read to delve deeper into certain topics or simply explaining what she knew.
However, Wong seemed to notice one significant difference. She happily described her abilities in great detail. She described her origins, family, and how she maintained and balanced her powers. She said it casually, as if she didn't care. Unbeknownst to him, it was simply because she didn't have anything else to worry about.
She wanted the world to be a better place for the students she taught. She would never be able to pass down the lessons she had learned if she continued to keep secrets. Powers of her magnitude, even those of the Masters of the Mystic Arts, posed as a threat to not only others but to themselves. She hoped to serve as a cautionary tale. How power could so easily enter your veins and kill you from the inside out.
Amongst the presence of youth, Zaiya had given up communicating with the Dark Dimension. It wasn't until she stopped that she felt her eyes aching, and memories of her pain began to seep through. Zaiya stopped just in time, reaping the benefits of her communion. Her strength was tenfold as to what it had been before. She didn't have much reason to use it these days though. Perhaps the time would come again.
•◇•
As Zaiya healed, she ventured into more of the Sanctum's rooms, allowing memories to flood her. Pepper thought it was healthy, avoiding the inevitable wouldn't help her, and Zaiya eventually saw that.
On a random Tuesday afternoon, Zaiya was fiddling with the bed sheets on Stephen's side of their once sharer king bed. Her golden gaze wandered around the dusty room, eventually settling on a small box placed in the middle of his bedside table, a wooden turtle delicately placed on top. Her curiosity ate at her as she slowly opened the box, her eyes taking in everything she saw.
