Doctor Strange - This One Summer

Drifting

Return

Three days after that, the students of Kamar-Taj began to fully realize the implications of Hazel's absence. Had she left suddenly without telling anyone? Had she been expelled? However, Reiko and the other acolytes that had accompanied Hazel on the day of her taking knew better, and a grim dread consumed them. Had she joined Kaecilius? Or had anything worse happened to her? Needless to say, the Ancient One asked them to keep the entire event a secret and deny it if anyone asked them if they knew anything. Still, they were distraught. The masters didn't tolerate slacking, but they were also understanding of the particular circumstances. For all they knew, Hazel had died, and that kind of thing didn't happen every day at Kamar-Taj.

The Ancient One was troubled and withdrawn-more so than usual. She took her meals alone and evaded any questions the masters had for her. She didn't know, and she didn't care. Even if Hazel had joined Kaecilius, it was too late for the girl. She'd missed her chance to perform the ceremony, and as a result, her entire being was forfeit to the Main Guest.

Things were strange at the sanctuary, but the Sorcerer Supreme couldn't neglect her duties. She was in the library, returning her books and heading to the globe room to check on the sanctums, when a sudden clamor outside drew her attention. Several pairs of feet-a group of people-scrambled down the hallways. People were shouting. The first thing that came to the Ancient One's mind was that they were under some kind of attack, but not a moment after she considered the possibility, a frantic acolyte bolted down the aisle towards her and bowed in front of her. "Forgive me, Ancient One," she gasped. How far had she run? "I-it's that girl-Hazel Grace is outside."

Surely enough, in the second courtyard, a crowd of people had gathered around something that had not been there before. A thing that shouted and shook and sashayed about the courtyard in a near-hysteric fit. In that moment, the Ancient One felt as if a barrier between her and the world had shattered. Her hands were numb; she didn't feel anything through euphoric relief as her legs carried her to the scene. She was free.

Mordo tried calming the girl as she stalked around the yard, shouting nonsensically.

"Hazel, just stay calm. You didn't—"

"Don't!" she snarled when he tried reaching a comforting hand to her. "Don't touch me. Don't look at me. Someone just walked over my grave. They walked and they stood there and I could feel it, and it weighed me down, and...."

The two of them looked up as the Ancient One stepped into the courtyard. Hazel ran to her immediately.

"Hazel," the elder tried calming her as Hazel began pacing in circles.

"You have no idea what I've been through," Hazel started excitedly, her legs fidgeting and bringing her in lines and circles close to the Ancient One. "I was in a church, and this crazy guy just comes outta nowhere and started talking about this Dark Dimension and about how the Main Guest used it to show him what I was and he—"

"Hazel," the woman started again, glancing around the courtyard uneasily. Was she mad? She couldn't just talk about that in front of everyone-

"And I didn't join him, so he stabbed me, and the Guests took me back and I just showed up here, and I don't know how I got away, but I did, and I—"

"Hazel!"

The Ancient One grabbed the girl's arm and held her there, shaking her slightly. "Stop. Are you hurt?"

Hazel panted as she looked down at herself. "No!"

She smiled. She was grinning as if she couldn't help it. Of course, after being taken into such a terrifying situation and then returned to safety all of a sudden, anyone would be shaken into brief fits of lunacy. The Ancient One couldn't believe it. She didn't know what had come over her. Her grip on Hazel's arm loosened, but Hazel held the woman's hand securely, reassuringly.