Chapter 126: Grave Wounds

Stephen Strange crawled forward, while Cassius’s men advanced step by step toward him, chanting spells as a magical dagger appeared in their hands.

Just as they were about to finish off Stephen Strange, a surge of red energy suddenly rushed at them, knocking one against the wall with such force that he instantly lost consciousness.

A woman with golden hair appeared before Stephen Strange—it was Wanda, who had just awakened from her meditation upon hearing the alarm bell.

Wanda immediately approached to check Stephen’s wounds and found him gravely injured; a dagger had pierced through his chest, and he was on the brink of death.

“Hold on! I’m taking you back to heal,” Wanda said. Venom and Quicksilver were at home; she planned to bring Stephen back so Venom could help treat him.

“Lend me your Mystic Ring!” Stephen Strange said to Wanda.

Though unsure of his intentions, Wanda handed over the Mystic Ring.

Stephen, despite his severe injuries, managed to stand, slipped on the Mystic Ring, and summoned a portal with all his remaining strength.

“Where are you going?” Wanda stepped forward to support him. “You’re badly hurt; you shouldn’t be moving!”

“To the hospital! Someone there can save me!” Stephen responded.

Wanda helped Stephen through the portal, arriving at the hospital where he once worked.

“Christine!” Stephen called out loudly at the nurse’s station, leaning on Wanda for support.

“Oh my God! Stephen? What happened to you?” Christine Palmer rushed over at the sight of Stephen’s grievous wounds, anxiety etched on her face.

“Prepare an operating room—just you. Hurry! I don’t have much time!” Stephen commanded.

Wanda and Christine helped Stephen lie down in a vacant operating room nearby.

“What’s wrong with him, Stephen?” Christine asked Wanda, eyeing the bloodstained clothes.

“I’ve been stabbed—a pericardial tamponade,” Stephen explained. Wanda nodded silently; she couldn’t offer medical assistance.

“What kind of clothes are you wearing?” Christine asked, pulling open Stephen’s shirt and cutting through his undershirt to expose the wound.

“The chest cavity looks clear,” Christine said as she fetched medical instruments.

“No, the bleeding is within the pericardium…” Stephen began, then fainted.

“No, no!” Christine exclaimed, quickly preparing her tools. She pulled out a long, large needle to drain the blood pooling in Stephen’s chest.

At that moment, Stephen’s soul unexpectedly left his body. He saw Wanda and Christine.

Christine held the needle, trying to find the right spot to insert it but struggled to locate the exact area of internal bleeding. Wanda could only watch, powerless to help.

“Move a little higher...” Stephen’s spirit suddenly appeared in the air and spoke to Christine.

“Ah!!!” Christine screamed in shock—she had never witnessed anything like this.

“Be careful with the needle tip!” Stephen warned.

“Stephen! What on earth is going on?” Christine was stunned by the sight before her—Stephen’s transparent spirit hovering above his lifeless body on the operating table.

Wanda remained calm, as if she had expected this.

“This is my soul,” Stephen said.

“Are you dead?” Christine asked, her voice trembling.

“No, Christine, but I’m dying,” Stephen replied.

“All right, all right,” Christine accepted the reality with a deep breath, steadying herself to continue the surgery under Stephen’s guidance.

Stephen cast a spell to make his chest transparent, allowing Christine to see directly inside his chest cavity.

“I’ve never seen a wound like this. What stabbed you?” Christine asked as she inserted the needle into Stephen’s chest.

“I don’t know what it was,” Stephen answered.

“What?” Christine was speechless. How could he not know what wounded him?

“That was a spatial magic blade—a weapon formed from energy, incredibly sharp, like a glass dagger,” Wanda explained quietly.

“Magic?” Christine’s worldview was shattered today—first astral projection, now magic. Was this a movie?

“I know you! You’re Wanda Maximoff, the Scarlet Witch, an Avenger!” Christine suddenly recognized Wanda. Despite her busy schedule, she had seen some of Wanda’s videos online.

“Nice to meet you. Are you his girlfriend?” Wanda asked.

“…No,” Christine hesitated before answering, then continued operating on Stephen.

“Arthur went to explore other universes and asked me to tell you,” Stephen said, recalling Wanda’s identity and Arthur’s message.

“Okay, thank you. Actually, I can help heal your wounds, but you’d have to come to my place,” Wanda said.

“No need. I’ll recover soon!” Stephen’s spirit assured her as he reentered his body. On the operating table, Stephen’s eyes fluttered open; he was awake.

After draining the blood from Stephen’s chest, Christine began stitching up the wound.

“So much time has passed, and then you suddenly appear here—flying out of your own body...” Christine spoke softly to Stephen. Wanda, sensing the moment, quietly turned and left the operating room, giving them privacy.

“Yeah, pretty magical, isn’t it? By the way, I’ve missed you,” Stephen finally said what he’d long wanted to express.

“I sent you emails, but you never replied...” Stephen continued.

“Why should I reply to you?” Christine retorted.

“Christine, I really... I’m so sorry. I regret everything. You’re right—I was a complete jerk! I didn’t cherish you when I should have, and you deserved better,” Stephen confessed.

“Enough. You’re not thinking clearly right now,” Christine interrupted, not letting him continue.

“What’s wrong with you? Where have you been? Did you become an Avenger?” Christine asked.

“Well, Arthur did invite me before, but I refused... After Western medicine failed me, I journeyed east—to Kathmandu,” Stephen replied.

“Kathmandu?” Christine questioned.

“Yes, Nepal,” Stephen confirmed.

“The place from that Bob Seger song?” Christine inquired further.

“The A-side of 'Beautiful Loser,' released in 1975. I went to a place called Kamar-Taj and spoke with someone named the Ancient One...” Stephen explained.

“Oh, so you joined some cult?” Christine joked.

“No, I didn’t! That’s not accurate—they taught me to harness a power I never knew existed,” Stephen said, a bit anxious.

“Sounds like a cult to me,” Christine said skeptically.

“It’s not a cult!” Stephen objected.

“Sure, all cult members say that,” Christine teased.

“Don’t believe me?” Stephen chuckled and suddenly sat upright.

“Wait, Stephen, don’t move! What are you doing?”

“There’s a cult meeting I’m about to miss—I have to leave now!” Stephen declared.

Christine helped him up, and they headed out together.

...

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