"What is that?" Stark wrinkles the muscles around his eyes and asks.
"Just Dormammu."
Strange leans back on the chair of the single sofa perfectly relaxed, with his hands on the armrests and his legs up, saying, "I also have Big Shadow, Red Lord, Hell Lord... Tony, do you truly think the existence of these creatures is as straightforward?"
"In reality, just like the Human race, energy is their tool too; it is also ours. The importance of energy is just as crucial to them as is it to us. We rely on energy to drive machines and build civilizations, but that is not who we are."
"Aren't they energy beings?"
"That's just one way to perceive it." Strange's eyes have lost their deep darkness, replaced by the wisdom of the Supreme Magician. He shifts his forearm inward, crosses his fingers, and sets them in front of him, saying, "The core of each Major Demon is a concept or rule, not energy."
"The Dark Dimension is Dormammu's property. He values it significantly, hoping to expand it by using darkness to corrode the world, but that originates from his Greed, not the necessity to survive."
"As long as darkness exists in this cosmos, Dormammu will never fully perish. His form of death is more akin to a sleep, an endless slumber that replaces true eradication. Perhaps only the destruction of the universe can actually annihilate him."
"Throughout the long history of Supreme Magicians dealing with such beings, we have encountered even stranger and more terrifying existences. My mentor, The Ancient One, has relayed to me that distorted and horrifying history."
Strange and Stark both turn their gazes towards that black notebook. When their focal points overlap, Stark hears Strange recounting the stories of the wizards exploring the mysteries behind the stars.
"In the ancient Hyperborean Era, wizards began to show curiosity about what lies behind the stars. They crafted Arrays, offered sacrifices, and summoned these terrifying existences hidden behind the constellations."
"Modern magicians generally believe that those so-called Arrays and sacrifices did not work. They think that it was the wizards peering into the stars that caught the attention of these ancient beings."
"When these beings turned their focus onto them, the wizards obtained immeasurable power, yet at the same time, they fell into a seemingly endless insanity and anguish. Modern magicians generally believe that these beings did not grant this power, nor did they inflict the madness."
Stark shakes his head slightly, indicating that he hasn't fully understood. Strange uses many ancient and profound words, some of which don't even seem like human language, but he continues to speak in his indulgent tone:
"The power the wizards gained was merely the aftermath of the being's arrival, and the insanity they suffered was just because they gazed directly into madness itself. These existences, which descended, didn't want to bless anyone, nor cause anyone to suffer. Their existence is nothing but pure chaos and madness."
"And if we talk about what they are, my mentor The Ancient One once said, 'there are no treasures behind the cosmos, only endless blindness and foolishness.'
"They hide in a material-less realm far within the stars, and when the cosmos realigns, they will descend once again."
"Who are they, exactly?"
Strange follows Stark's gaze, and he too seems entranced, uttering a string of incomprehensible words. However, these words form a name in Stark's mind— "Old Day Dominator".
"Please forgive me for only now employing a specific term to describe the mad tale I've experienced. If it were a novel, I would title it—Old Day Revisited."
But this isn't due to my negligence, because the story of how I discovered this name is just as thrilling and exciting. I must document it, starting with the time I pursued the extraterrestrial object that fell at the foot of Longs Peak in the Rocky Mountain National Park.
When the sun set, an indescribable thrill pushed me on, not giving me the choice to retreat to base. Instead, I took my flashlight out from my backpack, illuminating my path into the darkness…"
Shiller, sitting at the desk, looks out through the tired eyes, finally seeing the sun rise. The bright rays becoming steadily brighter, and as the flashlight moves away, it reveals Quill's face covered in scratches.
He hobbles through the forest, occasionally using the cane in his hand to clear the thick undergrowth and taking uneven steps forward.
"Just listen to me for once, okay?! Considering I just saved your life, we should be going back to base, not continue heading further into the danger!" The Racoon named Rocket is holding onto the handle of the backpack, complaining next to Quill's ear, saying, "You said you don't have a fear of heights? Then how do you explain fainting on top of that tall tree branch?!"
Quill purses his lips seemingly avoiding the topic. He turns away and says, "Thanks for using the grapple to save me so that I didn't fracture my spine. Still, it was just a fluke. I think I'm in good shape."
Rocket the raccoon lets out a deep sigh, no longer bothering to argue. Quill quickens his pace, with the smoke from the crashed spaceship getting closer and closer.