**Reality**
Balder suddenly appeared before the frozen Strange.
Wong hurried over, respectfully asking:
"Master, Strange killed the Ancient One, but I feel something's off."
He was extremely anxious. Everything had changed too quickly, including the unconscious woman on the ground. Even the Time Stone appeared! Everything felt like a huge mystery as if Dormammu's invasion was just a part of a larger scheme.
However, the Ancient One had mentioned that this person had rights equivalent to the Sorcerer Supreme, and now Wong finally felt he had found a pillar of support.
Hearing this title, Balder patted Wong on the shoulder.
"I get the feeling you're quite good at flattery."
He smiled warmly.
"Don't worry, everything is under control by both the Ancient One and me."
He then turned to Strange, just in time to meet his eyes, a flash of white light passing through.
The split consciousness and power returned, and Strange's eyes regained their clarity.
First, he looked at Balder in terror and then bent over, retching violently.
Though he couldn't control his body, he had seen himself consume the Ancient One's soul.
It was horrifying!
Wong was on guard but suddenly saw the Master draw a line in the air with his finger, easily slicing space open, revealing a bright rift.
The next moment, the Ancient One, glowing blue, stepped out.
It was her soul.
To truly deceive Chthon, Balder had placed her soul in his dimension.
The Ancient One, with both Strange and Wong watching in shock, lay back into her body, then abruptly sat up like a corpse, her hollow eyes staring straight at them.
"That was thrilling!"
Strange rolled his eyes and promptly fainted.
Wong's legs trembled, cold sweat pouring, but he didn't faint.
Balder's mouth twitched; clearly, the Ancient One had used up all her dark energy.
He flicked a droplet filled with life essence into her body.
The previous burn marks from the flames were instantly healed, as if time had reversed.
The Ancient One moved her new eyes, feeling no issue, and then stood up.
She surveyed the shattered sanctum and the bedraggled sorcerers, sighing:
"I've suffered a great loss this time."
Balder could hear the resentment, cheerfully countering:
"Though you didn't get the black magic power, you eliminated this hidden danger and rooted out many traitors. You've gained a lot!"
"Go and claim some rewards from Eternity; I'm sure they'll grant you something."
Those traitors were my gift to Strange!
But the Ancient One couldn't say that. With Chthon's mark destroyed, the great god Eternity would certainly reward her.
A murmur sounded.
Though she hadn't fully awakened as a witch, Wanda's resilience was strong.
She opened her hazy eyes, seeing a blonde man before her.
She didn't recognize him, had never seen him.
But she felt a strange familiarity and warmth.
She had been terrified because, while Chthon controlled her, she was conscious. It was a deeply horrifying and despairing experience.
But now, under that familiar gaze, she felt inexplicably at peace.
Wanda looked up slightly, anxiety and an unexplainable expectation in her eyes:
"Have we... met before?"
Balder didn't like pretension.
With a thought, Wanda instantly knew what had happened.
Only twenty, she had been tortured in HYDRA's base for six years. Her eyes reddened, tears streaming silently.
The Ancient One sighed.
Every woman destined to become the Scarlet Witch had a tragic fate.
But... she looked at the dimensional god with humanity beside her, feeling deeply moved.
This Wanda was actually very fortunate.
From now on, her fate would completely change, and no longer be tragic.
Wanda's tears fell in large drops as if she wanted to cry out all her past misery, her hair clinging to her pale cheeks, radiating a pitiful beauty.
She suddenly saw a hand extended towards her, and looked up to see gentle eyes.
"Come, we have someone else to save."
Wanda's heart trembled, then she grasped the warm hand, nodding firmly.
"Yes..."
---
**In the hidden forest center of Siberia.**
In the HYDRA base, Baron Strucker was fuming!
Wanda Maximoff, a potential superhuman monitored for six years, had awakened and vanished!
All previous efforts were wasted!
He'd executed nearly half the HYDRA soldiers responsible for her surveillance and monitoring in his fury.
A knock on the door interrupted him. A man in a white coat entered.
"Sir."
Dr. List nervously handed over a report.
*Smack!*
Strucker threw the report to the ground, yelling:
"I don't care about this rubbish! Can Wanda's data be used on her brother?"
"They're twins, sharing the same blood!"
List trembled, squeezing out a pained expression:
"Sorry, sir... initial tests failed."
"The recent mental and electric shock attempts almost killed Pietro; we barely saved him!"
Strucker flipped a table, roaring:
"Useless!"
"All of you are useless! How can we surpass Captain America like this? He'll wake soon!"
"Great HYDRA is doomed by your incompetence!"
List wanted to curse him but didn't dare, lowering his head further.
An ear-piercing alarm sounded, startling him.
He looked up to see a level-three intrusion alert on the room's large screen.
Strucker was even angrier, pressing a button on the console, the screen showing a scene!
Right in front of the base.
A man and woman stood in the snow, unmistakable!
---
**PS:**
The current timeline is 2011.
---