Avengers Base, training grounds.
Thor lowered Stormbreaker, the light of six Infinity Stones rotating along the axe's handle.
After a full day, he had finally mastered the weapon. His realm had stabilized at the late Skyfather level—and when wielding Stormbreaker, he could even unleash power at the peak of that level.
Levi stood at the edge of the field, Wanda beside him.
She had watched the entire process.
From the moment Thor first held the completed axe, to being torn apart by the backlash of six laws, to finally suppressing that power through sheer will.
Thor walked over.
"How does it feel?" Levi asked.
"Like I've been reborn." Thor lifted the axe. "When my father was alive, I never understood what power truly meant. Now I do."
Levi nodded.
Thor clapped him on the shoulder and strode away. He was going to find Valkyrie—to tell her that New Asgard now had a true guardian.
The training ground fell silent.
Wanda didn't move.
She stared in the direction Thor had left.
Levi turned his head. "If you have something to say, say it."
"I don't want to be your burden," Wanda said softly.
"You never were."
"I was." She shook her head. "During the Battle of New York, all I could do was protect civilians. When you were teleported away, I couldn't do anything."
She turned to face him directly. "Thor is now at late Skyfather level. You're a cosmic overlord. What about me? My Chaos Magic—I can't even fully control it. Every time I use it, it feels like gambling."
Levi said nothing.
"I know you've been protecting me," Wanda continued. "Since Sokovia. But I don't want to hide behind you forever. The Council of Kangs is here. The multiversal war has begun. Our enemies will only grow stronger. I want to stand beside you."
Her voice trembled slightly, but her gaze was firm. "Help me become stronger."
Levi looked at her.
This woman had lost her parents as a teenager, been experimented on by HYDRA, finally found her brother again—only to nearly lose him in Sokovia.
And yet, she had never fallen.
Levi reached out and took her wrist. "The Chaos Magic within you comes from an ancient entity. If you want to grow stronger, you must face it."
Wanda's pupils shrank.
"I know. Chthon."
Levi nodded.
"Right now, you're like someone holding a blade without a hilt," Levi said. "The power is yours, but you don't truly have authority over it. Every time you use Chaos Magic, you're wrestling with Chthon's lingering will."
Wanda clenched her fists.
Of course she knew. Every time she used her power, something stirred deep within her consciousness.
"What should I do?"
"Face it." Levi raised his right hand, golden and silver light intertwining in his palm. "I'll use Reality Warping and the Law of the Soul to build a mental corridor for you—guiding you into the deepest layer of your consciousness. There, you'll encounter Chthon's projection."
Wanda's expression changed. "A projection?"
"Only a projection," Levi emphasized. "Chthon's true body is sealed in the shadows of the multiverse—he can't descend directly. But even a projection can corrupt the mind. It will use your deepest fears and pain to break your will."
Wanda was silent for a few seconds. "What if I fail?"
"You won't." Levi's tone was calm. "Because I'll be watching. If that old thing dares touch a single hair on your head, I'll show him what real greed looks like."
Wanda looked into his eyes.
He never made empty promises.
"Alright. I'm ready."
Levi didn't act immediately. Instead, he glanced toward the entrance of the training field.
A silver-haired young man stood there.
Pietro.
Quicksilver had arrived at some unknown time, leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed.
"I heard you're helping my sister get stronger?" Pietro walked over. "What do you need me to do?"
Levi glanced at him.
Back in Sokovia, Pietro had been riddled with bullets while saving Hawkeye and a child. Levi had reversed his death using the Time Stone.
"Come here. Hold your sister's hand. No matter what happens, don't let go."
Pietro froze for a moment, then walked to Wanda's side and reached out.
Wanda looked at him, her eyes reddening. "You don't have to—"
"Shut up," Pietro cut her off. His tone was rough, but his grip was gentle. "You're my sister. Of course I'm staying."
Wanda said nothing more and clasped his hand tightly.
Levi watched the scene, a faint smile on his lips.
This was why he had saved Pietro.
Wanda's Chaos Magic was rooted in emotion. Her deepest bond was her brother. As long as Pietro lived, Wanda would never fall into darkness.
He was her anchor.
"Let's begin."
Levi raised both hands. Golden and silver light poured out, weaving runes in the air. Reality was rewritten, and the Law of the Soul opened a path into the depths of consciousness.
Wanda felt a force envelop her.
Her vision went black.
---
Wanda opened her eyes, standing in endless darkness.
Beneath her feet was void. Above her, deeper darkness. No light. No sound.
She looked at her hands—crimson energy flickered at her fingertips.
Then she heard a voice.
"Pitiful child."
It came from all directions—ancient, hoarse.
"You've always been afraid, haven't you? Afraid of losing control. Afraid of hurting the ones you love. Afraid of becoming a monster."
Wanda turned, searching.
A figure emerged from the darkness.
At least ten meters tall, draped in a tattered black cloak. Its face hidden beneath a hood—only a pair of glowing, decayed green eyes visible.
Chthon.
The source of Chaos Magic. An ancient god sealed in the shadows of the multiverse.
"You've finally come," Chthon said with satisfaction. "I've waited a long time… my vessel."
Wanda stepped back, Chaos Magic forming a shield around her. "I'm not your vessel."
"Are you sure?" Chthon chuckled. "Then where did your power come from? Who chose you at birth? Who protected you in HYDRA's lab when the Mind Stone's energy should have torn you apart?"
Wanda clenched her teeth.
She knew all of this. Levi had told her—the Mind Stone was only a catalyst. The true power had always been within her bloodline.
"You can have everything," Chthon drifted closer, darkness spreading with him. "I can give you true power. No more fear of losing control. You can protect everyone you love."
"What's the price?"
"The price?" Chthon laughed. "There is none. Just accept me—let me become part of you. We were always one."
Wanda said nothing.
Chthon's voice softened. "You've lost so much, haven't you? Your parents, buried under rubble. Two days and nights waiting with your brother. HYDRA's experiments. Sokovia's destruction. Levi's disappearance…"
Wanda's body trembled.
Memories flooded her mind—her parents' corpses, Pietro falling, Vision's Mind Stone being torn from his forehead.
"One day, he'll grow tired of you," Chthon continued. "Or you'll grow old while he remains young. You'll become his burden."
"Shut up," Wanda's voice shook.
"I'm telling the truth." Chthon spread his arms, darkness creeping toward her. "But if you accept me, everything changes. Eternal life. Eternal power. You'll never lose anyone again."
The darkness touched her ankles—cold as death.
She tried to step back, but her body wouldn't move.
Chthon's laughter echoed. "Accept me, Wanda. Become one with me."
The darkness climbed—legs, waist—
Wanda felt an ancient will invading her, trying to seize her soul.
She struggled, but Chthon's words echoed like a curse.
Loss. Loneliness. Abandonment.
Her deepest fears.
The darkness reached her waist.
Wanda closed her eyes, on the verge of giving in.
Then—she felt something.
A hand.
Warm. Firm. Holding hers tightly.
Not from this mental world—but from reality.
Pietro.
He was alive.
Always there.
Wanda opened her eyes. The confusion vanished.
"You said I would lose everyone," she said steadily. "But you're wrong."
Chthon froze.
"My brother is alive," Wanda lifted her head, staring into those green eyes. "Levi saved him. In Sokovia—when everyone thought he was dead."
The darkness stopped spreading.
"You try to break me with loneliness, but you don't understand," Wanda's voice grew stronger. "I was never alone. Pietro is here. Levi is here. They've always been here."
She raised her right hand. Crimson energy flared.
"And you? You're just an old thing sealed away for who knows how long. You think you understand me? You think a few words can make me submit?"
Chthon's expression twisted.
His face emerged from the hood—rotting, cracked, his green eyes turning vicious.
"Foolish child!" he screeched. "You think you have a choice? This body was always meant for me!"
Darkness exploded into countless tendrils, lashing toward Wanda.
Her Chaos Magic shield trembled violently.
Chthon's will pressed down like a mountain, trying to crush her soul.
Even as a projection, his power far exceeded her current limits.
Cracks spread across her shield.
Wanda gritted her teeth, struggling—but she couldn't hold out much longer.
Then, another voice echoed through the void:
"Who do you think you're touching?"
---
Wanda opened her eyes.
She was back on the training field. Pietro's hand still gripped hers tightly, his knuckles white.
Levi stood before her, expression calm. "How does it feel?"
Wanda looked down at her hands. Crimson energy flowed at her fingertips—but it was different now. No longer chaotic. It obeyed her like a part of her body.
She raised her hand and waved lightly.
At the edge of the field, a shattered wall began to distort. Broken concrete lifted, reassembling midair. Cracks sealed. Bullet holes vanished. Within seconds, the wall was restored—stronger than before.
Pietro's mouth fell open. "You just—"
Wanda didn't answer. She turned to the open space and extended her hand.
Crimson light surged, taking form.
A rose bloomed from nothingness—petals vivid, dewdrops glistening.
Not an illusion.
Real.
Wanda had created life.
She could feel every cell, every fiber, every drop of water.
"This is… reality manipulation?" her voice trembled.
"Not just manipulation," Levi said. "Definition. You now define what is real and what isn't. Within your will—you are the rule."
Wanda looked up.
Something formed above her head.
A crown.
Pure crimson energy condensed into shape, floating above her brow, radiating both gentleness and authority.
The coronation of the Scarlet Witch.
Pietro's eyes reddened. He had always known Wanda was special—but never imagined this.
"Congratulations," Levi said calmly, a faint smile on his lips. "Skyfather level—officially achieved."
Wanda turned to him, emotions swirling in her eyes. "Thank you. And… thank you for saving Pietro."
Levi waved it off. "I saved him because I knew you needed him." He glanced at Pietro. "Turns out I was right."
Pietro scratched his head, a little embarrassed.
Outside the field, Rhodey and Sam watched from afar. They had seen Wanda restore a wall—and create life. That level of control over reality made their scalps tingle.
"Another Skyfather…" Rhodey muttered. "How many monsters does this base have?"
Sam said nothing, gripping his shield tightly.
---
In a dark corner of the multiverse—
Chthon's true body opened its eyes.
He felt the moment his projection was destroyed. Felt that domineering will of greed.
"Interesting…"
His ancient voice echoed, cold and amused.
"A cosmic overlord… protecting a mortal woman."
There was no anger. Only curiosity.
"I will remember you, devourer."
Darkness closed in once more.
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