"Open the door, please! Open the door!" Stephen begged desperately behind the door, the pounds of his fist against it still echoing.

Amber stood in front of it, tempted to do so—only to let out a short breath and walk away, entering the room with Mordo and the Ancient One.

"You think I was wrong to cast him out?" the Ancient One asked, twisting the dials slowly to turn the globe above them.

"Five hours later and he's still at it your doorstep," Mordo commented with a smirk.

"I like Strange. His unceasing banging on the door," Amber let out a small chuckle. "It shows commitment."

Mordo and herself slowly paced around the Ancient One.

"There's a strength to him," Mordo added after her, glancing her way.

"Stubbornness, arrogance, admission. I've seen it all before." the Ancient One replied back, her voice dragging on.

"He reminds you of Kaecilius." Said Mordo.

"I cannot lead another gifted student into power, only to lose him to the dark."

"You didn't lose us," Mordo remarked shortly. "I wanted the power to defeat my enemies. You gave my power to defeat my demons, and to live within the natural law."

"We never lose our demons, Mordo," Amber stated, now standing still with her hands folded behind her back. "We only learn to live above them."

"Kaecilius still has the stolen pages. If he deciphers them, he will bring ruin upon us all." Mordo continued, approaching her with wide steps. "There may be dark days ahead, perhaps Kamar-Taj could use a man like Strange."

The Ancient One was quiet for a moment, before glancing over to Amber. "Show Mister Strange his room, please, Master Amber."

"Certainly." a faint smile grew of her lips as she made her way over to the door.

"Don't shut me out. Open the door." he whined with a strained voice, before a thump made her jump back. He sat down in front of the door, leaning against it.

Turning the knob and swinging the door open, Stephen fell backwards with a yelp, landing on his back. He stared up at Amber who looked back down at him, her brows perked.

"Thank you." he croaked out, making her let out a laugh before helping him to his feet.

"My pleasure," she responded, brushing the imaginary dust off his shoulder and leading him further into the place again. "Follow me, I'll lead you to your room."

Stephen looked around the room as Amber stood by the door. "Bathe. Rest. Meditate...if you can. It'll help you relax." She walked over, lighting a candle on the window sill. "The Ancient One will come for you soon. Oh, and here."

Stephen grabbed the slip of paper she held out to him, reading over the word. "What's this? My mantra?"

She paused in the doorway, turning around with an amused smile. "It's the wifi password. We're not savages."

Amber turned to walk out, only to be stopped again.

"W-Wait. Where's your room?" he asked, his voice feeble. Her brows raised again.

"What?"

"I mean, if I need help or something, where can I find you?"

"I'm right across the hall, Mister Strange—"

"Stephen, please." he slipped off his backpack and threw it down on his bed.

"Stephen...I'm right across the hall. I'm not too far away." she smiled, leaving with a warm smile.

Stephen let out a breath, glancing around the room once more before moving to the window, peering down at the busy street. Taking out his watch, he placed in beside the candle, sighing once more.

The next day, bright and early, Stephen and the Ancient One kneeled in front of one another.

"The language of the mystic arts is as old as civilization. The scourers of antiquity called the use of this language spells. But if that word offends you more then sensibilities, then you can call it a program.

"The source code that shapes reality. We harness energy," she explained, spreading her hands to form an energy square, as it shifted into smaller circles and patterns. "Drawn from other dimensions of the Multiverse, to cast spells, to conjure shields and weapons. To make magic."

The pattern she displayed stretched out in front of Stephen, amazing him. When it disappeared, a small smile was left on his face.

Stephen shook his head, raising his hands. "Even if my fingers could do that, my hands would just be waving in the air. I mean, how do I get from here to there?"

"How did you get to reattach severed nerves and put a human spine back together, bone by bone?"

"Study and practice, years of it."

The Ancient One tipped her head as an answer.

She gave him the books he needed. The next few days for him were full of reading the scripts, absorbing the information up with his photographic memory. Once he was done with those, he returned to the library to fetch more for himself.

A faint yell made him look over across the courtyard, noticing Amber and a man spar in the courtyard.

The man threw his best punches, but she deflected each one, returning it with her own attacks. When the man went to punch her, she swiftly grabbed his arm and threw him over her shoulder.

Amber stood, wiping the sweat from her forehead with her wrist, looking around until she and Stephen locked eyes.

Stephen cleared his throat, walking away towards the library awkwardly.

"Hey," he said, catching the attention of the library's guard.

"Mister Strange," he replied back, meeting him halfway behind a table.

"Uh, Stephen, please." Strange said, placing his books down. "And you are?"

"Wong."

"Wong." Stephen repeated, nodding at it. "Just Wong? Like Adele?" he asked, chuckling at his own joke. "Or...Aristotle. Drake. Bono. Eminem..." He clicked his tongue

Wong kept a straight face, cause Stephen's laughter to die very quickly.

Wong grabbed the books, lifting them up in the light to reread the book titles out to Strange. "The Book of the Invisible Sun. Astronomia Nova. Codex Imperium. Key of Solomon. You finished all of this?"

"Yup." he popped the P stiffly.

Wong nodded once. "Come with me."

He led Stephen deeper into the library, rows of chained up books on display. "This section is for masters only, but with my discretion, others may use it. You should start with Maxim's Primer." he unchained the book, walking up to him and slapping the book to his chest. "How's your Sanskrit?"

"Uh, I'm fluent in Google Translate." Stephen informed as Wong collected more books. Stephen grabbed another book, before a book with a glowing cover caught his attention. "What are those?"

"The Ancient One's private collection."

"So they're forbidden?" he asked, turning to look at Wong.

"No knowledge in Kamar-Taj is forbidden. Only certain practices. Those books are far too advanced for anyone other than the Sorcerer Supreme."

Strange unhooked the book from its place, gazing over the cover. Opening the book to a random page, he looked down at the fold of the book. "This one's got pages missing."

"That's The Book of Cagliostro; a study of time. One of the rituals was stolen by a former master. The Zealot, Kaecilius. Just after he strung up the former librarian. Relieved him of his head. I am now the guardian of these books,"

Wong approached Stephen, standing too close for the doctor's liking.

"So if a volume from this collection should be stolen again...I'd know it. And you'd be dead even before you've left the compound."

Wong shut the book in Stephen's hands, causing him to jump slightly.

"What if it's overdue, you know? Any fees I should know about, dates perhaps?" when Wong didn't respond, Stephen sighed. "Wow, people used to think I was funny."

"Did they work for you?"

"All right, well, it's been lovely talking to you. Thank you for the books, and for the horrifying story, and for the threat upon my life." Stephen grabbed the stack of books, moving towards the door.