"Hello, Mr. Magician."
Anton was surprised. He looked at this familiar yet unfamiliar figure with curiosity. Why had Daniel Drumm come to see him?
They had never met in person before, so this was technically their first encounter.
"Anton, this is our first meeting, but you shouldn't be a stranger to me."
Daniel stepped through the space portal, his expression calm. "I'm not here because of Thanos," he said. "I've come regarding someone else—a traitor to Kamar-Taj."
"A traitor…"
Anton frowned. He already had a clear idea of who Daniel meant.
"Casillas."
Daniel continued, "He was one of the most powerful wizards in Kamar-Taj, second only to the Supreme Mage. But he betrayed us—turned his back on her teachings and pledged loyalty to the Lord of the Dark Dimension, Dormammu."
"He stole the Book of Cagliostro and plans to use the dark magic within it to open a gateway to the Dark Dimension, intending to turn Earth into Dormammu's domain."
The Book of Cagliostro, written in 1780, contained the personal writings and magical knowledge of Cagliostro. Among its contents were dangerous mystical arts, including fragments of dark magic tied to the Darkhold—the infamous Book of the Dark Gods.
Fortunately, Anton hadn't encountered too many TV-series-only elements in this universe.
He'd already figured out this world was a blend of the Marvel movie universes, so he didn't have to worry about all the extra characters and artifacts from the TV series. Even if they did appear, they wouldn't change the larger picture.
"What do you need from me? Are you asking me to track down Casillas?"
Anton had thought through the implications quickly. Looking at Daniel, he guessed the request before it was spoken.
"Yes," Daniel confirmed with a nod. "We've used tracking spells and believe Casillas is currently in New York."
"The Justice League is the most prominent and powerful superhero force in the world, and New York is your territory. We're hoping to get your assistance."
He paused, waiting for Anton's response.
"No problem," Anton said. "I'll have Shazam assist you."
"Thank you."
Daniel nodded. Though he expected that answer, he still responded politely. "Also… it's likely that Kamar-Taj will not involve itself in the battle against Thanos."
"Why not?" Anton asked immediately. The question had just crossed his mind as well.
"Other dimensions are beginning to stir. While Dormammu and the Dark Dimension are indeed part of fate's design, that's not the real issue," Daniel said. He hesitated slightly before continuing. "The Supreme Mage has discovered something far more pressing—all timelines are in chaos."
Anton's eyes narrowed. "All the timelines… are chaotic?"
"Yes," Daniel nodded. He had learned from the Ancient One that Kamar-Taj and the Justice League had a cooperative history. The Supreme Mage and Batman had once worked together. So even if he didn't share these details now, he knew the Supreme Mage would eventually inform Batman herself.
"Originally, the timelines followed a fixed path, bound to the thread of fate, flowing in a single direction like grooves on a track," Daniel explained. "But now, everything has splintered. The timelines have become like scattered leaves—growing outward in different directions. New branches, new contexts… everything is shifting."
"The Supreme Mage can no longer foresee the future. She's at a loss. Perhaps she knows more than she's letting on. After all, she was the one who first revealed that the timeline itself is unraveling."
"How many people know about this?"
Anton asked.
"Only the Supreme Master and the guardians of the three major sanctums," Daniel replied.
"Are you sure?"
Anton's eyes flickered, as if something had occurred to him.
Ever since he parted ways with Wonder Woman and went to Asgard, his encounter with Odin had left him feeling uneasy. The way Odin looked at Wonder Woman—though unexpected—wasn't exactly surprised.
Could it be that Odin, like the Ancient One, already knew that the timeline had become chaotic and the future unpredictable?
He couldn't help but ask Daniel, "Do you think beings on the same level as the Supreme Master are also aware of the multiverse's timeline chaos?"
"I don't know," Daniel admitted. "But if they are on the same level, there's no reason the Supreme Master would be the only one capable of sensing it."
"You're right," Anton nodded. "Thank you for the insight. I'll have Shazam do his best to help you locate Casillas before Dormammu, Lord of the Dark Dimension, gets involved."
"Alright. Goodbye."
Having achieved his objective, Daniel nodded and left Anton's office.
Anton stood alone, staring into the now-empty room, lost in thought once again.
The timeline is chaotic.
He found that idea very interesting.
Before he crossed over into this world, Anton had known that the Marvel universe's timeline was chaotic for a very specific reason:
The being who had unified all major timelines—Kang the Conqueror.
In the TV series Loki, Marvel continued the movie universe's timeline lore and introduced Kang.
From the beginning of the MCU to its climactic battles, the Sacred Timeline had always been the guiding thread.
Early in the series, the creator of the Sacred Timeline is known only as the "Time Keeper."
But by the end, it's revealed that the one who truly controls it all is Kang the Conqueror.
Over the course of his long life, Kang grew tired—bored of the monotony and predictability of a singular timeline.
So he gave Loki and his female variant, Sylvie, a dagger—symbolically and literally offering them a choice:
Kill him and unleash chaos upon the multiverse, or spare him and preserve the Sacred Timeline.
Sylvie chose to kill him—without hesitation.
And in that moment, chaos was born.
That act became the origin of the shattered timelines and branching realities.
Anton didn't yet know if the timeline disorder that Daniel had described was directly related to this particular event.
But the more he thought about it, the harder it was to believe there wasn't a connection.
In fact, a wild thought occurred to him:
What if his arrival in this world was a result of the Marvel universe's timeline chaos?
"Interesting..."
"If Loki and Sylvie killed Kang the Conqueror, infinite branches would sprout from the Sacred Timeline, leading to timeline chaos and the birth of countless multiverses…"
"And as Odin's son, Loki might very well travel between timelines—meeting alternate versions of his father and warning them."
"That would explain Odin's reaction to Wonder Woman. He wasn't surprised because he already knew. He understood the timeline was fragmented—and that anything was possible."
"And the Ancient One—being Earth's foremost guardian of the multiverse and fate—would be the first to notice the moment the timeline fell into disorder…"
"So that's it..."
Anton felt like he was beginning to piece it all together.
That being said, Loki hadn't shown up in this world for a long time.
Not necessarily the version of Loki who destroyed the Sacred Timeline—but any version at all.
After all, in the Loki series, Loki and Mobius had encountered multiple Loki variants after being cast into the Void at the end of time.
Across the multiverse, in different timelines, there was always a Loki—a man, a woman, even an animal—who was destined to cause trouble.
Maybe the Loki of this universe was already running around in another timeline.
Anton pondered in silence.
"Interesting..."
While thinking, Anton gave orders to the underground forces stationed in New York—the High Table—as well as the ground forces, including the NYPD, to search for Casillas through multiple channels.
Although Casillas wasn't the top priority at the moment, Anton couldn't ignore Daniel's request.
Daniel had a long-standing friendship with him.
And even without that, the information Daniel revealed about the chaotic timeline was more than enough reason for Anton to take his request seriously.
…
A few days later.
Anton received a report from the High Table. They had found traces of someone suspected to be Casillas.
So, Shazam was dispatched to investigate the lead.
New York, Chinatown.
As Shazam walked the streets, he was genuinely surprised—he hadn't expected Casillas to be hiding in Chinatown.
This was one of New York's oldest commercial districts, located in Manhattan with a history spanning more than a century.
It was no secret that Chinatown housed a dense Chinese and Chinese-American population. Even though people of all backgrounds lived and worked there, a white man like Casillas staying for long periods would definitely stand out.
Brave—or stupid?
That remained to be seen.
With a wave of his hand, Shazam transformed his uniform into plain clothes.
Moments later, Daniel Drum—also dressed casually—emerged from the crowd.
"Are you sure he's here?" Daniel asked, lowering his voice.
"The Justice League cross-referenced our intel. Everything points to him being here," Shazam replied. "He's been hiding out in New York. You think he's planning something against your temple?"
"Don't forget—it's your New York temple now," Daniel shot back.
"…Right."
Shazam was momentarily speechless.
"According to the intel, he's inside that building," Daniel said, pointing. "I'll open the Mirror Dimension to trap him. Even if he has a sling ring, escaping won't be easy… That's when you make your move."
"Me?"
Shazam raised an eyebrow. "Then what are you doing?"
"Cheering you on, of course," Daniel said with a smirk. "I'm a magician about to retire. You can't expect an old man like me to do all the work."
"Alright," Shazam sighed. "Let's just get it over with."
Whoosh!
The next moment, Daniel swung his hand powerfully, and the sling ring he wore released a burst of brilliant magical energy.
A shimmering aura rippled out, opening a gateway to another world.
In a flash, the magic engulfed him, Shazam, and the entire building in front of them—pulling it all into the Mirror Dimension.
"Huh?"
Inside the building, a pale man with dark circles under his eyes, white hair tied in pigtails, suddenly appeared before them.
"Casillas!"
Daniel shouted, casting a glance at Shazam—a silent cue.
Go.
Shazam rolled his eyes slightly.
He realized that teaming up with Daniel always seemed to leave him doing the heavy lifting.
Still, he didn't hesitate.
His casual clothes vanished, replaced by his iconic battle suit.
His cloak billowed, and the lightning bolt on his chest lit up in a dazzling golden blaze.
Whoosh!
Under Casillas' stunned gaze, the Justice League's rising star took to the air and charged straight at him—no hesitation, no mercy.
The air cracked and hissed with electricity.
This was Shazam's signature lightning magic.
Rumor had it that Shazam could deliver shocks in more ways than one—each more painful than the last.
Boom!
Casillas reacted fast, raising his hand and conjuring a defensive spell.
A glowing hexagram-shaped magic shield formed in front of him, just in time to intercept the incoming lightning.
Chi-chi-chi-chi!
The magic shield blocked the bolt—but not the force behind it.
The impact blasted Casillas backward.
He staggered, stumbled, then skidded across the ground, groaning from the jolt coursing through his body.
Dazed and sore, he looked up at the man now standing before him—crackling with energy and ready for more.
Shazam.
"Lord of the Dark Dimension? Domammu's followers are this weak?"
There was hardly any attempt to hide the surprise in Shazam's eyes.
He clearly remembered how formidable Casillas had seemed in Doctor Strange—his power had left quite the impression.
So seeing him this feeble now, Shazam couldn't help but sigh.
Was the Ancient One trying to get herself killed on purpose?
Otherwise, why do something so absurd?
Frankly, it would've made more sense if she had died at Casillas's hands—at least that would've been believable.
"Shazam, stop talking and bring him down. We need to interrogate him," Daniel said with a frown.
"Got it."
Shazam nodded.
"Damn it!"
Casillas clenched his teeth as he watched the two men standing before him like executioners, treating him like a helpless fish on the chopping block.
"You really think this will be that easy—?"
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzap!
Shazam didn't care for his monologue.
He casually raised his hand and fired off another bolt of lightning.
This time, Casillas failed to summon his magic shield in time.
The searing electricity scorched his pale skin black, sent his hair shooting upright, and knocked him flat on the ground.
He didn't even get to scream—just collapsed, unconscious and smoking.
…
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