The London sanctum smelled faintly of parchment, incense, and something I couldn't quite name—probably residual magic from a dozen other dimensions bleeding through. It was cozy. Peaceful. Perfect.
I sat back in a high-backed chair, my fingers wrapped around a delicate porcelain cup. Steam curled upward, carrying the faint sweetness of chamomile and something a mortal might mistake for vanilla. On the plate beside me rested a tiny cake, pink icing decorated with little edible stars. It was… adorable. But then again, so was most of reality when you were Merlin and completely untouchable.
Fifty books hovered around me, flipping their own pages in perfect rhythm. Each one contained knowledge from a different world, a different version of magic, a different timeline I had touched. Part of my mind read them. Part of my mind planned. The rest—well, there was always room for tea.
I let a sip pass my lips, letting the warmth settle as I contemplated the multiverse.
The last incident with Mephisto had stirred ripples among the Dimension Lords. For now, none dared move. Perhaps they feared the repercussions of underestimating me—or perhaps they were simply waiting for some cosmic joke to unfold. Either way, it bought me… time.
And time was mine. I had centuries, millennia even, to watch and wait. The Marvel world would eventually appear in its modern form, with heroes, villains, chaos, and infinite potential. The fun… was coming. But for now? Patience.
I did wonder, of course. What exactly was I in?
Mutants? Probably.
The comics? Perhaps.
The MCU? Some elements might appear.
Some strange hybrid of timelines? Entirely possible.
I could easily find out. A minor adjustment of time magic, a subtle glance into the future, a touch of dimensional scrying… and all would become clear. But… why bother? I had tea. I had cake. And I had time.
Instead, I let the books do the work. Magical theory, arcane spells, dimensional energy mechanics, eldritch runes—they all danced across my awareness while I sipped, letting the threads of the multiverse unfold before me like a lazy, infinite tapestry.
A small smile touched my lips. "So many possibilities," I murmured.
One hand lazily flicked, sending a ripple of energy through the library. The books flipped faster, reorganizing themselves by relevance, importance, and entertainment value.
Another sip of tea. Another tiny bite of cake.
Yes. Yes, this is fine.
Even boredom was amusing when you were Merlin.
Because one day, when the modern Marvel world emerged fully, when mutants fought, gods schemed, and dimension lords plotted, I would rise. Not just as a player. But as the architect, the observer, the apex force of magic across all reality.
But for now… tea. Cake. Floating books. A universe slowly bending to my will in the background.
It was… exquisite.