Falling in Marvel

Good Luck!

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The Void was unforgiving, but the time Darius spent training with chaos magic was even crueler. Each attempt to summon and control the energy brought with it excruciating pain, radiating from the Mark of Chthon seared into his chest. He gritted his teeth, sweat pouring down his brow as he willed the chaotic threads to form into something stable. A single flame. A shard of energy. Anything that obeyed his command.

But it was a constant struggle. The magic rebelled, wild and unruly, as if it mocked his efforts. Every moment it slipped from his grasp, the Mark would flare, sending a wave of agony through his body that nearly buckled his knees.

The world around him dimmed, and frustration consumed him.

"Why does it hurt so much?" he growled, his fists clenching. "Does he want me to fail? What kind of deal is this?"

He sank to his knees, clutching his chest, breathing heavily. It was then, through the fog of pain, a grim realization struck him.

'Chthon…' he thought bitterly. 'This is exactly what he wants. He wants to toy with me. To give me hope, make me think I have a chance, and then crush it. I'm just his pawn.'

The thought sent a chill down his spine. He wanted to scream, to lash out, but he knew it would do nothing. Chthon was far beyond his reach, and this was a game the Elder God excelled at playing.

"This is going to be harder than I thought," Darius muttered, his voice a whisper lost in the emptiness of the Void.

As the hours dragged on and his body grew heavier from exhaustion, the bleak sky above began to darken. He looked around the hollowed-out Helicarrier, searching for a place that could serve as a safe haven for the night. He found a small, tight room with a single entryway that he could barricade if needed. The cold, hard metal floor wasn't welcoming, but it was better than the open Void.

He slumped to the ground, his body aching in protest.

As he lay there, his mind wandered. He thought of his choices and everything that had led him to this moment.

'If I'd just hidden… If I'd never gone to the Ancient One, could I have avoided all of this?'

But the memory of that little girl flashed in his mind. Her frightened face, her helpless cries as danger loomed. He'd saved her that day.

'It wasn't the worst decision,' he reasoned, his eyes growing heavy. 'At least I saved someone.'

With that comforting thought, he finally drifted into a restless sleep.

The dream began in silence. Darius found himself standing in front of the Sanctum Sanctorum, its familiar silhouette a stark contrast to the chaos of the Void. The Ancient One stood at the doorway, her calm presence as unwavering as he remembered. Beside her was the little girl he had saved, smiling up at him with gratitude.

For a moment, relief washed over him.

But then, the scene shattered. The Sanctum erupted into flames, the Ancient One's face twisting into a grotesque grin. The little girl screamed as her body contorted, transforming into a hideous demon. The world burned around him, and all Darius could do was stand frozen in terror.

"What's going on?!" he shouted, his voice drowned out by the roar of the flames.

Suddenly, everything changed. He woke up to the sound of his mother's voice calling from downstairs.

"Darius! Breakfast is ready! Hurry up, or you and your sister will miss the bus!"

He froze, disoriented. The Void was gone. The pain was gone. He was back in his room, the familiar comfort of home surrounding him.

Tears welled up in his eyes as he heard her voice again. For a moment, he could almost believe it was real.

He bolted from his bed, running downstairs to find her. The sight of her, alive and well, nearly broke him. Without a word, he wrapped his arms around her, holding her as if she might vanish at any moment.

She laughed softly, patting his back. "What's gotten into you, Darius? Are you okay?"

He nodded, unable to speak.

"Well," she said with a smile, "did you wash up before coming down to eat?"

He blinked, the familiar reprimand bringing a faint smile to his face. "No."

"Then what are you waiting for?" she said, shooing him away.

Darius rushed to the bathroom, the normalcy of the routine grounding him. He splashed water on his face and glanced in the mirror.

And then he froze.

A sharp, burning pain radiated from his chest. His heart sank as he pulled up his shirt, praying it wasn't what he feared.

There it was. The Mark of Chthon, glowing faintly against his skin.

"No," he whispered, his voice trembling.

The reflection in the mirror began to twist, the bathroom morphing into a ruin. His own face turned monstrous, the Mark pulsating like a beacon of doom.

"NO!" he shouted, slamming his fists against the sink.

He woke with a jolt, his chest heaving and sweat dripping down his face. The cold, empty reality of the Void surrounded him once more. His head pounded, the remnants of the nightmare lingering like a cruel joke.

Darius clutched his head, letting out a bitter laugh. "The Void… or my mind… which one's going to destroy me first?"