Henry and Natasha Romanoff stepped out of the villa, the early morning breeze brushing against their faces. The quiet of dawn painted the streets in pale hues of gold and blue, and the world felt briefly at peace. They walked toward her sleek black vehicle parked just outside the gate. The moment they got in, however, Henry could feel the air shift.
Natasha hadn't said a word, but it was clear something was swirling in her mind.
She slid into the driver's seat, took a long breath, and then started the engine. Silence lingered as the car eased onto the road, tires gliding smoothly over the pavement. Henry relaxed in his seat, gazing out the window, but it didn't take long before the silence broke.
"You can control time," she finally said, her voice flat with disbelief. "That's... insane. Can you control the time of the entire planet?"
Henry turned his head, eyebrow raised slightly. Instead of answering her question, he asked his own.
"I'm actually more surprised that you waited around for me all day. I assumed you were sent here on some kind of mission."
Natasha glanced at him, a subtle smile tugging at her lips. She saw what he was doing—dodging her question. Clever, but she could play along.
"You got me," she admitted. "Nick Fury did ask me to persuade you to join the Avengers. But I knew from the start that was a long shot. Honestly, I came more out of curiosity."
Henry tilted his head, giving her a sideways glance. "Curiosity?"
"I wanted to meet you again. You're fascinating," she said with honesty. "And powerful."
She could've hidden behind vague pleasantries or deflected, but Natasha Romanoff didn't believe in wasting time. She told it straight—especially when trying to earn someone's trust.
"If you don't mind," she added, "maybe we could be friends?"
Henry chuckled lightly. "I don't mind. But don't expect special treatment."
"Wouldn't dream of it," she replied with a smirk. "I'm not here to ask for favors. Just the occasional meal. Maybe coffee. Nothing complicated."
"If I'm free," Henry said with a small smile.
They lapsed into a more comfortable silence, driving through the early city streets. The sky had started to brighten, and the sleepy city slowly stirred to life around them.
After a few minutes, Natasha spoke again.
"Do mages have enemies?" she asked, her tone thoughtful.
Henry raised an eyebrow. "Enemies?"
"I mean… you're strong. Incredibly strong. You can control time, pull souls out of bodies. Is there anything or anyone who can stand up to a mage like you?"
Henry didn't answer immediately. He sensed the concern behind her curiosity.
"Of course we have enemies," he said eventually. "The universe is a lot bigger than you think."
Natasha nodded, her expression serious. "You mentioned the 'Sorcerer Supreme' before… the most powerful mage on Earth. Do they have enemies too?"
Henry smiled faintly. "Yes. Even the Sorcerer Supreme has opponents. That's just the nature of power. There's always something stronger out there."
That answer sent a chill down her spine—not from fear of Henry, but because she trusted his word. And if he was saying there were threats worse than what she could imagine, she had every reason to believe it.
"I've always known Earth isn't safe," she admitted. "But talking to you… it really drove the point home. We thought S.H.I.E.L.D. could protect the planet, but if even the strongest mages have enemies they struggle with... then what hope do we have?"
Henry didn't sugarcoat it.
"I get it," he said. "But worrying won't help. S.H.I.E.L.D. isn't equipped to deal with some of the things lurking out there. Hell, I'm barely equipped to deal with them."
She glanced at him, startled by his honesty.
He continued, "The Ancient One gave me the Time Stone for a reason. She saw something coming. And if she thinks I'm the one to stop it… well, I don't have the luxury of worrying. I just have to get stronger."
Natasha stared straight ahead, her voice soft. "So you're the next Sorcerer Supreme?"
Henry didn't respond directly. He didn't need to.
"Then I'll say this," she said after a pause. "I respect you. And I appreciate what you're doing—for all of us. Even if no one else sees it."
Henry smiled again, this time genuinely.
"And I hope," she added with a smirk, "that the goddess of luck keeps favoring you."
He laughed lightly. "So do I."
A few minutes later, the car slowed to a stop. Henry looked out the window and blinked.
"…This is a hotel."
Natasha smirked. "Relax. There's a restaurant on the top floor. It's open twenty-four hours, has great food, and the view is amazing."
Henry nodded slowly. "Alright. Lead the way."
They took the elevator up. As the doors slid open, they stepped into an elegantly lit rooftop restaurant. The atmosphere was calm and refined, with only a few guests seated at the scattered tables. Large windows gave a breathtaking view of the awakening city.
They were guided to a plush booth by the windows. As they slid into their seats, Henry noticed something odd.
There was a book sitting at the far end of the sofa, half-tucked into the corner of the cushion. At first glance, it looked old and forgotten—its leather binding worn, its pages slightly curled. But there was something… off about it.
Red letters were etched across the cover in an unfamiliar, almost menacing script. Even more alarming, a thin wisp of black mist clung to it, barely visible—but unmistakable to someone who'd studied magic.
Henry's eyes narrowed.
Natasha noticed his change in expression. "Something wrong?"
"Stay back," he said, already reaching for the book.
As soon as his fingers touched the cover, he felt it—an unnatural pulse, like the heartbeat of something long dormant but very much alive. He opened it slowly.
And there it was.
On the first page, written in perfect Chinese characters, was a single message:
"Congratulations, lucky one. By obtaining this book, you have inherited supreme power. Its name is… the Book of Darkness."
Henry nearly swore out loud.
The Book of Darkness—a lost tome, long thought to be erased from the magical plane. A vessel of forbidden knowledge, created by an ancient, corrupted mage who had tried to wield chaos itself.
It was dangerous. Very dangerous.
"Henry?" Natasha asked, sensing his alarm.
"This isn't just any book," he said. "It's a black magic tome. And not just any black magic—it's one of the most infamous in magical history."
Natasha leaned forward cautiously. "What does that mean? What does it do?"
Henry flipped through a few more pages. The spells were horrifying—rituals involving shadow manipulation, soul-binding, and dimension tearing. Some entries weren't even spells, but living curses written in languages not meant for human tongues.
"I don't know how it got here," he murmured. "But this… this could bring real trouble."
"Should we leave?" Natasha asked.
"No. If it's been left out in the open like this, it's either bait… or someone made a mistake. Either way, I need to secure it."
He placed a protective seal around the book, forming a faint green glyph in the air. The black mist recoiled as if offended by the purity of the spell, then settled quietly beneath the barrier.
"I'll take it back with me and lock it in a warded chest," Henry said.
Natasha exhaled. "Well. That's one way to ruin an appetite."
Henry leaned back. "Not exactly the kind of reading material I expected before breakfast."
She chuckled lightly, the tension slowly fading. "You know, I was going to tease you about being too serious, but now I'm glad someone like you found that book instead of… well, anyone else."
Henry nodded solemnly. "Let's just hope that's the last one."
They finally placed their order. But in the back of Henry's mind, a question gnawed at him:
Was this truly a coincidence… or was someone watching?
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