Levi opened his eyes to a white ceiling.
The medical room at Xavier's School.
He moved his fingers.
Something was off.
The energy fluctuations inside his body had changed. This wasn't high-tier Skyfather level anymore—it was something higher.
Ten laws circulated steadily. At the core, the Law of Devouring spun slowly, with the other nine revolving around it.
Cosmic Overlord level.
Levi sat up, the thin blanket sliding off. His skin was intact—no burns.
But there was a new, unfamiliar energy inside him. Gold and crimson, gentle—the Phoenix Force.
He closed his eyes, recalling what had happened.
The Phoenix Force had gone berserk. He had dropped his defenses and used his origin to contain it—then his consciousness blurred.
In the sea of flames, someone had held him. Warm life energy poured into him, stabilizing his collapsing origin.
Who saved him?
Levi opened his eyes and scanned the room. A glass of water and several books sat on the bedside table—psychology works Charles often read.
A woman's coat hung over a chair in the corner. Light gray, with soot marks along the edges.
Jean's.
The door handle turned.
Jean walked in, wearing clean clothes—black pants, white shirt, hair tied back in a ponytail.
Her cheeks were flushed. Her gaze drifted, avoiding him.
She carried a tray—porridge and bread.
Setting it down, she spoke softly, "You're awake?"
"The professor said you might sleep for a day."
She kept her eyes on the tray, not looking at him.
Even her ears were red.
Levi spoke, his voice hoarse. "How long was I out?"
"Six hours," Jean replied.
"After the Apocalypse battle, you collapsed. The Phoenix Force lost control. The professor and Erik couldn't interfere at that level."
She paused, her voice dropping.
"Then… you stabilized it yourself. You broke through."
Yourself?
Levi stared at her.
No.
He closed his eyes again, his consciousness sinking inward. The surface of the Devouring Law was wrapped in golden-red flame patterns—refined, controlled.
More importantly, this Phoenix energy carried another presence.
Jean's psychic signature.
"It was you who saved me," Levi said.
Jean stiffened, bit her lip, then nodded.
"The Phoenix showed me how."
"To establish a life connection. Guide the out-of-control energy into a cycle."
"I… I did it."
"What method?"
Jean's face flushed deeper. She took a breath.
"A life fusion ritual. Mental merging. Sharing life energy."
"I transferred thirty percent of my life force to you to stabilize your origin, then guided both Phoenix forces into resonance…"
She trailed off, unable to continue.
Levi froze for a moment.
Life fusion.
Mental merging.
Shared life energy.
He looked down at himself, then at Jean's flushed face.
He understood.
"So…" Levi's tone turned complicated. "You used that method to save me?"
Jean nodded, then shook her head, then nodded again.
"The Phoenix said it was the only way!"
"You were dying. All ten laws were collapsing. Without the connection, you would've completely dissipated."
"I had no other choice…"
She covered her face and crouched down.
Levi watched her in silence.
This clone had only been a projection of his original body's power. He came to the X-Men universe to copy the Phoenix Force.
Now the goal was achieved—and he had even broken through to Cosmic Overlord level.
But the price… was Jean.
She had given far more than just thirty percent of her life force. There was a bond at the soul level.
The Phoenix had said—connections like this were nearly impossible to sever.
Levi reached out and pulled her to her feet.
Jean still wouldn't look at him, her eyes red.
"I'm sorry… I really didn't have a choice."
"If you think—"
"Stop."
Levi cut her off.
He could feel it. The Phoenix Force within her resonated with his—intertwined, indistinguishable.
He could even sense her emotions—panic, shame… and a faint trace of anticipation.
The connection ran deeper than expected.
"You saved me," Levi said quietly. "I owe you."
Jean looked up, eyes brimming.
"That's not the point."
"The Phoenix said this kind of connection entangles our souls. It's very hard to separate."
"I can feel your emotions. You can feel mine too, right?"
"This isn't just a rescue…"
Tears rolled down her cheeks.
Levi looked at her—and suddenly realized something.
This clone had broken through to Cosmic Overlord level, surpassing its intended limit.
That shouldn't have been possible.
Unless something had changed.
He closed his eyes, probing inward again.
Deep within his law domain, beside the Devouring Law's black core, was a small golden-red light.
Tiny—but stable. Like an anchor.
Jean's life imprint.
Not just residual energy.
A fragment of her soul.
During the ritual, she hadn't just given life force—she had fused a part of her soul into his origin.
That was the real reason for his breakthrough.
Her soul fragment had stabilized him, allowing him to withstand the Phoenix Force.
At the same time, it carried the imprint of this universe—binding him to it.
Levi opened his eyes and looked at Jean.
She had given far more than he imagined.
Before he could speak, he felt another fluctuation.
Familiar. Distant. Rapidly approaching.
His original body.
Levi's pupils shrank.
The original had sensed the breakthrough—and this universe's unique state.
Normally, the X-Men universe rejected outsiders.
But now, because of Jean's soul fragment, that rejection was gone.
The original body could descend.
Levi stood and walked to the window. The sky was clear—but space itself trembled.
The multiversal barrier tore open as something immense forced its way through.
Jean stepped beside him. "What's happening?"
Levi didn't answer.
Three seconds later—a裂缝 appeared.
A massive tear stretched across half the sky. Gold, blue, black, green—dozens of colors poured out, churning the clouds.
Alarms blared across Xavier's School.
Charles's voice echoed over the speakers:
"Everyone to the shelters! Immediately!"
Jean's face turned pale.
She could feel it—the energy in that rift shared Levi's origin, but was vastly stronger.
Cosmic Overlord level.
Or higher.
Levi turned to her.
"My original body is here."
Jean froze. "Original…? You're—"
"A clone," Levi said calmly. "My true body is in another universe. This is just a projection."
"But because of you, I'm now anchored to this universe. My original can enter."
Jean took a step back.
"So from the beginning…"
"I came here to analyze this universe's power system—to prevent multiversal destruction."
Levi didn't sugarcoat it.
"But I didn't expect things to turn out like this."
He paused.
"You saved me. And in doing so, you bound yourself to me."
Jean bit her lip, tears falling again.
The rift in the sky began to contract. All the light condensed into a single point.
Then it fell.
Slowly—but with every meter, space warped further. Walls cracked, the floor trembled, windows shattered.
Jean instinctively raised a telekinetic barrier.
Then she froze.
The figure passed through the ceiling—landing silently in the center of the room.
No impact. No shockwave.
Like a feather.
Same face. Same build. Same presence.
The only difference—his eyes.
In them lay the hunger to devour stars—and the weight of countless battles.
The original looked at the clone and smiled.
"Well done. Not only did you obtain the Phoenix Force—you broke through."
The clone said nothing.
They looked at each other.
Three seconds.
Then both raised their hands—palms meeting.
Golden light erupted, filling the room.
When Jean opened her eyes again—
Only one Levi remained.
The clone was gone. All power, memories, experiences had merged back into the original.
Levi flexed his fingers.
Ten laws. The tamed Phoenix Force. Jean's soul fragment—all integrated.
The bottleneck shattered.
Mid-stage Cosmic Overlord.
Not just stronger—
More importantly, his connection to this universe was now stable.
Jean's soul fragment acted as a key, allowing him to freely enter and leave without rejection.
Levi looked at her.
Jean stood pale, dazed.
The connection was still there—stronger than before.
Not gone—deepened.
Levi stepped forward and placed a hand on her forehead.
"I've left a mark in your origin. If you're ever in danger, call me."
"In return, I'll protect that piece of your soul."
His voice was soft—but absolute.
Jean bit her lip, then nodded.
Levi withdrew his hand and turned to the window. Charles rolled in, Erik hovered outside, wary.
Scott, Ororo, Hank—all had arrived.
Levi had no interest in explaining.
Space split open behind him.
Before leaving, he glanced at Jean one last time.
"Master the Phoenix Force."
"Next time we meet, I hope you can stand on your own."
With that, he stepped into the rift.
A flash of gold—and he was gone.
Silence returned to the medical room.
Jean stood by the shattered window, clutching her chest.
Deep within her soul, something was missing.
And something else had taken its place.
A presence she would never be rid of—for the rest of her life.
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