In Kamar-Taj, thousands of kilometers away from New York, the calm before the storm was being filled with an invisible, heavy sense of oppression.
When the rift opened, there was no screeching of the Chitauri army, no roar of the Outriders, and no overwhelming black tide.
The rift opened quietly, like a door slowly being pushed open, with a certain solemn, almost ritualistic composure.
A massive warship emerged from the rift, pitch-black, hovering high above Kamar-Taj, blotting out the sky and shrouding the entire sanctuary in its shadow.
The sunlight was completely blocked, the light dimmed, as if dusk had arrived early.
The sorcerers stood in the sanctuary's courtyard, looking up at the warship; everyone's hands were trembling slightly, and they felt an unprecedented sense of oppression.
It was like a mountain pressing on their chests, like an ocean drowning their heads; some were dripping with cold sweat, some had weak legs, and some subconsciously took a step back, only to force themselves to stand still.
Strange stood at the very front of the crowd, the eye of agamotto emitting a green light on his chest.
His expression was calm, but his clenched fists betrayed his inner state.
The courtyard of Kamar-Taj was already full of sorcerers, and Mavuika glanced at the sky-blotting warship, her expression unchanged.
She moved through the crowd, walked to Strange's side, and stood shoulder-to-shoulder with him.
The warship's hatch slowly opened.
A golden beam of light shot from the hatch to the ground, casting a circular spot of light in the center of the courtyard.
From the spot of light, a tall purple figure stepped out slowly, wearing golden armor, holding a massive double-bladed sword in his right hand, and wearing a golden Infinity Gauntlet on his left hand.
Four Infinity Stones on the gauntlet radiated light of different colors: the blue Space Stone, the red Reality Stone, the purple Power Stone, and the orange Soul Stone.
The light of the four Infinity Stones intertwined in his hand into a brilliance that one could not look directly at.
Thanos.
Ebony Maw walked on his left side, his figure lean and slender, his skin grayish-white, like a walking corpse.
He wore a black robe with a high collar that covered most of his face, revealing only a pair of deep, smiling eyes.
His fingers were long and pale, gently folded in front of him, and his gait was elegant and composed, like a nobleman attending a banquet.
Black Dwarf walked on Thanos' right side, massive and bulky, like a moving mountain; he was covered in rough armor, wore a heavy helmet, and held a giant war hammer, the head of which was larger than an ordinary person's body.
Every step he took left deep footprints on the ground, and cracks in the stone slabs spread out from under his feet.
Behind the three of them were the nine Eternals, their expressions identical—hollow, mechanical, and dull, as if their souls had been extracted.
Their pupils were covered by a layer of gray mist, and their movements were uniform, like nine Marionettes pulled by the same string.
Ebony Maw took half a step forward, his voice elegant and deep, like a poet delivering a speech.
"Feel honored, for the great Titan has descended upon this World in person to bring you glory and blessings; your destiny is rewritten today."
Mavuika did not look at him.
Her gaze remained locked on Thanos, like two swords confronting each other in the air, neither yielding to the other.
"First invading Nidavellir, and now invading Earth," Mavuika began, her voice calm and clear.
"Thanos, do you intend to wage full-scale war with Asgard?"
The corners of Thanos' mouth curled slightly.
"I have come only to collect the Infinity Stones."
Thanos' voice was low and slow, like a rumble from the deep sea, every word vibrating in the air.
"Your Highness Mavuika, if this sorcerer and Asgard are willing to gift me the last two Infinity Stones, I can leave immediately."
Mavuika was expressionless.
"And after you have collected them all?"
Thanos was silent for a moment, his gaze shifting from Mavuika to the distant snow-capped mountains, to the sky gilded by the setting sun, and further beyond.
His eyes became distant and deep, as if looking at a picture only he could see.
"A long time ago," Thanos began, his voice becoming lower, as if talking to himself.
"I understood a truth: the resources of this World are finite. Land, Water, air, food, energy—everything has its boundaries, but life does not. It constantly grows, constantly expands, constantly demands, until everything is exhausted."
He turned his head back, looking at Mavuika.
"I have seen too many civilizations collapse because they ran out of resources, one after another, falling like dominoes. Titan, my home, was one of them. I once proposed a solution, but they called it madness; they said I was insane, and then, they perished."
His voice became heavy.
"After obtaining all the Infinity Stones, I will change this state. I will restore balance to the Universe."
Dr. Strange could not help but speak, his hand pressing on the eye of agamotto, golden light dancing at his fingertips.
"So what do you intend to do?"
Thanos looked at him, and in those dark eyes, there was a calmness that sent a chill down one's spine.
"I will eliminate half of the life in the Universe."
The courtyard of Kamar-Taj was instantly as quiet as a frozen lake.
All the sorcerers were stunned; some turned pale, some subconsciously took a step back, and some gripped their staffs so tightly their knuckles turned white.
Even Strange opened his mouth, unable to speak for a moment.
Thanos, however, did not pause at all, his tone calm and matter-of-fact, as if stating a proven truth.
"Of course, this is completely random. The Regrator will not be spared because of wealth, and the poor will not be prioritized because of poverty; the strong and the weak, the good and the bad, the old and the young—everyone has an equal probability. This is the only fairness I can give them."
He raised his left hand, the one wearing the Infinity Gauntlet, the four Infinity Stones on the gauntlet shimmering with an eerie light in the sunlight.
"Half of all life will vanish in an instant, without pain, without struggle. The remaining half will have enough resources, enough space, and enough future. No one will starve to death again, no one will wage war over resources again, and no one will repeat the tragedy of Titan."
After he finished speaking, he lowered his hand and looked at Mavuika and Strange; in those eyes, there was no madness, no fanaticism, only a kind of almost devout, determined calmness.
Mavuika was silent for a moment, and then she spoke, her voice not loud, but every word was as sharp as a knife.
"Nonsense."