After ending the call with Coulson, John leaned back in his chair, a deep sigh escaping his lips. He closed his eyes for a moment, letting the silence of the room settle around him. His mind began to wander—thinking about what to do next. The so-called Civil War brewing among the Avengers, and Thor's girlfriend getting involved in some mess… John had no intention of inserting himself into any of that. Not now.
"They need this experience to grow further, so inserting myself into these battles is not a good choice," he muttered under his breath, pushing aside the chaos of the outside world.
He relaxed his body, and slowly his consciousness slipped inward. In the next moment, John found himself standing inside his spiritual sea. It was a vast, serene space filled with calm blue light, like the surface of a quiet lake at night. In the center floated the ancient meditation rune, glowing with a soft, golden light. Surrounding it on the left side were five small runes, each gently rotating, and on the right, a single rune floated alone, giving off a faint ripple.
John's eyes locked onto the five runes.
"I already know what one of you did," he whispered, stepping closer. "You took me to Touya's world…"
That journey had been long and filled with unexpected lessons. But the remaining four runes remained a mystery. Where would they take him? What kind of worlds awaited him on the other side? John didn't know—but the anticipation sparked a subtle excitement in his chest. His fingers itched to reach out, to touch them, to be swept away into the unknown.
But…
"No," he sighed, stepping back. "Not now."
As much as he wanted to explore those other worlds, he couldn't afford to disappear for months again. Not yet. There were still things he had to do here.
Returning to the real world, John opened his eyes and stood up from his seat. In the blink of an eye, his figure vanished—and reappeared at the bottom of the sky fortress.
A cool wind brushed past him, carrying with it the scent of fresh air. The sky fortress loomed like a sleeping beast, its massive walls and towers standing silent under the afternoon sun. But John wasn't here to admire the view—he was here to check Tony's work.
As he flew across the smooth metal floor, his eyes scanned every detail of the fortress's inner framework. Runes were inscribed along the walls and core systems—power runes, defense circuits, energy amplifiers—all drawn with such precision that John couldn't help but feel a mix of admiration and humility.
He stopped and ran his fingers gently across a glowing inscription.
"Damn, Tony," he whispered. "You really are a genius."
No flaws. No errors. Every single rune was placed perfectly, their energy flowing with perfect balance. Even in the novels he had read in his previous life, no one could rival this level of craftsmanship. If those so-called rune masters saw Tony's work, they'd do nothing but praise him.
John took his time, moving from section to section, searching for anything that might've been overlooked. But after a long while, he found nothing. Everything was in order.
His inspection complete, he turned to leave—but not before taking a quiet walk along the high wall.
The fortress was completely empty. No footsteps echoed. No voices spoke. Just him and the wind.
There was a peacefulness in this place that John hadn't felt in a long time. The kind of calm that settled into his bones and made him feel weightless. He paused, leaning against the railing, and looked out into the clouds drifting lazily across the sky.
A small smile touched his lips.
"All these years… I've been doing everything to become strong and survive," he thought. "Always chasing strength, always preparing for the next storm…"
Ever since his childhood, John had lived in a chaotic world. Every day had been a battle to stay alive. In those early days, he had believed that the only way to survive was to follow in Tony's footsteps—to build, to invent, to fly in metal suits and battle like a hero.
But fate had a different plan for him.
Instead of machines, he discovered something far beyond his imagination. His eyes were opened to a new kind of power—not made of metal or wires, but something ancient and mysterious. It was a force hidden deep within the world itself.
He began to see strange shapes floating in the air, carved into rocks, or glowing faintly on living things. These were not ordinary marks. They were runes—symbols that held the hidden language of the world. Each rune carried meaning, power, and secrets. They showed him how everything was connected: the air, the ground, the fire, even time.
This ability wasn't just about seeing. It was about understanding the essence of things. With time, he realized that these runes could also be used—to heal, to protect, to destroy, or to change the world around him.
It was not just magic. It was the truth behind reality itself.
He looked down at his hands and smiled softly.
"I guess I really was lucky," he thought. "If I didn't have this talent… maybe I'd be just like my brother right now. Flying around in a steel suit, pretending to be untouchable."
But that wasn't all.
By some twist of fate, he had inherited a legacy connected to the Space Stone and the Time Stone—something he had never expected. He had been flung into another world, traveled across parallel universes, and encountered wonders that defied all logic.
One incredible event after another had happened to him over just a few years. Now, he didn't even know what else the future might have in store.
His path was different. Unique.
And for once, standing in the quiet stillness of the sky fortress, he didn't feel lost.
( Note: I would like to inform you all that John does not have the power to travel the multiverse or other universes freely. He is only able to use the runes as a medium. There are only five such runes, each connected to a different world. So please do not assume that the main character can travel anywhere in the multiverse or to any universe at will.)