Cosmic Dominion: Rise Beyond Realms

I finally came back to my senses. As Joseph's lifeless body rested in my arms, I turned my eyes toward the angel.

She was hovering just above the ground, her radiant light barely flickering after the intense battle. Her spear was lowered, her posture weary, but she was still standing tall…

"Please…" I croaked, my voice breaking as I looked at her. "Please save him… Do whatever it takes. Use your power, your light—anything! Please, just save him!"

I couldn't hold back anymore. I was on my knees.

"You're a divine being, right?! You're supposed to save people! You're supposed to help! Please… don't let him die…"

The angel slowly descended, her expression unreadable, her glowing eyes dim but still piercing. She hesitated for a moment, as if she was uncertain.

"Please…" I begged again, my voice trembling. "I'll do anything. Just save him! Don't let him also die because of me! Not him! He doesn't deserve this…"

The angel's gaze softened slightly, and she let out a weary sigh. And she floated closer to us. "Do you truly mean that, Shin?" she asked in a calm, almost sorrowful voice.

I nodded furiously, tears of blood streaking down my face. "Yes, yes, I mean it! I'll do anything. I don't care what it takes, just bring him back! Please, I'm begging you!"

My hands shook as I placed Joseph's body gently on the ground, looking up at her with desperation. "Please…"

The angel knelt down beside Joseph, her wings folding behind her as she started to inspect him. Her hands hovered above his chest, and a faint light began to emanate from her palms. Her face was tense, focused.

"I sense…" she started, her voice low and serious, "a faint flicker of life force still within him." She closed her eyes, as though peering deeper into his broken body. "It's weak… almost extinguished, but… There is still hope."

"Hope?!" I gasped, clinging to her words like a drowning man grasping for a lifeline. "Then save him! You said there's hope—so save him!"

She opened her eyes, which glowed faintly with divine light. "It will take all my remaining strength to stabilize him. You must understand, Shin… his body is fragile, and I cannot promise full restoration. But I will try."

"That's all I'm asking for!" I said, desperation spilling into my voice. "Please, just try! Don't let him die!"

The angel turned her attention back to Joseph, and her hands began to glow brighter. Streams of golden light flowed from her palms and enveloped Joseph's chest, surrounding him in a cocoon of warmth and divinity. The hole in his chest began to close, and the torn flesh started knitting together slowly. Even his suit started knitting together.

I watched with bated breath, my heart pounding in my chest as the angel poured her energy into him. The golden light pulsed rhythmically, like a heartbeat, and with every pulse, the wound seemed to heal a little more.

"Come on…" I whispered, my fists clenched so tightly that my knuckles turned white. "Come on, Joseph… don't give up. Don't you dare give up!"

The angel's light began to dim, her breathing growing heavier, but she didn't stop. Sweat beaded on her brow as she pushed herself further.

And then… his fingers twitched.

I froze. "Did… did he just…?"

The angel's eyes flickered open, a faint smile gracing her lips. "He's responding," she said softly. "He's still with us."

"Joseph!" I cried, leaning closer to him, my voice shaking with a mixture of hope and disbelief. "Buddy, can you hear me?!"

His chest, which had been still moments ago, rose and fell weakly. Then, with a sharp intake of breath, his eyes fluttered open.

"Huh…" Joseph muttered weakly, his voice barely above a whisper. His eyes darted around in confusion. "Am I… alive?"

I let out a choked laugh, relief flooding through me like a tidal wave. "Yes! Yes, you're alive, you stubborn bastard! You made it!" My voice cracked.

Joseph blinked a few times, his gaze settling on me. "I… I thought I was gone," he said, his voice hoarse. "I swear, I almost saw the gates of heaven… or hell." He let out a weak chuckle, coughing slightly. "Honestly, I wasn't sure which one was waiting for me."

I laughed through the lump in my throat. "Knowing you, it was probably both," I said, shaking my head. "They probably couldn't decide whether to punish you or give you a free pass for putting up with us all these years."

Joseph managed a small, lopsided grin. "Yeah… sounds about right."

The angel let out a soft sigh of relief, her light dimming as she sat back, clearly exhausted. "He's stable now," she said quietly, her voice tinged with fatigue. "But he will need time to recover fully."

I turned to her; my voice filled with gratitude. "Thank you. Thank you so much. I don't know how I can ever repay you."

She shook her head gently. "Save your gratitude, Shin. What matters is that he is alive. But be warned… his survival was not guaranteed. His will to live saved him..."

I slowly walked towards Joseph's side. Joseph let out a weak groan as he shifted slightly on the debris, propping himself up on his elbows. His face was still pale, but his characteristic and his signature smirk began to creep back onto his lips. "So, buddy," he started, his voice hoarse but playful, "care to explain where the hell you've been doing for the last seven years? I mean, not to be dramatic or anything, but we all kinda thought you were dead?!"

I sat down beside him, running a hand through my messy hair. "Oh, you know, just the usual stuff," I said, sarcasm dripping from my voice. "Drifting in space for who knows how many months or years, crash-landing on some alien planet, fighting giant worms the size of skyscrapers, eating glowing alien fruit, punching through a few mountains, and uh… turning into a walking extinction event. Normal Tuesday, right?"

Joseph's jaw dropped slightly, his eyes widening. "Wait… wait, wait, hold up," he said, raising a shaky hand. "Did you just say 'giant worms the size of skyscrapers? Like, actual worms? Not a metaphor or some poetic crap?"

I nodded, deadpan. "Yep. Big-ass worms. Some popped out of the ground, some walked on 4 legs, and tried to eat me alive. One of them ripped my arm off. Good times."

Joseph blinked at me, then burst into laughter, wincing as he clutched his chest. "Ow, damn it—don't make me laugh, Shin! I just got healed! But seriously… worms? You've gotta be kidding me. That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard."

"Oh, sure," I said, smirking. "Because fighting off 20,000 monsters in a nonstop bloodbath makes perfect sense, right?"

"Twenty thousand?!" Joseph sputtered, his eyes practically bugging out of his head. "What the actual fuck, Shin?! Were you auditioning for the role of Monster Slayer of the Universe or something?"

I shrugged, pretending to examine my fingernails. "Hey, man, you've gotta stay in shape somehow. And what better way than using your fists to level a forest of alien trees and punching craters into the ground?"

Joseph shook his head, grinning despite himself. "You're out of your damn mind. I mean, I knew you were crazy, but this? This is next-level bullshit. You've officially topped yourself."

"Thank you," I said, giving him an exaggerated bow. "I'll take that as a compliment."

Joseph leaned back, laughing weakly as he wiped a tear from his eye. "Okay, okay, but what about the cube? What the hell was that thing? You touched it, and then poof—you were gone, and everything went to shit."

I sighed, my smirk fading slightly. "Yeah, the cube… I still don't know what it was exactly. All I know is that it triggered something inside me. Some kind of… power. At first, it was just overwhelming energy. But then it grew—faster, stronger, more destructive. It wasn't just me anymore, Joseph. There was something else. The cube gave me power and turned me into something darker."

Joseph raised an eyebrow. "Dark, huh? Like, split personality dark? Or, I'm gonna destroy the universe's dark?"

"I have to say bot…" I admitted, scratching the back of my neck. "I let the rage take over, and… well, you saw what happened."

"Yeah…," Joseph said, gesturing weakly to the chaos around us. "You really went for the whole 'end-of-the-world' aesthetic, huh? Very apocalyptic. Very on-brand."

I rolled my eyes, smirking again. "Hey, don't blame me. I was a little busy being consumed by my inner darkness, okay? Cut me some slack."

Joseph snorted, shaking his head. "You're unbelievable, man. But seriously… You look like you've been through hell and back."

"Technically, I have," I said, grinning. "Literal hell. Lava, monsters, zero oxygen—you name it, I survived it."

Joseph gave me a long, appraising look, then grinned. "You know, Shin, for a guy who's been to hell, you've still got that same cocky attitude. Never change, buddy."

"Likewise, asshole," I shot back, punching him lightly on the arm.

"But enough about me. What about you? What've you been doing all this time? Sitting around on a spaceship, eating freeze-dried food, and watching reruns of old sitcoms?"

Joseph chuckled. "Close enough. Let's just say it's been a lot less dramatic than your worm-punching adventures."

We both laughed for a moment, the sound echoing eerily through the empty void around us. But then, as our laughter faded, our eyes fell on the destruction surrounding us.

The laughter died in my throat as I took in the sight: the shattered remains of Earth, debris floating aimlessly in the void, the eerie glow of cracked space-time fractures spreading like veins across the cosmos. The sun was gone, replaced by an empty black void that felt suffocatingly cold.

Joseph's voice broke the silence. "So, uh… Shin," he said hesitantly, his tone much more serious now. "What the hell happened here?"

I swallowed hard, my throat dry as I stared at the ruins of what used to be our home. "I… I don't know," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

TO BE CONTINUED