Cosmic Dominion: Rise Beyond Realms

I lay there on the ground, motionless, staring at the fractured void surrounding us. The universe was falling apart, collapsing in on itself like shattered glass imploding into nothingness. Galaxies had turned to ash, stars snuffed out like candle flames in a hurricane…

I couldn't accept the fact that everything was ending. I couldn't just let this be the end. I pushed myself to my feet, my body trembling. My gaze shifted to Aetheria…

"There has to be a way. At least one way…." I said, my voice breaking. "There has to be a way to reboot this universe. To fix this. To bring it back."

Aetheria let out a soft sigh, her eyes filled with a sorrowful understanding. She floated closer to me.

"Shin," she said softly, her tone carrying the weight of someone about to deliver an unbearable truth, "I think you realise the universe is far more complicated than you think"

I clenched my fists, frustration bubbling in my chest. "I don't care how complicated it is!" I shouted, my voice cracking with emotion. "There has to be something I can do! You're also a divine being, aren't you? You're supposed to have answers!"

She closed her eyes briefly, as though trying to summon the right words. When she spoke again, her voice was calm, but laced with sadness. "This universe is collapsing, yes," she said, her tone measured. "But the souls of every being who perished… they've already moved on. They've been reborn into other universes. That's the natural order of things. To reboot this universe…."

"I'll do it," I interrupted, my voice trembling with conviction. "Whatever it takes, I'll do it. I'll bring them all back."

Aetheria shook her head and looked at me pitifully. "Even if you were somehow able to reboot this universe, Shin," she said, "it would be empty. There would be no life here. The souls have already been transported to other realities."

Her words hit me like a physical blow. I stumbled slightly, but Joseph was by my side in an instant, steadying me. "Shin," he said softly, his voice tinged with concern. "Maybe… maybe it's time to let go."

I ignored him, focusing entirely on Aetheria. "Then bring them back!" I demanded. "If their souls are in other universes, bring them back here! Your goddess can do it, right?!"

Her expression darkened, and for the first time, I saw a flicker of frustration in her demeanour. "Do you have any idea what you're asking?" she said, her voice sharp. "To recall the souls from other universes would cause a multiversal-level disruption. Entire realities would collapse. Trillions of trillions of lives across the multiverse would be thrown into chaos, all for the sake of this single, dying universe."

I took a shaky step forward, my hands trembling. "I don't care about the multiverse!" I yelled. "I care about this universe! About my wife, my friends, my home! I don't care about the cost—I'll do whatever it takes to make this right!"

Aetheria's gaze softened, and she shook her head, her golden hair shimmering faintly in the dim light. "You're blinded by your grief," she said quietly. "You don't see the bigger picture."

I gritted my teeth, tears of frustration burning in my eyes. "Don't talk to me about the bigger picture," I growled. "I've lost everything. Don't you dare stand there and tell me to just accept it."

Before she could respond, I turned away from her, my heart pounding. "No," I muttered to myself, shaking my head. "I'm not giving up. I won't give up. If this universe is collapsing, then I'll use every last bit of power I have to save it."

"Shin, wait!" Joseph shouted, but I ignored him.

I raised my hands, summoning the energy within me, trying to channel the raw power into something that could reverse the destruction.

"Shin!" Aetheria's voice cut through the chaos, sharp and commanding. "Stop! You don't understand what you're doing!"

"I don't need to understand!" I yelled back. "I just need to act!"

The energy around me intensified, and I could feel it building, surging through my veins. But then, something unexpected happened.

Pain shot through my arms, and I cried out, stumbling backwards. I looked down at my hands and froze. Cracks were forming along my skin, glowing faintly with a molten red light. The cracks spread rapidly, and pieces of my hands began to crumble inward, disintegrating into nothingness.

"What the hell…?" I muttered; my voice filled with a mix of confusion and terror. "What's happening to me?!"

"Shin!" Joseph shouted in panic. He grabbed my shoulder, shaking me. "Your hands—they're falling apart! What's going on?!"

I turned to Aetheria, my eyes wide with fear. "What's happening to me?!" I demanded, my voice cracking. "Why is this happening?!"

She floated closer, her expression grim. "Your body," she said softly, "is reaching its limit."

"What the hell does that mean?!" I yelled, clutching my crumbling hands. "Why am I falling apart?!"

"You've used an amount of power that no mortal body can withstand," she explained, her voice heavy with sorrow. "Your body has been pushed far beyond its natural limits. The energy within you is too much—it's tearing you apart from the inside."

I staggered backwards, the weight of her words sinking in. My hands continued to crumble, the cracks spreading up my arms. "No…" I whispered, shaking my head. "No, this can't be happening. Not now..."

Joseph grabbed my shoulders, forcing me to look at him. "Shin, listen to me!" he said, his voice desperate. "You've done enough! You can't keep pushing yourself like this—you'll die!"

"I don't care!" I shouted; my voice filled with rage and despair. "I don't care if I die! I just want to fix this! I have to fix this!"

Aetheria reached out, placing a hand on my shoulder. Her touch was gentle, but her gaze was firm. "Shin," she said softly, "you can't save a universe that's already gone."

Her words pierced through me like a dagger, and I felt the weight of true hopelessness settle over me. My arms continued to crumble, the cracks spreading further, and I fell to my knees, unable to hold myself up any longer.

Joseph knelt beside me, his hand resting on my back. "Shin," he said quietly, his voice trembling. "We'll figure something out. We always do. But not like this. Not at the cost of your life."

I clenched my teeth, tears streaming down my face as I stared at the crumbling remains of my hands. I had come so far, fought so hard, only to reach this point. The universe was gone, and now, I was falling apart. The cracks had spread across my arms, up my shoulders, and now they were creeping toward my chest and legs. I could feel it—the end. I could barely move anymore, each breath laboured and rattling, each heartbeat slower than the last. I was fading with this dying universe.

Then my gaze shifted to Aetheria. She stood tall, unshaken, yet her expression carried the weight of infinite sorrow.

I forced my broken voice out. "Aetheria... what happens to the others? To Joseph Zhang, the Odyssey crew? What happens to them?"

Aetheria let out a sigh, her eyes softened with regret. "They will probably perish with this universe," she said, her voice carrying a heaviness that made my stomach sink. "As this reality collapses, there will be no escape. They will mostly die... along with everything else."

"No!" I roared, the fury giving me one last surge of strength. "There has to be something! I can't let them die because of my fault!!"

Joseph knelt beside me, his face pale, his eyes red from tears he was trying to hold back. He placed a firm hand on my shoulder. "Shin," he said, his voice steady but breaking with emotion. "You've done enough. Look at you—you're falling apart. There's nothing left to fight for. You can rest now, buddy. Just... let go."

"I can't," I whispered, tears of frustration and despair streaking down my face. My body was barely holding itself together, my limbs were already gone, and with each second, another part of me crumbled into nothingness. "I can't let it end like this. There has to be a way to save them. To save you!!"

Zhang stepped closer, tears streaming freely down her face. She leaned into Joseph, clutching his arm tightly as if trying to anchor herself amidst the chaos. "Shin..." she said softly, her voice trembling. "Sometimes... sometimes things can't be fixed. Sometimes you have to let go." Her words felt like knives piercing my already fractured soul.

I shook my head violently, ignoring the agonising pain that radiated from every fibre of my being. "This can't be how it ends!"

Aetheria stepped forward. "Shin," she said, her voice gentle but resolute. "You have given everything. You have fought harder than anyone could have imagined. But this universe... it is beyond saving. The cycle of creation and destruction is immutable. This reality is at its end."

I looked up at her, my vision blurring as my eyes began to break down, the cracks spreading across my face, "Why can't you do anything? Why can't you save them?!"

Her gaze softened. "This is not the end, Shin," she said, though her voice was tinged with sorrow. "It is simply the end of one chapter. Another will begin, as it always does. But this universe... its story has reached its conclusion."

Joseph tightened his grip on my shoulder. His voice was quiet but steady. "Shin...You've earned your rest, buddy."

I turned to look at him, and for a moment, I saw the young man I used to know—the friend who always had a joke, who always had my back, who always believed in me. "Joseph..." I whispered, my voice barely audible. "I... I'm so sorry."

He smiled faintly, though tears glistened in his eyes. "Don't be," he said. "You've saved me more times than I can count. This time... this time, let me save you." He pulled me into a hug, his arms steady and warm. "Sleep tight, friend. You've done enough."

I felt my body begin to crumble faster. Dissolving and slipping away into nothingness. I turned my gaze upward, staring at the collapsing universe above me. It was beautiful in a horrifying way.

Aetheria stepped back, raising her hand. A golden portal appeared behind her. She turned to face us one last time, her expression unreadable. "Goodbye, Shin," she said softly. "Your sacrifice will not be forgotten."

With that, she stepped through the portal, vanishing into the higher dimension, leaving us alone in the collapsing void.

I could feel the end approaching. My body was almost gone, my consciousness fading. I looked at Joseph and Zhang, who were now holding each other tightly, their faces pale but resolute. They had accepted their fate. The universe shuddered violently, and the cracks in the void spread faster now. Everything was falling apart. Everything was ending.

As my body crumbled entirely, I closed my eyes, my mind consumed by a single thought: I'm sorry.

And then... nothingness.

TO BE CONTINUED