Cosmic Dominion: Rise Beyond Realms

As the Odyssey lowered closer to the ruined debris of Earth, its bay doors opened, revealing Zhang and a few crew members in sleek, futuristic space suits. They launched themselves from the ship using thrusters attached to their backs, gliding toward us with both urgency and disbelief. Zhang was at the front.

The moment Zhang landed on the shattered ground, her feet kicked up ash and dust, and she ran straight for Joseph.

"I thought you were dead!" she cried out, her voice trembling with relief as her helmet's speakers carried the emotion to everyone around. She flung herself at him, wrapping her arms around him tightly, her gloved hands gripping his suit as if she'd never let go. "I thought I lost you forever! You idiot! How could you—how could you do this to me?!"

Joseph staggered back slightly, caught off guard by the sheer force of her hug. "Whoa, whoa, Zhang," he said, his voice muffled by his helmet. "Thought I was about to die, too, but hey, spoiler alert: I didn't!"

He shot a crooked smile at her, despite the situation. "And technically, you were supposed to keep the ship far away. What happened to that plan, huh?"

Zhang ignored his sarcasm, pressing her forehead against his helmet. "I came back for you," she whispered, her voice shaking. "I couldn't just leave you here, not after everything..."

I crossed my arms, rolling my eyes. "Can you two save the lovey-dovey reunion for later? I'm still here, and, oh, by the way, we've got another guest." I gestured toward Aetheria, who stood a few paces behind me.

Zhang blinked, finally noticing me. Her gaze quickly moved from me to the angel. Her mouth opened slightly in shock before she pointed at me. "Shin?! Wait, is that really you?!"

She stepped forward cautiously, her voice filled with disbelief. "What the hell is going on here? How are you even alive?! And..." Her eyes narrowed as she pointed at my armour, "What the hell are you wearing? And how are you breathing? The Earth is gone. There's no atmosphere, no oxygen."

I glanced down at the black, jagged armour pulsing faintly with crimson energy, before looking back at her. I gave a half-shrug. "It's... a long story." I didn't even bother trying to explain.

Joseph, ever the mediator, stepped in. "Yeah, Zhang, long story short: Shin's been through some shit, and now he's apparently an immortal lord or something now. Oh, and don't forget the superpowers. So, yeah, it's a lot. Trust me, I barely wrapped my head around it."

Zhang stared at him, her brow furrowing as she tried to process everything. "What the actual hell...?" She looked at me again, then at the angel. "And who… who is she? She has wings. Actual wings. Is this... is this some kind of hallucination? Are we dead, too?"

Aetheria stepped forward, her eyes locking onto Zhang. "I am Aetheria," she said in her calm but commanding voice. "I was sent by the goddess to intervene and prevent the collapse of reality itself. Your friend here," she motioned toward me, "is the cause of the destruction you see around you. But he is also the only one who can undo it."

Zhang's eyes widened, and she took an instinctive step back. "The goddess?! What goddess? Are you serious? First, I see Shin alive…" She pointed at me, "and now there's some goddess sending angels? What the hell kind of nightmare did we wake up in?"

Joseph, trying to diffuse the tension, raised his hands. "Okay, Zhang, let's just take a breath. Shin's alive, the Earth's dead—yeah, I know, that's a shocker—and we've got a literal angel here telling us there's a goddess who wants to fix it. Sounds insane, but... I mean, look at all this." He gestured to the cracked sky above us, the debris of the destroyed planet, and the sunless void that surrounded us. "Insane is kind of the theme right now."

I exhaled heavily, running a hand through my hair. My mind was spinning, and the task of fixing everything was on my shoulders. I turned toward Aetheria. "Alright, angel lady," I said, my voice strained. "If my power caused all this destruction… then just what the hell kind of power are we dealing with here?!"

Aetheria's gaze met mine, her expression sombre. "You wield the power of creation and destruction, Shin. It is a force that transcends mortal comprehension. You carry within you the energy of the cosmos itself, capable of reshaping existence or obliterating it entirely."

I clenched my fists, my jaw tightening. "So now... I'm basically a walking nuke for the universe," I muttered bitterly. "Great. Just fucking great."

Zhang looked at me, her expression a bit serious. "Are you the cause of Earth's destruction?!…"

I interrupted. "NO…. The Earth was already in ruins when I arrived. Cause of it, my rage consumed me, and I also ended up destroying the already lifeless earth into a thousand pieces along with the universe... And I'm supposed to fix it all somehow..." I took a deep breath and squared my shoulders. "If there's even a chance, I can undo all of this. I have to try."

Joseph clapped a hand on my shoulder, giving me a small, reassuring grin. "That's the Shin I know. Let's fix this mess, buddy."

Aetheria nodded, stepping forward again. "Then we must act quickly. There is no time to waste. The fabric of reality is fragile, and the longer we delay, the more difficult it will be to repair."

I looked back at her, my resolve hardening. "Alright," I said. "Let's do this."

I closed my eyes and let out a long breath as I flew above the shattered remnants of Earth. My arms hung loosely at my sides, and I could already feel the energy building inside me.

"Alright," I muttered to myself, my voice trembling with a mix of anticipation and dread. "Here goes nothing..."

From behind me, Aetheria's voice cut through the stillness, calm yet commanding. "Raise your hands, Shin," she instructed. "You must align yourself with the flow of energy within and the remnants of reality outside. Feel the cracks, the tears in existence itself, and let your power guide you."

I did as she said. I slowly raised my arms. The energy within me started to flicker across my skin like living flames. My eyes fluttered open briefly, glowing with the fiery intensity. I could hear the faint hum of the energy around me, building, crackling, demanding to be released.

Joseph's voice broke through the tension. "Uh, buddy," he said, his voice laced with nervous humour. "You're, uh... glowing a lot more than usual. Is this supposed to happen, or...?"

I didn't reply. I couldn't…

My focus was razor-sharp, every ounce of my being tuned into the chaotic energy that threatened to consume me once again. I could feel it—pulsing, surging, fighting against my control.

Zhang stepped closer, her hand gripping Joseph's arm tightly as her eyes remained locked on me. "What the hell is he doing?"

Aetheria turned to them, her expression stern. "He's attempting to repair what has been destroyed. But this is no simple task. The energy he wields is vast—immeasurable—and he has only just begun to tap into its true potential."

I gritted my teeth as the energy within me surged, sending ripples of crimson light through the void. My entire body felt like it was on fire.

"Shin!" Aetheria's voice rang out again, firm and urgent. "Focus! You must channel the energy outward—release it into the fractures in reality. Do not let it consume you!"

"I'm trying!" I shouted back, my voice cracking with frustration. "But this…this power—" My words were cut off as a wave of crimson energy erupted from my body.

Joseph and Zhang stumbled back, shielding their faces from the blast. "Holy shit!" Joseph yelled. "Shin, you're gonna fry us all if you keep this up!"

Aetheria raised her hand, summoning a golden barrier around herself, Joseph, Zhang, and the other crew members. The barrier shimmered brightly, but even it began to waver under the onslaught of energy radiating from me. "I'll hold this as long as I can," she said through gritted teeth, sweat beading on her forehead. "But Shin must regain control quickly, or we will all perish!"

I clenched my fists, the energy crackling violently around me as if it had a mind of its own. "Control it?!" I barked; my voice filled with strain. "This... thing doesn't want to be controlled!!"

The Odyssey, hovering a short distance away, began to groan and creak under the pressure of the energy. The ship's exterior started to melt, rivulets of molten metal dripping down its sides. Inside, alarms blared as the crew scrambled to contain the damage. Sweat dripped down their faces as the temperature continued to rise.

"Zhang!" one of the crew members shouted over the comms. "The ship's systems are overheating! We can't hold this position much longer!"

Zhang's eyes widened in panic as she looked at Joseph. "We need to pull the ship back—now!"

Joseph shook his head firmly. "No way! I'm not leaving him here!" He turned his gaze back to me, his expression a mixture of fear and determination. "Come on, Shin! You've got this! Don't let this thing beat you!"

I could barely hear them over the deafening roar of the energy swirling around me. My entire body was engulfed in crimson flames, my vision blurred by the intensity of the glow. I tried to focus, to centre myself, but the power was relentless, raging like a beast that refused to be tamed.

"Fuck!" I growled through clenched teeth, my voice raw with frustration. "I can't... I can't—"

"Yes, you can!" Aetheria's voice cut through the chaos, unwavering. "You must! Remember what you are fighting for! Remember why you are here!"

Her words hit me like a bolt of lightning, and for a brief moment, I saw flashes of everything I had lost…Maki, Abdul, Earth, the destruction I had caused... And amidst it all, a single thought burned brighter than the rest: I have to fix this.

With a guttural roar, I threw my arms out to the sides, letting the energy flow through me instead of fighting against it. The crimson flames around me intensified. The energy was spreading everywhere. So, I tried focusing the energy around me. And it was working. The raging energy started to gather around me, encircling me.

Aetheria's barrier flickered and cracked, but it held. Barely.

"That's it!" she shouted, her voice tinged with urgency. "Keep going, Shin! You're doing it!"

And now, I could feel the energy beginning to stabilise slowly, the chaotic storm within me slowly giving way to something more controlled. My breathing was ragged, my body trembling from the strain. And then, just as suddenly as it had begun, the energy started to calm down. The crimson flames around me flickered and dimmed, retreating back into my body like a tide pulling away from the shore.

I floated there for a moment, my arms hanging limply at my sides, my chest heaving.

Aetheria lowered her barrier, her shoulders sagging with exhaustion. "You did it," she said softly, her voice filled with both relief and awe. "You controlled it."

I opened my eyes, the faint glow still lingering in them as I looked around. The destruction was still there, but now, it felt fixable at least.

Joseph let out a shaky laugh, wiping sweat from his brow. "Well, that was... intense. You okay, buddy?"

I nodded slowly, my voice hoarse as I replied,

"Yeah. I think so."

TO BE CONTINUED