Return Of The Cosmic God

The Odyssey drifted silently through the void, its crew subdued by the events they had just witnessed. The observation deck once filled with excitement and curiosity, now held only grief and disbelief. Joseph slumped in his chair, staring at the empty viewport where Kepler-009AV had once been. The debris field left behind by the planet was a haunting reminder of what had just happened…

Joseph clenched his fists, and his knuckles turned white. "Damn it, Shin…" he muttered under his breath. "You didn't have to go out like that…"

Hours later, Joseph paced nervously near the comms room. The message relay was ready—a direct line to Mars. Abdul had to know what had happened, no matter how painful it was to relay the news…

Captain Zhang appeared beside him, her usual stoic demeanor softened by the weight of the situation…

"You're sure you want to do this yourself?!" she asked.

Joseph nodded. "He deserves to hear it from me…"

Zhang placed a firm hand on his shoulder. "Take your time. Abdul is strong, but... this won't be easy for him."

Joseph entered the comms room, the door sliding shut behind him. He activated the long-range video relay and waited impatiently as the connection routed to Mars.

After a few moments, the screen flickered to life, revealing Abdul sitting at his console. Upon seeing Joseph, his face lit up with his usual warmth, but his expression quickly turned to concern when he saw Joseph's grim face…

"Joseph?!" Abdul said, leaning forward. "You look like you've been through hell. What's going on? Where's Shin?"

Joseph swallowed hard; his throat dry. "Abdul... something happened."

Abdul frowned, his usual humor fading in an instant. "What do you mean? Where's Shin?"

Joseph hesitated, the words refusing to come. His eyes burned, and he blinked rapidly to keep the tears from falling.

"Shin's gone…" he said finally, his voice breaking.

Abdul froze, his eyes widening in disbelief. "What do you mean 'gone'? Joseph, stop joking. This isn't funny."

"I'm not joking," Joseph snapped, his voice rising. "He's gone, Abdul. Kepler... the planet... it exploded. And Shin—he was down there when it happened."

Abdul stared at the screen, his mouth opening and closing as if searching for words. His hands gripped the edge of his desk tightly, his knuckles turning white…

"No..." he whispered. "That's... that's impossible. Shin can't be gone. He's... he's Shin. He's the strongest guy I know. He's… he's…"

Joseph nodded; his expression pained. "I know, man. I know. But he didn't make it. The last thing he said... he told me to tell Maki that he loved her. That she should be happy..."

Abdul slammed his fist on the desk, the sound reverberating through the comms. "Damn it, Shin! Why did you have to be the hero?!"

His voice cracked, and he lowered his head, his shoulders shaking as he struggled to contain his emotions.

"I tried to stop him," Joseph said softly, and his voice filled with guilt. "But you know, Shin. When he's made up his mind... there's no changing it..."

Abdul lifted his head, his eyes red and filled with anguish. "What happened down there, Joseph? Why did the planet explode? Why did Shin have to…" He stopped himself, his voice breaking.

Joseph shook his head. "We don't have all the answers yet. But... whatever was on that planet, it wasn't just a planet. It was something else. Shin... he knew it. He told us to get as far away as possible before it was too late..."

For a long time, neither of them spoke. The silence between them was heavy, filled with unspoken memories of their friend…

Finally, Abdul let out a shaky breath. "We need to tell Maki..."

"I know," Joseph said, his voice low. "But... I don't know how. How do you tell someone that the person they love isn't coming back?"

Abdul leaned back in his chair, his expression one of defeat. "Maki's strong. She'll have to be. Just like us..."

Joseph nodded. "Yeah... just like us..."

As the call ended, Joseph sat in the comms room, staring at the darkened screen. The weight of what had happened pressed down on him, heavier than anything he'd ever felt before.

Outside, the crew of the Odyssey carried on with their duties, their movements subdued, their voices hushed. Shin Takamiya was gone, but his sacrifice would never be forgotten…

The sun was setting outside the cozy apartment that Maki Takamiya called home. She stood by the window, watering her small collection of plants, and she was thinking of Shin as she sometimes did…

It had been a few weeks since her last message from him. Space communications were delayed, but she always eagerly awaited his replies. The anticipation of hearing from him kept her hopeful, though she worried when the messages were delayed longer than usual…

Her phone buzzed on the nearby counter, jolting her from her thoughts. She set the watering can down and picked it up, her brow furrowing when she saw the name on the screen: Abdul Aziz.

"Abdul?" she muttered, confused. A video call from him was unusual. Still, she swiped to answer.

Abdul's face appeared on the screen, his usual grin absent. His expression was serious, his eyes heavy with something she couldn't quite place…

"Abdul!" she greeted, surprised. "This is unexpected. How's everything on Mars?"

"Maki..." Abdul's voice was soft, almost hesitant.

Her smile faltered. "What's wrong? Is something wrong with Shin? Did he ask you to call me?"

He took a deep breath, his hand running over his face. "Maki... I need you to sit down..."

Her heart sank. The room felt colder suddenly, and her grip tightened on the phone. "Abdul, you're scaring me. Just tell me. What's going on?"

Abdul's throat tightened and, words refused to come out. He glanced away from the screen for a moment, steadying himself before meeting her eyes again.

"It's Shin," he said finally, his voice barely above a whisper. "Maki... he's gone…"

The words hit her like a punch to the gut. She froze, her breath catching in her throat. "Gone? What do you mean, 'gone'?"

Abdul swallowed hard. "Kepler... the planet... it wasn't what we thought it was. There was... something there. Something dangerous. Shin... he..." His voice cracked, but he forced himself to continue. "He saved the crew. He stayed behind to stop whatever was happening. The planet... it exploded...He… He died…"

"No..." Maki whispered, shaking her head as tears welled in her eyes. "No, that's not true. Shin promised me he'd come back. He promised..."

Her knees buckled, and she sank to the floor, her phone clutched tightly in her trembling hands. Tears streamed down her face, and her sobs broke through the silence of the apartment.

"He can't be gone!" she cried, her voice shaking. "He wouldn't leave me! He promised me! He promised..."

Abdul's heart broke as he watched her. "Maki... I'm so sorry. He... he asked me to tell you that he loved you. That he wanted you to be happy. Those were his last words to us..."

Maki's sobs grew louder, her hands covering her face as the weight of Abdul's words crushed her.

She couldn't stop the torrent of memories flooding her mind… Shin's laugh, his awkward way of apologizing when he messed up, the way he held her hand when she felt scared…

"Why, Shin?" she whispered through her tears. "Why did you have to go? Why did you leave me?"

Her thoughts spiraled further, guilt mixing with her grief. "I should've told him not to go. I should've begged him to stay. Why did I let him chase this dream? Why wasn't I enough for him?"

Abdul's voice broke through her sobs, steady but filled with sorrow. "Maki, listen to me. Shin... he didn't leave you because he wanted to. He stayed behind to protect everyone. He was a hero, Maki. He saved all of the crew..."

"That doesn't matter!" she yelled, her voice cracking. "I don't care if he was a hero! I just wanted him here... with me."

Abdul didn't try to argue. He knew there was nothing he could say that would ease her pain. "I know," he said softly. "I know."

After what felt like an eternity, Maki wiped her tears, though they continued to fall. She looked at Abdul, her voice trembling. "Thank you for telling me, Abdul. But I... I need some time…"

Abdul nodded solemnly. "Take all the time you need. And if you need anything... anything at all... I'm here…"

She nodded, her gaze distant, and ended the call.

Maki sat on the floor while clutching the phone to her chest as fresh waves of grief washed over her. She stared out the window at the sky…

"Shin…" she whispered, her voice breaking. "You were my everything. How am I supposed to live without you?"

The room fell silent, her sobs the only sound as the weight of her loss settled over her like a suffocating blanket.

Through her tear-filled gaze, something on the table caught her eye. Sitting in a simple wooden frame was a photograph of her and Shin on their wedding day.

Shin stood tall, his suit slightly wrinkled from his fidgeting. That awkward grin stretched across his face. She was beside him, her hands clasped in his, her smile radiant as she rested her head on his shoulder.

The sight of it shattered her all over again. Slowly, she reached out, her trembling fingers brushing against the frame before she picked it up and cradled it against her chest…

"Shin," she sobbed, her voice muffled as she hugged the photo tightly. "Why did you leave me? Why did you have to go?"

She stumbled to the sofa, clutching the photo as if it were Shin himself. Collapsing onto the cushions, she buried her face in the pillow and her cries filled the empty room…

"You promised me!!!" she wailed. "You said we'd build a life together. You said we'd have everything—a family, a home... us..."

Her tears soaked the pillow as she clutched the frame tighter. "I don't care about the stars or space or your stupid dreams! I just wanted you, Shin! I just wanted you..."

Her voice cracked, the words tumbling out between sobs. "Do you even know how lonely it was here without you? Do you even know how much I missed you? And now... now you're gone..."

She lifted the photo, her hands trembling as she stared into Shin's smiling face. "You idiot…" she whispered, her voice trembling. "Why couldn't you just stay with me? Why couldn't you let someone else be the hero?"

Her fingers brushed over his face in the photo, her tears streaking the glass. "I can't do this without you, Shin. I can't... I don't even know how..."

For hours, she lay on the sofa, hugging the photo like a lifeline. Her sobs gradually subsided into quiet weeping, but the ache in her chest remained, raw and unrelenting…

As the room fell silent, Maki held the photo close to her chest, staring into Shin's smiling face behind the glass. Her fingers traced the edges of his image as her voice broke through the stillness…

"I love you, Shin…" she whispered, her words trembling with sorrow. "I always will. No matter where you are, no matter how far away... I'll always love you..."

Her tears fell onto the glass, smudging his face slightly. She brushed them away gently, as though afraid to erase even the smallest part of him.

"I hope..." she began, her voice cracking. "I hope we can meet again. In another life. In a new world. Somewhere, somehow..."

She pressed the photo against her cheek, her sobs breaking through the quiet. "Promise me, Shin. Promise me we'll find each other again. Please..."

Her voice trailed off as she curled into the sofa, clutching the photo like it was her last connection to him. The room grew still once more, the soft hum of the city outside the only sound accompanying her whispered vow...

"In this life or the next... I'll wait for you."

TO BE CONTINUED