In the desolate expanse of space, a soundless war raged on, a testament to humanity's final, desperate struggle for survival. The moon, a lonely sentinel, hung in the blackness, its cratered surface a stark reminder of the unforgiving environment that surrounded it. Upon this barren, airless rock, a lone figure sat, clad in a futuristic nanotech armor suit that shimmered like the stars above.
The armor's helmet, adorned with a golden visor, reflected the chaos unfolding in the distance. Spaceships, their sleek hulls emblazoned with vibrant logos, clashed in a spectacular display of light and sound. Canon fire illuminated the darkness, casting an otherworldly glow on the surrounding space debris. The silence was oppressive, punctuated only by the faint, eerie glow of explosions and the soft, ominous hum of energy shields.
Mecha, towering mechanical behemoths, strode across the battlefield, their metallic limbs slicing through the void with deadly precision. Monsters, born from the depths of space, writhed and twisted, their grotesque forms defying the laws of nature. A gargantuan, tentacled creature, its body a mass of pulsing, bioluminescent orbs, was torn asunder by a barrage of laser fire. A colossal, humanoid mecha, its armor scarred and smoldering, stumbled backward as a swarm of smaller, insectoid creatures devoured its limbs.
The armored figure sat motionless, a silent witness to the devastation. The war raged on, a soundless, apocalyptic dance of light and shadow. The figure's chest rose and fell with each slow, deliberate breath, the only sign of life in a sea of destruction.
As the battle finally began to subside, the figure slowly raised its hands, and with a gentle, almost reverent motion, removed its helmet. The old man's face, revealed beneath, was a map of time and experience. His features, neither handsome nor ugly, were etched with the weight of years. His eyes, however, told a different story – a tale of deep sorrow, of loss and longing. The calm, almost serene expression on his face was a thin veneer, a fragile mask that threatened to shatter at any moment.
As the old man's gaze drifted toward the blue-green planet suspended in the distance, his heart ached with a mix of sorrow and nostalgia. Earth, the cradle of humanity, hung in the void like a celestial jewel. The once-blue skies were now a deep shade of indigo, filled with towering, kilometer-high megastructures that pierced the atmosphere like shards of glass. The continents were a patchwork of neon-lit metropolises, their towering skyscrapers and labyrinthine streets a testament to humanity's ingenuity and perseverance.
The old man's eyes lingered on the planet, drinking in the beauty of the world he once knew. He remembered the laughter of children, the warmth of summer sunshine, and the gentle rustle of leaves in the autumn breeze. His eyes welled up with tears as he thought of all that had been lost, of all that could never be regained.
The tears he had held back for so long finally broke free, streaming down his face like the stars above. His eyes closed, and in a barely audible whisper, he spoke to the void:
"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry. You see me cry, but you don't see the weight of my regret. I'm sorry for the world we lost, for the future we'll never have. I'm sorry for the children who'll never know the warmth of the sun, for the lovers who'll never hold each other again."
The old man's words hung in the silence, a poignant testament to the unfathomable depths of human sorrow. As the stars twinkled above, the old man's tears fell like rain, a reminder of the devastating cost of war and the unyielding power of human regret.
As the old man's tears fell like rain, the fabric of space seemed to tremble, as if the very essence of reality was being reshaped. The air grew thick with anticipation, heavy with the weight of impending presence. And then, in an instant, three figures materialized behind the old man, their arrival announced by a burst of radiance that illuminated the desolate lunar landscape.
The goddess stood at the forefront, her statuesque form commanding attention. Her skin was as white as alabaster, flawless and unblemished, while her hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall of night. Her eyes burned with an inner fire, a fierce intensity that seemed to pierce the very soul. She was a vision of loveliness, a masterpiece of divine craftsmanship, and yet, there was something unsettling about her, something that hinted at unfathomable power and unyielding authority.
The two gods stood slightly behind her, their faces set in expressions of quiet reverence. One had skin like polished bronze, his features chiseled from the very rock of the gods. His eyes shone like stars, bright and unwavering, filled with a deep sense of wisdom and knowledge. The other god had eyes that burned with a fierce blue flame, his skin a radiant, ethereal glow. His features were delicate, almost androgynous, and yet, there was something undeniably masculine about him, something that spoke of raw power and unbridled energy.
As the three gods stood before the old man, the surrounding environment seemed to react to their presence. The stars in the sky twinkled with a newfound intensity, as if they were being drawn into the gods' orbit. The moon's surface seemed to tremble, as if the very foundations of the lunar regolith were being reshaped by the gods' presence. The air was filled with an electric sense of anticipation, a feeling that the very fabric of reality was about to be reshaped by the gods' whims.
The goddess's voice was like music, a melodious tone that belied the steel beneath. "Old man, are you done?" she asked, her words laced with a hint of respect, a nod to the old man's unyielding spirit.
The old man turned, his face creasing into a warm smile. The tears that had streamed down his face just moments before seemed to have vanished, leaving behind a mask of serenity. The gods exchanged a wary glance, their eyes narrowing as they sensed something amiss.
The goddess took a step forward, her eyes flashing with a hint of warning. "All the struggles of the weak are meaningless in front of the strong," she declared, her voice dripping with conviction. "You would do well to stop resisting, old man."
The old man's smile never wavered. Instead, he regarded the goddess with a teasing glint in his eye. "Oh, I'm not going to resist," he said, his voice low and soothing. "But I would like to ask a favor of you, goddess. Would you please grant this old man a little conversation before he passes on? I'd like to rest in peace, knowing that I've had a chance to talk to someone as lovely as yourself."
The goddess hesitated, her eyes searching the old man's face for any sign of deception. But all she saw was a deep-seated weariness, a sense of resignation that bordered on acceptance. She nodded, a small, enigmatic smile playing on her lips. "Very well, old man. I will grant you this conversation. But be warned: I am not one to be trifled with."
As the old man's eyes met the goddess's, a hint of pride sparkled within them. "My name is Sky Kane," he declared, his voice filled with a sense of accomplishment. "My mother wanted the sky to be my limit, but I changed my name to Aethonox, for I had long surpassed the sky."
A sigh escaped his lips, and his gaze drifted into the distance. "Aethonox, the shining universe. But it seems I have not conquered the universe, after all." His eyes returned to the goddess, and a hint of mischief danced within them. "You may call me Sky, if you wish."
The goddess's expression remained unreadable, but her voice was laced with a hint of curiosity. "A mortal cannot hear an eternal's name and still draw breath. You may not call me by my true name."
The old man's lips curled into a sly smile. "Then I shall call you... Bitch." The goddess's eyes narrowed, and her voice took on a hint of warning. "What does this name mean?"
The old man's smile never wavered. "It means brilliance, of course." To his surprise, the goddess accepted the name, her expression softening ever so slightly.
As the conversation flowed, the old man's curiosity got the better of him. "What is the difference between eternals and gods?" he asked, his eyes sparkling with intrigue.
The goddess's expression turned solemn, and her voice took on a hint of reverence. "Gods are born from the laws of the universe, while eternals are beyond the multiverse. They are stronger than gods by a large margin."
The old man's eyes widened in awe, but his gaze soon turned somber. "What happened to the gods of my universe?" he asked, his voice laced with a hint of sadness.
The goddess's expression turned grim, and her voice was barely above a whisper. "They were killed by Zeus and a madman named Odin." The old man's eyes widened in shock, and his voice was laced with incredulity. "Zeus and Odin? But they are gods, are they not?"
" No,those bastards called themselves gods to mock us since they were able to absorb laws which deemed holy."
The goddess's expression remained unreadable, but her voice was laced with a hint of warning. "It is time for you to rest in peace, Sky. I must take my leave."
The old man's eyes sparkled with a hint of mischief, and his voice was laced with a hint of regret. "If only humans were given enough time, perhaps even the mighty eternals would be ants before them." His gaze drifted into the distance, and his voice was barely above a whisper. "But it is too late to regret now."
The goddess's expression changed, and for a moment, fear flickered in her eyes. She remembered the Jade Emperor, the ruler of the humans, who had nearly conquered the entire universe. She remembered the fiery monkey, Sun Wukong, who had defied the gods themselves. And she remembered the Buddha, the silent old man who had transcended the universe and entered the multiverse.
Her gaze snapped back to the old man, and her voice was laced with a hint of menace. "Humans will never be given enough time again, Sky. You have seen the end of your universe, and soon, you will see the end of your life."
With that, she stood up, her eyes blazing with an inner fire. The air around her seemed to distort, as if reality itself was bending to accommodate her power. The old man's eyes sparkled with interest, and he regarded her with a sense of fascination.
"You, who did not have time conquered 53 galaxies," she spat, her voice laced with contempt. "The Jade Emperor did not have time, but he conquered 3000 realms. The Olympians did not have time, but they made their mountain a stellar capital city of multiple civilizations. Odin did not have time, but he turned the universe tree into his own garden. If we give you time, what will you become? You can die now, for the good of the multiverse."
The old man's smile never wavered, and his eyes sparkled with a hint of mischief. "True, it is time for me to die in peace." As he spoke, the stars around them began to explode, and the empty space started to produce chaos that was greyish in color, making the surrounding space seem like it was being consumed.
The goddess's eyes widened in shock, and her voice was laced with a hint of fear. "What have you done, Sky?" She gripped his neck, her fingers closing around his windpipe like a vice.
The old man's smile never wavered, and his voice was barely above a whisper. "Even before the zombie apocalypse or the robot wars, humans have been studying the big bang theory. You should enjoy the fireworks." His laughter was raspy, and his eyes sparkled with a hint of mischief.
As the goddess's fingers tightened around his neck, the old man's smile never wavered. His eyes sparkled with a hint of mischief, and his voice was barely above a whisper. "Even before the zombie apocalypse or the robot wars, humans have been studying the big bang theory. You should enjoy the fireworks."
The goddess's eyes blazed with anger, and her face twisted in a snarl. With a swift and deadly motion, she snapped the old man's neck. His body went limp, and his eyes glazed over, frozen in a permanent stare.
As the life drained from his body, the old man's voice whispered out a final, haunting phrase: "If only... we had more time." The words hung in the air, a poignant lament for the possibilities that would never be realized.
The goddess stood tall, her chest heaving with exertion, as she gazed down at the lifeless body. For a moment, a flicker of emotion danced across her face, a hint of sadness and regret. But it was quickly extinguished, replaced by a mask of cold, calculating indifference.
As the goddess stood over the lifeless body of the old man, a hint of unease flickered across her face. She recalled a webnovel she had chanced upon during her visit to Earth, a story that spoke of transmigration and the cyclical nature of souls.
A shiver ran down her spine as she wondered if the old man might be a protagonist, a hero destined to be reborn and continue his journey. She couldn't take that risk.
With a swift motion, she beckoned to the two eternals who stood guard beside her. "Destroy his soul," she commanded, her voice firm and resolute.
The eternals nodded in unison, their faces expressionless. With a wave of their hands, a dark energy erupted from their fingertips, enveloping the old man's lifeless body.
The air seemed to ripple and distort as the energy washed over the body, tearing apart the fabric of the soul. The old man's essence began to unravel.
As the destruction of his soul reached its climax, a faint whisper seemed to echo through the void, a residual echo of the old man's energy. It was a soft, melancholic sigh, a final lament for the life that had been lived and the possibilities that had been lost.
And then, there was silence.
The goddess watched as the eternals dispersed the remnants of the old man's soul, leaving behind only a faint residue of energy. This, too, would eventually fade, lost to the vast expanse of the multiverse.
With a nod, the goddess turned to leave, accompanied by the two eternals. As they vanished into the depths of space, the whisper of the old man's soul energy lingered, a haunting reminder of the transience of life and the mysteries that lay beyond the veil of mortality.
As the silence stretched out, the goddess turned to leave, disappearing into the vast expanse of space, leaving behind a trail of destruction and chaos. The old man's body remained, a poignant reminder of the transience of life and the cruel capriciousness of fate.
The stars twinkled on, indifferent to the drama that had unfolded, as the universe continued its relentless march towards entropy and oblivion. And in the midst of it all, the old man's final words echoed through the void, a haunting reminder of the possibilities that might have been, if only there had been more time.