The sun loomed like a blazing furnace in the void, its surface a roiling sea of plasma and fire that mocked my desperation. Elena—my Elena—had vanished into that inferno, a golden comet streaking into the heart of the star with Magnolia in her grasp. The image burned into my mind: her radiant form, hair flowing like liquid sunlight, sacrificing everything to save Earth. I hung in space, weightless and shattered, the nuke's distant explosion a fading starburst behind me. Tears froze on my cheeks, crystallizing in the cold vacuum. "Elena..." I whispered, voice lost in the silence. The woman I loved, my partner, my everything—gone. The age gap, the battles, the unrestricted passions in the sky—it all felt meaningless now. How could I go on without her?
Distraught with emotion, rage and grief boiling like the sun's core, I surged forward—flying once again as fast as I could. Muscles splitting at the speed I traveled, my body broken past its limit. Skin blistered and charred from friction earlier, now it ignited anew—violet aura flaring desperately to shield me, but the heat pierced through. Bones ached, joints screamed, every cell protesting as I pushed beyond Mach 10, beyond light's edge in bursts that warped space around me. The sun grew larger, its gravity pulling me in like a lover's fatal embrace. "Elena!" I screamed again, voice raw, throat burning from the effort. I had to reach her—save her, or die with her.
Closer— the corona's flames licked my suit, melting fabric, searing flesh. Pain exploded—white-hot, unrelenting—but I pressed on, aura flickering, body limit reached. I felt myself burning—skin peeling, muscles tearing, vision blurring from the glare. I realized I could go no further—the sun's fury too great, my power not enough. With a final, agonized cry, I reversed—pulling back, body smoking, wounds gaping. I floated there—defeated, sobbing hysterically into the void. "Why... why her?"
Suddenly, a light appeared—a brilliant flare from the sun's depths, brighter than any nova we'd unleashed. A figure emerged from the fiery depths, silhouetted against the plasma storms. My heart stopped. Magnolia.
I couldn't believe it. Elena—was she dead? The ancient tree entity floated toward me, her bark-form severely burnt and weakened—charred black, branches withered like ash, wheezing with each movement. In her root-like arms, she carried Elena—badly burnt, skin blistered and raw, suit reduced to rags, unconscious but breathing faintly.
"Magnolia..." I rasped, voice broken, hovering closer despite my pain. "What... how?"
The tree woman's face—cracked and smoking—twisted in what might have been regret. "I admire her," she wheezed, voice a creak of dying wood. "She did what I would have to protect my world. Such... conviction."
I reached out—taking Elena gently, cradling her limp body against my chest. Her skin was hot to the touch, wounds severe—burns covering her arms, legs, face. But her chest rose and fell—alive. Barely. "You... spared her?"
Magnolia's eyes—glowing green embers—dimmed. "I have decided to spare Earth. I must now hibernate... for 100 years... to regain my strength." Her form began to fade—roots retracting, bark crumbling to dust. "But remember... life is for the strongest. One day... I may return."
She vanished into the void of space—leaving only a faint trail of green mist that dissipated like smoke.
Elena—I tried to talk to her, shaking her gently. "Elena... wake up. Please." No response—unconscious, breaths shallow. Panic surged—I had to get her help. My body at its limit—wounds throbbing, muscles torn—I flew back to Earth, holding her close, using my remaining aura to shield her from re-entry heat. The descent was agony—gravity pulling at my broken form, skin splitting further—but I endured. For her.
I took her straight to Dr. Voss's lab—the top-secret facility where we'd analyzed the bark sample. Crashing through the emergency entrance, I shouted for help. "Voss! Anyone! She's dying!"
Voss and his team rushed out—taking her into emergency care, hooking her to machines that beeped with urgent rhythms. "What happened?" Voss asked, eyes wide.
"The sun... she flew into the sun with Magnolia. Burned... but alive." I collapsed against the wall—body giving out, vision blurring.
They stabilized her—using advanced healers, my violet aura channeled through tubes to accelerate her recovery. "She's in critical condition," Voss said. "Burns severe, internal damage from heat and radiation. But her power... it's keeping her alive. We'll do everything."
I tried to stay—holding her hand, whispering, "Fight, Elena... I need you." But exhaustion claimed me. "You need rest," Voss insisted, leading me to a cot. I collapsed—blackness swallowing me.
I woke in my old bed at home—Mum stroking my head, her touch gentle. "Son..." she whispered, tears in her eyes. Dad stood in the background—face lined with worry, but proud.
"Mum... Dad?" I sat up—pain lancing through my body, wounds still healing. "How... how's Elena?"
"Thick Chick is stable, son," Mum said, meeting my gaze. "We know everything."
Shock hit me. "What? How?"
Dad stepped forward. "We saw the news—the asteroid, the battles. Then you collapsed at the lab. They transported you home. The doctors... they told us. You're Loverman. This whole time... a superhero."
Mum hugged me tightly. "You're incredibly stupid—but incredibly brave, my son. This whole time, saving the world."
Dad smiled—tears in his eyes. "You saved me. And our marriage. But most of all, the planet."
I broke down—tears flowing. "I... I couldn't tell you. Too dangerous."
"We understand," Mum said. "But we're proud. So proud."
They explained: I'd been in emergency care for two days, recovering from overexertion. When stable, they transported me home—secretly, to avoid media.
My parents told me they wanted to start a fresh chapter after the Magnolia situation—moving to a different city. "We'll leave you the house," Dad said. "You and Elena... you need a home base. We're retiring early—somewhere quiet."
They planned to leave as soon as Elena was better—so they could thank her and say goodbye.
The next day—internal pain lingering, but I could move—I went to see Elena. She was in a private room—wounds healed, skin smooth again, hair lustrous. She regained consciousness as I entered—eyes lighting up. "Alex..."
I hugged her deeply—she kissed me, tears mingling. "Please don't do anything crazy like that again," I said, crying.
She smiled weakly. "Did I do it? Is Magnolia dead?"
I lied—phrasing it deliberately. "Yes... it's over."
"I'll never let you have to do anything like that again, Elena," I promised, holding her hand. "I'm going to get stronger and protect you. I swear."
I spent the whole night by her side—talking softly, stroking her hair, watching her sleep. The world celebrated our victory, but for now, it was just us—alive, together.