Far away from Earth—beyond galaxies, beyond even the edges of what mortals dared to name—the void stretched endlessly, silent and silver-black. Space itself breathed slowly there, as if exhausted by eternity.
Michael appeared in the middle of that darkness.
His hoodie fluttered despite the absence of wind, eyes narrowing as he turned to the right, sensing something—a ripple of energy he hadn't felt in eons.
Then he saw her.
A lone woman floated through the void, her form perfectly still yet exuding power that made entire star clusters flicker. She was humanoid—tall, graceful, wrapped in a long, midnight gown that shimmered like liquid shadow. Her hair flowed like smoke, black as event horizons. And her gaze—those eyes—were bottomless, reflecting not starlight but obsession.
For a second, Michael's confident smirk faltered.
Sweat ran down his temple.
His body tensed, his heartbeat stuttering in disbelief.
"N-No…" he muttered, voice barely audible in the vacuum. "Wh-why is she here? How did her energy signature change?... N-No!!"
He clutched his head with both hands, trembling violently. His breath came ragged and fast—utterly unlike the cosmic being who had just crushed a wormhole with one hand.
"I… I have to run. Run!!"
A flash of light—and he was gone.
The void stilled.
The woman tilted her head slightly, staring at the empty space where he had stood. A soft smile curved her lips, slow and predatory. Her voice slipped through the void like silk and smoke.
"I have finally found you… my hubby~" she whispered, licking her lips as her black eyes glowed with manic affection. "You can't run away from me anymore… hehe~"
Her words echoed faintly across the void before she, too, vanished.
Back on Earth, the room exploded with motion.
"Clurs!" Michael shouted the instant he appeared back in his bedroom. His tone was sharp, breathless. "Turn off this model and power on Model 90-S! Quick! And erase every trace of my energy—right now!"
The A.I. barely managed a startled, "Y-Yes, sir—" before the transformation hit.
The wooden floor rippled like water; furniture shattered into motes of digital light. The entire room folded inward, walls disintegrating into fragments of light before reforming as a star-filled abyss. The air shimmered and thickened, glowing with miniature constellations.
In less than two seconds, the cozy room was gone.
In its place hung an endless, dark expanse—a pocket universe contained within a cube of absolute silence. Countless galaxies spun lazily around him like floating glass orbs, their light reflecting in Michael's eyes.
He exhaled sharply, still trembling. "Finally… safe."
Without hesitation, he teleported deeper—his form flickering out of existence and reappearing in a small, peaceful world inside the miniature cosmos. He materialized in front of a wooden hut nestled in a vast green field under a painted sky.
He stumbled inside and collapsed on the bed, groaning. "I can't believe she found me here… again."
For once, the mighty Michael looked truly defeated. He flopped down, face buried in his pillow. "Of all the places in the multiverse—why her?"
Within moments, exhaustion overtook him. His breathing slowed. Drool formed at the corner of his mouth. For someone who could manipulate galaxies, he fell asleep rather unceremoniously.
Meanwhile—back in the real world.
The void outside Earth shimmered, and the woman appeared again, her eyes scanning the planet. She narrowed them, sensing the faint remnants of his presence—then smiled.
"He still hides in layers, huh?" she murmured. "My hubby hasn't changed at all… hehe. Fine. I'll play along."
Her gown of shadows rippled—then melted away, reshaping itself into a stylish black dress, perfectly earthly. Her long hair cascaded down her shoulders, now glossy and human-like. A faint blush painted her cheeks. In mere seconds, she looked like any other beautiful woman from the modern world.
"Well," she said, brushing imaginary dust from her sleeve, "time to visit my dear."
She appeared before Michael's house.
The porch light cast a golden glow on her flawless face as she pressed the doorbell.
Ring. Ring. Ring.
Inside, the cozy hum of a television filled the living room. Michael's mother, seated comfortably with a cup of tea, frowned slightly at the sound.
"Huh? Who could that be at this hour?" she muttered, standing up and smoothing her sari. She walked to the door, unlocking it carefully.
As it opened, her eyes widened.
A stunning young woman stood there, holding a small designer bag, smiling warmly. The woman's eyes gleamed with strange affection as she said, "Good evening, ma'am. I'm Luna… Michael's girlfriend~ He invited me to study with him tonight."
For a second, Michael's mother just blinked.
Her thoughts raced—Girlfriend? Michael?—and she recalled how her son had asked an odd question that morning about "how normal relationships usually start."
"Oh…" she stammered slightly. "Y-You're his… girlfriend?"
Luna tilted her head, feigning bashful innocence. "Mhm~ We're quite close."
Michael's mother blinked twice, then smiled gently, deciding she must be overthinking. "Well, dear, he's upstairs. You can go find him. Come in."
Luna's lips curled into a sweet smile, her eyes glinting. "Thank you, ma'am."
She stepped inside, her heels clicking lightly against the floor as she ascended the stairs. Michael's mother watched her go with a fond sigh. "She looked so happy… I guess my son finally found someone special."
Upstairs, Luna stopped in front of Michael's door and opened it without knocking.
The sight that greeted her made her smile widen.
The room was messy—clothes strewn around, a bed unmade, the faint scent of cologne and boyish chaos. To her, though, it was heavenly.
"Hehe~ You really thought you could hide from me here, didn't you, Michael?" she whispered, stepping inside. Her grin deepened. "But your Luna knows you best… always."
She picked up one of his T-shirts, held it close, and inhaled deeply. A shiver ran through her as her pupils dilated. "Mmm… you smell the same," she whispered with a blissful sigh. "Why do you keep running from me, Michael? I love you so much… hehe~"
Her laughter—soft, lilting, dangerous—filled the room.
Meanwhile, in his hidden world, Michael snored softly, limbs sprawled, utterly unaware of the impending disaster.
Then, suddenly—he bolted upright with a scream.
"AHHHH—NO!!! Please let me go, Luna!!!"
Panting heavily, he blinked around the small hut. Realization dawned. "Oh… it was just a dream. Right… I'm safe here."
He pressed a hand to his chest, calming himself. "Huff… Huff… Okay, calm down. She can't find you here. Not in my private universe. Right?"
He exhaled in relief and stood, stretching lazily. "Man… I'm really traumatized, huh?"
"Clurs," he said, yawning. "How long has it been outside?"
"Two hours, sir."
"Two hours?" he repeated, scratching his head. "So I slept two days here… huh, nice nap."
He stepped out of the hut, the grass swaying softly around his feet. The sky shimmered in gold and blue hues. "Ahh… fresh air. Clurs, did I miss anything? My 'normal human' schedule still on track?"
"Negative, sir. You have missed three tasks: stock analysis, gaming, and animating your new project."
Michael froze. A vein pulsed on his forehead.
"Sigh… Because of that woman again!!" he groaned. "Fine. Let's do them now."
He vanished in a blink.
Back in his bedroom.
He sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Finally, back to—"
Then froze.
His heart stopped.
Because sitting casually on his bed was Luna.
For one split second, his mind went blank.
His jaw dropped. His eyes bulged.
Inwardly, he screamed: NOOOOOOOOOO!!!
Luna's lips parted into a delighted smile the instant she felt his presence. She stood, her movements graceful, predatory. "Hehe~ found you."
Before he could react, she lunged forward and hugged him tightly, her arms locking behind his neck. The warmth of her body pressed against him, her scent dizzying.
"Hehe~ I finally got you, hubby~" she whispered against his ear. "Now, tell me… why were you running away from me? You know how much I love you, right?"
Michael stiffened completely. His cosmic composure shattered. He stammered, "Uh—uhm—you see… I wasn't running! Haha—just working on something really important! That's all!"
Her arms tightened. Her voice dropped into a whisper that tickled his neck. "Is that right… darling?"
Cold sweat ran down his back.
"Y-Yeah! Totally! Work stuff! You know, space-taxes, wormholes, spreadsheets—haha…"
Then she inhaled—sniffing his shoulder.
Michael froze.
Her face turned slowly, her eyes narrowing with something darker. "You smell like… another woman."
Michael's soul nearly left his body. "W-what?! No, no! That's just, uh… my classmate! She hugs everyone in college! Totally innocent! Harmless!"
Luna's eyes flickered—obsession glowing behind them. "Oh… a college girl, huh? You'll explain that to me properly, won't you?"
He laughed nervously. "O-of course! Anytime! Later! Just let me go first—haha…"
Her smile sharpened. "No."
She pressed closer, her voice dripping honey and threat. "You'll run away again if I do."
"...maybe?" he muttered weakly.
"Then no~" she sang, giggling softly.
Michael's brain scrambled for an exit. "Fine. Time to teleport—"
Nothing happened.
His brow furrowed. "...Huh?"
Luna tilted her head innocently. "Ah, don't bother. I already sealed your teleportation. Hehe~"
Michael's face went pale. "You… what?!"
Before he could move, Luna suddenly pushed him backward—straight onto the bed. The mattress creaked as she climbed over him, her hair cascading around his face like a dark curtain. Her eyes gleamed with delight as she leaned in.
"Michael, my hubby…" she whispered, voice low and dangerous, "you'll be mine tonight~"
"W-Wait, WAIT—time out! Let's talk this out like rational cosmic beings!"
Luna only giggled, brushing a finger down his cheek. "Shh~ I've waited too long for this."
Michael groaned internally. Great. I can crush black holes, but I can't survive my own girlfriend.
"Clurs…" he whispered desperately.
"System locked," came the A.I.'s unhelpful reply.
"Traitor…" he muttered.
Luna's soft laughter filled the room again, echoing like a melody both beautiful and terrifying.
And as Michael lay there, utterly trapped by his own cosmic lover, one dreadful thought crossed his mind:
The multiverse may end… but this woman's love won't.
______________
To be continued…