Stephen Strange succeeded.
After countless sacrifices and hardships, he finally broke through the Absolute Point in time and brought Christine back from the dead.
But at what cost?
The Stephen Strange on the screen was no longer the elegant, handsome man he once was. He had transformed into a grotesque being with writhing tentacles sprouting from his back, demonic wings, and a face made up of a grotesque fusion of countless monster heads.
But Stephen didn't care anymore. He cared about nothing now—only the woman in his arms. Holding her gently, he whispered, "It's me, Christine."
Christine slowly opened her eyes, only to scream in terror at the monster before her. "What happened?! Stay away from me!"
"You came back to life—I brought you back."
Stephen reached out, wanting to comfort her with a touch, but Christine kept retreating in fear. And then, she noticed everything around her was crumbling—including herself.
Outside the screen, the real Stephen Strange widened his eyes, his lips pressed into a tight line until he nearly drew blood from biting too hard.
Annie shook her head with a sigh. "Christine died over and over again in that cycle of death. Luckily, she never remembered. But Stephen... just as I said, she couldn't bear the weight of your love."
In the video, Stephen finally realized Christine was fading, just like the rest of the world. He snapped out of his monstrous state, reverting to his former self, and desperately tried to use magic to stop the collapse.
But he couldn't. The world grew smaller and smaller, on the verge of total destruction.
"You—you can stop this!"
At that moment, Stephen spotted the Watcher outside the world. Desperate, he pleaded, "Please! I'm begging you!"
The Watcher responded coldly, "The same way you helped Christine?"
"No, that was a mistake!"
"You were warned."
"I know. But this world…" Stephen gritted his teeth, barely holding the world together. "This world doesn't deserve to be punished for my arrogance. I know who you are—I've sensed you. You're a god. You can stop this!"
"I'm not a god. And neither are you," the Watcher said coolly.
Stephen kept begging, willing to accept any punishment if only the Watcher would save Christine and the world.
But the Watcher still refused, warning that if he intervened, just like Stephen had broken the Absolute Point, it could cause irreparable damage to the entire multiverse.
So, as Stephen cried out in despair, his world was destroyed.
Everything he did—everything he sacrificed—amounted to nothing but a single, dazzling diamond. A symbol of love.
A diamond that would last forever. But Stephen and his love... did not.
Inside that eternal crystal, he held Christine tightly in his arms, watching as she slowly crumbled into ash. "Christine, I'm so sorry…"
And all she left behind were confused, final words: "Stephen, what did you do…?"
In this tragedy of love, there was no doubt Stephen was the ultimate tragic hero. But Christine was just as pitiful.
She died repeatedly in a cycle of death. When she was finally brought back to life, she woke up only to discover that the world was ending. She never knew what Stephen had done for her—what he had given up—before dying once again…
The future video ended abruptly with Stephen's desperate cries echoing in the void.
In the Eternal Space, the players were left in silence, each wearing a different expression.
Clearly, this tragic love story had left a deep impression on everyone.
Stephen clasped his head in both hands and took several deep breaths before breaking the silence. With a bitter smile, he said, "Well then. A tragic love performance. Wasn't it brilliant?"
Thor looked at him with concern. "Stephen, don't overthink it. That future hasn't happened yet."
"I know, I know…" Stephen shook his head, the sarcasm still lingering in his smile. "It's just... my future self looks like a pitiful clown. Gave everything, tried so hard, and in the end... got nothing."
Thor tried to comfort him. "Don't dwell on it. Really. In my world, Christine's still doing just fine. Trust me, we'll find a way to fix this."
"Let's hope so," Stephen replied calmly, without the excitement he had shown earlier.
In the video, Christine's life and the fate of the world were completely bound together. If what Thor and Deadpool said was true—about sending her to another universe—what if that too caused the world to collapse?
At that moment, Deadpool suddenly raised his hand. "Hey, guys! Let's do a quick survey. Who else here, besides Thor and Stephen, has had an unforgettable love story? You can rule me out right away. My love story's basic as hell. Just your average bang-bang-thank-you-ma'am…"
Annie blushed and looked a bit uncomfortable. "My love life… isn't worth talking about. I don't even know if it counted as love."
She had been dragged around performing since she was a kid, raised in a strict, religious household. She had once been in a relationship she thought was deep, but after seeing Thor and Stephen's future, her own past felt bland—hardly worth mentioning.
Hughie, who had remained quiet through both future videos, was growing convinced that Thor was right—this really was a game showing everyone their future.
And maybe... his would be coming soon.
"I lost someone not long ago," Hughie said, voice low. "Stephen, I understand how you felt in that video—grief, guilt, anger... all of it drove me to do things I never imagined I was capable of. Things that nearly turned me into someone else."
Annie, Stephen, and the others turned to look at him. Deadpool let out a whistle. "Wow. Didn't expect someone like you—such a goody two-shoes—to have so much drama."
Hughie gave a dry laugh. "I never wanted to be part of some dramatic story, you know? I just wanted a normal life. A quiet relationship. Marriage. A home…"
Annie had looked down on him before, mostly due to Billy Butcher's influence—it was guilt by association. But now, hearing him speak, she looked at Hughie with a bit more sympathy. "And... have you let her go?" she asked gently.
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