Bella stood on the balcony of her New York villa, looking out across the city as the night wind brushed against her skin. It had been nearly three years since she awakened her powers, and in that time, she had torn through enemies, clashed with gods, and even crossed paths with forces that most mortals could not comprehend. But now, she felt it—an invisible ceiling pressing down on her growth.
Her current strength had reached a bottleneck. Almost every attribute, from her agility to her durability, had reached the realm of A+. That was a level far beyond ordinary superheroes, yet she knew it wasn't enough. The Earth no longer offered her challenges. Hulk and Thor had once been worthy sparring partners, but lately, they brought her little improvement. Unless they themselves grew stronger, they could no longer push her forward.
There was one person who could.
The Ancient One.
Bella had considered it. If she truly wanted to leap forward, then crossing fists—or perhaps spells—with the Sorcerer Supreme might be the only path. But the thought made her lips tighten. The Ancient One wasn't just a magician; she was a living paradox, a woman who held the Eye of Agamotto, countless arcane artifacts, and knowledge of countless dimensions.
"To defeat her, I would need to reach the level of a godfather of magic…" Bella muttered under her breath, shaking her head. "And that's still not enough."
The Ancient One was someone who could bend reality, a figure who had stared into the abyss of the multiverse and wrestled with demon kings across dimensions. Was it really possible for Bella, even at her peak, to defeat her? And beyond the question of power, there was something else—their relationship. The Ancient One had guided her before, and Bella still felt indebted to her. To turn that bond into open challenge… no, it was too embarrassing to even suggest.
So she shelved that idea.
Instead, she looked to the stars. Originally, she had planned to set out for the universe six months from now. But after days of restless thought, she decided to advance the plan. If Earth had nothing left to offer her, then the infinite cosmos would.
She was leaving Earth again.
---
Back in New York, Bella summoned Thor, who cheerfully agreed to craft her a new warship. The God of Thunder seemed almost too eager, pounding metal in Asgard's forges with sparks flying as if he were preparing a gift for a sibling. Bella didn't complain; she needed the ship, and Thor's craftsmanship was unmatched.
There was no strict limit to how long she could travel in space this time. But there was something else pressing on her mind. She could not disappear without explanation—not when she had people waiting for her back on Earth.
That evening, the villa was quiet but full. Two women, one child, and two pets filled the space. The warm lighting glowed across their faces, yet the atmosphere was thick.
Little Sally sat on the sofa with a golden retriever and a fluffy cat, happily licking ice cream, her wide eyes darting back and forth between her sister and Bella. She sensed the tension but didn't quite understand it.
Finally, it was Anji who broke the silence. She crossed her arms and looked at Bella with mock sternness.
"Say it straight—are you raising a dog outside? Why suddenly vanish for two months?"
Bella rolled her eyes and gave a playful snort. "Speak properly, Anji, or I'll knock you flat."
"Ha!" Anji smirked, clutching her chest dramatically. "So you admit it. You're leaving me behind, aren't you? Wooooo… what will I do without you? Every day I'll have to eat those horrible takeout meals…"
She buried her face in her hands, shoulders shaking as though she were about to burst into tears.
Sally blinked, dropped her ice cream, and hurried over to her sister. The little girl held up the half-finished cone like an offering. "Don't cry, sister… you can have mine."
"Wooo…" Anji sobbed louder, though her eyes gleamed mischievously from behind her hands. She pulled Sally into her arms, rocking her like a pitiful heroine in a stage play.
Bella could only sigh. "Honestly, Anji… with acting like that, you should quit medicine and go straight to Hollywood. You'd win an Oscar in your first year."
Anji ignored the jab, hugging the little girl tightly before sliding over to sit against Bella, resting her head on her shoulder. Her tone changed to teasing curiosity.
"Alright, be honest. Did you meet some dashing guy? Is that why you're vanishing for months?"
Bella gave a short laugh. "No. You know me better than that."
"Not interested in men?" Anji's eyes widened in mock horror. "Don't tell me—you're into women instead?"
Bella arched an eyebrow and sneered. Anji quickly looked away, embarrassed, and changed the subject with a dramatic sigh.
"Well then… it means more takeout for me and poor little Sally."
"Don't worry," Bella said softly, reaching out to stroke Sally's hair. "I'll come back when I can. Remember why I took the Space Stone? With it, I can open a portal from anywhere in the universe back to Earth. As long as I have enough energy, I'll never be too far away."
The reassurance worked. Sally nodded vigorously, though her mind was still half on the melting ice cream. Anji only pouted but didn't push further. They both knew Bella's life was not meant to stay bound to Earth.
---
The next morning, Bella acted on her decision. She summoned Heimdall on a deserted island. The golden-eyed guardian opened the Bifrost, and with a flash of rainbow light, Bella was flung across the cosmos. She landed on a barren world—the same planet where she had once departed with Loki.
Her first destination was clear: the black market.
---
The black market lay hidden on a savage world within the X4396 galaxy. The planet itself was enormous, one of the largest in the known sectors, orbiting a still-burning but unstable star. Resources were rare, the environment harsh, but this only made it more valuable.
Here, life had adapted to extremes. And at the top of the food chain lived the terrifying Mossa Behemoths.
Bella had read about them but seeing one from orbit was different. Towering over one hundred meters tall, each creature's hide looked like a living mountain of armor. Their bones, flesh, and even blood were prized commodities across the galaxy. A single fang could be forged into a blade worth more than a starship.
Yet hunting them was nearly impossible. They were tyrannical by nature but possessed a strange collective instinct. If even one Behemoth was threatened, the others would stampede from across the planet, tearing the attacker to shreds.
"A single race of fewer than a hundred… and yet they rule this entire planet." Bella whispered in awe as she watched one exhale a gout of fire that melted a ridge of stone.
Reproduction was rare for them. Few cubs survived the brutal environment, which explained why their numbers never grew large. But that was a blessing for the rest of the ecosystem—if the Behemoths ever multiplied unchecked, they would consume everything until only they remained.
This was the kind of world Bella had chosen to begin her cosmic journey. Dangerous, raw, and brimming with opportunities.
And for Bella, danger meant growth.
She stepped off her ship, the glow of the twin suns burning across her armor. Her eyes narrowed. Somewhere on this planet's black market lay the information she needed. About the races that lurked in the shadows of the universe. About the ancient forces stirring in the dark.
The path forward had opened.
Bella had left Earth behind once again—but this time, she wasn't just wandering. She was hunting for power among the stars.
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