You were resting in Sa's domain, taking a power nap after going to examine several bubble worlds to prepare for the next ones, as Sa glued her eyes to the tablets for whatever she was working on.

To her, this is just the first step of the very foundation of her grand dream, to bring her annihilated homeworld back... There is nothing more important than this. For the Imaginary Tree knows how long, she has been solely focused on getting more power from the Sea for this very purpose...

That is until you arrive, blowing a new, yet insignificant wind into her life, for a slight moment, she falters, feeling peace after such a long time... There is no doubt that your affections were affecting her slowly but surely... But to her... You were just like an... Oasis, on a long journey...

But at least, you have proven to be of use to her, helping her manage over the bubble worlds without needing her to risk destroying them in the process is already a great help, the power supply for her is secured.

She glanced over, studying your sleeping body leaning against the wall, a bearer of responsibility that is not important, yet striving to be equal to her, all that, driven solely by love...

Humans... Truly are the simplest yet also hardest creatures to fully understand.

A few moments later, you woke up, all the tiredness and fatigues completely gone now, you stood up and stretched a bit.

"Good morning..." - You said with a half sleeping voice, brushing your hair with your hand as you approached Sa. "My beloved Sa."

"..."

As usual, she does not respond to your warm affection, but something about it just keeps you smiling...

"Then, I will-"

"Wait." - Sa called out to you before you even got to turn away.

"?"

"Change of plans. I need you to accompany me on a trip." - Sa said as she stood up, as she opened a portal behind her.

You were surprised because Sa wanted you to go with her, her intentions unclear, but you couldn't help but to feel happy that she has personally asked you to.

"Alright! I will protect you! Let's go!"

You got too excited and walked through the portal before she even get to explain anything to you.

Later, you found yourself floating and suffocating.

You found yourself standing on the fricking soil of Mars!!! Until you floated off.

"Mars?? Noo!!! I can't breathe! Wait." - You were panicking then you realized something. "... Huh?"

You don't need to breathe at all, in fact you don't even feel suffocating... Silly you, you forgot that the Emperor-Class juice is still kicking in... Even during these times, even in these harsh conditions, it got your arse secured.

Later you managed to stabilize yourself standing on the ground, and then Sa came out to you.

"So you are stupid too huh?" - Sa asked as she stepped out from the portal, approaching you, scanning you for anything unusual. "Hm, I suppose that ability of yours were enough to keep you from dying, as I expected."

"So uh... Where are we? Why are we on Mars?" - You asked her some questions as you looked around, the scenery was amazing up here... from your place to the horizon, all that there is the red martian wasteland... "Are we on a honeymoon? That's a rush, we could have d-"

Sa shut you up, then she walked past you... You followed her.

"So what are we doing here exactly?"

"Lay the foundations of a backup plan... For now I am busy with the main project already, so I will need your help planting these pillars around..." - Sa snapped her fingers and some mysterious stone pillars appeared, hovering beside her.

"Uhh... Can't you do it with your powers-"

"I do not want to risk attract their attention."

"Who?"

"Here." - Some of the stone pillars went over behind you, avoiding your question.

"So... Where do I plant them?"

"On the surface of the planet... Here." - Sa said, and you received something in your mind from her... A projection of the planet Mars... With marked spots on the surface, the coordinates seem random. "I will plant the other ones inside the planet."

"Huh... Okay~ Wish me luck!"

Sa already went underground.

And you quickly went to find the exact locations for planting these pillars on Mars. Planting them was a simple task, but making your way to them is time consuming.

As you walked around Mars, you saw things that you never got to see closer before, such as Jupiter, Uranus, or even some of the star formation that you haven't even seen before...

"Hah... Beat me to it, Elon Musk, I got on Mars before you." - You said as you happily skipped around, being completely optimistic about things.

That is, until you saw Earth... Your homeworld... Being embraced by the ginormous entity, that is qualified to be called a God of sorts, the very same entity that is destroying it.

"..."

The empty silence of the void could prevent you from hearing it, yet it did not grant you the mercy of not allowing you to see.

The feeling was... Dreadful.

"..."

It was a clear answer.

Mankind has lost.

Hours later, Sa emerged from underground, her part of the job was done, she went back to her domain, but found no trace of you there, which was strange, even to her. She opened the panel and found that you were still on Mars, she went back and found you sitting there, eyes locked onto the green planet.

She did not say anything, she did not snap you out of your thoughts, she did not know what to do, for the first time.

It was like when she learned that she was the lone survivor of Purusha, the only difference is that she is watching someone else going through the same wave of emotion, sadness, anger, hatred, guilt, despair, loneliness, all that at the same time...

But then, a wave of realization hit her. She was so surprised by Earth's ending and similarity to her that she forgot that they might be exposed to danger.

"We must go."

She said in a hurried tone, as a portal opened behind you, she dragged you with her through it, and back inside the Sea of Quanta, safely inside her domain.

Sa felt the safest here, for that Herrscher could overpower even her, in the worst case scenario, she might have alerted the Cocoon as well, which is something she would want the least.

She turned back to you, and saw you still sitting on the ground, eyes wandering into the far distance... As if the image of the destruction was carved into your consciousness.

"..."

She sat down next to you. It was strange, even though you were right next to her, but you didn't show any of your clingy loving affections towards her. It was just awkwardly quiet. She got used to the silence in her isolation, however, with your arrival in her life, she felt that silence to be... Distance.

She placed her hand on your shoulder.

"..."

"..."

Neither of you spoke.

The silence goes on.

"..."

"..."

"... We lost... Damn it." - You said, looking down.

Earlier, Earth and Mars didn't have much similarity... Until now, both are lifeless planets...

Sa looked at you, she did not speak, for she did not know what words would be able to ease your feelings.

"... What were they doing... Until the very last seconds... Did they resist? Did they give up?"

"..."

"Kevin... I know what kind of a man you are... You didn't go down without a fight right? Elysia... You were the kindest and the loveliest girl among the bunch... were you there to ease their pain...? Ben Dover... You were the funniest... Did you manage to die somewhere...? Pan... Yae... Su... My brothers... My comrades..."

Your head dropped lower with each name escaped your lips,... The feeling was growing more grim...

"..."

"... I have failed them. Maybe they needed me... What the hell am I doing here...?" - You asked yourself, yet Sa was surprised...

Your love for her was certain... for you to ask why did you even do it, why did you even stay in the Sea to try and win her heart... Was enough to tell how much this impacted you...

You shed some tears also. For your home, for your kind have been destroyed...

"..." - Sa patted your shoulder.

You wiped your tears as you turned away.

"... Sorry... I let you see me in such a sorry state... I will continue my work."

"..."

Sa nodded.