Villain Retirement

Chapter 1195: For you, Billions of Years From Now

"Riley, look at this. This is the first life we've seen in like… what? Eighty years?"

"120."

"Right? Before that, it was like… 300 years? You—it's trying to bite me!"

Somewhere in the growing expanse of the universe, Hannah was holding a worm—holding it beside a cliff of nothing but pure stone, and beyond them was nothing but a horizon of endless water.

"That creature is probably going to be the common ancestor of every living being on this planet, Hannah."

"Really?" Hannah raised an eyebrow as she pulled the worm away from her finger and gently placed it back on the ground, where it quickly burrowed through the hard stone like it was sand, "Shit. Did… we just alter the course of this entire planet?"

"Perhaps. Do you want to stay here for a while?" Riley said as he looked around, "I could make us another house here."

"The view is nice," Hannah narrowed her eyes as she stared at the endless horizon of water, "But people, Riley. I want to live somewhere with people."

"The last time we were with people, we left immediately."

"Because you fucking killed one of them. Next time, contain yourself for at least a decade or something—and let's go, I think we've done enough damage to this place just by breathing."

"If you say so, Hannah."

Thousands. Perhaps more?

The two have been traveling across the cosmos without any destination at all—and this time, Riley did not rush. He and Hannah took their time, visiting whatever interesting sights they came upon.

And now, they travel again.

"Let's go?" Hannah reached his hand out to Riley, and he took it without any hesitation.

"Here's to another hundred years," she said as she placed his hand on her cheek.

And she was right, it was another hundred years before they were able to find a planet already filled with civilization—and this one just happened to have people that looked like them.

And they lived there, for years—watching it develop from bronze to steel, and finally modernity.

"Winter under a streetlight, huh…" Hannah opened her palm, letting one single snowflake touch her. The colors of the city reflected on its melting visage, "...How long has it been, do you think?"

"I lost count already," Riley stood beside her, completely covered in several layers of coats as they waited for the light of the pedestrian crossing to turn green.

They looked like two people who just belonged there, along with the crowd that was waiting with them. No one knew, and no one cared.

And when the light finally turned green, everyone crossed. A few of them were almost hit, however, as a car accidentally shot past the line and only stopped within the crossing.

"Of course, fucking stupid…" Hannah cursed, shaking her head as she tried to look at the person driving—but all she could see was her own reflection.

"Oh?" And she saw something that caused her to lean closer to the window. She touched her face, looking at a single wrinkle that wasn't there before, "Oh."

She then turned to look at Riley, who only glanced at the wrinkle before looking her in the eyes.

Riley didn't say anything, however. He just held Hannah's hand tighter before they crossed the road.

And just like that, more years passed.

"Huh, I guess that's that, huh?"

The two were at the same exact crossing, only thousands of feet up in the air… and beneath them was only water—miles and miles of it.

"Even without killing any of them, they still end up dying." Hannah opened up her palm, but no snow came to her anymore, "I guess…"

She then glanced at Riley, her gray hair dancing in the wind.

"...It's just inevitable, isn't it?"

Riley stared at her face, and his expression was the same as before, unreadable. But for Hannah, it said everything she needed to know.

"Well…" She took in a deep breath and once again held Riley's hand,

"...Let's go?"

She smiled at him, and the wrinkles beside her mouth were no longer subtle. Riley stared at her face for a little bit longer before he placed his palm gently on her cheek. Hannah, however, quickly removed his hand and shook her head.

"Don't," she whispered, "Let me age gracefully, Riley. Promise me that, even if I start to lose myself, you're not going to do anything."

"Why…?" He whispered back.

"Because this is your punishment… and mine," Hannah placed Riley's hand back to her cheek, "You will hold my hand and watch me grow old, and eventually die. And wither."

"Why…?"

"Because you love me, and you will do what I say."

Riley stared Hannah in the eyes for a brief moment before looking away from her and closing his eyes.

"Riley. This is our punishment," Hannah said as she turned Riley's face to hers, "Punishment for the irredeemable."

Once again, the centuries passed like heartbeats.

And one day, Hannah began to write on an asteroid, leaving messages on stones that she did not let Riley read.

"What are you writing? Is it a diary?"

"A letter," she said.

"For who

"For you, billions of years from now. Once you feel you've atoned enough, once you feel that you've been alone enough… come find it again and read them."

"Hmm…" Riley crouched down and placed his palm on the asteroid.

"What are you doing?" Hannah asked.

"Making sure it will survive billions of years from now, Hannah."

"Huh…" Hannah glanced at Riley, before she planted her finger again and started writing on the stones, "...Then I guess I better add more."

They spent years on that asteroid, but Hannah really only wrote on that one single day. The two just let themselves drift away with the large rock until Hannah extended her hand to Riley again.

"Let's go?"

But no one was in front of her; she was looking at a rock. Riley was beside her.

"Hannah…"

But still, he took her hand—gentle this time, as he was afraid that her hand might crumple with a little force.

Hannah… was unrecognizable now.

"Oh…" Hannah whispered, her voice incredibly hoarse and dry.

Riley leaned down to look her in the eyes, and the way he looked at her still hasn't changed. And soon, Hannah looked back at him.

"Huh…? Riley?" She slightly gasped.

"Yes?"

"Why… are you outside? Did you… did you wear your sunscreen? Did—oh…" Hannah blinked a couple of times as she looked around,

"Was I… gone again?"

"No." This time, it was Riley who held Hannah's cheek and faced it toward his, "You've been here the entire time."

"O…oh…" Her voice trembled as she felt Riley grip her hand just a little tighter, "Where… are we?"

"You're here with me."

"You… kept your promise."

"I can break it."

"Don't…" Hannah rested her sunken cheek on Riley's palm, and he once again looked away, "Don't… cry."

"But it…" Riley's lips began to tremble, and his voice almost cracked as he looked back at her,

"But it hurts."

"I know."

"It hurts…" Riley let go of Hannah's hand, and he clutched his chest as his breath soon turned heavy and uncontrollable, "It hurts… it hurts so much."

And soon, tears began to float from his eyes.

"I don't…"

"Riley…" Hannah shook her head as she grabbed Riley's cheeks, "...It should. It should hurt. Finally. Finally…"

"I… don't understand."

"You… you don't need to. That's just what it means… to be human, Riley."

"Human…"

"Now, wipe your tears like the rest of us…" Hannah let go of Riley's face as she floated away from him, once again extending her hand, "Take my hand, and…

…Let's go."

Riley stared at her frail hand for a moment. And he did as he was told.

He wiped his tears and took her hand.

…

And that was the last time he did that.

Hannah closed her eyes, and she didn't wake up again.