My love, on her journey to resurrect me, fell in love with someone else. When I woke up, Seraphina asked me what I wanted. I was about to say I wanted to finally have the wedding we never got to finish. But in that instant, lines of text began to scroll through my vision. **"The FL is so devoted. She became the freaking Celestial Queen and still didn't forget to resurrect her mortal sidekick."** **"Seriously, this sidekick has no shame. He just got brought back and he's already demanding things. Our ML is the one who fought and bled beside her for a million years!"** **"Whatever. He'll just get taken back to the Celestial Realm, cause a bunch of drama, and get cast aside. That's when the FL will realize our ML is her true love!"** I considered this. Then I looked at her and said, "I want a separation." 1 Seraphina froze. She looked almost exactly as she had before I died. Even more beautiful, more radiant. "Rhys," she said, her voice trembling with disbelief, "are you joking?" **"A toxic, competitive guy like him wants a separation? This makes no sense!"** **"This old man is obviously using a separation to manipulate her. What a tool! I can't believe the author wrote such a trash character!"** **"Just wait, our ML is about to show up with the kid. Get ready for the sidekick to get put in his place!"** The words floating before my eyes were vile. According to them, I was seeing the live-chat comments for a fantasy romance epic titled *The Celestial Queen's Rebellious Love*. Seraphina was the female lead, the "FL." A prodigy of immense talent, aloof and proud. In order to save her "white moonlight" husband—the first love who died shielding her from a divine trial—she embarked on a long, arduous journey to attain godhood. That husband was me. On her journey, she met Kael, the "ML"—the male lead—a roguish half-demon, half-celestial. They were rivals at first, then friends, supporting each other and growing stronger together over the course of nearly a million years. Kael confessed his love for her many times, but Seraphina always refused, holding my memory in her heart. Until one day, facing a trial she couldn't overcome, she joined with Kael. United their essence. And conceived a child. Twice. The first was a son. She was now pregnant with their daughter. And me? According to the "plot," after my resurrection, my personality would warp. I would become consumed with jealousy, constantly fighting with Kael for Seraphina's affection. I would even try to frame him for crimes, leading to a confrontation so stressful that Seraphina would miscarry. Filled with hatred for me, she would finally strike me down during one of my jealous fits. A single blast of crimson light. And I would be annihilated, body and soul. What a joke. 2 "Sera! Rhys must still be dazed from his long sleep. He's only human, after all. His mortal flesh is weak. Why don't we let him rest in the Celestial Realm for a while?" A man in flowing green robes descended from the clouds, a miniature version of himself standing beside him. "Mama Sera! Hug!" The little boy, a half-eaten candied fruit in his hand, launched himself at Seraphina. "Kael, you little troublemaker. I thought we agreed no more sweets for Leo while he's teething." The moment before, Seraphina had been clutching my hand. Now, she instinctively scooped the boy into her arms. **"There it is! The pet names! 'Sera' and 'Trouble'! Even their son Leo calls her that! The FL is the Celestial Queen and she still lets her man and kid call her silly names. This family is so cute I could die!"** **"Is someone feeling a little... extra right now? I won't name names."** **"Our ML is too kind, offering to let the sidekick stay in the heavens! My poor baby doesn't know what's coming."** I bit my lip and tried to get her attention. "Seraphina." No response. She was too busy flirting with Kael. I said it louder. "Seraphina!" That finally broke the spell. She put the child down and knelt before me on one knee. She pulled a small, ornate box from her robes, a shy expression on her face that I hadn't seen since we were teenagers. "Rhys, I'm sorry. It's... it's been a very long time since anyone has called me that. Let me introduce you. This is Kael, my companion on my journey. When he said your mortal flesh was weak, he wasn't insulting you. He just meant that the human body is fragile." She leaned closer, her voice a whisper. "So... tonight, I will personally transfer my essence to you. You'll become an immortal, just like me. And we'll never have to be apart again." I pointed at the man and his son. "You have his child, you carry his baby, and you stand in front of him and tell me *we'll* never be apart?" As expected, Kael's eyes welled with tears. The little boy started punching my leg. "You mean man! You made my daddy cry! Say you're sorry!" **"This sidekick pretending to be the innocent victim. Ugh. It's okay, Kael baby, don't cry."** **"If he wants a separation so badly, he can just leave. Jump through the Sundering Gate and you're back in the mortal world."** **"He's just bluffing. The loser would never give up the luxury of the Celestial Realm and the temptation of eternal life."** I turned to leave, but Seraphina's hand shot out, grabbing my arm. At the same time, she grabbed Kael's, who had also made a move to leave. "Rhys, where are you going?" "To the Sundering Gate. I told you, my wish is to separate from you." She frowned, completely bewildered. "Just because Kael and I have children? Are you really that petty?" Am I petty? My wife fell in love with another man while she was supposed to be saving me. Am I not allowed to be angry? "Let me go." I didn't want to become the monster described in those floating words. Leaving was my only option. And she did let go. She let go of Kael's hand, stepped behind me, and wrapped her arms around me in a tight embrace. "My only goal on this entire journey was to bring you back," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "Without you, nothing I've done has any meaning." My own eyes started to burn. We were childhood sweethearts. Maybe I should trust the Seraphina I knew. Not these strange, cruel words. 3 "Mama! Daddy doesn't look so good!" Kael was clutching his stomach, his face pale and contorted in pain. Seraphina immediately let go of me and rushed to his side, channeling her power into him to calm the chaotic energy in his core. Kael sagged against her, wrapping his arms around her waist. She didn't push him away, simply supporting his weight. "Kael gave me a third of his life force a few days ago to help me nurture the baby," she explained, not looking at me. "I need to help him stabilize his power. Rhys, I'll be right back." He was injured for the sake of their child. She, as the child's mother, was taking care of him. It made sense. It was logical. But a selfish part of me couldn't help but think: *If I hadn't died, we would have had children. We would have been a normal, happy couple.* "Rhys, it's incredibly difficult for celestials to have children. Kael is just... my partner in this. We are not in love. Don't overthink it." My fingernails dug into my palms. I swallowed the resentment and forced myself to say, "Okay." 4 Seraphina was still worried I'd jump from the Sundering Gate. She had me confined to a lavish palace, guarded by hundreds of celestial soldiers. The servants were forbidden to speak to me. I had no way of finding the Gate. I had no idea how much time was passing. **"Phew, that was close. Good thing the sidekick didn't do anything stupid. Sera gave birth to a healthy baby girl! The FL says she looks just like she did as a baby!"** **"Has anyone noticed the sidekick looks... older since he's been locked up?"** **"A day in the heavens is a year on earth. The FL has been with Kael for his 'post-partum' recovery for fifteen days. That means the sidekick is a 30-year-old man now."** Thirty. An old man? Seraphina and Kael were a million years old, and they still looked like they were in their early twenties. I looked in the mirror. Fine lines were beginning to creep around my eyes. My skin was sallow. I was aging. One day, two days, ten days. I started to miss my parents. My family. I never got to see my father's hair turn grey, or my mother's face grow old. I never brought honor to our family name. Back then, my entire world revolved around Seraphina. When she needed a sacred vessel forged for her ascension, our family were the only artisans in the region who could do it. But no one believed that she, an orphan everyone considered bad luck, could ever become a god. So I knelt in our ancestral hall. I begged my parents, my elders. I kowtowed until my forehead was bleeding. The only condition they gave was that she marry into our family. On our wedding night, the heavens roared. A divine trial descended. I threw myself in front of her, taking the lightning strike that was meant for her. With my death, she broke through to the next stage of her power, becoming the strongest mortal alive. My parents, my family... how much pain must they have felt, seeing me die? To give up your life for a woman... was it worth it? Back then, I didn't understand. I thought a young man's love could conquer anything. I couldn't just wither away and die here. I had to go home. I owed my family an explanation. 5 "Rhys, are you still angry?" Seraphina's voice was right behind me. I turned, and there she was, bathed in a holy light, more radiant than ever. And I... I was shriveling up. She wrapped her arms around me, holding me tight. "Rhys, I had a daughter. She looks just like I did when I was born." **"The Queen's memory is insane. She remembers what she looked like as a newborn."** She sighed. "Rhys, will you call me by my full name again? Like you used to?" I tried to pull away, but her grip was like iron. "Do you remember when we were kids?" she murmured. "You used to fight off all the other boys who bullied me. You'd get into wrestling matches with a whole group of them, and you'd come back covered in bruises and mud. But you always won. You'd win all their marbles, and we'd sell them at the market and buy honey cakes until our stomachs hurt, and we'd lie on the flat rocks by the river and watch the moon." How could I forget? Under that moonlight, a tiny Seraphina had puffed out her chest and proposed to me. "I, Seraphina, will marry Rhys in ten years!" she had declared. "I'll never change my mind! For my whole life, and all my other lives! I'll only ever love Rhys! The stars are my witness! And if I break this promise..." She'd paused, scratching her head. I'd been laughing so hard I fell over. "...then I'll never get to eat honey cakes again!" For a five-year-old girl and a six-year-old boy, there was no imaginable punishment more severe. "Rhys, I'll give you half of my power. You won't get old anymore. Please, don't be angry anymore, okay?" The lights in the room suddenly went out. My robes were being untied. With her power, she had moved us to the bed. I closed my eyes. The chat reappeared. **"Oh no, oh no, the FL is about to get tainted!"** **"My poor ML, all alone with their two kids! Author, can you please stop torturing him!"** **"See? I knew it. The sidekick couldn't stand getting old. All that talk about leaving and jumping from the Sundering Gate was just an act. So fake."** A bitter anger welled up inside me. A normal mortal man, cast out of heaven with nothing... how was I supposed to survive in a world teeming with gods and monsters? How was I supposed to find my family, who had likely been reincarnated countless times? If Seraphina was willing to give me her power, why shouldn't I use it? 6 The next morning, my youth was restored. A strange, powerful energy coiled in my core. Her power. Seraphina was still asleep, her body curled against mine, trapping me. I tried to shift. "Kael... stop it..." she mumbled in her sleep. In the heat of passion, she had told me a thousand times that she loved me, only me. But now, in her most unguarded moment, she was dreaming of him. **"The sidekick should open his eyes and see! Subconsciously, the FL loves our ML the most!"** **"The sidekick was with her for fifteen years. Our Kael was with her for a million. It's obvious who she truly loves."** **"The sidekick thought he could die and become her unforgettable first love, then come back and win her heart. Too bad. The one who isn't loved is the third wheel. This forbidden love is so thrilling!"** **"When is this loser finally going to jump from the Sundering Gate? I can't take it anymore."** I shook my head, trying to clear the words, but they wouldn't go away. So I stopped pretending. "Alright," I said to the empty room. "If you're so smart, tell me where the Sundering Gate is." 7 The chat exploded. They didn't seem to know I could see them. **"Is he talking to us?"** **"Is the sidekick crazy? Or am I crazy? How can he see the chat?"** **"Sidekick, if you can see this, make a heart shape with your hands."** A heart shape? What did that mean? I didn't understand, but I placed my hand over my heart. "Like this?" The chat went silent for a moment. Then the messages came in a flood. **"You guys, type slower! I can't read anything!"** My head started to throb. **"Wait, so he saw all the mean things we said about him?"** **"So what? We weren't wrong. He IS a tool."** **"But he hasn't actually done anything evil yet."** **"I wish our ML could see this instead. Why did it have to be the character I hate the most?"** **"Guys, has anyone noticed the next chapter is gone?!"** **"WTF! It's blank! Someone message the author and ask if it's a bug!"** **"I thought this was a finished story. I've read it a dozen times."** **"Does this mean... our comments can change the plot?"** **"Don't get ahead of yourself. He's just a worthless, villainous side character."** Side character or not, I am the hero of my own story. And I would use any advantage I could get. "So," I said again, "are you going to tell me where the Sundering Gate is, or not?" 8 Following the chat's directions, I slipped out of the palace. Seraphina's power allowed me to turn invisible, evading the guards. "So this is the Sundering Gate." I stood before a well that swirled with iridescent, cosmic clouds. Peering through the mist, I thought I could see the faces of my family, long passed. "Mom, Dad, your son has failed you. I'm coming to find you." Just as I was about to jump, a crimson cord of light wrapped around me, pulling me back. "And where do you think you're going, Rhys?" Kael stood there, holding a newborn baby, looking weak and pale. "I'm going through the Gate. To leave you two in peace." I tried to use my new power to break free, but the cord only tightened. "That's a Celestial Tether," he said calmly. "The more power you use, the stronger it gets. Are you angry with me, Rhys? If I've done something to offend you, I apologize." And with that, he knelt, his body still weak from giving half of his lifeblood to his newborn child. The chat immediately started gushing with sympathy. **"My poor baby looks even worse than when the sidekick framed him and got him thrown into the Demon Abyss."** **"I regret telling Rhys where the Gate was. He should have just stayed in his lane and been the evil sidekick."** **"The ML is apologizing and he didn't even do anything wrong!"** **"The sidekick is just using us to bully the ML!"** **"Next time he asks for anything, I'm giving him fake directions. Let him get into trouble himself!"** Wow. Their ability to twist reality was impressive. I ignored them and focused on my core, trying to suppress my power so the Tether would loosen. When Seraphina and I had first started our journey, I had been the faster learner. I was always more powerful than her, but I held back, letting her win, to protect her pride. If only I hadn't died before my own ascension, my power might have rivaled hers by now. Kael must have felt the Tether slacken. His fingers twitched, and he whispered, so low only I could hear, "I won't let you have her. We're soulmates. You just need to play your part. Hate me. That's all you need to do." A small, almost imperceptible smile touched his lips. Something felt very wrong. In the next instant, the Celestial Tether vanished. Kael collapsed, and the baby, dropped to the stone floor, let out a piercing wail that echoed through the heavens. Seraphina appeared in a flash of light. She took in the scene—the unconscious Kael, the crying baby, me standing over them—and her eyes narrowed into a furious glare. "Kael told me you held a grudge against him, but I didn't believe him. I told him you weren't the type to be consumed by jealousy. I told him I have never loved Kael, that my heart has only ever been yours. Why can't you leave him alone? He was worried you'd be in danger if you went back to the mortal world, so he tried to stop you. And you attacked him to break free!" Her voice shook with rage. "I never knew you could be so cruel. He just gave his essence to our child; he's incredibly weak. Now he's bleeding internally. Are you trying to kill him?" She looked at me, her face a mask of cold disappointment. "Resurrecting you was my million-year obsession. Now, my obsession is fulfilled. We are even." She picked up Kael, her eyes red. "You wanted a separation? Fine. You can have it." She drew a dagger of pure light and severed a lock of her silvery hair, throwing it at my feet. As she turned to leave, she scoffed. "You have no idea what the mortal world is like now. I bet you'll be on your knees before one of my statues in three days, begging me to take you back." I turned my back to her, swallowing the last of my tears. "You're mistaken, Your Majesty. You and I... we will never meet again." And I leaped into the swirling clouds below.
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