Chapter 408: [512] - The Cycle of Death and Regret

Reed Stacy studied the faces around him, and a chill crept through his chest.

Once again, he reminded himself that he had never wanted to become President. If circumstances had not forced him into office, he would have refused the position without hesitation. That was the truth.

Reed didn't think of himself as a good man. Still, he believed he had principles, and the people in his district seemed to agree.

His constituents trusted him, and he had honored that trust.

It was a simple exchange. They gave him their votes, and he represented their interests. Reed Stacy took that seriously.

He saw his deal with Hawk the same way. Hawk might have called it an ultimatum, but to Reed, it was still an agreement, with the Stacy name on the line.

Hawk had said that Reed's last name was the only reason he got a choice at all. If Reed broke that trust, the Stacy name would mean nothing to Hawk.

Reed didn't know why that mattered so much to him, but he understood reality and knew not to judge by appearances.

Everyone in the room acted like they wanted his opinion and waited for his instructions. Really, they just wanted someone to blame.

If Hawk was dead, everyone would celebrate. The officials in their bunkers, the people behind Operation Demon King, and the wealthy backers would all be relieved.

But if Hawk was still alive, the choice would fall to the President. The people here would throw Reed in front of Hawk and claim they were just following orders.

That's why Reed didn't waste time arguing. He made it clear he was against the plan. If they wanted to risk their lives and the government on the chance Hawk was dead, that was their choice.

Reed wanted no part of it.

He planned to keep his word to Hawk. If Hawk was really dead, Reed might lose the presidency for going through with the purge. That didn't scare him. He never wanted the job anyway, so losing it would just put him back where he started.

And if Hawk wasn't dead?

Then Reed hoped the Stacy name might still protect him, his wife Helen, and their daughter Gwen, who had just turned ten.

The room went quiet as everyone thought about what he said and exchanged uneasy glances.

Gamble with their own lives?

Absolutely not.

They were brave enough when someone else's life was on the line. Some had even built their careers on those kinds of risks. But risking their own lives was different.

Their own lives were just too valuable for that.

Still, if the gamble worked, the rewards would be huge. The officials were stuck between greed and wanting to stay safe, unable to decide if Hawk was really dead.

——————————

While they argued about his fate, Hawk was already in a tavern in Hell, sharing drinks with an old friend he hadn't seen in years.

Well, maybe not exactly an old friend.

The Mephisto who ruled this Hell wasn't the same one Hawk knew from his own universe.

"You look exactly like the Mephisto I know," Hawk said.

"There is a difference." Mephisto raised his glass with a smile and tapped it against Hawk's. "I should be more handsome."

Hawk looked at him seriously. "Now I'm sure. You're exactly the same."

Neither version could speak without lying.

Mephisto saw Hawk's expression and burst out laughing. After another toast, he said with a grin, "Welcome to my Hell, Lord Phoenix. Are you ready to meet your death?"

Every Chief God possessed a realm for the dead. Even when such a god died, their spirit remained within the universe under their authority.

Odin, for example, had died on Earth, but his soul had not entered Earth's Hell dimension. He had returned to Valhalla, within the domain of Yggdrasil.

By the same logic, Hawk should have returned to his own Netherworld after death.

Instead, he had entered Mephisto's Hell.

The reason was simple. Hawk had refused to take back the power of his Phoenix Universe. If he wanted to come back from the edge of death, he had to accept he might never return.

If he had known that dying would just send him safely back to his own Netherworld, his resolve wouldn't have meant anything. He could only face death fully by putting his soul outside his universe's protection.

That meant taking a trip through Mephisto's Hell.

Hawk finished his bourbon and looked at the demon across from him. "The Mephisto I know traps every soul in a loop of its final moments. Does your Hell work the same way?"

In Hawk's universe, every soul condemned to Mephisto's domain was forced to relive its death again and again. Each death stripped away more of the soul's power until Mephisto had drained it dry.

Hawk wanted to know if this version did the same thing.

Mephisto's smile brightened. "Leave yourself a little mystery, Lord Phoenix."

"Fair enough."

Hawk set his empty glass on the bar. Before he could say he was ready, the world suddenly folded in on itself.

In the next instant, the tavern was gone.

A busy street appeared in front of him, full of traffic, people, and the noise of a city living its normal day.

Two monsters were ripping the neighborhood apart.

The Hulk and Abomination.

"This is…"

"My Hell doesn't force souls to relive the moments before their deaths," Mephisto whispered beside his ear.

Hawk focused on the rubble ahead. As the dust cleared, he saw his sister Anya trapped under the wreckage.

"Every soul that enters my realm is condemned to relive its greatest regret."

Hawk couldn't look away from her. He had already brought Anya back to life, but seeing her trapped under the rubble still hurt him deeply.

He didn't argue with Mephisto.

Losing Anya had always been his greatest regret.

"How do I get out?"

Mephisto chuckled. "No one escapes regret. With your power, I assume you've already resurrected the woman who died before you. Yet this scene still appeared."

His voice grew more amused with every word.

"You brought her back, but you never escaped what happened. This is still your greatest regret, so your soul belongs to me now. Give in to it, Lord Phoenix. Lose yourself here."

The moment Mephisto finished speaking, the frozen world came alive.

The Hulk and Abomination roared as they traded blows. Buildings collapsed around them, and terrified civilians screamed as they fled through the streets.

Then Hawk heard a familiar voice.

"Brother…"

"Anya!"

Pain shot through his chest. Without thinking, Hawk pushed through the crowd and ran to his sister. He reached the wreckage and tried to pull her out.

Just then, the Hulk roared and grabbed a car, throwing it at Abomination. The monster dodged, and the car smashed into the building behind him. The wall buckled, and another part of the upper floor crashed down toward the street.

Hawk looked up at the falling slab, then back at Anya.

She was unconscious beneath the rubble, but she was still alive.

That was why her death had haunted him for so long.

Anya survived the first collapse. She was only knocked out. The second collapse killed her.

When the second part of the building fell, Hawk stepped back instead of trying to save her.

That one step had cost him his sister.

He acted on instinct. Back then, Hawk was just an ordinary man, without the strength or speed to save Anya before the slab hit.

But none of that changed how he felt.

Regret didn't care if he had done all he could.

Even after bringing Anya back, one question never left his mind.

What if?

What if he could have reached her before the second collapse? What if there had been just enough time to pull her out? Would everything after that have been different?

Now, he had another chance.

This place might be just an illusion made by Hell, but Hawk still wanted to try.

He'd said it himself years ago. No one should envy his power. He paid for it with his sister's life, and if he'd had a choice, he would have picked Anya every time.

As the slab fell, Hawk looked away and took a deep breath. This time, he made a different choice.

This time, he didn't back away.

He threw himself toward Anya and tried to save her.

The result was the same.

The slab hit like a cannon. Blood filled Hawk's mouth as the impact slammed him against the rubble next to his sister. The rest of the floor crashed down, burying them both.

Hawk died again.

Then the world reset.

The Hulk and Abomination fought in the street. Buildings fell. People ran, and Anya was once again trapped under the rubble, weakly calling for her brother.

As soon as Hawk realized what was happening, he turned and pushed through the panicked crowd.

Once again, the falling slab killed him.

The world reset.

Hawk ran to Anya.

He died.

It reset again.

Hawk tried everything he could think of to change the outcome, but nothing worked. Each time, he died under the same falling slab, and each death brought him back to the moment his sister called his name.

Again and again, Hawk tried to erase the regret that had haunted him through two lives.

But every attempt carried a price.

——————————

At 521A Palm Street, Jean stood in the backyard, watching her father with rising fear.

After Wanda brought Hawk home, she laid him under the old sycamore tree. Jean hadn't looked away from him since.

Then she felt something change.

Maybe it was just her imagination, but Hawk's presence seemed to be fading.

Her father was disappearing, and he was disappearing fast…

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