📘 Chapter 49: The Echo of Absence
Silence wrapped around the room—not the kind that brings comfort, but the kind born of loss.
In the main assembly hall of the Watchtower, the lights were dimmed. The seats were filled with heroes from countless worlds. Some bore fresh wounds; others wore the look of broken souls.
At the center of the hall stood a symbolic platform, and upon it, inside a glass case, rested the shattered remains of the Omnitrix. Behind it, a glowing banner read:
> "A hero not born… but one who chose to become."
**
Superman stood tall, his hand over his heart.
Batman bowed his head, clenched fist trembling ever so slightly.
Wonder Woman gripped her sword, its tip planted into the ground—a gesture of peace after war.
Flash, Cyborg, Hawkgirl, and others each held a posture of reverent stillness, though their expressions said everything.
**
Grandpa Max sat in the front row between Gwen and Kevin. His eyes were glassy, fixed on the Omnitrix. He didn't blink.
In a soft voice, he said:
> "It's not the first time Ben disappeared… but he always came back."
Gwen looked over at him, eyes swollen from crying.
> "But this time… there's no time portal, no energy trace, not even a flicker."
Max shook his head gently.
> "There is a trace… inside each of us."
Kevin, who had remained silent the entire time, exhaled slowly.
> "His laugh… the way he got annoyed… even how he fought—it's burned into us."
Then he whispered:
> "I owe him my life. Twice, at least."
**
Supergirl stood alone, across the room.
She wore her iconic suit, but it looked dimmer than usual.
In her hand, she held a small fragment of the Omnitrix casing—recovered from the ash after the battle.
She looked down at it and whispered:
> "I told you we'd finish the journey together… but you walked alone."
**
📌 (Outside the Watchtower – Live Global Broadcast)
The entire world watched.
The United Nations, in cooperation with the newly-formed "Dimensional Alliance" after Kairos' fall, declared this day as "Balance Day," to be celebrated annually in honor of Ben's sacrifice.
Schools paused their classes. Stadiums closed. Every news channel aired a collective minute of silence.
In one street, a small child raised his right hand, with the Omnitrix symbol drawn in green marker.
He softly said:
> "Thank you, Ben."
**
📌 (Within a Recently Liberated Dimension)
A version of Green Lantern soared above a bright blue sky—for the first time in years, no crystalline structures clouded the air.
He held his helmet and pressed a recording button:
> "We've been freed… by someone who didn't even know us.
We are the children of the multiverse… and we all carry his name."
**
📌 (Within the Shadow Realm)
A variant of Doctor Fate knelt in the ruins of his temple, covered in soot and glowing veins. He drew a radiant circle in front of him, then spoke a single name:
> "Ben Tennyson."
The circle glowed softly green—as if even magic itself paid its respects.
**
As the symbolic funeral for Ben came to a close, Grandpa Max approached the platform.
He looked around the room, then spoke in a steady yet trembling voice:
> "There was a time when I'd watch Ben run off chasing some new adventure… and I always wondered: 'Where's he going to end up?'"
He paused for a moment before continuing:
> "I never imagined he'd reach the edge of all reality… and change its destiny."
A hush fell over the crowd.
> "Ben wasn't perfect. He made mistakes. He was reckless at times… but he always came back.
He always fought—not for fame, but to protect others.
And that… is what makes someone a true hero."
He didn't cry. But the shimmer in his eyes spoke volumes.
> "I'm proud of you, son… proud until my last breath."
Suddenly, green energy shimmered before him.
It swirled into the shape of a human figure—and in a flash that sent gasps across the hall, a young man with glowing green eyes appeared.
Next to him stood a small, frog-like creature… but no one noticed it.
All eyes were on the young man.
The young man looked around the room, then smiled gently.
> "Did I interrupt something?"
**
📌 (Moments earlier – Inside Azmuth's Abandoned Lab)
A pulse of green light ignited a sealed chamber.
Azmuth stood before a platform surrounded by raw dimensional energy. He watched as pulses radiated from the last fragment of Kairos' core.
Then—from the light—a figure began to form.
Ben.
He emerged slowly, bathed in energy but alive. He opened his eyes… breathed for the first time… and looked at his hands.
Azmuth didn't flinch.
Instead, he smiled with quiet sorrow and said:
> "Welcome back, Ben."
Ben stood up, steadying himself.
Then, in a voice filled with resolve, he replied:
> "I'm back… but I'm not the same."
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Note:
The next chapter is the last