❝Whatever happens, just know that I never stopped trying.❞
. . .in which she must do whatever she can to protect the world and what's left of the ones she loves.
[BOOK THREE]
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★ ★ ★
5 YEARS AFTER DECIMATION
MAY 30, 2026
★ ★ ★
5 years.
60 months.
260 weeks.
1,825 days.
The fifth year anniversary had arrived. It'd been half a decade since Thanos destroyed half of all life across the universe. Things across the globe still had yet to recover. No one understood anything that happened, and five years later the confusion was still just as fresh as the pain. So many people were just gone, and with them the hearts of the loved ones they left behind. The atmosphere felt so much heavier than it did before everyone had gone. The skies were darker, and it seemed almost impossible to enjoy what little sunlight made an appearance. Moving on was hard, so much more difficult than anyone anticipated, including Marlena, who managed to find genuine happiness through all the pain. She was one victim among trillions, and regardless of how happy she was in her life, there would always be that burning pain gnawing away at the edges of her heart.
Bucky Barnes.
Charlotte Barnes.
James Barnes Jr.
Mason Claire.
Wanda Maximoff.
Greyson Wallace.
Sam Wilson.
Levi Parrish.
Peter Parker.
T'Challa.
Shuri.
Vision.
She mourned the loss of them all. In the days since the snap, she found every last one of them on her mind more often than not, especially her children. They were so young and so innocent, yet a universal arrogance had taken their lives before they even had the chance to live them.
Marlena was angry with Thanos for taking away the twins. She was angry that she'd been robbed of everything wonderful that came with being their mother. She missed the way Charlie's eyes lit up when the two saw each other. She missed the way Jay would climb into her lap and fall asleep on her chest. She missed being the source of home and comfort for her children, and of course she wanted to have more children, but no child would ever be able to replace those that made her a mother. No child would ever take away the love she felt for the children she lost.
