End

The universe spun on, and the stars continued to burn brightly in the night sky. The civilizations that Matthew had helped to build and protect grew and flourished, spreading out across the cosmos like a glittering tapestry of light and life. His disciples, numbering in the millions, carried on his work, teaching the ancient arts of cultivation and spreading his message of peace and understanding to every corner of creation.

And in the distant future, when the universe itself was no more, when the last star had faded from the sky and all that remained was the eternal darkness of nothingness, it was said that Matthew and Loki would finally be reunited. There, in the nothingness, they would sit together once more, watching the nothingness itself, and perhaps, in their own inimitable way, they would even find a way to create something new, to bring forth life anew from the ashes of the old.

For now, though, Matthew continued his journey, always seeking, always learning, always growing. And wherever he went, and whatever he did, he did it all with the love and affection of a friend who had given him the world, and the knowledge and wisdom of a teacher who had shown him the path to true greatness.