Five years after Anannya's death.
Europa's frozen realm was touched by life now. Inside the domes, small patches of green were visible. But outside, there was still emptiness—only ice, rock, and darkness.
Lina (Nova's granddaughter) was now Europa's chief administrator. She was twenty-five. Born on Europa, raised on Europa. She had only seen Earth and Mars in pictures. But she knew—Emon's love must be brought to Europa. That responsibility lay on her shoulders.
Today was an important day. Today, the tree grown from the seed Anannya had given was to be planted outside. Outside the dome. On Europa's actual soil.
Lina stood at the entrance of the dome. In her hand was a tiny sapling—descendant of that white flower. The sapling trembled, weak, but alive.
Beside her stood her friend, Kian. Kian was Europa's chief scientist. His specialty—searching for life beneath the ice.
"Are you sure?" Kian asked. "Outside temperature is minus one hundred fifty degrees. The tree will die."
Lina shook her head. "Mars' first tree was also near death. But it survived. Because Lina believed. I believe too."
"Why?"
Lina smiled. "Because Emon taught—faith is the greatest power. If we don't believe, nothing happens."
Lina opened the dome door. Europa's external air rushed in. Extreme cold. Despite wearing spacesuits, shivers ran through them.
Lina stepped outside. Kian stepped outside too. Holding the sapling, Lina knelt down. Europa's soil—covered in ice, rocky. But Lina began to dig. With her hands. Wearing her spacesuit gloves.
At first, it was hard. Ice was solid. But Lina didn't stop. She kept digging. Kian helped too.
After a while, a small pit was made. Lina planted the sapling there. Covered it with soil. Then from inside her suit, she poured a little water—water brought from Earth.
"Live," Lina whispered. "In Emon's name, live. In Anannya's name, live."
The sapling swayed in the wind. It seemed on the verge of freezing. But Lina saw—there was a touch of green on the sapling's leaves. As if the tree was fighting.
Lina returned inside the dome. After a while, she went out again. The sapling was still there. But the leaves had drooped.
Lina didn't lose hope. She went every day. Watered it. Gave it light. Talked to it.
"You can do it," she said. "You've seen Mars, you're seeing Europa. You can do it."
Weeks passed. Had the sapling grown? Slightly. But Lina understood—the tree was fighting. That fight was like Emon's fight—difficult, but relentless.
One morning, Lina saw dew on the sapling's leaves. Dew on Europa! In such cold! She ran to Kian.
"Look! Look!"
Kian came. There was indeed dew on the sapling's leaves. It hadn't frozen into ice. The water remained liquid.
"This is impossible!" Kian said. "At this temperature, water shouldn't stay liquid!"
Lina said, "The tree is creating warmth around itself. Like Emon. Emon too created warmth of love around himself."
Kian was stunned. He knew plants didn't have this ability. But this sapling seemed different. As if Emon's spirit was within it.
Days went by. The tree grew. Leaves enlarged. The stem strengthened. One morning, Lina saw—there was a bud on the tree. White. Tiny. But it seemed to radiate light.
Lina shouted. Everyone ran. All the dome's people—scientists, engineers, children—all stood watching that bud.
A week later, the bud bloomed. A white flower. Europa's first flower. A white flower in the frozen land—like a star descending from heaven.
Tears rolled down Lina's eyes. She knelt before the flower.
"Emon, do you see?" she whispered. "Your love has come to Europa. Your seed has germinated. You are now in this flower."
Everyone was silent. Some were crying. Kian stepped forward. Tears in his eyes too.
"Lina, you did it."
Lina shook her head. "I didn't. Emon did it. Anannya did it. We only walk, holding their hands."
That day became history on Europa. The birthday of the first flower. From that day on, every year on this day, Europa's people plant flowers. Like the City of Memories, a small garden was created on Europa too—"Emon's Garden."
That night, Lina opened her diary. It was Anannya's diary—the same Anannya who had recovered Emon's journal. On the diary's last page, Anannya had written—"Love is Emon."