The Author's POV

An unbearable silence descended upon the room as Kevin and I struggled to find the right words to say.

I really didn't know what to say. I was just that shocked by the fact that Kevin could see the red book and knew what it was.

Just when I had thought things had calmed down, something as unexpected as this suddenly happened.

It really made one wonder how I managed to cope with the constant shocks.

"…Have you always been able to see the red book?"

Kevin finally broke the silence.

Lifting my head and staring at him, I didn't answer him immediately.

My mind was currently a mess.

Glancing at the red book in the distance, many questions came into my mind, but out of all of them, one, in particular, stood out to me.

'How come he can see the red book now and not before?'

I had used the red book many times in front of him before. Yet, in all the times I had used it, Kevin never showed signs of ever being able to see the book.

So why now?

"Ren?"

"Ah, right."

Snapping out of it, I looked back at Kevin who gazing at me with a face filled with questions.

"How much do you know about that book?"

I asked whilst breathing out.

Depending on what he answered, I was going to decide whether to tell him the truth or make something up.

Gazing in my direction for a brief moment of time, Kevin walked up to the book and placed his hand on it.

Seeing that there was no reaction, Kevin sighed in relief. Then, opening it, he carefully flipped through its pages.

"…it's empty"

He muttered out loud. His brows furrowing tightly. Then, putting the book back down, with his back facing me, he started speaking.

"The first time I got the book was when I was returning to my dorm."

I sat up straight at his words. This was important information.

"I was very surprised by the fact that a random book magically showed up in the middle of my room. Of course, it was only after I touched the book that I realized that the book was special. It was also during that time that I had my first vision."

Kevin paused. But he didn't need to say anything. I had the notes with me, and I already knew what the vision he was referring to was about.

Flip—

I flipped through the notes before finally pausing on a certain page.

It was the vision where I was supposed to have died.

"Ku, Ku, ku, this is on you."

"I am the sin you created."

"…I am the consequence of your actions."

"…never forget…I am the one sin…you will never get rid of…"

As I looked through the notes, Kevin continued speaking.

"The first vision was different compared to the others. I could move there, and it wasn't just like any other of the visions I saw later"

Kevin's brows knit tightly.

"…but it was also the oddest of the other visions."

"I can tell."

I solemnly replied whilst looking through the notes he wrote. As I read, a thought suddenly occurred to me.

'If I died in in this vision, does that mean that the visions are not entirely accurate?'

Possible.

However, that was beside the point as my entire focus shifted towards the description of the demon responsible for killing 'me.'

"Say…"

Flip—

to the next

vision, can you describe it for

Kevin nodded.

was a black humanoid figure. A demon. Red blood eyes

description,

to me was just how any

black humanoid figure was. Despite having crossed many demons, none

me. I had only seen him

then, I had never seen him. Yet, for some strange reason, he seemed to have developed an obsession with

figure

after a while, I shook

impossible, Everblood is just some random Baron ranked demon I can get rid of any time I wanted. Furthermore, the only

brain suddenly froze. My heart

think about it, wasn't Everblood the reason I

to meet him and defeat him, I would've

link? There couldn't be, right?…it just didn't

you have

it was Kevin's voice. Lifting my head and staring in his direction, I

"No…at least not yet."

just too far-fetched. There were some connections, but they weren't enough for me to make

this matter. I had a

"Okay."

his head before he continued narrating to me each

could tell that he was

the frown on my face became.

whatever this world was, I would know most of the stuff regarding this place, yet, listening

was a

the figure that resembled you.

Kevin finally concluded.

anything, Kevin once again opened

another thing that I

"…Something else?"

"Mhm."

a deep breath.

"Huuuu…"

his head and directly met my

you know about my

"I do."

with a short

know that the village that I came from was invaded by

"Yeah."

was the general setting of Kevin in the

the sole survivor, and he

thing that I never told

jumped up as

'He couldn't be…'

occurred and I'm not sure exactly when, but I received this strange interface that essentially helped me get to where I am now.

"Ah."

words with a weird sound. I really couldn't understand what was happening at the moment.

"…System?"

system, I pretended

that I managed to push myself to

"Oh."

to reveal something like this. There must definitely be

My eyes squinted.

something like this.

time. Once I

this?" I suddenly asked, trying to get

"You caught on fast."

Kevin smiled.

his hand, Kevin flashed

"It's because of this."

"The book?"

more

"Time what?"

as I wondered what in the world

in the world did he get the name 'Time codex'

"Time codex."

once again nodded his head, reaffirming the fact that the book was

if I had

"...Are you sure?"

called the book.

my doubt was dispelled

codex? …so that's what it was. Is this why you revealed to

"Yeah."