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

you saw in the vision, can you describe it for me? What did it

Kevin nodded.

humanoid figure. A demon. Red blood eyes and a

description,

honest, what he was describing to me was just how any

black humanoid figure was. Despite having crossed many demons, none really left an impression on me…well, there was Angelica, but that was abou—right,

a bit of a mystery to me. I

Yet, for some strange reason, he seemed

the figure

after a while, I shook

wanted. Furthermore, the only reason he

froze. My heart

about it, wasn't

been able to meet him and defeat him, I would've

there be a link? There couldn't be, right?…it

you have

out of it was Kevin's voice. Lifting my head and staring in

"No…at least not yet."

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

was planning on keeping track of this matter. I had a nagging feeling that there

"Okay."

head before he continued narrating to me each and every one of his

was talking, I could tell that he

the frown on my face became. That

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

a

vision regarding the figure that resembled you. The cold

Kevin finally concluded.

anything, Kevin once again opened his

that

"…Something else?"

"Mhm."

deep breath. The atmosphere in the room tensed

"Huuuu…"

lifted his head and directly met

about my

"I do."

replied with a short nod. Nodding

came from was

"Yeah."

general setting of Kevin in

the sole survivor, and he gains a

thing that I never

suddenly jumped up as I abruptly

'He couldn't be…'

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

"…System?"

though I knew about the system, I pretended

it that I managed to push myself to where

"Oh."

type to reveal something like this. There must definitely be something

My eyes squinted.

this. There

works similar to a status window, and it assigns me quests from time to time. Once I complete them, I get rewarded by the system through either rank

I suddenly asked, trying to

"You caught on fast."

Kevin smiled.

hand, Kevin flashed the red

"It's because of this."

"The book?"

be more precise, the time

"Time what?"

my face as I wondered what in the world he

did he

"Time codex."

reaffirming the fact that the book was called the time

had to be honest as I couldn't help

"...Are you sure?"

called the book. The

my doubt was

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

"Yeah."