The Author's POV

Gazing in Kevin's direction, I lowered my head and stared at the floor next to me.

Following my hints, Kevin who had calmed down slowly walked over and sat down. He didn't say a single word throughout the whole time.

I didn't blame him for his reaction.

Resting my arms over my knees, I opened my mouth.

"Where should I start? There's much I have to say…"

There truly were a lot of things that I wanted to say.

So many that I had difficulty trying to sort my thoughts out.

But in the end, after realizing just how important it was for me to disclose everything, I calmed myself down.

Eyeing Kevin from the side of my eyes, I muttered.

"Just so you know, you're the only one that I've ever told my secret. I hope you don't tell anyone else about my secret."

This was a secret that I originally meant to take with me to the grave, but circumstances forced me to do otherwise. If I didn't disclose everything, the rift that the other Ren was trying to create between me, Kevin, and the others would simply widen.

But, if possible, I wanted only Kevin to know. It wasn't that I didn't trust the others, but I didn't want the others to have a false idea about who I was.

"Can you do that for me?"

"…okay."

After a long silence, Kevin eventually nodded his head. I smiled in response.

"Thanks."

Then, letting out a deep sigh, I began recounting to him everything.

"…well, it all started a week prior to the beginning of the Lock. That was the day I awoke...or should I say, those were the days where my memories began."

***

"The moment I woke up, I had faint recollections of a previous world where mana did not exist and I was a novel writer. A failed one at that."

"Luminescent swordman. That was the name of the last novel I created, and the name of the protagonist was...Kevin Voss."

Listening to Ren's words, Kevin's anger slowly started to disappear and what replaced it was pure shock.

The shock was so strong that Kevin found himself unable to speak nor think as his mind was entranced by every word that Ren said.

Many times he wanted to outright stop Ren from speaking.

He just couldn't come to terms with what he was saying. This world was a novel that he created, and he was the main character of that world? How could he believe that? But the more Ren talked, the more things started to align with his weird behavior, his deep knowledge regarding a few things, and his way of words.

Kevin's heart started to sink.

Doubt started to creep deep into his body as his face paled.

'Could his words be true?'

"It was only after the events after Immorra that I stopped being passive with my knowledge regarding the wo—"

"...Bullshit."

Kevin finally mouthed out loud, cutting Ren off. He just couldn't listen to Ren's words anymore.

He couldn't accept the idea that everything that had happened to him was merely part of some writing that Ren wrote.

Weren't Ren's words essentially saying that all the disasters that were currently happening to the world were a fabrication of his imagination? Were everything he felt in the past and his memories also fake?

Kevin couldn't accept it!

"You can't be real. It's impossible."

his face, Ren shook his

lying, but, I'm not. What I told you was

Ren's

at least that was what I originally

those words. A trace

"What do you mean?"

few seconds. His brows repeatedly furrowed and relaxed during that time before finally, looking straight at

that world was a fake world designed by someone to make

"...What?"

Kevin intensified. Leaning his neck

saying that someone implanted those memories into you, and is trying to

a difficult face, Ren eventually

"Right..."

his forehead. Then, lifting his head, he looked straight into Kevin's

say, you can think that I'm lying, but whatever is happening to me, their

"Me?"

last for long as flashbacks of the last synchronization started to replay in

be that the vision was real?...and the one responsible for killing Emma was that

so, everything was slowly starting to

was truly a flashback of the future. Apprehension

of what Kevin was thinking, Ren, nodded

that the entity responsible for all of this

face twisted slightly before he suddenly lowered

were right.

thunderbolts, Ren's words thunderously clapped inside of

for long as Kevin was able to

moment he had linked everything to the previous flashback, he

the entity was trying to target

Ren suddenly asked.

his eyes, Kevin took a deep

"Continue."

Ren pursed his lips.

of the entity is to try to harm

showed no reaction as

"Harm those around me?"

"Yes."

his

make you less soft. Or rather, trying to change

again took a deep breath as he tried to process all of the information

change me into someone deemed fit to fight the demon king?

read Kevin's thoughts,

the one that the Akashic records chose, and yet he is

was what he

his head, Kevin suddenly felt

'Akashic records.'

were once again being

those words, he was able to quickly piece everything together. 'The one that

revolving around the world started to fade. Lifting his head, Kevin

ahead of him. Before he could voice out his theory, Ren had already started

a way to preserve itself, the Akashic records chose someone to prevent

Kevin had no other choice but to agree. He also believed that this was

question he

the world, why him?

"Huuuu..."

the training ground, Kevin tried

to make more sense, however, Kevin knew that he had only barely scraped the surface of

He

that Kevin felt for him slowly started to dispel as

you figure

and looking at him,

I have a nagging feeling that whoever the entity trying to manipulate us is, he knows the

it below his

remnant' targeting you? What if the entity inside of me is the