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."

bitter smile on his face,

but, I'm not. What I

mid-speech, Ren's face suddenly

at least that was what I originally believed to

words. A

"What do you mean?"

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

believe in those memories. I think that world was a fake world designed by someone

"...What?"

Leaning his neck forward, Kevin tilted his

you saying that someone implanted those memories into you,

face, Ren eventually

"Right..."

to massage his forehead. Then, lifting his head, he looked straight

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

"Me?"

did not last for

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

slowly starting to make

future.

what Kevin was thinking, Ren,

believe that the entity responsible for all of this is targeting

twisted slightly before he

incident regarding Emma, you were right. I

clapped inside of Kevin's

for long as Kevin was able to

previous flashback, he already

how I told you that the entity was trying

Ren suddenly asked.

Kevin took a

"Continue."

Ren pursed his lips.

the entity is to try to harm everyone that

to Ren's words, Kevin showed

"Harm those around me?"

"Yes."

his head

less soft. Or rather, trying to change you into someone they deemed fit to fight the demon

deep breath as he tried to process all of the information

the demon king? Why

to read Kevin's thoughts,

is the one that the Akashic records chose, and yet he is the one that is least fit to carry on

what he

suddenly felt

'Akashic records.'

words were once

was a smart person. The moment Ren mentioned those words, he was able to quickly piece everything together. 'The

to fade. Lifting his head, Kevin

of him. Before he could

existence was in danger due to the threat of the demon king, as a way to preserve itself, the Akashic records chose someone to prevent the demon king from ever getting to it, and that person is none other than you, Kevin. This probably explains

to agree. He also believed that

only question he had

in the world, why him? He really couldn't understand

"Huuuu..."

ceiling of the training ground, Kevin tried to digest all of the

knew that he had

silent. He had

looked at him, the previous anger that Kevin felt for him slowly started to dispel as

figure something

looking at him,

vision you previously told me about, I have a nagging feeling that whoever the entity trying to manipulate us is, he knows the

placing it

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