The Author's POV

"Where am I?"

My mind was a mess. I couldn't really think properly. My body was numb, and the moment I opened my eyes, all I saw was darkness.

A pitch-black darkness.

A darkness that seemed to completely eat the world around me.

Placing my hand on the ground, or what seemed to be the ground, I propped my body up.

"...What is happening?"

I muttered out loud.

Glancing around me, and only seeing darkness, at first I was confused. However, recalling the events that had happened not too long ago, I was able to instantly realize that what was happening to me was definitely connected to the other Ren.

'This place, I have been here before.'

Once I made the connection with the other Ren, everything started to make more sense as I realized that I had been in this place before.

It wasn't that long ago as well.

Around the time when I had activated Monarch's indifference to test my theory and communicate with the other Ren.

Once my thoughts paused there, I instantly looked around the place in hopes of finding the other Ren, but regardless of how much I looked, I couldn't find him.

My brows knit.

"Where are you."

I muttered out loud. From what I recalled, the last time, when I called him, he instantly appeared before me. Perhaps it was the same now.

"..."

Unfortunately, I was only met with silence.

Just as I was about to call out for him again, I closed my mouth as I suddenly recalled something.

'Could it perhaps be the chains?'

Right before I appeared in this place, I remembered the other Ren being bonded by a series of chains. Was the reason why I couldn't find him because of this?

This was a plausible scenario.

Taking a look at my surroundings one more time, I took a step forward and walked towards the darkness. Even though I wasn't sure of where I was headed, it was better than staying in the same place.

After all, there was nothing but darkness around me.

Right now, my priority was going back.

***

"What in the world did he do?"

"That..."

Hearing Melissa's question, Kevin opened his mouth and tried to say something, but he proceeded to helplessly shake his head.

"I really don't know if I have to be honest. I was coming back from training and this is how I found him."

As he said those words, from the side of his eyes, Kevin eyed a black cat in the distance. At the moment, she was the only person that knew about what happened to Ren.

Unfortunately, for some reason, she refused to say anything or even show up.

Listening to Kevin's words, Melissa raised her brow.

"You don't know?"

"I don't."

Melissa's eyes. This persisted for a couple of seconds before Melissa eventually

if you say

turning around she walked out of the room,

where are you

Melissa glanced at

else? I'm

"What about him?"

on the bed. Staring

telling me what type of situation this was? I only came here with the basic stuff. You expect

do it this way.' However,

told me that Ren was in danger I would've come here with more potions and preparations? Had you told me I would've been able to save so much time, and now because of you, I'm forced to go back to get the proper potions that

right, you're

from one ear to the other, and the

couldn't care less about her complaints. But he knew that there was a time and place to

As she too realized how dire the situation was, saying a couple more discourteous words, she directly left the room, finally

Clank—!

"Haaa..."

Kevin powerlessly sat back down on the sofa as he let out a long and tired sigh. Turning to look at Ren whose

the world did you do to suddenly find yourself in this kind of

extremely cautious person that would try to not take any risks at all. For him to find himself in such a situation,

sigh, a charming

elven queen and her mother, when that

"Huh!?"

his head against a nearby table as he looked around the room.

talk inside of my

asked. Nodding her head, Angelica sat down on top of the

out about me, which they probably will since the queen's

naturally understood the implications in Angelica's words. She was trying to tell them that if anything happened to her, Ren would die. Kevin did not

say such words, it felt as though the queen was going to do

inside of Kevin's

have something to

"..."

Silence.

met with silence as

"So?"

However, yet

is because Ren told me to do

why would they

However, yet again he was met

him around without telling him exactly what was going on. Had it not been for his

fact, he was already irked by Melissa's attitude, and Angelica's attitude did

I'm bound to find sooner or later. Since she told him that he needed to protect

in Angelica's

just

[I did.]

replied causing Kevins'

"How is that possible?!"

friends with Amanda, Kevin knew about her mother's circumstances. About how she had left her when she was young to never appear

again, he

world did

[That's b—]

Clank—!

Kevin had the chance to see who the three figures were, one vanished from the spot

worry flashed across Amanda's eyes

a couple of seconds to take a good look at him, Amanda bit her lips before turning to look at

"W...what happened!?"

***

long did I walk for? ...I

for over a day, yet at the same time, knew I didn't. The darkness around me made me lose my sense

occurred to me as