The Author's POV

'What did I just see?'

Kevin felt his heart grow cold.

'T...that can't be real, right? Re..n would never do that...'

He was in a state of complete denial. But, it was at this moment that he suddenly recalled his past flashbacks of what Ren had done with Emma, and it was from there that he was able to calm himself down.

'That's not the Ren I know. It's a different Ren.'

He repeatedly told himself. Recalling the conversation he had with Ren in the past and connecting everything with his visions, things were slowly starting to make sense.

'Why is it dark?'

Following his death, the scene once again shifted. This time, the world was dark. However, upon paying close attention, he could hear the sound of birds chirping in the distance.

Chirp. Chirp. Chirp.

'Birds? What's going on?'

Kevin could faintly feel the warm, gentle sunshine enveloping his whole body.

It was then that Ren opened his eyes and Kevin found himself inside a one-bedroom apartment.

Rubbing his eyes, he blinked a couple of times and once more looked at my strange surroundings.

'This place...'

It looked familiar. Kevin couldn't just quite remember where he had seen this room before.

The room was furnished with the basic necessities that comprised a clean white bed, an old wooden spacious desk, a tall wardrobe, and a small bathroom. It was neither too big nor too small, but it seemed to have all the necessary facilities one might need when living.

'...Just why is this so familiar to me?'

Kevin thought to himself as he continued to stare at the room. It was strange, but Kevin knew for sure that he had seen this room before.

...But no matter how much he tried to think about it, he couldn't exactly remember where he had seen it.

'How odd.'

Shifting his body, Kevin's head turned to face the nearby window.

Reflected on it was a familiar face.

Jet black hair

Pale white skin

Blue ocean-like eyes

It was Ren's face...but younger. A lot younger.

'What memory is this?'

Kevin wondered as Ren's body shifted and he pressed his foot on the ground to help his body up.

"...Another failure."

Ren muttered while he stood up, and headed for the nearby desk where he sat down.

Opening the drawer beside the desk, he took out a small notebook alongside a small pen.

Grasping the pen beside him, Ren's body froze for a small second. With his eyes locked onto the pen, he slowly brought it next to his neck.

Click—!

Pressing onto the top end of the pen, the sharp tip came out.

Ren gently pressed it against his neck. Slowly, he began to put more pressure.

'What is he doing?'

Kevin wondered as he felt the sharp tip of the pen press against Ren's neck. His actions didn't make sense to Kevin at all.

'Don't tell me that he's...'

"Haaa..."

Before Kevin could come up with an assumption, Ren let out a long sigh and lowered the hand that held onto the pen. The pressure on his neck disappeared.

Casually tossing the pen on the desk, Ren reclined on the chair and emptily stared at the white ceiling of the room.

Grasping his chest with his hand, he mumbled.

"...What's the point? It's not like anything will change."

Though his words were casual, they were enough to alarm Kevin who was watching everything.

At this point, no matter how much he tried to feel the emotions Ren was experiencing, he couldn't feel anything. He basically felt like an empty shell whose sole reason for living was something that Kevin was still unsure of...but from his earlier actions, Kevin had an inkling that perhaps, just maybe, Ren didn't really want to be alive.

It was as if something was stopping him from dying. Or maybe he was just overthinking.

...but as he thought back at the moment he pressed the pen against his neck, Kevin was left uncertain about his theory.

Leaning his body forward, Ren grasped the pen he had thrown on the table and opened the book.

He then began to write something.

killing everyone that Kevin held dear, he fell into a state of emotional turmoil. Assessing the situation, I decided to terminate the loop. Based on my calculations, the possibility of

felt his blood freeze. Chills ran through his body

'I..it can't be, right?'

of denial, but...he

his denying anything. He had already figured everything out after connecting the dots from his vision...yet, a small

it was only

still nonetheless Ren. A stinging pain started to quickly spread

'...Why? Just why?'

[Trial 210]

his pen, Ren continued to

previous loop before he comes in contact with them in this

into the paper, the world started to

and debris appeared everywhere as corpses and limbs

enshrouded the

"Haa...haa..."

as the sound of his rough breathing broke

'Where am I?'

himself as he looked around him. It was also then that he noticed that his right hand was missing and a long

scene. It

what he was seeing, Kevin suddenly had a feeling of

and his eyes laid on

mouth, and his body laying down on a broken building, the figure blankly

you won't be able

world

come to a standstill as demonic energy gathered towards the palm of his hand, forming

"Stay put."

the black orb could fully form, Kevin felt his hand rise before

Crack. Crack.

the ground crushed against his body, resulting in a crater

powerful the impact was, the red-eyed figure was completely unfazed as he gazed in

their gazes met. Opening his mouth, he

with your useless struggle. I've already

"Shut up."

pulverized into bits. The gravity around him started to warp, and the buildings in the

Rumble. Rumble.

His power was overwhelming.

again shocked to see a figure resembling himself standing in the distance, and it

'This scene...'

"Your turn."

Ren kept the other figure in

power wasn't enough to contain

you waiting for? End

self who was

the other Kevin's lips trembled after glancing at the red-eyed figure and then looking at the

this the outcome that

you

replied back. His brows furrowed tightly, and

his teeth, the other Kevin pointed

Almost all of humanity has been destroyed because of your

Kevin's fists clenched tightly, his voice rang

killing him! You decided to sacrifice the whole of humanity! What's

the other Kevin's words, Ren slowly opened his mouth to say something. Matching his mouth, Kevin

'Because I don't care.'

"...Because I don't care."

finally understood why felt a sense of

that he saw in his vision. He could clearly remember each word that was about to be

"You don't care?"

suddenly erupted from Kevin's body. While the hue that sprang out of his body

of your actions humanity is on the verge

"What are you doing?"

voice

other Kevin pressed his palm to the space next to him and

I should've done

Clank. Clank.

up from the ground and Kevin

time, Kevin felt Ren's face crack when he looked at the other Kevin who was

you think you're

felt his body try to move, but no matter how much force he applied,

how much of a

did you do to

scene with an amused look on his face. Although he was

like it's going to be

the other Kevin proceeded to ignore the

"khh..."

around the other Kevin's body slowly started to

started to feel emotions

End it!!!! You know full well that you're the only

'Desperation.'

felt as he felt his mouth open

the same with

step forward, the other Kevin's feet came to a pause a couple of meters away

Clank. Clank. Clank.

wrapping around his body become more and more numerous, before they completely

Kevin, Kevin realized that Ren had stopped

other Kevin's direction, Kevin felt

be enough to

"I don't know."

Kevin shook

will find out soon. At least for