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.

trial 209 : Upon 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 him

felt his blood freeze. Chills ran through his body as

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

a state of denial, but...he knew

denying anything. He had already figured everything out after connecting the

he knew that it was only wishful

was still

'...Why? Just why?'

[Trial 210]

words with his pen, Ren continued to write more

loop before he comes in contact with them in this

paper, the world started to shift, and a red

as corpses and limbs sprawled all over the

silence enshrouded the

"Haa...haa..."

on top of a broken building, as the sound of his rough breathing broke the silence that was enshrouding the

'Where am I?'

was also then that he noticed that his right hand was missing and a long scar

scene. It looks

seeing, Kevin suddenly had

to lift his head and his eyes laid on a figure who had white hair and

body laying down on a broken building, the figure blankly stared toward the sky as

you won't be able

the world as he proceeded to raise his

to have come to a standstill as demonic energy gathered towards the palm of

"Stay put."

felt

Crack. Crack.

as the ground crushed against

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

smile only deepened as their gazes met. Opening his mouth,

your useless struggle.

"Shut up."

around him pulverized into bits. The gravity around him started

Rumble. Rumble.

His power was overwhelming.

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

'This scene...'

"Your turn."

his hand motioned downwardly, Ren kept the other figure in check while he looked toward the other

that his power wasn't enough to contain the other figure for long as he felt his hand start to

are you waiting for? End

other self who was standing in

him, the other Kevin's lips trembled after glancing at the

this the outcome that you

you

tightly, and his

other Kevin

world. It's completely destroyed! Almost all of humanity has been destroyed because of your actions, and yet, you don't seem

fists clenched tightly, his voice

the whole of humanity! What's

to the other Kevin's words, Ren slowly opened his mouth to

'Because I don't care.'

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

that Kevin finally understood why felt

the same scene that he saw in his vision.

"You don't care?"

the hue that sprang out of his body was

of your actions humanity is on the verge

"What are you doing?"

voice echoed

palm to

should've done the moment I

Clank. Clank. Clank.

suddenly sprung up from the ground and Kevin felt them clasp onto his

first time in a long time, Kevin felt Ren's face crack when he looked at the other Kevin who was looking back at

you think you're

and felt his body try to move, but no matter how much force he applied, he couldn't move. A complete seal had

of a predicament he was,

you do

turned to look at the other white figure who was watching the scene with an amused look on his face. Although he was

looks like it's going to

his teeth, the other Kevin proceeded to

"khh..."

the hue around the other Kevin's body slowly started to fade as

Kevin suddenly started to feel emotions spring out

know full well that you're the only one

'Desperation.'

what Kevin felt as he felt his

always the

to a pause a couple of meters

Clank. Clank. Clank.

he walked, Kevin felt the chains wrapping around his body become more and more

other Kevin, Kevin realized that Ren had stopped shouting and the previous emotions that were

in the other Kevin's direction, Kevin

will be

"I don't know."

Kevin

soon. At least for now, you won't