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.

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

Ren was writing, Kevin felt his blood freeze. Chills ran through his body as he had a hard time processing

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

of denial, but...he knew that everything he was

the dots

he knew that it was only wishful thinking on his

was still nonetheless Ren. A stinging pain

'...Why? Just why?'

[Trial 210]

words with his pen, Ren continued to

Kevin was close to in the previous loop before he comes in contact with them in this

paper, the world started to shift, and a

corpses and limbs sprawled all

silence enshrouded

"Haa...haa..."

the sound of his

'Where am I?'

he noticed that his right hand was missing and a long scar was tracing down

It looks

what he was seeing, Kevin suddenly had

and his eyes laid on a

his body laying down on a broken building,

won't be able

words rang throughout the world as he proceeded

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

"Stay put."

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

Crack. Crack.

ground crushed against his body,

powerful the impact was, the red-eyed figure was

only deepened as their gazes met. Opening his mouth,

your useless struggle.

"Shut up."

bits. The gravity around him started to warp, and

Rumble. Rumble.

His power was overwhelming.

again shocked to see a figure resembling himself standing in the

'This scene...'

"Your turn."

kept the other figure in check while he looked toward the

Kevin that his power wasn't enough to contain the other figure

waiting

again as he urged his other self who was standing in the distance. His voice sounded a little

glancing at the red-eyed figure and then looking at the world

outcome that you

you talking

His brows furrowed tightly, and his

the other

It's completely destroyed! Almost all of humanity has been destroyed because of your actions,

the other Kevin's fists clenched tightly, his voice rang throughout

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

words, Ren slowly opened his mouth to say something. Matching his mouth, Kevin

'Because I don't care.'

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

that Kevin finally understood why felt

saw in his vision. He could

"You don't care?"

body. While the hue that sprang out of his body was very faint

care about the fact that because of your actions humanity is on the verge

"What are you doing?"

dull voice

other Kevin pressed his palm to the

should've done

Clank. Clank.

black chains suddenly sprung up from the ground and Kevin felt them

face crack when he looked

do you think

matter how much force

of a predicament he was, his

did you do to

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

looks like it's going

the other Kevin proceeded

"khh..."

the other Kevin's body slowly

in a while, Kevin suddenly started to feel emotions spring out inside of Ren's

it!!!! You know full well that you're the only one that can stop him! What are you

'Desperation.'

Kevin 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 from Ren. Their

Clank. Clank. Clank.

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

Kevin realized that Ren had stopped

other Kevin's direction, Kevin felt his

think this will be

"I don't know."

other Kevin shook his

out soon. At least for now, you won't