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.

a state of emotional turmoil. Assessing the situation, I decided to terminate the

freeze. Chills ran through his body as he had a hard time processing what Ren was

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

wanted to remain in a state of denial, but...he knew that everything he

anything. He had already figured everything out after connecting the dots from his

was only wishful thinking on his

he was still nonetheless Ren. A stinging

'...Why? Just why?'

[Trial 210]

pen, Ren continued to write more

in contact with them in this loop. Same

last words etched into the paper, the world started to shift, and a red sky

and debris appeared everywhere as corpses and limbs sprawled all

enshrouded the

"Haa...haa..."

on top of a broken building, as the sound of his

'Where am I?'

as he looked around him. It was also then that he noticed

It looks

what he was seeing, Kevin suddenly had a feeling

began to lift his head and his eyes laid on a

on a broken building, the figure blankly stared toward the sky as a cruel smile sprung

use, you won't be able

words rang throughout the world as he proceeded

standstill as demonic energy gathered towards the palm of his hand, forming a small ball the size of a

"Stay put."

could fully form, Kevin felt

Crack. Crack.

formed as the ground crushed against his body, resulting in a crater

was, the red-eyed figure

only deepened as their gazes met.

with your useless struggle.

"Shut up."

The gravity around him

Rumble. Rumble.

His power was overwhelming.

once again shocked to see a figure resembling

'This scene...'

"Your turn."

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

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

waiting for?

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

back at him, the other Kevin's lips trembled after glancing at the red-eyed

outcome

you talking

furrowed tightly, and

other Kevin pointed

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

fists clenched tightly, his voice

to sacrifice the whole of humanity! What's the point of killing him when there's no one left? What's the

words, Ren slowly opened his mouth to say something.

'Because I don't care.'

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

Kevin finally understood

in his vision. He could clearly remember each word that was

"You don't care?"

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

about the fact that because of your actions humanity

"What are you doing?"

dull voice echoed

other Kevin pressed his palm to the

done the moment I remembered

Clank.

suddenly sprung up from the ground and Kevin felt them

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

you

move, but no matter how much force he applied, he couldn't move. A

just how much of a predicament he

did you do to

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

it's going to be another

Kevin

"khh..."

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

Kevin suddenly started to feel emotions spring out inside

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

'Desperation.'

what Kevin felt as he felt his

always the same

one more step forward, the other Kevin's feet came to a pause a couple of meters away from Ren. Their two eyes

Clank. Clank. Clank.

felt the chains wrapping around his body become more and

realized that Ren had stopped shouting and the previous emotions that were

head and glaring in the other Kevin's direction, Kevin felt his mouth

will be enough

"I don't know."

Kevin shook

will find out soon. At least for now, you won't be able to do