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.

into a state of emotional turmoil. Assessing the situation, I decided to terminate the loop. Based on my

what Ren was writing, Kevin felt his blood freeze. Chills ran through his

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

to remain in a state of denial, but...he

denying anything. He had already figured everything out after connecting the dots from his vision...yet, a small part of him still wished that this

that it was only wishful thinking on his

the Ren he knew, but he was still nonetheless Ren. A stinging pain started to quickly spread across

'...Why? Just why?'

[Trial 210]

pen, Ren

in the previous loop before he comes in contact with them in this loop. Same goes for my family. It's better if they die

as the last words etched into the paper, the world started

debris appeared everywhere as corpses and limbs sprawled

enshrouded the

"Haa...haa..."

on top of a broken building, as the sound

'Where am I?'

he looked around him. It was also then that he noticed that his right hand was missing

It

of what he was seeing, Kevin suddenly had a feeling

laid on a

body laying down on a broken building, the figure

won't be able to

words rang throughout the world

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

"Stay put."

form, Kevin felt his hand rise before

Crack. Crack.

the ground crushed against his body, resulting in a crater to

was, the red-eyed figure was completely unfazed

smile only deepened as their gazes

with your useless struggle. I've already

"Shut up."

area around him pulverized into bits. The gravity around him started to

Rumble. Rumble.

His power was overwhelming.

figure resembling himself standing in the distance, and it was right there that it finally

'This scene...'

"Your turn."

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

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

you waiting for?

his other self who was standing

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

the outcome that you

you talking

replied back. His brows furrowed tightly, and

teeth, the other Kevin

look at the world. It's completely destroyed! Almost all of humanity has been destroyed

other Kevin's fists clenched tightly, his

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

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

'Because I don't care.'

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

at this point that Kevin finally understood why felt a sense of

scene...it was the same scene that he saw in his vision. He could clearly remember each word that was about

"You don't care?"

of his body was very faint and almost invisible, the pressure

because of your

"What are you doing?"

dull voice echoed

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

should've done the moment I

Clank. Clank.

up from the ground and Kevin

long time, Kevin felt Ren's face crack when

do you think

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

just how much of a predicament he

did you do

the scene with an amused look on his face. Although he was also on the verge of death, there was a triumphant look on his

like it's going to

Kevin

"khh..."

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

of his sudden actions, for the first time in a while, Kevin suddenly started to

that you're the only one that can stop him! What are

'Desperation.'

was what Kevin felt as he felt his mouth open and

always the same with

came to a pause a couple of meters away from Ren.

Clank. Clank. Clank.

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

had stopped shouting and the previous emotions that

in the other Kevin's direction, Kevin felt his

be

"I don't know."

Kevin

for now, you