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.

he fell into a state of emotional turmoil. Assessing the situation, I decided to terminate the loop.

ran through his body as he had

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

denial, but...he knew that everything he

no point in his denying anything. He had already figured everything out after connecting the dots from his vision...yet,

he knew that it was only wishful thinking on his

still nonetheless Ren. A stinging pain started to quickly

'...Why? Just why?'

[Trial 210]

with his pen, Ren

he comes in contact with them in this loop. Same goes for

the paper, the world started to shift,

debris appeared everywhere as corpses and limbs sprawled all over

silence enshrouded

"Haa...haa..."

the sound of his rough breathing broke

'Where am I?'

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

scene. It

of what he was seeing, Kevin suddenly had

to lift his head and his eyes laid on a

laying down on a broken building,

you won't be able

rang throughout the world as he proceeded to raise

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

"Stay put."

form, Kevin felt his

Crack. Crack.

crushed against his body, resulting

red-eyed figure

red-eyed figure's smile only deepened as their

with your useless struggle. I've

"Shut up."

as the area around him pulverized into bits. The gravity around him started to warp,

Rumble. Rumble.

His power was overwhelming.

was once again shocked to see a figure resembling himself standing in the distance, and it was right there

'This scene...'

"Your turn."

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

was painfully obvious to Kevin that his power wasn't enough to contain the other

you waiting for?

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

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

the outcome that you

you

replied back. His brows furrowed tightly, and

other Kevin pointed towards

destroyed! Almost all of humanity has been destroyed because of your actions, and yet,

clenched tightly,

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

his mouth to say something. Matching his mouth, Kevin spoke

'Because I don't care.'

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

this point that Kevin finally understood why felt a sense of Deja vu'

vision. He could clearly remember

"You don't care?"

his body was very faint and almost invisible,

fact that because of your actions humanity is on the

"What are you doing?"

dull voice

his palm to the

done the moment I

Clank. Clank. Clank.

from the ground and Kevin felt them

face crack when he looked at the other Kevin who was looking back

do you think you're

no matter how much force he applied,

of a predicament he was, his voice

did you do

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

like it's going to

the other Kevin proceeded to

"khh..."

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

in a while, Kevin suddenly started to feel emotions spring

well that you're the only one

'Desperation.'

Kevin felt as he

the same with

feet came to a

Clank. Clank. Clank.

walked, Kevin felt the chains wrapping around his body become more and more numerous, before they

that his words couldn't reach the other Kevin, Kevin realized that Ren had stopped shouting and the previous emotions that were erupting from within him

and glaring in the other Kevin's direction, Kevin felt

think this will be

"I don't know."

Kevin shook his

At least for now, you won't be able