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.

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

Chills ran through his body as he had a

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

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

figured everything out after connecting the dots from his vision...yet,

it was only wishful

the Ren he knew, but he was still nonetheless Ren.

'...Why? Just why?'

[Trial 210]

his pen, Ren

anyone that Kevin was close to in the previous loop before he comes in contact with them in this loop. Same goes for my family. It's

as the last words etched into the paper, the world

and debris appeared everywhere as corpses

silence enshrouded

"Haa...haa..."

as the sound of his rough breathing broke the silence

'Where am I?'

him. It was also then that he noticed that

scene. It

seeing, Kevin

laid on a figure who had white hair

black blood seeping down from his mouth, and his body laying down on a broken building, the figure blankly stared toward the sky as a cruel

no use, you won't

words rang throughout the world as he

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

"Stay put."

the black orb could fully form, Kevin felt his hand rise before he motioned downward with

Crack. Crack.

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

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

as their gazes met. Opening his mouth,

your useless struggle.

"Shut up."

The gravity around him started to warp, and

Rumble. Rumble.

His power was overwhelming.

Kevin suddenly felt his body turn, he was once again shocked to see a figure resembling himself standing in the distance, and it was right there that it

'This scene...'

"Your turn."

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

to Kevin that his power wasn't enough to contain

you waiting for?

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

at the red-eyed

this the outcome that

you talking

replied back. His brows furrowed tightly, and

other Kevin pointed towards

all of humanity has been destroyed because of your actions, and yet, you don't seem to

other Kevin's fists clenched tightly, his voice

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

words, Ren slowly opened his mouth to say

'Because I don't care.'

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

point that Kevin finally understood why felt a sense of

he saw in his vision. He could clearly remember each word

"You don't care?"

his body was very faint and almost invisible, the pressure it released was

because of your actions

"What are you doing?"

dull voice echoed

other Kevin pressed his palm to the

I should've done the

Clank. Clank. Clank.

up from the ground and

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

do you think

much force he applied, he couldn't move. A complete seal had been

how much of a predicament he

you do 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 death, there was a triumphant

looks like it's going to be another

teeth, the other Kevin proceeded to ignore

"khh..."

around the other Kevin's body slowly started

suddenly started to feel emotions spring out inside of

this now! End it!!!! You know full well that

'Desperation.'

Kevin felt as he felt

the same

Kevin's feet came to a pause a couple of meters away from Ren. Their two

Clank. Clank. Clank.

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

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

in the other Kevin's direction, Kevin

be enough to stop

"I don't know."

other Kevin shook his

soon. At least for