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.

dear, he fell into 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?'

a state of denial, but...he knew that everything he

had already figured everything out after connecting the dots from his vision...yet, a small part of him still wished that this was not

it was only wishful

not be the Ren he knew, but he was still nonetheless Ren. A stinging pain started to quickly spread

'...Why? Just why?'

[Trial 210]

pen, Ren continued to write more

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

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

as corpses and limbs sprawled all over the

enshrouded the

"Haa...haa..."

found himself standing on top of a broken building, as the sound of his rough

'Where am I?'

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

It looks

Kevin

eyes laid on a figure who had white hair

a broken building, the

no use, you won't

rang throughout the world as he proceeded to raise his

have come to a standstill as demonic energy gathered towards the palm

"Stay put."

Kevin felt his

Crack. Crack.

cracks formed as the ground crushed against his body, resulting

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

red-eyed figure's smile only deepened as their gazes met.

your useless struggle. I've

"Shut up."

as the area around him pulverized into bits. The gravity

Rumble. Rumble.

His power was overwhelming.

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

'This scene...'

"Your turn."

his hand motioned downwardly, Ren kept the other figure

wasn't enough to contain the other

waiting for? End

his other self who was standing in the distance. His voice sounded a little bit more rushed this

trembled after glancing at the red-eyed figure and then looking at

this the outcome

are you

tightly, and his

other Kevin pointed towards

look at the world. It's completely destroyed! Almost all of humanity has been destroyed because of your actions, and yet, you don't seem

clenched tightly, his

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

to the other Kevin's words, Ren slowly opened his mouth to say something. Matching his mouth, Kevin spoke inside of his

'Because I don't care.'

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

that Kevin finally understood why felt

that he saw in his vision. He could

"You don't care?"

body. While the hue that sprang out of his body was very faint and almost invisible, the pressure it released

because of your actions humanity is on the verge

"What are you doing?"

dull voice

other Kevin pressed his palm to the space next

that I should've done the moment

Clank. Clank. Clank.

up from the ground and Kevin felt them clasp onto his

a long time, Kevin felt Ren's face crack when he looked at the other Kevin

you think you're

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

a predicament

did you

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

looks like it's going to be another

other Kevin

"khh..."

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

his sudden actions, for the first time in a while, Kevin suddenly started to feel emotions spring out inside of Ren's

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

'Desperation.'

as he felt his mouth open and

always the

feet came to a pause a couple

Clank. Clank. Clank.

the chains wrapping around his body become more and

reach the other Kevin, Kevin realized that Ren had stopped shouting and the previous emotions

in the other Kevin's direction, Kevin felt his

will be enough

"I don't know."

other Kevin shook his

least for now, you won't be able to do