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 trial 209 : Upon killing everyone that Kevin held dear, he fell into a state of emotional turmoil. Assessing the situation, I decided to terminate the loop. Based on my calculations,

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

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

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

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

was only

may not be the Ren he knew, but he was still nonetheless Ren.

'...Why? Just why?'

[Trial 210]

pen,

to in the previous loop before he comes in contact

paper, the world started to shift,

everywhere as corpses

silence enshrouded the

"Haa...haa..."

standing on top of a broken building, as the sound of his rough breathing broke the silence that was enshrouding the

'Where am I?'

also then that he noticed that his right hand was missing and

It looks

Kevin suddenly had

lift his head and his eyes laid on a figure who had white hair

his body laying down on a broken building, the figure blankly stared toward the

use, you won't be able to

rang throughout the world as he proceeded to raise

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

"Stay put."

fully form, Kevin felt his hand rise before he

Crack. Crack.

ground crushed against his

red-eyed figure

deepened as their gazes met. Opening

your useless struggle. I've already

"Shut up."

as the area around him pulverized into bits. The gravity around him started to warp, and the buildings in the distance

Rumble. Rumble.

His power was overwhelming.

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

'This scene...'

"Your turn."

kept the other figure in

that his power wasn't enough to contain the

you waiting

other self who was standing in the distance. His voice sounded

other Kevin's lips trembled after glancing at the

this the outcome that you

you talking

replied back. His brows furrowed tightly, and his voice became

teeth, the other

has been destroyed because of your actions, and yet,

other Kevin's fists clenched tightly, his voice rang throughout

What's the point of

opened his mouth to say something. Matching his

'Because I don't care.'

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

Kevin finally understood why felt a sense of Deja

his vision. He could clearly remember each word that

"You don't care?"

hue that sprang out of his

the fact that because of your actions humanity is on

"What are you doing?"

voice echoed

to the space

I should've done the moment I

Clank. Clank.

suddenly sprung up from the ground and

the first time in a long time, Kevin felt Ren's face crack

you think

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

much of a

did you do

was watching 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 face as

like it's going to be another

other Kevin proceeded to ignore the

"khh..."

Kevin's body slowly started to fade

time in a while, Kevin suddenly started to feel emotions spring out inside of Ren's body as

end this now! End it!!!! You know full well that you're the only one that

'Desperation.'

felt as he felt

the

a pause a couple of meters

Clank. Clank. Clank.

felt the chains wrapping around his body become more

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

the other Kevin's direction, Kevin felt his

think this will be enough to stop

"I don't know."

Kevin shook

we will find out soon. At least for now, you