The Author's POV

Fear.

An unpleasant and inescapable emotion caused by the threat of danger, pain, or harm.

It begins with your hair standing up. Next, your palms begin to sweat, and your body experiences a wave of nausea, making it difficult for you to comprehend what lies before you.

The world feels foggy. Everything that seemed so clear the previous moment becomes blurry, and in an instant, your entire body begins to tremble, and your heart beats so loudly inside of your head that it feels suffocating.

Fear starts off as an instinctive and primitive response designed to help us avoid dangerous situations.

…But what would happen when you're in a situation where you can't avoid this so called danger?

Helplessness.

That was what they would feel.

A wave of helplessness would wash over the individual as they find themselves in a situation where they could do nothing.

"Don't tell me you're planning on leaving right as I arrived?"

Jezebeth's words echoed inside of my ears, while the hair at the back of my neck stood up.

Fear was slowly starting to permeate my body.

"Haaa…haa…"

Unknowingly, my breathing became heavier.

As I slowly lifted my head up, my eyes met Jezebeth's, and my heart stopped for a moment.

'S..shit.'

I was overcome with a wave of helplessness as his presence completely enveloped my body, stopping me from moving at all.

"Hm?"

In the midst of my struggle, Jezebeth frowned.

Coming a little closer to me, he tilted his head a little.

"You…"

He pointed his slender finger in my direction, as his glaring red eyes scrutinized my body up and down.

My body felt completely naked as his eyes scanned it. It was as if he knew every secret inside my body.

Gradually, as he continued to stare at me, his eyes dropped and his head shook.

"…You're not him, again."

There were hints of disappointment in his voice as he turned his head to look away from me.

Right as he turned, I was able to hear his soft whisper.

"He would never make such an expression…"

Taking a step away from me, he looked around the room and continued to whisper to himself.

"This is strange…I'm sure I detected his presence before coming here. I don't think I'm wrong."

For the next couple of seconds, he didn't say anything and just quietly walked around the room with a pensive look on his face.

Coming to a sudden stop, he turned around to look at me.

Once again scanning my body, his brows jumped and a thin smile formed on his face.

"I see…"

Tap.

Taking a step closer to me, it didn't take long for him to arrive before me.

Extending his hand, my vision darkened as his plan covered my face.

I tried with all my might, staring at the hand that was snatching at my face, but it was all in vain; he stopped me without any effort on his part.

"Don't move. I'm trying to check something."

His voice loudly echoed inside of my ears.

As soon as his words vanished, I experienced an electric shock throughout my body. My body began to tense up in response to what he did, and my eyes rolled to the back of my head.

I wanted to scream, but it was all futile effort on my end as my mouth was sealed shut. No matter how much I struggled, I couldn't say anything.

"Mhh! Mhhhhh!"

The only thing that came out of my mouth were low muffled shouts.

"Ah, it makes sense now."

Taking his hand away from my head, Jezebeth once again turned away from me.

He had a satisfied look on his face.

"It's just like I predicted. You were the ones that resulted in Magnus's death, and it doesn't look like an accident either. As expected of you…"

Turning his body around, our eyes met. This time, his smile faded a little.

must be

once he said

began to calm

"Oh?"

brow raised at the sudden turn

can say that you bear striking resemblances to this demeanor

head and slowly lifted his head.

already served your purpose. How about you disappear and let the real you take over? I have no interest in playing around with

manner, every word he spoke

helplessness as a result. Even though it pained me to be reminded that I was a fraud, I was gradually accepting this fact. The

with a

"I'm good."

"You're good?"

while he looked at me

"Ha."

let out one single burst of dry

last for long, as his complexion crumbled and his voice became

think you have

eyes flashed with a scarlet color that totally enveloped the room as he snapped his head to gaze at

"Khurk!"

dropped on both knees to

slowly raised my head

Tap. Tap. Tap.

slow and rhythmical footsteps echoed throughout the room before they paused in front of

moment that the

"Khuak!"

the pressure disappeared, my body reflexively gagged and a

hands on the ground, I began to heavily gasp for air while a single string of saliva dripped

"…My bad."

then, I heard Jezebeth's voice

how pathetically weak you are at the moment. For a moment,

Jezebeth placed both

are lots of things I want to say, and even though you might not be him, he should still be able

my head snapped

"How should we start?"

a bit, Jezebeth

so I'm having a hard time remembering certain things.

his head, Jezebeth looked at

it doesn't seem like you have much time till he takes over. I'll say a couple of years. Mhh,

one hand while extending the other toward me until his palm was directly in

whiff of death lingering in

I just kill you before he takes over? There have been

speech echoed in my thoughts like many whispers, resembling the hissing sound

kill you right now, a lot of my

became, sending me into this weird phase that made it hard for me to

think I've got

me that the hissing sound stopped and he appeared in my vision once more.

did he spare

a human, and the way he

was a complete enigma in my

made him especially scary

look on your face, you must be wondering why I did not

I was jolted out of them

face, he slowly stood up

me in circles. The

weakening. No, the Akashic records are

his words, I swallowed a mouthful of

body started to tremble as

have the power of the Akashic

type of entity you are. Be it me, you...or the records, meddling with time doesn't come cheaply. Whatever the case, unlike me and you, the records don't use that much energy to reset the universe. Every reset is just a fraction of their power and

turned his head

the loop happens over and over again? What if it happens so many times that the records slowly start to lose their powers like a fighter running out of stamina, and what if they get so desperate that they start to use even more of their powers to help the one they

my head, I could feel my heart beating

His words…

of dread as I began to comprehend what he

my mind with each new regression that happened. The records could no longer expend

enveloped

"This power…it's so addicting."

powerfully

the glow on Jezebeth's

you've already guessed it. This is the last loop. Once 'he' dies, the

grew more intense with each word he said, and my face

to why I kept

whispering voice hissed loudly inside of my head, and my

I tried my best to keep myself

what he wanted to say. I wanted to know why he wasn't killing me. I wanted to know what was going inside of his

don't need to

and my eyes blinked

Jezebeth's face as his two glaring red eyes stared at me. No, he was staring at the

stop the loops. You want the suffering you've experienced to end, right? Then carry it out. Kill yourself right now. Put an

Jezebeth halted himself mid-sentence.

placing his hand over his

yourself just

take long for his brows

in my direction, his

this might be even

knew he was looking at me, not the other

want to live

my eyes. Before I could even

part of you wants to die, while