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 his fake

stop once he said these words, but

began to

"Oh?"

the

that different from him. You can say that you bear

head and slowly lifted his head. His face slowly

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

every

to be reminded that I was a fraud, I was gradually accepting this

replied with a

"I'm good."

"You're good?"

mumbled while he looked at me with a strange look on

"Ha."

face with his hand, he let out one single burst of dry

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

think you

the room as he snapped his head to gaze at me, and a dreadful pressure

"Khurk!"

both

both hands, I slowly raised my head

Tap. Tap. Tap.

throughout the room before they paused

was right at that moment that the

"Khuak!"

my body reflexively gagged and a wave of vertigo

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

"…My bad."

I heard Jezebeth's voice echo beside

moment. For a moment, I thought that you were going

sitting crossed legged on the ground, Jezebeth placed both of

There are lots of things I want to say, and even though you might

finger, my

"How should we start?"

head and pondering for a bit, Jezebeth tapped his

you see, so I'm having a hard time remembering certain things. Don't mind me if

head, Jezebeth looked at

aside, it doesn't seem like you have much time till he takes over.

toward me

that moment, I caught a whiff of

There have been several

my thoughts like many whispers, resembling the hissing sound

now, a

sound in my head became, sending me into this weird phase that made it hard for me to keep my focus. Everything

I think I've got

he removed the palm of his hand away from me that the hissing sound stopped and he appeared in my vision

did he spare

the way he

complete enigma

made him especially scary

must be wondering why

I was jolted

thin smile on his face,

he started to walk around me in circles. The sound of

are weakening. No, the Akashic records

I swallowed a mouthful of

my body started to tremble as a

know this since you don't have the power of the Akashic laws, but with every regression, or

you are. Be it me, you...or the records, meddling with time doesn't come cheaply. Whatever the case, unlike me and you,

turned his head to look at

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 chose to kill me?

my

His words…

body began to experience a sudden feeling of dread

I became aware of the previous regressions within my mind with each

hand, a white glow enveloped

"This power…it's so addicting."

so powerfully inside the room

toward me, the glow on Jezebeth's

it. This is the last loop. Once 'he' dies,

vibrations inside my body grew more intense with each word he

to why

inside of my head, and my

then, I tried my best to keep myself from

to know why he wasn't killing me. I wanted to know

I don't need

blanked, and my eyes blinked several times, unable to comprehend his

eyes stared

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

Jezebeth halted himself mid-sentence.

placing his hand over his mouth,

like you can kill yourself just yet. Not

didn't take long for his

my direction, his smile became even

this might be even

time, I knew he was looking at me, not the other

to live don't

into my eyes.

to die, while another wants