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

in my mouth stop once he said these words, but I didn't

began

"Oh?"

at the

a way, you're not that different from him. You can say that you bear striking resemblances to this demeanor at

shook his head and slowly lifted his head. His face slowly

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

a gentle manner, every word he spoke thundered in

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

with a

"I'm good."

"You're good?"

at me with a strange

"Ha."

his face with his hand, he let

laugh didn't last for long, as his complexion crumbled and his voice

think you have an

totally enveloped the room as he snapped his

"Khurk!"

instantly dropped on both knees to

slowly raised my head to look at

Tap. Tap. Tap.

slow and rhythmical footsteps echoed throughout the

that the pressure bearing down

"Khuak!"

disappeared, my body reflexively gagged and a wave of

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

"…My bad."

heard Jezebeth's voice echo beside my

almost forgot about how pathetically weak you are at the moment. For a moment, I thought that

crossed legged on the ground, Jezebeth placed both of his hands

though you might not be him, he should still be able to hear every single one

finger, my head snapped

"How should we start?"

his head and pondering for a bit, Jezebeth tapped his head

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

head, Jezebeth looked at

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 front of

caught a whiff of death lingering in

he takes over? There have been several instances when he's brought me quite a bit

in my thoughts like many whispers, resembling the hissing sound

now, a lot of

weird phase that made it hard for

I've got a better

the hissing sound stopped and he

he spare

myself as I looked at Jezebeth before me. Although his looks were similar to that of a human, and the way he acted was also similar to how a human acted, I couldn't read his expression nor understand

complete enigma in my

was what made him

your face, you must be wondering why I

my thoughts, I was jolted out

on his face, he slowly stood up from his

walk around me in circles. The sound

No, the Akashic records are already

his words, I swallowed

my body started to

power of the Akashic laws, but with every

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.

footsteps, Jezebeth turned his head to

a fighter running out of stamina, and what if

head, I could feel my heart

His words…

dread as I began to comprehend what he was

regressions within my mind with each

white glow enveloped Jezebeth's hand and his

"This power…it's so addicting."

low whisper, his words reverberated so powerfully

attention toward me, the glow

is the last loop. Once 'he'

inside my body grew more intense with each word he said, and

to why

inside of my head,

tried my best to

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

because I don't need to

blinked several times, unable to

glaring red eyes stared at me.

You want the suffering you've experienced to end, right? Then carry it out. Kill yourself right now. Put an end to your never-ending misery and...mmm,

Jezebeth halted himself mid-sentence.

hand over his mouth,

can kill yourself just yet. Not

didn't take long for his brows to relax. The smile also returned to

in my direction, his smile became even more

this might be even

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

want to

my eyes. Before I could even respond

part of you wants to