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

felt the restriction in my mouth stop once he said these

I began to calm

"Oh?"

raised at the sudden

say that you bear striking resemblances to this

head and slowly lifted his

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

manner, every word he spoke thundered

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

with a

"I'm good."

"You're good?"

while he looked at me with a strange look on his

"Ha."

his hand, he let out one single burst of dry

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

think you have

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

"Khurk!"

dropped on both knees to the

throat with both hands, I slowly raised my head

Tap. Tap. Tap.

throughout the room before they paused in

right at that moment that the pressure

"Khuak!"

pressure disappeared, my body reflexively gagged and a wave of

on the ground, I began to heavily gasp for air while

"…My bad."

I heard Jezebeth's voice

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

the ground, Jezebeth placed both of his hands on the ends

of things I want to say, and even though you might not be him, he should still be able to hear every single

my

"How should we start?"

pondering for a bit, Jezebeth tapped

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

his head, Jezebeth looked at

doesn't seem like you have much time till he takes over. I'll say

other toward me until his palm was

a whiff

should I do? Should I just kill you before he takes over? There have been several

echoed in my thoughts like many whispers, resembling the

a

hissing sound in my head became, sending me into this weird phase that made it hard for me

I've got a better

palm of his hand away from me that the hissing sound stopped and he appeared in my vision once more. He kept the same smile

he spare

a human, and the way he acted was also similar to how a human

complete enigma in my

what made him especially

face, you must

read my thoughts, I was jolted

his face, he slowly stood

to walk around me in circles. The sound of his soft footsteps echoed through my

are weakening. No, the Akashic records

words, I swallowed a mouthful

started to tremble

you don't have the power of the Akashic laws,

with time isn't cheap regardless of what 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 thus the burden they face is rather low, but what

his footsteps, Jezebeth turned his head

to lose their powers like a fighter running out of stamina, and what if they get so

I could feel my heart beating loudly

His words…

feeling of dread as I began to comprehend

weakened, and as regressions took place, I became aware of the previous regressions within my mind with each new regression that happened. The records could no longer expend any energy in

his hand, a white glow enveloped Jezebeth's

"This power…it's so addicting."

his words reverberated so powerfully inside the room that it

me, the glow

is the last

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

to why I kept

head, and

tried my best

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

because I don't need to

thoughts blanked, and my eyes blinked

red eyes stared at me. No, he was staring at

am aware of your desires. You want to stop the loops. 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

Jezebeth halted himself mid-sentence.

his hand over his mouth,

you can kill yourself just yet. Not

was pondering, it didn't take long for his brows to relax. The smile also returned

in my direction, his smile

might be even

knew he was looking at me, not

want to live don't

into my eyes. Before I could even respond he

wants to die, while another