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.

be his

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

began to calm

"Oh?"

raised at the sudden turn

say that you bear striking resemblances to this demeanor at

shook his head and slowly lifted his

you disappear and let the real you take over? I have no interest in playing around with a

every

of helplessness as a result. Even though it pained me to be reminded that I was a fraud, I

a slow

"I'm good."

"You're good?"

me with

"Ha."

with his hand, he let

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

actually think you

room as he snapped his head to

"Khurk!"

dropped on both

I slowly raised my head to

Tap. Tap. Tap.

throughout the room before they paused in front of

that moment that the pressure bearing

"Khuak!"

after the pressure disappeared, my body reflexively gagged and a wave

ground, I began to heavily gasp for air while a single string of

"…My bad."

I heard Jezebeth's voice echo beside my

weak you are at the moment. For a moment, I thought that

the ground, Jezebeth placed both of his hands on

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

finger, my head snapped

"How should we start?"

and pondering for a bit, Jezebeth tapped his head and

still aren't intact you see, so I'm having a hard time remembering

raising 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, that sounds quite

with one hand while extending the other toward me until his palm was directly in front of my

that moment, I caught a whiff of death

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

in my thoughts like many whispers, resembling the

you right now, a lot of my problems would

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

I've

palm of his hand away from me that the hissing sound stopped and he

did he spare

looked at Jezebeth before me. Although his looks were similar to that of a human, and the way he

a complete enigma in my

was what made

face, you must be

able to read my thoughts, I was jolted out of

his face, he slowly stood up from

around me in circles. The

Akashic records are weakening. No, the Akashic

his words, I swallowed a mouthful

started to tremble

don't have the power of the Akashic laws, but with every

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

turned his head to look

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

I could feel my heart

His words…

feeling of dread as I began

records weakened, and as regressions took place, I became aware of the previous regressions within my mind with each new regression that happened.

glow enveloped Jezebeth's hand

"This power…it's so addicting."

spoke in a low whisper, his words reverberated so powerfully inside the room that it felt as if the room itself

attention toward me, the glow

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

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

to why I kept you

of my head, and my view of

best to keep myself

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

don't need to

eyes blinked several times,

his two glaring red eyes stared at

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

Jezebeth halted himself mid-sentence.

hand over his

can kill yourself just yet. Not unless you

was pondering, it didn't take long for his brows to relax.

direction, his smile

this might be

was looking at me, not the

to

my eyes.

you wants to die, while another wants