The Author's POV

"Pathetic, isn't it?"

As I mumbled those words, I turned to face the people in the seats across from me.

My throat tightened as I felt the gazes of the people in the room.

Their gazes...

They felt rather suffocating. Especially when I met the gazes of Ryan and the others that were close to Smallsnake. I felt a deep sense of guilt when I saw the pained expression on their faces.

A part of me felt responsible for this mess.

It wasn't just that. As I spoke, memories of Smallsnake started to resurface inside my mind. Each and every one of them caused me to experience intense anguish.

Time stood at a standstill, and a great sense of wariness washed over me. Enough to give me the impression that my body had completely lost all of its vigor.

'...I look pretty pathetic, don't I?'

I lowered my head and stopped speaking.

I probably looked a far cry from how I usually acted, but I couldn't help it. Never did I expect a loss to impact me so much.

Unlike the other me, I still had emotions, and they weren't something I could just turn off with the flip of a switch.

I wish I could...

...I really wish I could.

I slowly raised my head and opened my mouth to speak. My eyes quietly swept the room in the process.

My gaze halted in a certain area just as I was about to speak.

My body began to tremble. A flood of emotions burst out from deep within my body while my eyes focused on a particular person in the distance.

He...

He looked just like me.

Black hair, blue eyes, and an indifferent look...it would be more appropriate to say that he was me.

He was standing near the rear of the room with shackles around his hands and feet. Everything around me started to vanish at that very moment, leaving only him to fill my field of vision.

Everything around me felt dark.

It seemed as though the world had ended and the two of us were the only people remaining in this world. Breathing and standing got a little more difficult, which intensified the feeling of unease that I felt.

'All of this...'

Blinking once, the world around me cleared up and I found myself inside the chapel again. He was still standing there.

His image continued to haunt me in my mind.

'...All of this is his fault.'

I quietly mumbled to myself.

Everything that was happening to me, and Smallsnake's death. It was all his fault.

I was sure of it.

Smallsnake's death was something he had planned.

At first, it didn't make sense to me, but by this point, I was positive. Smallsnake's death was planned by him. He had planned his demise with the sole purpose of inciting animosity between Jezebeth and I.

sense to me, but I just

fault. He was

He was my curse.

That's why.

my mouth,

'...Please die.'

***

funeral lasted for over

that time, several individuals walked up to

of the attendees didn't quite know Smallsnake. They were mostly there

of people that were actually close to him didn't number more

faces of those that were mourning his

unfold,

individual known as 'Smallsnake' meant to the people around

Ren who seemed to be in a terrible

But...

'Please die.'

Kevin found himself unable to continue paying attention to

he said those words, and the direction he was looking at,

talking about

Why?

want him to

Kevin understood why. He just didn't want

they felt weird to Kevin. In a way, he looked like the bad guy. He was the guy that turned Ren

Kevin felt that

his actions made

was presented with a choice to restart the world when half of it was

what Ren was going through was

His actions...

were no worse than the

himself to hate him. In a way, he

much pain he went through, and the reason for his

that he would behave the same way if put in

that wasn't the thing that

'...There's something missing.'

was bothering

feeling, but at the same time,

it's time to go

at his arm. After briefly focusing his attention on her, he turned around and swept his gaze around the room. Soon

figure for a few seconds, Kevin's eyes drooped.

"Let's go."

not going to talk

"...Not now."

Kevin quietly mumbled.

his lips, he repeated

"Not now."

***

back toward the headquarters right after the

that needed to

Clank—!

the door of the warehouse, the first thing that greeted me was darkness. It was a rare

be greeted by lights and

'You're finally here, Ren.'

'Shut up.'

'Fuck you.'

"Haha."

laugh escaped from my lips when I recalled our