The Author's POV

'Why is it taking Kevin so long?'

During my conversation with Malik Alshayatin, in which I was trying to buy as much time as possible, I sneaked a look at the time on my watch.

Ten minutes had already passed since Hemlock had appeared, and nothing had happened.

'Did something go wrong with the operation?'

Kevin was supposed to be on his way to killing Malik Alshayatin, who was hiding not so far from where we were at the time, according to what I knew about the situation.

He was the only one who knew the precise location; I wasn't even sure of it myself.

Given that Hemlock was still seated at the oval table alongside everyone else, it was clear that Kevin had not yet made his move.

'Is it possible that he ran into some problems, and it's taking him more time than it is supposed to?'

This was the most likely possibility.

Kevin, in my opinion, was in no real danger at any point.

Malik Alshayatin would have already vanished by now had he found out that Kevin had attacked him, and taking into consideration the fact that Kevin was solely performing this action based on his memories, there was no way that Hemlock could know what was coming for him.

It was simply impossible.

'I guess I'll just stall for a bit more time. '

It wasn't that I really minded, but I was rapidly running out of topics to discuss in order to kill time. Octavious, to my great relief, came to my aid in the nick of time.

For some inexplicable reason, it felt to me as though he was in on the whole situation.

'I'm imagining things, right?'

"Is there anything you hope to accomplish by remaining here? I'm certain that you didn't just show up to listen to our conversation. If you truly desired to hear what we had to say, you would not have divulged your identity so early."

"As expected of the strongest human, you're very perceptive."

Hemlock clapped twice, his back lying on the leather chair.

"Initially, I intended to come here to confuse the minds of everyone present. I wanted you guys to question yourselves and perhaps convert a few of you to our side, but I changed my mind.

Hemlock gave me a friendly smile as he slowly turned his head in my direction and looked at me. As the ominous foreboding, I was experiencing became clearer, I felt shivers run down my entire body.

"...But I changed my mind. Not too long ago, a small bird told me something, and let's just say I discovered something even more entertaining."

The instant he said those words, my pupils constricted violently. Specifically, when he uttered the phrase "little bird," the puzzle pieces in my mind began to fall into place, and my breathing became rougher.

I muttered two words without hesitation in my mind.

"Monarch's Indifference."

My vision turned black.

***

exact length of time that I was unconscious was a mystery to me, but the instant that

was all too

walked in that

warm enveloping my entire body. In a short amount of time, the pleasant warmth morphed into something intolerable as a

moving forward regardless, not paying the slightest bit of

incomparable to the pain that my mind and

of a star way off in

feet of it, I could see

awful lot like me was standing not too far away

walking in his direction and stopped when I was

I noticed that it was reflecting images. In particular, I could

the fact that his body was shivering

my eyes,

it was

spoke in

so long. This was all a scheme my other self had

spite of my composure, I was aware of a searing rage permeating each

head and looked at

should be thankful

moment, every fiber of my being wanted to let out a shout, but

only give the impression that I was losing control of the situation and would contribute

I could do was keep my composure and

pointless emotions clouding my judgment to effectively find a

you will be able to live, and I will be able to have my wish of dying fulfilled. Two

alive if I'm going to

the point of surviving if, in the end, I was still going to die at

will live a few years longer

"Very kind of you."

sarcastically while anxiously staring at the orb in

my view, Kevin's face was directly facing the orb, and

saw the other me still calmly looking at

'What's going on?'

***

as he knelt on the ground while holding a thin body in his

"E..Emma?"

once, and as he did so, tears began to form in the inner corners of his

a look of despondency plastered all over it as he

were absently gazing upward,

all that I did to distance

shallow, which indicated that she was still alive. However, it was abundantly clear that she did

struck her right in the heart and because the poison had left a clear imprint in her body, there was no chance

Kevin's mind to become disorganized, as evidenced by his paler-than-usual

moved more quickly down his cheeks, and

"H..How is this possible?"

brought Emma's body closer to his in an embrace, he mumbled