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.

***

but the instant that I regained consciousness, I found myself

I was all

in that direction without giving it

every step that I took, I had the sensation of something warm enveloping my entire body. In a short amount of time, the pleasant warmth morphed into something intolerable as a

me; I kept moving forward regardless, not paying the

little pain was incomparable to the pain that my

about the size of a star way

as I got within a few feet of it, I could see that it was covered in thin black threads that had seeped into the white surface of the orb and was

person who looked an awful lot like me was standing not too far away from

his direction and stopped when I was

noticed that it was reflecting images. In particular, I could see Kevin's face which was staring

fact that

my eyes, I

expected, it was

spoke in

been held up for so

composure, I was aware of a searing rage permeating each and every

and looked at me with the same

be thankful

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

impression that I was losing control of the

keep my composure and reason through everything that was

pointless emotions clouding

be

alive if

the end, I

you will live

"Very kind of you."

at the orb in front

orb, and it appeared for a moment

when that thought occurred to me, but when I looked beside me and saw the other me still calmly looking

'What's going on?'

***

the ground while holding a thin body in

"E..Emma?"

tears began to form in the inner corners of his eyes, and

extremely pale, looked at Emma's with a look of

absently gazing upward, he tenderly stroked

I did to

was abundantly clear that she did not have a lot of time left

had left a clear imprint

caused Kevin's mind to become disorganized, as evidenced by his paler-than-usual face and the churning of his

his eyes moved more quickly down his cheeks, and it appeared as though the world was

"H..How is this possible?"

Emma's body closer to his in an