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 standing in front of a pitch-black

I was all too

a right turn, I walked in that direction without giving it

I had the sensation of something warm enveloping my entire body. In a short amount

regardless, not paying the slightest bit of

pain was incomparable to the pain that my mind and body went

determination paid off, and it wasn't long before I spotted a tiny white orb about the size of a star way off in the distance. The orb grew

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 riddled with a variety of

awful lot like me was standing not too far

direction and stopped when I was in the same space

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

Kevin's face was accentuated by the fact that his body was shivering and his lips

eyes,

expected, it was

in a

why Hemlock was so calm and why Kevin had been held up for so long.

a searing

and looked at me with the same expressionless gaze he

should be

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

only give the impression that I was

could do was keep my composure

pointless emotions clouding my judgment to

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

staying alive if I'm going to

in the end, I was still going to die at

live a

"Very kind of you."

anxiously staring at the orb

face was directly facing the orb, and

but when I looked beside me and saw the other me still

'What's going on?'

***

on the ground while holding a thin body

"E..Emma?"

and as he did so, tears began to form in

was extremely pale, looked at Emma's with a look of despondency plastered all over

gazing upward, he

all that I did

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

right in the heart and because the poison had left a clear imprint in her body,

become disorganized, as evidenced by his

began to form in the creases of his eyes moved more quickly down his cheeks, and it appeared as though the world was losing its color

"H..How is this possible?"

closer to his in