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

was all

right turn, I walked in that direction without giving

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

moving forward regardless, not paying the slightest bit of attention

little pain was incomparable to the pain that

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

orb, but as soon as I got within a few feet of it, I could see that it was covered in thin black threads

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

stopped when I was in the same space as

my head to look at the orb as well, I noticed that it was reflecting

of Kevin's face was accentuated by the fact that his

eyes, I

it was

in

calm and why Kevin had been held up for so long. This was all a scheme my other self had planned in order

of a searing rage permeating

and looked at me with the same expressionless gaze he

be thankful

moment, every fiber of my being wanted

that I was losing control of the situation and would contribute absolutely

thing I could do was keep my composure and

mind of the pointless emotions clouding my judgment to effectively find a solution

will be able to live, and I will be

point of staying alive

if, in the end, I was

live a few years

"Very kind of you."

while anxiously staring at the orb in

orb, and it appeared for a moment that he was staring

beside me and saw the

'What's going on?'

***

the ground while holding

"E..Emma?"

form in the inner corners of his eyes,

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

eyes were absently gazing upward,

did to distance myself from

alive. However, it was abundantly clear that she did not have a

had struck her right in the heart and because the poison had left a

mind to become disorganized, as evidenced

moved more quickly down his cheeks, and it appeared as though the world was losing its color to him as they

"H..How is this possible?"

to his in an