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.

***

unconscious was a mystery to me, but the instant that

that I was all

turn, I walked in that direction without giving it

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 searing pain

kept moving forward regardless,

was incomparable to the pain that my mind and body

a tiny white orb about the size of a star way off in the distance. The orb grew steadily more expansive as I proceeded forward with my

within a few feet of it, I could see that it was covered

like me was standing not too far away from the orb and staring at it with a blank and

stopped when I was in the same space as

it was reflecting images. In particular,

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

eyes,

was you,

spoke in a calm

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

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

head and looked at me with the same expressionless gaze he

be thankful

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

since concluded that shouting would only give the impression that I was losing control

my composure and

rid my mind of the pointless emotions clouding my judgment

and I will be able to have my

alive if

point of surviving if, in the end, I

yourself lucky that you will live a few years

"Very kind of you."

while anxiously staring at

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

occurred to me, but when I looked beside me and saw the other me still calmly looking at the orb, I became unsure of what I

'What's going on?'

***

shook as he knelt on the ground while holding a thin body

"E..Emma?"

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

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

gazing

shit...after all that I did

was abundantly clear that she did not have a lot

heart and because the poison had left a

as evidenced by his paler-than-usual face and

cheeks, and it appeared as though the world was losing

"H..How is this possible?"

his in an embrace, he mumbled something