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.

***

the instant that I regained consciousness, I found myself standing in front of a pitch-black

that I was all

right turn, I walked in that direction

entire body. In a short amount of time, the pleasant warmth morphed

it didn't matter to me; I kept moving forward regardless, not paying the slightest bit

little pain was incomparable to the pain that my

wasn't long before I spotted a tiny white orb about the size of a star way off in the distance. The orb grew steadily more expansive as

travel before I would reach the orb, but as soon as I got within a few feet of it, I could

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

walking in his direction and stopped when I was in the same space as

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

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

eyes, I spoke

expected, it was you,

spoke in a calm

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

aware of a searing

slowly turned his head and looked at me with the same expressionless gaze he had

be

wanted to let out a shout,

give the impression that I was losing control of the situation and would contribute absolutely nothing

only thing I could do was keep my composure and

the pointless emotions clouding my judgment to effectively

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

staying alive if

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

you will live

"Very kind of you."

sarcastically while anxiously staring at the

directly facing the orb, and it appeared for a moment that he

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

'What's going on?'

***

on the ground while holding a thin

"E..Emma?"

in the inner corners of his eyes, and

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

gazing upward, he

all that I did

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

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

as evidenced by

of his eyes moved more quickly down his cheeks, and it appeared

"H..How is this possible?"

brought Emma's body closer to his in