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.

***

mystery to me, but the instant that I regained

I was

walked in that direction without giving it

the sensation of something warm enveloping my entire body. In a short amount of time, the pleasant warmth morphed into something intolerable

matter to me; I kept moving forward regardless, not paying

that my mind

of a star way off in the distance. The orb grew steadily

how far I had to travel before I would reach the orb, but as soon 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

standing not too far away from the orb and staring at it with

started walking in his direction and stopped when I was in

it was

face was accentuated by the fact

my eyes, I

it was

spoke in

had been held up for so long. This was all a scheme my other self had planned

was aware of a

looked

should be thankful to

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

would only give the impression that I was losing control of the

keep my

the pointless emotions clouding my judgment to effectively find

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

the point of staying alive if I'm going to

if, in the end, I was still going to die at

will live

"Very kind of you."

staring at the orb in front of

Kevin's face was directly facing the orb, and it appeared for a moment

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

'What's going on?'

***

knelt on the ground while holding a thin body in

"E..Emma?"

to form in the inner corners of his eyes, and he began to lose his ability to

a look of despondency plastered all over it as he gazed

eyes were absently gazing upward,

did

that she was still alive. However, it was abundantly clear that she

had left a clear imprint in her body, there

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

eyes moved more quickly down his cheeks, and

"H..How is this possible?"

Emma's body closer to his in