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.

***

that I was unconscious was a mystery to me, but the instant that

was all too familiar

making a right turn, I walked in that direction without

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 began to spread

it didn't matter to me; I kept moving forward regardless, not

the pain that my mind and body

before I spotted a tiny white orb about the size of a

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

was standing not too far away from the orb

when I

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

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

my eyes, I

was you,

in a

held up for so long. This was all a scheme my other

a searing

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

should be

my being wanted

long since concluded that shouting would only give the impression that I

my composure

emotions clouding my judgment to effectively find a solution to

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

the point of staying alive if

the point of surviving if, in the end, I was still going to

you will live a few years longer

"Very kind of you."

staring at the orb in

was directly facing the orb, and

looked beside me and saw the other me still

'What's going on?'

***

knelt on the ground while holding

"E..Emma?"

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

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

were absently gazing

did to distance myself from

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

left a clear imprint in

as evidenced by his paler-than-usual face and

down his cheeks, and it appeared as though

"H..How is this possible?"

Emma's body closer to his in an embrace, he mumbled