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.

***

exact length of time that I was unconscious was a mystery to me, but the instant that I regained consciousness, I found myself standing

I was all too familiar

right turn, I walked in that direction without giving it

In a short amount of time, the pleasant warmth morphed into

moving forward regardless, not paying the slightest bit of

to the pain that my mind and body went through every

spotted 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

as I got within a few feet of it, I could see

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

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

the orb as well, I noticed that it was reflecting images. In particular, I could see Kevin's face

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

my eyes, I spoke

it was you,

in a calm

had been held up for so long.

composure, I was aware of a searing rage permeating each

slowly turned his head and looked at me

should be thankful to

fiber of my being wanted to let out a shout,

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

could do was keep my composure and reason through everything that was

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

Kevin dies, you will be able to live, and I will be

the point of staying alive if I'm going to

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

yourself lucky that you will live a few years longer

"Very kind of you."

anxiously staring at the orb in

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

to me, but when I looked beside me and saw the other me still calmly

'What's going on?'

***

shook as he knelt on the ground

"E..Emma?"

tears began to form in the inner corners of

with a look of despondency plastered all over

were absently gazing upward, he tenderly

that I did to distance myself

very shallow, which indicated that she was still alive. However, it was abundantly clear that she did not have

had left

as evidenced by

of his eyes moved more quickly down his cheeks,

"H..How is this possible?"

brought Emma's body closer to his in