The Author's POV

"Where are we?"

When I turned my head to look around, I noticed what appeared to be the ruins of a city. The buildings were in shambles, and the pavement was pitted and broken all over town.

It wasn't surprising to find a city in such a state given the recent conflict that had taken place; however, in contrast to the other cities, this city appeared to have been in its current condition for a considerable amount of time.

A good indicator of this was the moss and other plant life that had taken up residence in the cracks of a number of the buildings.

Walking around the street, Kevin didn't say anything. He just looked around the place with a reminiscent look.

I didn't know for how long we continued to walk for, but we soon stopped in front of a house.

Well, what seemed to be the remains of. Half of the house was completely gone.

"This is where I used to live back when I was a child."

Kevin finally spoke, his gaze never leaving the house.

"My mom makes very good soup. I would've loved for you to have tried it at least once. I tried replicating her recipe, but it just doesn't taste the same. I don't know what it is…"

There was a warm smile on his face as he spoke.

I didn't say anything and just quietly listened to what he had to say.

"My dad would always come home late. Probably because we lived far from where he worked… rent problems, you know. We weren't very wealthy. Not that our life wasn't bad…"

He continued to ramble on about his parents. What he remembered about them, how they looked, what they liked, what they disliked…

I just quietly listened on. This was the first time I'd ever heard him talk about his parents.

He usually avoided talking about them. It's not that I never brought them up; rather, whenever they were brought up, his face would take on a different expression. It was one that told me to stop asking.

"You know…"

Kevin turned around and our eyes locked.

"This dawned on me quite some time ago, but... When you have nothing, the only thing you can do is gain, but when you have everything, all you can do is lose... It is funny how things turned out to be exactly like that for the both of us."

His words made me frown. I didn't really understand what he meant.

'Can only lose when you have everything?'

Was he perhaps talking about the other me? …Then, what did he mean by 'when you have nothing, you can only gain.'? Was he perhaps referring to himself?

"Human emotions sure are complex…"

After taking a few steps forward, Kevin eventually entered the house. When he walked on it, the wooden floor made a creaking sound.

I quietly followed behind him. His words were rather surprising, but I didn't say anything and just continued to listen.

…I was finally starting to learn about the real Kevin.

to understand them. Probably several centuries. I'm

his finger over a certain wooden

said, you can only gain when you have nothing. During those centuries, I only gained.

hand and placed

tried to stop the fate that would befall the people that made me understand what emotions were… all I'd get was the

took a

"…Their death"

His fist slowly curled.

way or another, they would die.

He smiled.

probably understand best the pain of losing someone you hold dear. It's not easy… Especially if you know

Flashbacks started to resurface in

to think about resurfaced, and something pricked

helplessness is probably what drove me to finally

was

responsible for all of this to suffer. I wanted them to feel what I felt. I wanted them to disappear from this

hand relaxed, slowly

I knew it

head, he looked at me. His smile was

go against what created me. It's

of blood running down the side

"Kevin!"

eyes opened up and

"I'm fine."

by Kevin who raised his

do you mean you're fine? You

"T, trust me."

carried a hint of pleading in

at him, I

"Thank you."

weakly sitting down on a chair next to

to explain everything. I don't h,have to anyway. You'll eventually understand. You're smart anyway. I'm sure you'll come to understand with—No, I'm sure

his chin and looked at me while shaking his head in

I need to say. I'm sure

"…"

confused by everything he said, I had a general idea of what was going

"Hah..ha.."

chest trembled as he leaned back against the chair and admired the house. There

I couldn't muster myself to say anything at the moment. Too afraid of breaking

this moment… Sacrificed many things to have

eyes,

Even if I try to distance myself away from them, they keep sticking to me like glue… heh…I'm no good guy… but hey, who is? It's all a matter of perspective… Be it you, me, Hemlock, or Jezebeth… one of us is the bad guy in their

and softer with each passing second. His eyes were becoming increasingly blurry, and his

I still did it,

state was

"H, hey Kevin…"

He continued.

it. I was scared of what I was gaining.