The Author's POV

'As much as you think I didn't, I've always been proud of what you've achieved… even when it looked like I didn't care.'

There was truth in the words he said to her. It may not have looked like it, but he had always been proud of what she had achieved.

He may not have shown it because of his circumstances, but he was proud. He had always been.

The feeling only grew stronger when he could feel himself again. He couldn't have been more pleased with her accomplishments, and the fact that she handled everything on her own made him even prouder.

He was glad she was doing well.

Well… for the most part.

He knew that he couldn't go back in time and undo the harm that his neglect had caused her.

When he thought about her past and how his actions had harmed her, he felt an overwhelming sense of guilt wash over him. She had been through a lot in her life.

Especially for someone her age. Growing up without a family… she must've truly been lonely.

He had never sought forgiveness or expected to receive it.

It stung, and now that he knew how to feel emotions again, his life was filled with nothing but pain.

Strangely enough, he didn't hate it.

Compared to the times when he felt nothing but numbness, this was much better.

He at least… felt something.

It hurt, but at the same time, he felt better than ever. His mind had never been clearer, and staring at the Prince before him, he had already made up his mind.

When he looked down, he could still see her looking up at him from below, and he found himself smiling.

'Yeah… this is how it should be.'

"Hm? Aren't you the human from before? You didn't run away?"

The Prince seemed rather surprised by his sudden appearance. Gervis too, but for another reason.

"You… what are you doing?"

The way Gervis looked at him changed, but Octavious paid him no mind and continued to gaze at Prince Adrian.

"I would like to make a contract with you."

The glare that Gervis was casting became even more intense, but the Prince stopped him from saying anything by waving his hand at him and smacking him toward the ground.

Bang—!

He then proceeded to look at Octavious.

"So you'd like to form a contract with me, huh?"

Prince Adrian studied Octavious from top to bottom. At first glance, he wasn't too bad. A tad bit worse than the dwarf, but overall, he wasn't too bad.

To have reached his rank while being a human was a testament to his talent and his gaze… he quite liked it.

Prince Andrian extended his hand, where a contract appeared.

"Very well, since you're interested in signing a contract, I won't stop you."

much thought. He

"Thank you."

his head, staring at the contract in front of

"D… don't you dare."

Gervis's muffled words, but he paid no

soon as his hand touched it, engulfing him from head

not yet signed the contract, he was already able to sense the force that emanated from it.

"Go on, sign it."

him, sounding like

of him for a moment before putting it down and turning his

smiled softly at

Riiiiip!

he tore the contract in half, completely

the atmosphere, and he looked at

when Octavious

contract. I only said it because I wanted to get close enough to you to do

and revealed a white orb. Golden runes emanated from

"Wait… that power…"

the moment the orb appeared,

It's exactly what you

Crack!

his hand, the entire world became white,

How is

his efforts were fruitless. The golden runes whirled around him at a speed that was even greater than the one he was starting

"How da…mhm…mhhhh."

froze on the spot, and the surroundings turned quiet from that point on. The golden runes kept wrapping

golden runes around

was clear that even though the Prince was trapped, his predicament would not last for

"Huu."

body began

was in the prime of his life, he slowly turned into a frail and old man. Such was

that didn't matter to Octavious as he weakly moved toward the Prince. He weakly placed his hand over the Prince's shoulder and

paused on a certain girl who was looking back

He smiled at her.

how it should

been a terrible father then, and a terrible father now. Perhaps he was never meant to be

perhaps he just wasn't ready to

Still.

see her figure overlap with someone he used to know,

'They… truly are alike…'

His vision warped with images of them as a happy family. As a family that they never were,

Cr… Crack!

he looked up, he saw that the golden runes that

much time left, he looked at Melissa once

"Goodbye."

'I love you.'

only able to utter the first word. He found himself unable to say the last three. He didn't feel like he had the right to

sound of

BOOOOOOOOOOM—!

***

[Earth]

"Kill!"

and kill all

from the pocket spaces that remained over the broken pillars, the sky darkened, and a