The Author's POV

It all happened so quickly, but when she felt 'his' gaze fall on her for just a split second, time seemed to come to an abrupt halt, and so did her world.

His expression was the same as usual—a little aged. Perhaps a little different, but it wasn't so different from how it had always been.

Yet, for some reason, in that moment, it felt as though that simple gaze told her a thousand words.

He nodded at her and said something.

She couldn't quite make out what those words were.

That was because she knew exactly what he was going to do, and in that moment, her mind blanked.

Her usually brilliant mind blanked, and she dully stood on the ground, staring up toward the sky, which was soon enveloped by a brilliant white light that came directly from her father's body. It enveloped the sky in its entirety.

BOOOM—!

That was the last thing she saw before a terrifying explosion covered the sky, and she was hurled a great distance away from the scene.

BANG—!

She collided with a tree, and if it weren't for the protective shield that materialized around her just as she was about to make contact with the tree, she likely would have sustained significant injuries.

"Ugh."

With a groan, she forced herself to look up, and that was when she realized that the mist that had blanketed the sky previously had completely disappeared.

Her mind, which seemed stained with something moments prior, seemed to clear up.

But none of that concerned her at the moment. What she was concerned about was something else, and she hastily looked around in the sky for any signs of 'him'.

But no matter how hard she looked, she couldn't find him. In fact, she couldn't see anything, and her legs started to go numb.

That was until a hand pressed against her shoulder and a familiar voice reached her ear.

"…He's gone."

"W..what?"

When she turned her head, she caught sight of a hazy, almost transparent figure.

"Who are you?"

She thought he sounded familiar, but the way he looked… was that really who she thought he was?

"It's me."

His voice was hoarse, almost feeble, but when he turned his head and their eyes met, Melissa understood that it was really him.

are you doing here? How did you get here? Were you

"No."

his head and stared into the distance. Toward a spot where she

"Are you really fine?"

"…"

didn't know the answer to. Was she fine? She didn't feel very much. And that was

She just felt… empty.

she didn't know

found everything

"I… I don't know."

words. Taking out her glasses, her vision started to blur, and she found herself unable to see what was ahead

honesty, she could've had her eyesight fixed a long time

and was smart enough to

didn't

were times when her blurred vision would stop her from feeling people's gazes on her

her at the moment apart from Ren, but even so, she didn't

Didn't want to see what

***

'She's surprisingly calm.'

when I stared at Melissa beside me. At least, that was what I was able to

she was truly calm, I wasn't too sure, but I didn't

was permeating every part of me was making it difficult for me to

made things easier

knew that things weren't over yet. Still, the

no state to

to do before coming here, and that took almost everything from me.

Swoosh—!

me. That was until my attention was eventually drawn to a dark spot in the sky. It was writhing in the air, and the skeleton of a figure was gradually beginning

didn't waste a second and arrived before

looks like I've

moment I made contact with it, I felt a soothing energy spread throughout my

shape again, and the excruciating pain that

had experienced a couple of times already, and my

comprehend, the more I found myself able to

was able to get into the Pillar without destroying it from the outside.

"You… who are you?"

sensation, I heard a certain voice, and when I looked down, I saw that

power that radiated from

you really be talking to me when you're in

of my hand against the demon's shoulder, and immediately he froze in place. Golden runes whirled all around the area

to keep my composure. In spite of this, I

A blue light headed our way and enveloped the entirety of my vision. A powerful force soon enveloped the area

returned, I found myself standing in the middle of the air with two black orbs levitating in front

to sink in, but pain unlike anything I'd ever felt before started to cover every inch of my