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

"No."

and stared into the distance.

"Are you really fine?"

"…"

the answer to. Was

She just felt… empty.

she didn't know

found

"I… I don't know."

words. Taking out her glasses, her vision started to blur,

her eyesight fixed

was rich and was smart

didn't want

stop her from feeling people's gazes on her and give her

no one around her at the moment apart from Ren, but even so,

to see what was above

***

'She's surprisingly calm.'

least, that was what I was able to perceive from her on

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

the pain that was permeating every part of me was making it difficult for me

made things easier for

above me, I knew that things weren't over yet. Still, the situation was

was in no state to

that I had to do before coming here, and that took almost everything from me. But it was

Swoosh—!

certain area in the sky and looked around 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 to take shape

a second and arrived

like I've arrived on

hand against the blob, and the moment I made contact with it, I felt a soothing energy spread throughout my entire

again, and the excruciating

that I had experienced a couple of times already, and my

able to comprehend, the more I found myself able to

that I was able to get into the Pillar without destroying it from the

"You… who are you?"

certain voice, and when I looked down, I saw that the blob had transformed into a

the power that radiated from his body was also nothing to scoff at. With

talking to me

placed the palm of my hand against the demon's shoulder, and immediately he froze in place. Golden runes whirled all around the area where the Prince and I were

keep my composure. In spite of this, I cast

of my vision. A powerful force soon enveloped the area that the demon and I were in,

but when my sight returned, I found myself standing in the

unlike anything I'd ever felt