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."

and stared into the distance. Toward a spot

"Are you really fine?"

"…"

to. Was she

She just felt… empty.

she didn't

did, and found everything hard

"I… I don't know."

out her glasses, her vision started

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

she could've. She was rich and was smart enough to produce a

just didn't want

her blurred vision would stop her from feeling people's gazes

Ren, but even so, she didn't want to keep

want to see what was above

***

'She's surprisingly calm.'

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

I wasn't too sure, but I didn't

body was writhing, and the pain that was permeating every part of me was making it difficult for

that he made things easier

I looked up and stared at the area above me, I knew that things weren't over yet. Still, the situation was very advantageous

was in no state to properly fight at the

here, and that took

Swoosh—!

around me. That was until my attention was eventually drawn to a dark spot in the sky. It was writhing

second and arrived

looks like I've arrived

contact with it, I felt

which was briefly disappearing and then reappearing, started to take shape again, and the excruciating pain that had been pulsating through every part of me

that I had experienced a couple of times already, and my comprehension of the laws started to

to comprehend, the more I found myself

to that that I was able to get into the Pillar without destroying it from the outside. It still took a little toll

"You… who are you?"

when I looked down, I saw that

from his body was also nothing to scoff at. With

talking to me when

Golden runes whirled all

breath left my body, and I found myself struggling to keep my composure. In spite

A powerful force

found myself

to sink in, but pain unlike anything