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.

How did you get here? Were

"No."

the distance. Toward a spot where

"Are you really fine?"

"…"

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

She just felt… empty.

didn't know

just did, and found everything hard to

"I… I don't know."

vision started to blur, and she

could've had her eyesight fixed a long

surgery, she could've. She was rich and was smart

didn't want

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

apart from Ren, but even so, she didn't

Didn't want to see what was

***

'She's surprisingly calm.'

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

I wasn't too sure, but

the pain that was permeating every part of me was making it difficult for me to maintain any semblance

made

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

no state to properly fight at

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

Swoosh—!

until my attention was eventually drawn to a dark spot in the sky. It

didn't waste a second and arrived

looks like I've arrived

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

started to take shape again, and the excruciating pain that had been pulsating through every part

had experienced a couple of times already,

was able to comprehend, the more I found myself able to use Kevin's old

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

"You… who are you?"

and when I looked down, I saw that the blob had transformed

from his body was also nothing to scoff

talking to

place. Golden runes whirled all around

In spite of this, I cast my gaze off into the horizon and nodded my

powerful

things were like that, but when my sight returned, I found myself standing in the middle of the air with

for it to sink in, but pain unlike anything