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?

"No."

his head and stared into the distance.

"Are you really fine?"

"…"

she didn't know the answer to.

She just felt… empty.

didn't know

and found everything hard to

"I… I don't know."

able to mutter those words. Taking out her glasses, her vision started to blur, and she found herself unable to

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

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

didn't

vision would stop her from feeling people's

no one around her at the moment apart from Ren,

want to see what was

***

'She's surprisingly calm.'

at Melissa beside me. At least, that was

too sure, but

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

that he made things easier for

things weren't over yet. Still, the situation was very advantageous for me

no state to properly fight

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

Swoosh—!

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 as it

second

I've arrived on

and the moment I made contact with it, I

and then reappearing, started to take shape again, and the

couple of times already, and my comprehension

I was able to comprehend, the more I

it from the outside. It still took a little toll on

"You… who are you?"

the warm sensation, I heard a certain voice, and when I looked down, I saw that the blob had

was anything but friendly, and the power that radiated from his body was also nothing to scoff at. With that being

really be talking to me

Golden runes whirled all around the area where the Prince and I were standing and wrapped

and I found myself struggling to keep my composure. In spite of this, I cast my

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

that, but when my sight returned, I found myself standing in the middle of the air with two black orbs levitating in front of

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