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.

did you get here? Were you here

"No."

his head and stared into the

"Are you really fine?"

"…"

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

She just felt… empty.

she didn't

found everything hard

"I… I don't know."

vision

all honesty, she could've had her eyesight fixed

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

didn't

from feeling people's

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

Didn't want to see what was above

***

'She's surprisingly calm.'

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

wasn't too sure,

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

made things easier

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

was in no state to properly fight at the

I had to do before coming here, and

Swoosh—!

vision, I appeared before a 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 as

a second and

looks like I've arrived

blob, and the moment I made contact with it, I felt a soothing energy spread throughout my entire body from head to

reappearing, started to take shape again, and

experienced a couple of times already, and my comprehension of the laws started

the more I found myself able to use Kevin's

Pillar without destroying it from the outside. It still took a little toll on me,

"You… who are you?"

enjoying the warm sensation, I heard a certain voice, and when

anything but friendly, and the power that radiated from his body was also nothing to

really be talking to me

in place. Golden runes whirled all

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

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

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

anything I'd