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

"No."

stared into the distance. Toward

"Are you really fine?"

"…"

answer to.

She just felt… empty.

she didn't know

just did, and found everything

"I… I don't know."

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

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

and was smart enough to produce a

didn't

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

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

see what was above

***

'She's surprisingly calm.'

crossed my mind when I stared at Melissa beside me. At least, that was what I was able to perceive from her on

wasn't too sure,

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

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 for

in no state

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

Swoosh—!

I appeared before a certain area in the sky and looked around me. That was until my attention was eventually drawn to

didn't waste a second and arrived

I've

with it, I felt a soothing energy

shape again, and the excruciating pain that had been pulsating through every part of

already, and my comprehension of the laws started to

was able to comprehend, the more I found myself able

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

"You… who are you?"

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

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

really be talking to me when you're in

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

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

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

sure for how long things were like that, but when my sight returned, I found myself standing

it to sink in, but pain unlike anything