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 you here

"No."

into the distance. Toward a spot where

"Are you really fine?"

"…"

to. Was she fine? She

She just felt… empty.

she didn't know

did, and found everything hard to

"I… I don't know."

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

could've had her eyesight fixed a long

was rich and was smart enough to produce a potion

didn't

her from feeling people's

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

to see

***

'She's surprisingly calm.'

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

I wasn't too

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

he made things easier

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

was in no state to properly fight at

before coming here, and that took almost

Swoosh—!

my 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

didn't waste a second

like I've arrived on

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

take shape again, and the excruciating pain

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

to comprehend, the more

able to get into the Pillar without destroying it

"You… who are you?"

when I looked

was anything but friendly, and the power that radiated from

be talking to me when you're

demon's shoulder, and immediately he froze in place. Golden runes whirled all around the area

found myself struggling to keep my composure. In spite of this, I cast my gaze off into

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

returned, I found myself standing in the

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