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.

here? How did you get here?

"No."

shook his head and stared into the distance. Toward a spot where

"Are you really fine?"

"…"

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

She just felt… empty.

didn't

found everything

"I… I don't know."

her vision started to

her

She was rich and was smart enough to produce a potion that could fix

just didn't

from feeling

was no one around her at the moment apart from Ren, but even so, she didn't want to keep her glasses

to see what

***

'She's surprisingly calm.'

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

too sure, but I

permeating every part of me was making it difficult

good that he made things

knew that things weren't over yet. Still,

in no state to properly

before coming here, and that took almost

Swoosh—!

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

a second and

looks like I've arrived

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

which was briefly disappearing and then reappearing, started to take shape again, and the excruciating pain that had

I had experienced a couple of times already, and

more

that I was able to get into the Pillar without destroying it from the outside. It still took a little toll

"You… who are you?"

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

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

you really be talking to me when you're in that

shoulder, and immediately he froze in place. Golden runes whirled all around the area where the Prince and I

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

entirety of my vision. A powerful force soon enveloped the area that the demon

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

anything I'd ever felt before started to cover every inch of my