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."

the distance. Toward a

"Are you really fine?"

"…"

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

She just felt… empty.

she didn't know

found

"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 see what

honesty, she could've had her eyesight fixed

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

just didn't

from feeling people's gazes

no one around her at the moment apart from Ren, but even

Didn't want to see

***

'She's surprisingly calm.'

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

wasn't too sure, but I didn't have time to

permeating every part of me

that he made things

area above me, I knew that things weren't over yet.

was in no state to

before coming here, and that

Swoosh—!

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

didn't waste a second

I've arrived

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

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

of times already, and my comprehension of the laws started to increase at the

to comprehend, the more I found

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

"You… who are you?"

when I looked down, I saw

that radiated from his

you really be talking to me when you're in

froze in place. Golden runes whirled all around the area where the Prince and I were standing and wrapped themselves tightly

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

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

how long things were like that, but when my sight returned, I found myself standing in the middle

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