The Author's POV

There was something faint in front of my darkened vision.

In the beginning, there was only a sliver of light in the amber color, but as time went on, it grew larger and larger. The darkness that had been surrounding the world around me was quickly overcome by that faint light that grew so bright that it dispelled all the darkness around me.

Within the faint light, I felt something embrace my entire body and bask it in a gentle warmth.

It felt good. Really good. So much so that I wanted to bask in it forever, but with a sudden twitch, the white world shattered, and my eyelids opened.

The sight of the extremely tall wooden shelves, which reached the ceiling and appeared to go on forever, obscured my field of vision. My immediate environment was characterized by a predominance of silence, and there was an eerie sense of calm that pervaded the atmosphere.

Blinking my eyes, I gradually sat up and looked around me.

The world… it was covered with books and shelves that seemed to stretch endlessly.

I bent my head forward and focused on my hands, clenching and unclenching them as I did so. My previous wounds had healed completely, and I was beginning to experience a sense of wholeness once more.

Pressing my hands on the wooden floor, the floor creaked at my movements, and I carefully stood up and looked around me. Eventually, my gaze settled on a small patio in the distance.

It sat on top of a lush green floor, and a book covered in golden runes sat atop the altar.

It took me only a moment to figure out what the book was, and it seemed as if my feet were acting on their own when they began to head in the direction of the patio.

It took just a single step to reach it, and when I did, I suddenly stopped. My mouth parted open, but no sound came out.

"It took you a while."

A familiar voice reached my ears. One that I thought I'd never hear again, and when I looked in front of me, I saw someone whom I thought I'd never see again.

From the moment I laid eyes on him, I knew that it was him. Not some projection or hallucination created by the records.

I could just feel it with the powers that lingered in my body, and my chest stung a little. I still forced myself to smile.

"Was I late?"

"Very."

I smiled genuinely this time and moved to the patio, where he saw me. I sat myself down on the seat opposite him and enjoyed the scenery around me.

"How are you…"

"How am I alive?"

He finished the question for me, and without looking at him, I nodded my head.

"Yeah…"

"It's not that I'm alive," he answered, similarly staring at the world around the patio. "I'm just in the place where I was born. I'm neither dead nor alive, just a projection of the remaining power that lingers over the records."

"I see."

Understanding a bit of what he said, I found myself nodding my head. When I turned my head and met his crimson colored eyes, I shifted my attention toward the book that sat atop the altar.

"Are those the records?"

With a complicated look on his face, he nodded his head.

"Yes."

The book was encircled by golden runes and words that moved and swirled around it as if they were in a vortex. The glow that encircled it was not particularly strong, but as I continued to stare at it, I suddenly felt a calling coming from it.

"Go on."

When I heard his voice, I turned to look at him once more, and he smiled faintly at me.

"The moment your hands are on the book, you will be elevated to the position of Overseer, and you will have access to every aspect of the universe. You will be responsible for maintaining order throughout the universe and preventing future occurrences of events similar to Jezebeth from taking place..."

Overhearing his words, I felt my brows knit.

"That sounds rather troublesome."

"It is."

head. I wanted to shake

everyone back on

the moment I defeated Jezebeth, I found myself in this world. I still had no idea what had happened to the others back on Earth. Were they fine? Did everything get resolved? Did something happen

"Don't worry about them."

reassured, pointing

the records. All the questions you have will be answered

each passing second, it glowed brighter, and the whispers that surrounded my ears became progressively louder. Calling for me to

Kevin one more time, I saw him nod at

I stopped right before the records. Immediately, the gentle

vision, and golden runes and scribbles floated all around me. The world around me started to shake, and the tall libraries

me, I slowly

when I saw

The truth.

***

.

.

.

.

.

Pak!

Ren closed the book in his hands. In that brief moment when he opened the book and closed the book, Kevin watched Ren's face undergo a series of changes as he displayed all sorts

he displayed every possible emotion until,

the book. A matter of seconds, Kevin sat there with his

seen?" he asked, curious to understand

Ren turned his head, and their gazes

I needed to

records, but there was definitely something different about him. It was as if he were

"What did you see?"

"Mhm."

all he was met

his hand forward, Ren opened up his

Clank. Clank. Clank.

and gradually gathered

it was like this… I finally understand the real meaning behind the

what he heard completely confused him. It was clear to him that whatever Ren was talking about was something that was well outside of the scope of

to think that there used to be a beginning to something, but never did I imagine that my own precognition of time was wrong. Time… it's a measurement we created in order to

Kevin became confused, but he continued to listen. There was something about his words that entranced him, and the more he

WIIIING—!

thoughts, and when he came to, he saw a small metallic box levitating on top of Ren's palm. A thick black mist encircled the cube and pulsed in a

"What's that?"

"This…"

the box, Ren

is the

He paused.

very long book. One I

to shake suddenly. After a short while, a crack appeared

perplexed Kevin, who looked back at Ren in bewilderment, but all he received

"If it's like this…"

lips and turned to face him. Staring at each other for a moment, Ren waved his hand, and their surroundings started to shift. The patio collapsed,

replaced them was a long and narrow corridor with a bright

"Should we go back?"

"Back? …to where?"

"Where else?"

ushered

"Home."

***

a distant

hand in hand through the lush green fields, taking in the

breeze, and wildflowers dotted the landscape with

Tak! Tak! Tak!

their crops with care, planting new seeds and harvesting ripe

the plants, coaxing them to grow and thrive, while the other was solid and sturdy,

enjoying each other's company in the peaceful surroundings. The warmth of the sun on their skin and the fresh scent of the earth invigorated their spirits, reminding