I could feel myself sinking in the water-like shadow whilst I looked up at the frozen time. I need to save my friends! I have a chance... Please. My luck, don't fail me now!...

...But as I tried to swim up to the surface, Cassandra stopped me and instead summoned her Mana Crystal and summoned Crocodiles with metallic jaws from below us. Their velocity is continuing upwards and ignoring us.

The Steel-jawed-crocodiles emerged from the shadow and bit the men restraining Leo and Minnie, completely removing their restraint on them and after that had happened, time stopped again. It was a quick five second action before time stopped from above us.

I get it! The perspective of time is stopped wherever I am and if anything gets out to the surface, time will resume for five seconds from pause and continue to be stopped.

Now's my chance, I swam back to the surface but this time, Cassandra didn't stop me. I rose to the surface, breaking the water tension from the shadow. I can see multiple of them surrounding us, about fifteen of them. Minnie and Leo are still processing what was happening and couldn't react.

I immediately summoned my Mana Crystal.

— "Ra Dibilito!"

*Clink*

*Clink*

*Clack!*

The chains came from every direction, restraining most of them in my 15 feet radius. There were still many of them surrounding us but now that Minnie and Leo are standing again, this is going to be easier.

Leo summoned his Mana Crystal whilst Minnie fired off shots after shots at the remaining men that weren't tied by the chains.

— "Ra Fulgudyne!"

*Zap!*

*Zap!*

*Zap!*

A rain of thunderbolts came down from the sky hitting the remaining people...

...They're all covered in that pinkish-red vein around their body and face as if they were being controlled by something.

— "That's enough!"

I looked around and saw the young woman me and Leo encountered before we escaped from being held captive.

Her face is also covered with the pinkish-red vein and her eyes are the same color without any pupils. On her hand is the Tome we saw her hold since the first time we met... Now that I remember it, she's the same girl that bought that Tome from me in Azale!

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— "Lord Mark's will is our desire! Yield now or suffer!"

My eyes darted to the young man supposedly named Mark who was still standing still and wasn't interfering with anything until he was targeted by Steel-Jawed-Crocodiles and then he moved out of the way.... How did he predict that?! In my perspective, the Steel-Jawed-Crocodile appeared out of nowhere like in the blink of an eye.

— "Are you listening?!"

— "Do you want me to shoot her, Owens?"

— "Why do you need to ask him, Min-Min. Just shoot her."

And without asking twice, she shot her multiple times. And as expected, she went down without a fight like the last time we encountered her...

...But without a warning, I suddenly felt hot on my chest like there was fire but when I looked down there was nothing but a blade through my heart and when I looked over my shoulder, it's him.

— "Owens!"

Leo and Minnie said in unison.

I collapsed on the floor, bleeding... My own life is fading before my eyes... The words that were singed into my brain came to me, echoing.

— "I want you to live however you want. And if you ever die, I will bring you back to life..."

And when I opened my eyes I was in a dark room with a black board and a chalk floating above me. What was written on top of the board was...

— "Death."

...But before I could grab the chalk floating in front of me, a whisper echoed through the dark room.

— "Unlike normal mortals, your death doesn't have any consequences because I made this world just for you. And you can get back at your feet again... And again... And again... Remember it well. Throw your life away whenever you want. Just know that this world is always waiting for you, waiting for you to stroke a line each time you're back in this dark room."

And with that hint, I grabbed the chalk with quivering hands and stroked down the number one but the chalk didn't feel right, it felt like nails scratching the chalkboard and dreaded screams right in both of my ears. It didn't help that the chalk was moving as slowly as it could.

— "Aaaaaaaggggghhh!!! Make it stop! Please!!!"

I persevered and wrote down the number and before I knew it I was back alive. I stood up like nothing happened but Leo's and Minnie's reaction was still the same before I "died" It looked like I was dead for a split second before coming back alive.

I could see horror in his eyes before he disappeared in a sudden cloud of smoke surrounding all of us... He was gone right then and there after that.

— "What just happened."

Even Minnie was confused about what happened.

— "I-I don't know. What happened... I felt a pain in my chest and I died and before I knew it, I was back standing and alive."

— "How is that even possible?!"

— "No, Min-Min. I've seen him do this before. I could've sworn he died that time."

— "That doesn't explain anything! At any rate, I need to check upon my mother."

She immediately ran towards the castle without a second thought. She said about being the princess of Aevum back in the inn before this whole thing happened.

— "Wait for us!"

We ran after her quickly as soon as he ran. How can she even run with her attire?

Nevertheless, we arrived at the castle which was heavily guarded since the attack.

— "Halt! No one is allowed to enter without the–"

The guard didn't finish her sentence as he realized that it's Minnie that he's talking to so he opened the gate for us and immediately opened the gates.

— "I'm sorry I didn't recognize you earlier, Princess."

— "Woah, you're a princess, Min-Min?"

Now that I thought about it, the queen did say something about it, I think. I think it went like:

— "You two explain what happened and why my daughter was found in that state."

Anyhow, Minnie went and looked around the castle which is... Which is... So huge that it reminds me of a certain manor in a certain place with a certain maid that hates me for some unknown reason. I just can't put my finger on it.

— "Let's split up"

Minnie declared like she was the ruler of the house–wait, she technically is, I guess. But still!

— "No!–"

Before I could say anything else, Leo nodded and they both dispersed in different directions. They didn't even tell me what I should be looking for!