Life didn't get easier, even in another world.

Wasn’t that just too much? Didn’t they go too far this time?

But now that they thought about all of their actions in the last few months, that was the only thing that made sense. All the things they’ve done, all the people they’ve killed, all the places they’ve destroyed. Everything seemed to be done in a way that would eventually, lead to the current situation. To a war between two nations.

But why? Why go to such length only to disturb them?

What were they after, what did they want to do that they didn’t want anyone to interrupt them?

Who knew?

After all, this little team of agents couldn’t even get close to knowing the ‘p’ of their ‘plans’.

That was why the whole place was engulfed in a heavy silence even though the whole team had gathered in one place. No one said anything, no one had anything to say.

They all had the same question and were thinking about the same thing.

.....

What does Philomns want to do?

“Sigh.”

The low sound of someone sighing was what broke the silence. The man who sighed, the leader of the team, glanced at someone after he heaved another sigh. The receiver of the gaze also raised his head, looking at the team leader in the eyes. He then shifted his gaze to someone else.

“...”

The team leader nodded his head after making eye contact with the golden-haired man once again.

“All of you except for Alan and Kairen are dismissed.”

He stood up from his seat.

“You two, come to my office.”

The other team members looked at each other’s faces with somewhat confused and at the same time suspicious gazes, but they still obey the orders and leave the large table to go do their own jobs, though all of them doubted they could focus on it.

Click

As soon as the three of them entered and the door closed behind them, the team leader opened his mouth.

“You know something, don’t you?”

He was talking to Alan.

“...”

Alan just closed his eyes in silence.

“You told me before, that things would get worse, that the situation would only worsen.”

The team leader turned to face Alan who was standing still in front of the door. He placed his hands on the edges of his desk and slightly leaned on it, staring at Alan and waiting for an answer.

“I told you once that you have to stop searching for that religion in the library as you won’t find anything much about it.”

Instead of answering the team leade, Alan started to talk to Kairen. Kairen didn’t answer him, he didn’t even look Alan in the eyes. Kairen just lowered his head with a face that didn’t contain many emotions.

“It’s because most of the information about that religion was removed. All of the books were burnt and all of their followers were silenced.”

Alan shifted his gaze between Kairen and the team leader.

“It was done so that the religion would be gone forever. So that it wouldn’t gain any more believers. So that it would be forgotten forever.”

The man paused before a soft chuckle left his lips. The chuckle sounded oddly bitter.

“But seems like the attempts were not that successful in the end.”

Alan said those words before closing his mouth and lowering his head, not uttering any words afterward.

“Can’t you talk in a way that it is easier for us to understand for once, sir?”

The annoyed remark of the young man standing beside him made Alan raise his head again. Once he did, he locked eyes with Kairen, who was glaring at him while visibly suppressing his anger.

“You are still mad at me?”

“Don’t change the subject.”

“This is the subject.”

Alan shook his head.

“We can’t solve anything while someone is glaring at me like that, standing there as if he would jump at me and strangle me until I die.”

“I won’t do that.”

“That doesn’t make my discomfort any less.”

“Explain what you know about the religion and those temples already.”

“Not as long as I make sure that everyone trusts me.”

“Hah!”

Kairen scoffed at Alan’s words.

“....”

Standing only a few steps away from the two of them, team leader Dains watched the two bicker and fight. He could somehow guess what their problem was, but he decided not to interfere.

“I’ve told you so many times already, I can’t do anything to the things and people affected by the power of those... artifacts.”

Alan peeked at the team leader before saying that last word, probably because the man still knew nothing about the artifacts.

“Yeah yeah, you can’t do anything! That’s all you can say!”

“This ba- Do you think I didn’t save that man on purpose?”

Alan tried so hard to stop himself from cursing. He could understand how the young man was feeling, so he didn’t want to add fuel to the fire by cursing him now.

“I don’t want to talk about that topic anymore. Stop wasting time and explain what you were talking about.”

“No, we’ve got to solve things before anything else.”

“....”

Kairen took a deep breath.

“I’m leaving.”

And walked past Alan, towards the door.

Why was he so pissed? He both knew and didn’t know the reason.

It was Alan. The only one strong enough to turn back time was Alan. The person who could change the past was Alan.

If so, why didn’t he try to save Kain?

Why didn’t he turn back time to the point that he could stop Kain from doing such a stupid thing?

He could’ve just told Kairen about the things that would happen in a few minutes, and Kairen could manage the rest. He didn’t need to do much, he just had to turn back that fucking time.

Maybe he was asking for much. Maybe him wishing such a thing was inappropriate. After all, he was the coward who hid behind Kain’s back the whole time and even got saved in exchange for his soul. It was him who was too weak and useless all the time.

Still, knowing the fact that he was weak and useless didn’t mean he could understand Alan.

The man had said it before, he had said it in his first mission. When he was chasing The Fifth, he said he turned back the time every time he got caught by him and then changed things. He said when the members of unit 5 dragged him out of his house, he changed the future a few times to avoid getting caught.

If so, why didn’t he do the same this time again? Why didn’t he turn back the time for Kain?

Kairen was being an ass, he knew it too well. He didn’t want to act like this, but he couldn’t. Maybe he just needed to think that he wasn’t alone. That he wasn’t the only one who didn’t, who couldn’t do anything. He just needed to think that he wasn’t the useless one. That there was anyone beside him who didn’t manage to do anything.

“Wait up, brat!”

Alan moved in front of the door, stopping Kairen from opening it.

“I know what you are thinking, and I must say that was even more impossible!”

“...”

Kairen stopped right in front of Alan.

“Did you expect me to turn back the time to save him?”

“....”

Kairen didn’t answer. As if expecting such a thing, Alan sighed again.

“My power might seem like a cheat. I can literally do anything about it. Turning back time is something most people would want and envy me for having such power. Am I not right?”

“....”

Kairen didn’t answer again.

.....

“I’ve seen so many people who asked me to turn back time so that they could save someone. I’ve been treated by a lot of people the same way you treat me now, Kairen.”

Alan sighed once again, lowering his head.

“And honestly, I’ve tried it so many times. To turn back the time and save someone that I... To save her...”

His voice trailed off.

“It’s impossible.”

Kairen was just watching him in silence.

“No matter how many times you turn back the time, it’s just impossible.”

Raising his head once again, Alan looked Kairen in the eyes.

“The dead can’t be saved. No matter what you do, they can’t be brought back to life. Even if you turn back time, they will die again. Not in the way that they died originally, but in other ways. The more you try and the more you turn back the time, the more you will see that person’s death.”

“...”

The man was saying those words with a face and tone that made it seem as if he had experienced what he said personally, countless times. As if he had tried and tried the said thing countless times already. His face, shadowed with an unknown feeling, made Kairen wonder what he must’ve gone through before they had met.

“That might be true but.”

Kairen frowned his brows.

“Kain is not dead.”