Chapter 321: Chapter 321

The room was cluttered, the typical apartment of a man living alone. Aside from the two chairs they occupied before the fireplace, the yellowish wood floor was littered with scattered manuscripts. A brown wooden bookshelf leaned against the wall near the window, filled with all sorts of novels and story collections. Jenkins even spotted his own book among them.

His overcoat and hat were hung on a rack by the door. Since Pisco had called him by his real name, Jenkins had dropped his disguise. He now wore a deep blue sweater with a black velvet vest over it. Chocolate was curled up on his lap, allowing Jenkins to stroke the fur along its spine.

At first, neither of them spoke, the firelight illuminating one half of each man's face. Flickering shadows crept across their features. Jenkins couldn't shake the feeling that the middle-aged writer opposite him was so pale he looked as if he didn't have long to live.

"I'm sorry we had to meet this way."

Pisco was the first to break the silence. He wore an apologetic expression and began to explain before Jenkins could even ask a question. "The truth is, I was the one behind the time loop you've been experiencing these past few days. I went to the antique shop that day to leave you my address. But rest assured, I will pay the remaining balance."

His constant use of formal address made Jenkins uneasy.

"I know who you are."

As if sensing Jenkins's thoughts, he quickly elaborated. Before Jenkins could ask anything, Pisco stood and retrieved a reddish-copper box from the mantelpiece.

Next to the box was a photo frame containing a black-and-white picture of Pisco himself. The background was the same room, only the fireplace had been boarded up. Compared to the middle-aged man of today, the beaming young man in the old photograph looked much healthier.

He gave Jenkins a solemn nod. The latter still wore an expression of wary confusion.

"He knows who I am? A Pseudo-God? That I possess the Twin Demons? The man in the black robe who collects Cursed Items? Mr. Candle?"

The cat on Jenkins's lap shifted, dislodging his hand. It then slowly stood up, let out a defiant meow at the man, and lay back down.

After waiting a long while for Jenkins's hand to return, it impatiently pawed at his trousers.

The box itself had no spiritual aura, but when Pisco opened it, a dazzling white light erupted, nearly blinding Jenkins. He immediately shielded his eyes, feeling them well up with tears.

Pisco asked at once, handing him a towel. After dabbing his cheeks, Jenkins didn't dare use his Eye of Reality again.

Inside the box was a scroll of paper, meticulously tied with a red silk ribbon. At first glance, it didn't seem special, but the longer he looked at it, the harder it became to breathe.

The sound of his heartbeat grew louder, and all the blood in his body seemed to rush to his head. A faint, seductive whisper tickled his ears, and the flames in the hearth twisted into strange, swirling vortexes.

Everything around him began to distort, the feeling of warping growing stronger the longer he stared. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ Novᴇl_Fire(.)net

Jenkins sucked in a sharp breath and wrenched his head to the side. By the time he let it out in a long exhale, nothing remained of the effect but a slight dizziness and a sharp pain in the back of his head.

"Remarkable! You're completely immune to its effects!"

Seeing that Jenkins was no longer looking at it, Mr. Pisco placed the box on the small wooden table between them. A teapot and two teacups were also on the table, but Jenkins didn't touch his cup.

"Oh, I forgot to introduce it. My apologies."

It was only then that he remembered, and he quickly explained, "This paper is part of C-07-0-0001, the Millstone of Fate. To be precise, it's just a blank page. It's the very thing that allows me to reverse time. Mr. Williams, I know you have many more questions, but I'm very sorry, I can't answer them right now."

Mr. Pisco nodded slightly, his expression grave. "Please listen carefully. On the 31st—today—the beginning of an event that will lead to the destruction of a third of the continent will occur in our city. This is an accurate prophecy, a revelation given to me by this paper. The only way out is for you to resolve it. I've been looping the 31st over and over so that you would investigate what exactly triggers the start of this destruction."

When Jenkins didn't reply, he added, "Listen, this paper, this page from the Millstone of Fate, has been inside my body since the day I was born. Yes, I've been an Enchanter since birth, and with its power, I climbed to level 8 in just forty years, with almost no difficulty at all."

He placed two fingers of his right hand on his forehead. When Jenkins looked again, a point of light had appeared.

"This paper has helped me do many things, like hiding my identity as an Enchanter. Sometimes, I even wonder if I am its master, or if I'm just a soul born from it."

Despite saying this, the middle-aged man's face showed no sign of distress. He grasped the handle of the teapot and poured himself a cup of tea. A wisp of steam rose slowly before vanishing into the air.

He looked at Jenkins, who hesitated and then shook his head. The man then set the pot back down.

What this man named Pisco was saying was too incredible to believe, but one thing was certain: the page was indeed the cause of it all. In the moment of regression, he had faintly seen a book, and this page gave Jenkins the same feeling as that book.

He thought for a moment. The man's words had no logical flaws, but they were still hard to accept.

"So, you're saying you used the power of this paper to reverse time just to give me a chance to save the world? Sir, that's a bit too absurd."

Mr. Pisco's lips curved into a slight smile.

"But it is indeed the truth. For a long time, I've wondered if fate had a special purpose in placing this paper in my hands, making my life so smooth, and allowing me to become a level 8 Enchanter at such an astonishing speed. It wasn't until last year, the night before I wrote that play, that I suddenly understood: My entire existence—coming into this world, living the life I've lived—it was all so I could be here today, sitting with you, saying these very words. Everything is predestined."

He held out his hand, and the scroll in the box rose into the air on its own. With a gentle push, it floated slowly toward Jenkins.

Chocolate pounced at once, but Jenkins held the cat back. He hesitated for a moment before taking the scroll, undoing the slipknot in the ribbon, and unrolling it to reveal its contents.