The Author's POV

"Ah!"

Abruptly opening my eyes, I sat up straight.

"I can control my body again!"

Touching my face and body I couldn't help but be elated. I could now feel my hands, face, and every other part of my body. The senses that I had previously lost had returned to me.

...I no longer felt like a trapped beast.

I could finally move.

"hu?"

Just as I was rejoicing at the fact that I could now control my body, I suddenly noticed my surroundings.

What's going on?

Wasn't I at the park moments before?

Looking around me, I found myself outside of what seemed to be a kindergarten.

Scanning around, I could see children playing tag in the playground of the kindergarten, followed by their parents coming in and out of the premises to pick them up.

Confused I stood up.

I tried to walk around, but three steps in, an invisible wall stopped me from moving any further.

"What?"

Taken aback by the invisible wall, I frowned. Placing my hand on the invisible wall, I exerted a little bit of strength...but it was to no avail as it didn't budge.

Frowning even harder, I placed both hands on the wall and pushed as hard as I could. Still, in the end, no matter how much strength I put in, the wall didn't budge.

Turning around, realizing that I could not move the wall, I tried to go in the opposite direction, but it was also to no avail as three steps in, another wall blocked me.

Taken aback, I tried to move in all directions, but it was futile. Every three steps I took, an invisible wall would stop me from moving.

No matter how hard I tried to push the walls, they wouldn't budge.

...I was trapped inside of an invisible cube

What's happening?

Where was I?

...and what is this place?

Millions of questions emerged in my mind, as I kept trying to find a way out of the cube.

...In the end, after ten minutes of constantly trying, helpless, I could only sit down and stare at the children in the kindergarten playground.

Maybe the key to getting free was outside of the cube...

"...hm?"

As I observed the kindergarten, I couldn't help but focus my attention on a certain area. More specifically a certain young boy who looked to be around five years old.

Disheveled, unkempt brown hair and dull eyes. As he swung on the swing of the garden of the kindergarten, the young boy kept staring in the distance. Seemingly waiting for someone to pick him up.

No matter how long he had to wait.

He waited.

...yet, despite thirty more minutes passing and most of the children leaving, no one picked him up.

As I watched the young boy in the distance, my heart hurt as I couldn't help by wonder...

"Who is he?"

"That's Matthew..."

Abruptly turning my head, a youth with blue eyes and jet-black hair appeared beside me. Staring in the distance, towards the young boy, a complicated expression appeared on his face.

"y-you"

in my direction, he introduced

to meet

"Ah...eh"

but it was to no avail as I couldn't say anything. What was the old Ren doing here? Wasn't he supposed to be dead?

a current state of turmoil as I couldn't find any words

even know who I

at my reaction,

you to introduce yourself. I've been with you

"W-what?"

shoulders, Ren shook

my consciousness watching everything that you were doing whilst I couldn't

so you were within me watching everything I did since taking over

Smiling, Ren nodded.

"Yeah"

was

"But ho-"

"Shhhh!

about to speak, putting his finger on his mouth, he motioned me to be quiet as he pointed towards the kid

now, It's about

"Matthew are you okay?"

nowhere, a young

"Yeah"

brightly and nodding his little head, Matthew kept his

on the shoulder, the black-haired

"Let's play Matthew!"

parents

just play

will get mad if they don't see me

around, pointing at the swings, the black-haired boy

let's just play

"Um!"

children play on the swings, I couldn't help but turn my head towards Ren's

"...is that you?"

with jet black hair and blue eyes playing

"Yea..."

old Ren was playing with, I furrowed

the same guy I

sadness appeared in Ren's eyes as he looked at the young

was my best

before appearing in

was someone like that

"Best friend?"

my face, Ren smiled but didn't

"Yea..."

-Vooom!

moment, as I was still in shock by the revelation, a black sedan

sedan, Matthew happily stood up. Soon the back doors opened and a man and a woman got off

"Mom! Dad!"

-Pa!

them, raising his hand, the dad slapped him in

come running at us like that.

weakly and nodded his head. Despite being hit, he seemed rather happy that

"Here"

Matthew excitedly handed it to his father. It was a drawing he had

grabbed the picture,

-Crrrrr

it and

your entire day

and urging his wife to follow him, they both entered

"Bye..."

paper on the floor

"Bye Ren!"

cut and

-Swooosh!

the world around me changed. Soon

kindergarten turned itself into a classroom filled

Ren about what was going on,

"Wha-t happened Matthew!"

Matthew, Ren's figure