The Author's POV

'…Aren't these the names of Ren's parents?'

Kevin had only met them a handful of times and didn't know them that well. The most vivid memory he had of them was seeing them cry at Ren's funeral.

The image of Ren's sister crying in front of his picture left a big impact on him.

'It's definitely their names, isn't it?'

He couldn't exactly remember them, but as he took note of their last names and the pain that was permeating through Ren's chest, Kevin could tell that they were his parents.

The real question was, why were their names imprinted on the tombstone before him?

'It doesn't make sense.'

Last Kevin recalled, they were still alive and well. He didn't remember hearing anything about Ren's parents ever passing away.

'How is this even possible…?'

Thud—!

Kevin's vision suddenly lowered as he fell to his knees and the scenery around him shifted.

It began with a soft whisper in the air that tickled the ear. A colorless pearl fell to the ground, landing perfectly on one of the blades of grass beneath the magically darkened sky.

Pitter.

The sound was like the glassy clinking of a champagne flute, clear and lifting.

Pitter. Pitter.

Accompanying the first drop was a second, and then a third, and within seconds, a heavy curtain of rain fell to the ground.

Phut. Phut. Phut.

The noise on the surface of Ren's clothes which were slowly getting drenched was like that of ripened nuts made when they hit the ground. It wasn't like the soft, clear, mellow drops that were hitting the grass; it was like baseballs being thrown against a net. Louder and fiercer.

Ren clutched his chest with one hand and grasped the tombstones in front of him with the other, oblivious to the cold caused by drenched clothes.

Pitter. Pitter.

The plummeting rain masked Ren's tears as he kept his head lowered and sobbed.

A fierce and sharp pain was invading Ren's chest as he slowly opened his mouth and muttered

"…N..not again."

In uttering those words, Kevin felt a pain that he had never experienced before, and he was struggling to keep his emotions in check as Ren's emotions slowly began to affect him.

Ren's words were followed by a shift in weather. It was sunny once again.

As the weather changed, Ren's position did not change as he grasped onto the tombstones in front of him. The cold that was previously embracing his body was gone, and his clothes magically dried.

This time, the pain was even worse than before. It was unbearable. To the point that one might go insane from it.

"Why…why…why…"

Kevin murmured through Ren's mouth. Ren's voice reflected his genuine helplessness.

...And it was precisely because he could hear the helplessness in his voice that Kevin wondered.

'Why is the weather changing? ...And why did he say not again?'

wondered to himself, the world around him continued to shift,

to realize that all the memories were basically the same; Ren mourning the loss of

between the scenarios was perhaps the weather, the time,

scenario being replayed in front of

changed again, and something suddenly

'The pain…'

pain that was permeating through his chest whenever Ren looked at the

before...no, rather, my emotions are becoming more

focused all his attention on what he was feeling the entire

no longer kneeling like in

repeatedly in the background; sometimes it would snow, sometimes it would be sunny, and sometimes it would be

Kevin realized that the agonizing pain he was feeling had completely

he felt was

even a

times has the weather

realized that he had lost count of how many times the scenery had changed. He had been so

that, if there was one thing he was certain

times, Kevin watched as Ren attended his own family funeral over and

'He's finally moving.'

his body that used to stare

'…Eh?

faced with a scene that was even more shocking as

voice and seeing

with you? Do you

heading in his direction,

'Is that me?'

that was different about

It was himself.

how is that

things he was seeing. He never recalled attending a funeral in which Ren's

just dumbly staring there without any sign of emotion on your face. I get that you are probably shocked

the

'What's going on?'

anger and sorrow

he reacting

"Speak damn it!"

collars, Kevin felt his body shake as his other self shook his body

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!"

to flow down his cheeks as he

startled Kevin. He was now starting to doubt whether this was really

not feel anything when everyone has

Kevin pushed him backward. Stumbling a couple of steps back, Kevin watched as his other

mean nothing to

other Kevin dropped to the ground that, Kevin caught a glimpse of what was behind

The numbers were countless…

'N-o way…'

names engraved on the tombstones, Kevin felt his heart

[Amanda Stern]

'Wh..hat is happening?'

the other's tombstones shook Kevin to the core as he didn't know how to react. Just what in the world was going

have much time to dwell on this as Kevin felt Ren's body patting himself on his clothes to wipe off any dirt that lay there.

he directed his gaze toward Kevin

up to him, Ren slowly knelt

"Kevin."

out for him. His voice sounded rather cold;