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?'

world around him continued to shift,

at Ren's memories, he was shocked to realize that all the memories were basically the same; Ren mourning the loss of

scenarios was perhaps the weather, the time, and the seasons. Other than

scenario being replayed in front of

thought until the scene changed again, and something

'The pain…'

through his chest whenever

milder than before...no, rather, my emotions are

feeling the entire time, and before he knew it, he was

kneeling like in the

it would snow, sometimes it would be sunny, and sometimes it would

pain he was feeling had completely vanished, replaced by

he felt was

even a

has the

times the scenery had changed. He had been so absorbed trying to imprint what Ren was feeling

one thing he was certain

Ren attended his own family funeral over and

'He's finally moving.'

moved his body that used to stare at the gravestones of his family members while his

'…Eh?

scene that was even more shocking as his mind

voice and seeing

you?

heading in his direction,

'Is that me?'

shocked. The only thing that was different about him was that he looked older than he did at present, but Kevin recognized him

It was himself.

is

the things he was seeing. He never recalled attending a funeral

probably shocked by what happened, but it doesn't even

shouted at the top of his

'What's going on?'

at himself and saw the anger and sorrow on his face, he was once again

was he reacting

"Speak damn it!"

onto Ren's collars, Kevin felt his body shake as his other self shook his body in a fit of

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!"

down his cheeks

whether this was really him

feel anything

backward. Stumbling a couple of steps back, Kevin watched as his other self dropped to the ground. Grasping the grass beneath him, his eyes were filled

mean

that, Kevin caught a glimpse of what was behind him...and it

The numbers were countless…

'N-o way…'

the tombstones, Kevin felt his heart

Stern] [Jin Horton]

'Wh..hat is happening?'

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

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

gaze toward Kevin who was kneeling

Ren slowly knelt to meet him

"Kevin."

for him. His voice sounded