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?'

the world

and Kevin staring at Ren's memories, he was shocked to realize that all the memories were basically the same; Ren

weather, the

being replayed in front of him,

Kevin thought until the scene changed again,

'The pain…'

his chest whenever Ren

emotions are

changing, he focused all his attention on what he was feeling

no longer kneeling like

would snow, sometimes it would be

changes in scenery, Kevin realized that the agonizing pain he was feeling had completely vanished, replaced by an

he felt

even a shred

many times has the weather

changed. He had been so absorbed trying to imprint what Ren was feeling inside of

if there was one thing he was certain about, it was that

watched as Ren attended his own family funeral over and over

'He's finally moving.'

used to stare at the gravestones of his

'…Eh?

faced with a scene that was

voice and seeing

is wrong with you? Do you

in his

'Is that me?'

thing that was different about him was that

It was himself.

how is that

was seeing. He never recalled attending a funeral in which Ren's family died...so why was he

dumbly staring there without any sign of emotion on your face. I get that you are probably shocked by what happened, but it doesn't even look like you care

the top of his

'What's going on?'

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

he reacting

"Speak damn it!"

Kevin felt his body shake as his other self shook his

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!"

down his cheeks

Kevin. He was now starting to doubt whether this was really him as he simply couldn't

not feel

go of Ren's clothes, Kevin pushed him backward. Stumbling a couple of steps back, Kevin watched as his other self dropped

they really mean nothing

glimpse of what was behind him...and it was then that he saw what appeared to

The numbers were countless…

'N-o way…'

on the tombstones, Kevin felt

Roshfield] [Amanda Stern] [Jin Horton]

'Wh..hat is happening?'

Kevin to the core as he didn't know how to react.

didn't have much time to dwell on this as Kevin felt Ren's body patting himself on his clothes to wipe off

directed his gaze toward

slowly knelt

"Kevin."

His voice sounded rather