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

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

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

scenario being replayed in

changed again, and something suddenly occurred to

'The pain…'

permeating through his chest whenever Ren looked

my emotions are becoming more and

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

longer kneeling like in

it would snow, sometimes it would be sunny, and

agonizing pain he was feeling had

felt was

even a

times has the weather

count of how many times the scenery had changed. He had been so absorbed trying to imprint what Ren was feeling inside of his mind, that he had long lost count

certain about, it was that the

hundred times, Kevin watched as Ren attended his own family funeral

'He's finally moving.'

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

'…Eh?

scene that was even

voice and seeing

wrong with you? Do

in his direction,

'Is that me?'

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

It was himself.

is that

was seeing. He never recalled attending a funeral in which

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

at the top of

'What's going on?'

himself and saw the anger and sorrow on his

was he reacting this

"Speak damn it!"

as his other self

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!"

down his

whether this was really him as he simply

not feel anything when

as his other self dropped to the ground.

they really mean nothing to

as the other Kevin dropped to the ground that, Kevin caught a glimpse of what was behind him...and it was then that he saw what appeared to be even more

The numbers were countless…

'N-o way…'

the names engraved on the

Stern] [Jin Horton]

'Wh..hat is happening?'

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

Kevin felt Ren's body patting himself on

his clothes, he directed his gaze toward Kevin who

him, Ren slowly knelt

"Kevin."

out for him. His voice sounded rather cold;