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,

staring at Ren's memories, he was shocked to realize that all

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

was the same funeral scenario being replayed in front

Kevin thought until the scene changed again,

'The pain…'

that was permeating through his chest whenever Ren looked

my emotions are becoming more and

emotions were changing, he focused all his attention on what he was feeling the entire time, and before he knew it, he was standing five

longer kneeling like in

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

the changes in scenery, Kevin realized that the agonizing pain he

felt was

even a shred

times has the weather

had lost count of how many times the scenery had changed. He had been so absorbed trying

certain about, it was that the scenery

attended

'He's finally moving.'

body that used to stare at the gravestones

'…Eh?

Kevin was faced with a scene that was even more shocking as his mind

voice and seeing a familiar

with you?

heading in his

'Is that me?'

shocked. The only thing that was different about him was that he looked older than he did at

It was himself.

how is that

He never recalled attending a funeral in which Ren's family

just 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 at all about

the top of

'What's going on?'

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

he reacting

"Speak damn it!"

as his other self shook his body in a fit

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!"

began to flow down his cheeks as

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

not feel anything when everyone

as his other self dropped to the ground. Grasping the grass beneath

they really mean

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

The numbers were countless…

'N-o way…'

names engraved on the tombstones, Kevin felt

Roshfield] [Amanda Stern] [Jin

'Wh..hat is happening?'

appearance of the other's tombstones shook Kevin to the core as he didn't know

Ren's body patting himself on his clothes to wipe

directed his gaze toward Kevin who was

up to him, Ren slowly knelt to meet him

"Kevin."

His voice