Ci Clank

"I know a nice place."

Closing the door behind me, I followed Ren out of my apartment. After taking a look at our surroundings, we decided to move to a better place to talk. Simply put, my apartment was too filthy to stay in.

Just the stench of alcohol alone was enough to make the both of us want to leave.

As I followed Ren from behind, there were many questions that I wanted to ask him such as what was he doing here? And why was he in my apartment?...but, more than anything else, I finally felt calm.

Ren's presence and existence gave me a sense of calmness.

If he was here, it meant that everything that had happened to me wasn't merely some kind of dream. I wasn't in a coma, and I really did reincarnate back into that world.

'It's real.'

What I went through wasn't the fruition of my imagination.

Knowing this, I was able to recompose himself.

"After parting ways with each other, darkness completely overtook my consciousness. I thought that I was finally gone for good, but before I knew it, I found myself in this world."

Walking around the streets, Ren's voice reached my ears.

"It wasn't even for that long. Probably a day and a half. Just when I thought I would never associate myself with my old life, you suddenly showed up. I honestly, didn't expect to see you so soon."

My brows slowly knit together.

'Probably a day and a half. Didn't expect to see you so soon.'

Indeed, if I wasn't wrong, only two days had passed since I had died in this world. Just like the other Ren said, the time he had been here only amounted to around a day and a half.

"At first I was a bit confused about this world. As in, everything looks a lot less advanced than I previously remembered. There were no air trains, no holographic devices, or anything remotely close to that kind of level of technology..."

Ren's feet came to an abrupt halt.

"There also isn't any mana in this world."

His brows were knit into a tight frown.

Taking another step forward, Ren continued.

"At first I was very scared. Scared about the idea of coming into a world that I had never been in...but thinking about the fact that my family was fine, and that they were in your hands, I felt somewhat reassured."

Stopping in front of a cafe shop, Ren entered the place. I followed behind him. He then proceeded to order a coffee, and I did the same.

I was familiar with the place we were in. I remembered coming here a couple of times back in the past. It wasn't bad.

"As I was saying, just when I had come to terms with this world you suddenly appeared out of nowhere."

Raising and lowering his head, Ren's eyes passed on me before he squinted.

After a while, seemingly having made up his mind, he suddenly asked.

"Is that how you looked before coming to my world?"

My mouth twitched at his question. Eventually, I nodded.

"...Yeah."

"I see."

Ren took a sip of his coffee before his brows suddenly furrowed.

"Strange..." He softly muttered.

Hearing his words, my head tilted.

"What's so strange about me looking like this?"

Yes, I was fat. Very fat if I had to put it bluntly, but was it really so strange? Well, perhaps it was since he would've never have thought that the guy who took over his body was someone like me.

"Oh!"

Ren covered his hand with his mouth before waving them.

"Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that the fact that you are fat is strange. I'm just more concerned about other things."

The frown on my face deepened.

"What are you talking about?"

Ren put his cup down. His face turned solemn.

"...I don't know...it's just that I find this place weird."

"Weird?"

Looking around the place, I found nothing strange. Everything was just as I remembered in my memories. The view, the smell, the people, and the atmosphere. There was nothing strange about what I was seeing.

What was so strange about this place?

It was then that a thought suddenly struck me and a look of understanding flashed across my face.

'Ah, right. He could be referring to the fact that he was not used to modern technology.'

A faint hung on my lips as I tried to reassure Ren, but before I could finish my sentence, he promptly cut me off. My face froze as a result.

"I get what you mean, don't worry about it. Everything is the same as ba"

"No, not that."

"...What do you mean?"

Biting the tip of his finger, Ren tapped the table with his other hand. For the next couple of seconds, he didn't say anything. He was just blankly staring at the distance.

"Do you perhaps have your ID on you?"

He suddenly asked. My head tilted back in bafflement.

"My ID? Why are you asking me about my ID?"

Was he perhaps trying to pretend to be me? Indeed, he was a nobody in this world, but that wouldn't really work. We looked completely different.

"Do you have it or not?"

Ren's impatient voice reached my ears.

"...Yeah."

I was a bit taken aback by his impatientness, but I still complied. Reaching out for my pocket I took out my wallet and took out my ID card.

"Here."

I then slid it over to Ren who took it and analyzed it. A deep silence enveloped us as Ren carefully analyzed the card in his hand. It wasn't long before he was done looking at it.

"...As I expected."

He put the card back down on the table.

"What did you find?"

I asked out of curiosity.

Ren pointed at my ID. His expression was extremely serious

"Have a look at it yourself."

Tilting my head, I lowered my head and stared at my ID card.

"I don't see anything wrong with i"

My mouth froze. Extending my hand forward I slid the card before me. Lowering my head I took a closer look at my ID card.

"...What's going on?"

Shock clouded my face as I stared at my card. Lifting my head, I looked at Ren.

"Where is my name?"

There was a picture of me, my address, date of birth, and all the stuff that an ID card had, yet, there was no picture of me.

'Wait a minute. Something isn't right.'

I scratched the back of my head.

'What was my name again? ...What?'

Leaning forward I massaged my head. Even after returning, I couldn't remember my real name...and now even my own ID card did not have my own name? ...Something wasn't right.

"...Just what in the world is going on?"

"Ren...can I call you that?"

The other Ren carefully asked.

Staring at him once again, I nodded.

"Yeah..."

I was now used to being called that.

The other Ren nodded before he leaned back on his chair.

"Let me ask you a couple of questions."

"Go ahead."

"Do you remember the faces of your parents?"

"...The faces of my parents?"

I closed my eyes and tried to remember.

Blank.

'...Why can't I remember the faces of my parents?'

My breathing started to become rougher.

"You can't remember?"

Ren's voice reached my ears. With my head still lowered, I shook it.

"...Okay, let me ask you another question. What was the name of the university you wanted to enter?"

My eyes lit up. This answer I knew. Lifting my head I confidently said.

"Unversity A."

"...Unversity A?"

Ren repeated. Lowering his head and eying me from the top of his eyes, he had a questioning look on his face.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

I nodded confidently. This answer I did not forget.

How could I forget my dream university?

"Ren..."

A troubled look appeared on the other Ren's face. My brows furrowed after seeing his face. Was there something wrong with my answer? I didn't think so.

Meeting his eyes, I asked.

"Is there something wrong with my answer?"

Ren scratched the side of his head.

"How should I say this, but, is there really a university called university A?... Does such a name really make sense to you?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty su..." Pursing my lips, my voice slowly became fainter. The previous confidence I had slowly started to dissipate.

Doubt started to creep into my body as my mouth opened and closed multiple times.

'Unversity A, that is indeed the place I wanted to go to..'

Meeting the other Ren's eyes, the anxiety within me only grew.

There was something seriously wrong with the situation.

"Huuuu..."

I had to take a deep breath to calm myself down. Of course, that was of no help as the weird sensation in my chest never disappeared. Raising my right hand, I started to bite on my nails.

Ren who was sitting opposite me remained quiet throughout the whole time. He had a pensive look on his face.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

With his legs crossed, his left arm tapped onto the table. Then, raising his head, he asked.

"...From what you've told me, it looks like there is something really messed up about your memories before entering the novel. As though someone tried to purposely mani"

A thought suddenly struck me as I cut the other Ren off.

"Wait, how do you know that the world you came from is a novel? Also, how come your questions are right on the spot?"

How could he have possibly known about this? Only I know the password of my laptop.

I stood up.

"Is there something that you're not telling me?"

Silence enveloped our area as Ren and I stared at each other. Then, lowering his head and staring at his watch, Ren muttered.

"Looks like we won't have time to continue our chat."

My head leaned back in bewilderment.

"What ar"

SHUUUUA!

Before I could even finish my sentence, a similar bright light to before suddenly enveloped my whole body and I felt my existence completely disappear like that.

***

Staring at Ren's figure slowly getting enveloped in light, the other Ren remained seated on his chair.

He watched as Ren disappeared in front of his eyes.

As he watched, his previous innocent facade slowly started to crumble apart and what replaced it was a cold and indifferent look.

Crack. Crack. Crack.

Cracks started to form around the world before it completely shattered apart like glass.

Crash!

What came after was an unending darkness.

Step. Step. Step.

Standing up, Ren slowly walked amidst the darkness. It wasn't long before his feet came to a pause.

Raising his head, Ren came face to face with a white orb with black threads revolving around it.

At the moment the black threads were trying to entrap the white orb, but despite its many efforts, the black threads were slowly starting to get pushed back.

Staring at the orb with an indifferent look, Ren blinked slowly.

"Looks like this one might also be a failure..."

He silently muttered.

Closing his eyes and extending his hand, he placed the palm of his hand on the white orb.

"...I have to give you credit for being able to escape my influence."

Ren slowly lifted his head.

"But don't think for a moment that this is it."

Suddenly, his face twisted as the black threads around the orb danced wildly, trying their best to entrap the orb. Yet, it was still to no avail.

Realizing that the threads couldn't do anything to the orb, Ren's face returned to its emotionless one.

"All the pieces have been set into motion long ago. Don't think for a second that you have escaped me. I will always be here..."

His cold words spread throughout the empty space.

Then, taking his hand away from the orb, darkness completely enveloped his body. His deep blue eyes shone amidst the darkness.

Before his figure completely disappeared, opening his mouth, he spoke a couple more words.

"Kevin..."

Drifting in the void, his words soon disappeared alongside his body as darkness completely took over the world.

"...Don't think for a second that this is over."