Chapter 20

-Rein’s house-

Kierra finally put Rein down. He looked ready to bolt again, but Leo grabbed him by the arm and dragged him into the house.

“Can you all just stop?” Rein snapped.

“Come on, quit running off. You looked like a pathetic loser just now,” Leo said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Rein’s eyes widened, and he stopped struggling. Leo smirked and let go of his hand.

“…What do you want now?” Rein asked, sounding tired and guarded.

“Your Highness, as always—we need your help,” Leo replied smoothly.

Rein narrowed his eyes. It was the same line they used before forcing him to relive the memories he desperately wanted to forget.

“Please?” Leo added, giving Remon a subtle nudge.

“…P-Please?” Remon echoed, awkwardly playing along.

Just as Rein opened his mouth to refuse, a voice echoed in his head—low and cold.

“You’d better listen to those void travelers… unless you want your pretty little kingdom and everything in it erased by me.”

The Voidkeeper again.

Rein exhaled sharply. “…Fine. Only this time,” he said, his voice cutting like glass.

“Thank you. We’re honored to be helped by you,” Leo said, bowing his head slightly. Remon followed his lead.

Rein waved a hand dismissively, like saying, yeah, yeah, whatever.

“Alright. Wait here,” Leo said before turning to whisper something to Kierra and Remon. They nodded and dashed out the door.

Rein watched them leave with a blank expression but didn’t ask anything.

Leo turned back toward him with a warm smile. “Okay! So… I don’t think we’ve properly introduced ourselves, have we?”

Rein squinted at him, unimpressed.

“I don’t care. Why would I—”

“I’m Leo. The one furry buddy, who has four ears is Kierra, and the quiet one is Remon. Hope we can work together.”

Rein crossed his arms, staring silently at him. Leo chuckled awkwardly at the lack of response.

“Well… let’s wait for them to come back, shall we?” he said.

Then, suddenly, Leo’s gaze turned sharp. “And don’t even think about running again.”

Rein flinched slightly at the shift in tone but kept his expression neutral.

The silence that followed stretched endlessly as they waited. Finally, Kierra and Remon returned, carrying a bag stuffed full of laptops.

“Here you go!” Kierra beamed, showing off the haul.

“Great work, guys!” Leo clapped his hands in praise. “Alright! let’s begin.”

He turned to Rein. “Oh, and you—just sit still over there, alright?”

Rein didn’t say anything. He just rolled his eyes.

Kierra got to work, setting up and touching each laptop. As they waited, Leo made casual conversation.

“Whoa, where’d you even get all these?”

“There was an electronics store nearby, so I thought, why not just take everything?”

Rein's head snapped toward them, stepping forward. “What? What about the shopkeeper?”

“They were kinda weird,” Kierra said casually. “Dead-eyed. Empty-looking. Didn’t care at all.”

“Dead-eyed?” Rein echoed, clearly disturbed.

“Yeah. I mean, aren’t you the one who made them like that? You never noticed how off they are?”

Silence fell.

Rein stood still for a moment, then his expression twisted with anger.

“You know what? Forget this. I’m leaving.”

Remon and Leo exchanged a look and rushed to stop him.

“Wait, wait—no, sorry!” Leo grabbed Rein’s shoulder. “Kierra doesn’t always think before speaking.”

“Please don’t leave yet…” Remon added, trying to calm him down.

“I’m being too kind to you all. My time is important. You should be grateful I even agreed to this.”

“Y-Yes! We’re sorry! Please, come back,” Leo pleaded.

Rein turned back to face Kierra. Remon nudged her and whispered, “Apologize.”

Kierra frowned. “It’s not even my fault.”

Leo shot her a warning look. “Just apologize. Now.”

Kierra sighed and muttered under her breath.

“Louder,” Leo ordered.

Kierra groaned, then said, clearly this time, “I’m sorry.”

Rein narrowed his eyes. “For what?”

“…For mocking your people,” Kierra said while still tapping at the laptops.

Rein smirked, satisfied.

Right after, one of the laptops flickered—then transformed into a glowing memory orb.

Without hesitation, Kierra pushed it against Rein’s body.

A blinding light filled the room—again.

Rein was about to search something online when an ad caught his eye. It was for an app where people from around the world could publish their stories, books, and other writings.

His eyes sparkled with curiosity.

Without hesitation, he downloaded the app and started exploring it. He was instantly hooked—browsing through different genres, reading other writers’ works, and even leaving comments. It felt like discovering a new world.

Eventually, he decided to upload a story he had written back when he was younger. It took a little time, but once it was live, something incredible happened—people started noticing.

“This is so cool! Keep it up!”

“Omg I love this.”

“New chapter when?”

Those comments lit up his face. He smiled, heart fluttering with joy. For the first time in a while, he felt seen—appreciated. Motivated, he began writing more and more.

It was then that he finally realized what he wanted to be.

A few weeks later, his school held an activity where everyone had to share their dream profession.

When it was Rein’s turn, he stood up confidently and said:

“When I grow up, I want to be a book author! And if they ever make a film out of my story… I’d love to be the director too!”

His voice was bright with passion. The whole class clapped. Rein smiled wide, feeling proud of himself—not just for speaking up, but for finally knowing what he truly wanted to become.

The light slowly dimmed, and the world around them shifted back to normal. The memory had ended.

The Void Travelers immediately turned to look at Rein.

He stood still, expression unreadable—but far from impressed.

“That’s all?” he muttered flatly.

The group exchanged uncertain glances, unsure how to respond.

“Yeah… Thanks for your cooperation,” Leo said at last, bowing his head slightly in appreciation.

Rein let out a small breath—half a sigh, half dismissal—then turned around and walked away without another word.