"Ren…!"

I follow him into the side street, panicked. I don't see Ren anywhere.

He's a quick one.

But why did he go and…

Did I make him angry?

…No, that can't be it. It's possible for some Allmates to adopt human emotions, but this is against his set behavioral pattern.

It's like how Beni has a short-tempered personality in him.

Ren was set to a patient type. Even if his mood did swing a little bit, I've never seen an Allmate become so emotional.

But it was clear that Ren was offended back there.

Maybe it really is the damage he received from that Drive-By in Rhyme?

I turned every corner, my thoughts racing. "…!" The atmosphere is a little different in this alley. I don't know how I could explain it other than a sense of déjà vu.

The area is dim and filled with trash.

It's a lonely place, as if completely forgotten by the guests walking down Main Street. So Platinum Jail has area like this too…

The odd display left me staring, but then a sound came from a heap of trash. "Ren…!?" A puff of blue fur coming out of the dark… No, it's a person. "!" A person in this kind of place…

No way… They aren't dead, are they?

…Maybe a doll? The person's limbs are so thin and white, so I don't know…

"Um… Are you okay?" When I speak out, the person slowly raises their head.

ZZZP

…What?

When our eyes met, it felt like a bolt of electricity surged through my head. What was that all about?

They're looking at me.

…Are they, actually? Their gaze isn't focusing, just staring off into space. It's something… but I can't remember what. I feel like I've seen them somewhere before. Not when I look at their face... but more like their eyes.

It's a strange sensation.

I wonder if we've passed by each other once.

No, that can't be it. I don't think I've ever seen them or met them…

But something…

More like…

SNAP

"-!" A current like thunder ran through me, and I jumped back a step. …What just happened? I dozed out for a second and… And I blurred out when that impulse hit, and…

…Huh?

…They're not here.

That person that was just here is now gone. Did they just disappear? There's no way. I only took my eyes off them for a second. I didn't think anyone could disappear that quickly…

"What just happened…?"

While dumfounded, I hear the sounds of light footsteps… And a bundle of blue appears from inside an alley.

"Ren!" Ren runs up to me with as blank an expression as a dog can get, and sits down near me. "You… Where were you going!?"

"Nowhere… I didn't have anywhere in mind."

"Wha? What the hell? What're you talking about?"

"If I were to say it… I just felt like it."

"Felt like it?" I'm completely relieved that I found Ren, but that feeling soon turns into a complicated one. "What do you mean, you 'felt like it'? You've never felt like that before, but now you do all of a sudden? Are you sure you don't feel weird?"

"I definitely do still have that uncomfortable feelings…but it's not bad enough for you to worry about it." He said.
I shook my head "No, it is enough for me to worry about it. You really are acting weird. Are you aware of what weird things you've been saying?"

"Not in particular."

"Seriously… Shit, I really need to examine you… And I don't have the tools right now, either…"

"Even though you worry that much, it's not anything stopping me from performing basic actions."

"It sure is doing that well enough! …I'm really worried." I hold up Ren in my hands and look into his eyes. "I'm counting on you, so don't go off on your own. I'll definitely fix you. Be obedient so this doesn't get any worse, okay?"

"You really don't need to worry…"

"Ren."

"…I understand. I will be careful, I'm sorry."

"Mhm."

I almost put Ren to my forehead, but I stopped myself. I was too scared that he'd reject me again. I'm so irritated that I don't have the tools that I absolutely need to perform maintenance on Ren. Even though I want to do something right away…

I first put Ren into my bag, and then look back to where that person was sitting before.

That person… Who were they?

"Hey, Ren."

"What?"

"Did you see anyone sitting around here?"

"I don't remember seeing anyone."

"I see."

"Did something happen?"

"Hm, nah. It was probably my imagination."

I try not to think about it too hard. And with Ren like this… I can't afford to think of anything else. I turn back and start walking back towards Glitter.

Once I made it back to Glitter, I threw myself onto a bed in the bedroom and surfed the net on my Coil. I thought I'd look up some information on Toue, but…

I was unable to find anything on the Old Resident District, probably because it was censored. The rest of it was all praise and flowers for Toue and Platinum Jail.

I couldn't send any messages to the Old Resident District or call there either. I close the error message on my Coil screen and let out a big sigh. "So the event tomorrow is my last hope."

I'm worried about everyone in the Old Resident District. I look down a little and see Ren coiled up, sleeping at my feet. Right now it would be difficult to find any immediate solution to Ren's problem. I wish I could go back to the Old Resident District before he gets any worse. All of this thinking causes me to convince myself to rest up for tomorrow, and I close my eyes.

.

.

….

…..?

…What?

What is this…?

I can't move my body.

I can't move my neck, or my fingers, or my feet at all.

…This again.

This dream again.

This dream where I can't move.

I can't move a muscle, my voice won't come out, and then…

And then… there's that.

My right arm shakes violently. To be more exact, the upper part of my right arm.

Below my elbow is nothing.

It was bitten clean off.

It doesn't hurt.

But it's terrifying, the feeling of not having it there. That it'll always be gone, and then… After that…

…This time it's my leg.

What is under my left knee is devoured.

The blackness flickers as a strange, numbing sensation tickles at the wound.

I need to run away.

I need to run away quickly.

I need to run away… quickly.

Quickly…

.

.

The next day.

I wake up just before noon.

The time does say it's before noon, but as usual, Platinum Jail is still in nighttime mode. Staying in a place like this is really going to mess me up.

"…" I sit up on the bed and rub my eyes.

I feel like I just had an awful dream.

I don't remember what it was about, but my head still hurts a little.

I pick up Ren and leave the room, the strange anxiety left over from the dream still lingering with me. I wonder about how the Special Commemoration Event will play out, so I sat on the sofa and turned on the TV.

Just like I thought it would, the luxurious and lively Main Street comes up on the screen. The smiling reporter is explaining the current state of the event. A showy parade goes along Main Street, music blasting, and people are jam-packed onto the sidewalks.

"Wow…"

The same image shows on the screen, and then switches to an announcer in a studio.

"…At 1PM in Japan, Oval Tower's representative, the great Toue, will be giving a greeting to everyone. All of it will be broadcasted on this channel. If you wish to see it in person, please make your way to the plaza in front of the tower."

The announcer finishes and the screen flickers over to Toue's face.

"…Toue." I would never forget his face. I remember what happened when I got caught in that Drive-By while looking for Granny. "…!" A miserable bitterness rises up in my chest.

I won't let this man continue doing whatever he wants.

Today at 1PM.

Toue will be giving a greeting at Oval Tower.

I still have a little time left before then. I should start preparing right away.

I stand, scoop up Ren, and resolve myself.

"Ren, how are you doing? Are you okay?"

"No issues."

"I see. Then we're going to go out to the event I was talking about yesterday, the one Toue's appearing in."

"Roger."

At a glance, nothing seems to be wrong with Ren. But my uneasiness over what happened yesterday hasn't faded. I pay special attention to Ren's condition and go upstairs to get ready.

.

.

I head out of Glitter with Main Street in mind.

It's bizarre how feverish the streets are: the parade with a band, people in costume, dancers waving around while marching along. The dancers would slip into the crowds and dance around, making the crowd even larger. It was even more gaudy than the display I saw on TV.

I slowly made my way to the tower through the throngs of people.

People were overflowing, pushing each other around in the plaza in front of the tower.

"Well, fuck…"

This is going to be a bit harder to get through than I originally thought.