And then... he opened his eyes.
The world around him was translucent, pale white as far as the horizon stretched. A faint mist curled beneath his feet, giving the illusion he was walking on air. There was no sun, no sky, no ground. Just... white. A blank canvas of nothing.
Ren blinked, his voice echoing strangely in the vastness.
Ren:
"...Oh. Well, the last thing I remember was that I died. So... is this heaven or something?" [he looked around, scratching his head] "I mean, based on human interpretation this place checks out. White void? Peaceful mist? Yeah, pretty on the nose."
He spun once in place, throwing his arms wide.
Ren:
"...The only thing missing are angels or gods to give the big welcome speech. But no, it's just—" [he waved at the nothingness] "...empty."
And then, out of the corner of his eye, something wasn't empty.
He squinted. There, just a few feet away, sat an old man on a rickety stool, hunched over a steaming bowl of noodles. His long, scraggly beard nearly touched the broth as he slurped. Except—he was frozen mid-bite, chopsticks suspended halfway, eyes wide in shock at Ren's sudden appearance.
Ren blinked back at him. The silence was so awkward he could hear the noodle broth bubbling.
Ren:
"...Uh."
Old Man:
"...Uh."
And then they both flinched at the same time.
Ren:
"AH! Ugly-old monkey!"
The old man slammed his bowl down, jumped to his feet, and with surprising speed whacked Ren square on the head with his walking stick.
Old Man:
"Disrespectful brat! Who are you calling monkey!?"
Ren clutched his head, staggering back.
Ren:
"Ow! What the hell, old man!? That's assault on the deceased!"
Old Man:
"And you think just because you're dead you can mouth off to your elders!? Hah!" [he brandished the stick menacingly] "I ought to knock some sense into you!"
Ren raised his hands defensively, stepping back into the mist.
Ren:
"Oi oi oi! Calm down, Gandalf Discount Edition!"
Another bonk.
Ren:
"GAH—! Stop hitting me!"
The old man squinted at him, beard bristling, his noodle bowl forgotten.
Old Man:
"Hmph. So... who are you exactly?"
Ren rubbed the sore spot on his head, glaring.
Ren:
"Who am I? I should be the one asking you that! I just woke up in this cheap, overexposed dreamscape, and the first thing I see is some wrinkly old man inhaling noodles like a goblin. I thought heaven would have better customer service."
Old Man:
"Cheeky brat." [he tapped his stick on the ground] "Answer the question."
Ren:
"...Ren." [he crossed his arms] "Just Ren I guess. Who the hell are you supposed to be, huh? The God of Instant Ramen? Saint Cup Noodle?"
The old man's eyebrow twitched. He raised the stick again.
Ren:
"Oi oi oi—put that thing down! I'll answer properly!"
Old Man:
"Tch." [he lowers the stick, studying him with sharp, surprisingly clear eyes] "Ren, huh... Sounds familiar I guess."
Ren frowned.
Ren:
"...What's with that reaction? Do you know me?"
Old Man:
"Should I?" [he tilted his head, frowning as though scrutinizing some strange animal] "No... no, I've never seen you before. How peculiar. I didn't think anyone else could wander into this place."
Ren:
"This place...?" [his eyes narrowed] "Where even is this place?"
The old man scratched his chin with his chopsticks, looking mildly bothered.
Old Man:
"They call it... the In-Between. Or at least, that's what I've called it all this time." [he shrugged] "Don't ask me why you're here, though. I don't know."
Ren:
"The... In-Between? Sounds like some halfway stop for lost souls." [he tapped his chin] "So... I died, and instead of heaven or hell, I ended up here?"
Old Man:
"Maybe. Maybe not." [with a grunt, he sat back down on his rickety stool and picked up his bowl again] "I've been here a long time, and you're the first fool I've seen stumble in besides myself. Don't expect answers from me. I'm as clueless as you."
Ren stared, mouth slightly open, pointing at him.
Ren:
"...You're telling me you've been here all this time, alone, eating noodles, and you have no idea what this place is or why you're here?"
Old Man:
"Correct." [slurps his noodles loudly]
Ren's eye twitched.
Ren:
"...What kind of lazy old man are you!?"
Old Man:
"The kind who prefers hot broth over pointless questions." [he slurped again, ignoring him]
Ren groaned, rubbing his temples, the vast emptiness of the In-Between suddenly feeling heavier.
Ren:
"...Great. I die, and my afterlife greeter is a noodle-slurping hermit with no answers."
The old man waved him off with his chopsticks.
Old Man:
"Quiet down, boy. If you're really stuck here with me, you'd better learn to eat noodles."
Ren:
"...This is hell, isn't it?"
Ren paced in the mist, his hands digging through his hair as his voice cracked with desperation.
Ren:
"Okay—okay, old man, enough noodles! Tell me how to go back! There has to be a way, right? Some door, some light, a god with a clipboard—anything!"
The old man sighed, laying his chopsticks across the rim of his bowl.
Old Man:
"Boy... if there was a way, I'd have taken it long ago. I can't move forward, can't move back. Just... here. Always here."
Ren froze, staring at him.
Ren:
"...You mean to tell me... you've been stuck here the whole time?"
Old Man:
"Hmph. That's what I said."
Ren's face twisted with frustration. He stomped his foot into the white mist, shouting to no one in particular.
Ren:
"Are you kidding me!? Life just keeps getting worse and worse! First we're just clueless students, right? Then—bam!—we're tossed into some cruel, unforgiving world. No warning, no handbook, no tutorial, NOTHING. Just dumped in the middle of nowhere. You know what we ate for the first four weeks? Fish. Raw, burnt, smoked, boiled—fish! Fish for breakfast, fish for dinner! I swear, I smelled like a tuna market for months!"
The old man raised a brow but stayed quiet, slurping softly.
Ren pointed at him, ranting harder.
Ren:
"And before we even got used to surviving, what happens? We get tangled up in some crazy shadow organization that wants to 'cleanse the world.' And apparently, oh, whoops, guess what—we're supposed to be the heroes to save it! Yeah, sure, just hand the fate of the world to a bunch of half-starved teenagers who can barely sharpen their own weapons!"
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
He was pacing now, hands flailing with every word.
Ren:
"We almost died more times than I can count. Kristie literally died once—died!—and came back like it was just another Tuesday! And then, after all that, after we actually do some good, society stabs us in the back! They call me a monster, put me on trial, spit on everything we've bled for!"
His voice broke, a mix of anger and despair.
Ren:
"And now? Now I get my heart ripped out, and I end up here, talking to some noodle-eating grandpa with no answers! I swear, if there's a hell, this is it—"
But then, Ren stopped. Because the old man... wasn't slurping anymore. His hand trembled slightly as he set his bowl down. His eyes narrowed, not in annoyance this time, but in something heavier. Guilt.
Ren:
"...What? What's with that look?"
The old man rubbed his beard, hesitating.
Old Man:
"You said... transferred. You and your friends... you weren't born in Varnak, were you?"
Ren tilted his head, cautious now.
Ren:
"...Yeah. We came from another world. Earth. Why?"
The old man's lips pressed tight. His gaze dropped to the mist, like he couldn't bear to meet Ren's eyes.
Old Man:
"And... how many of you were there?"
Ren frowned, starting to count on his fingers.
Ren:
"Uh... me, Iver, Josh, Rica, Marian, Rej, Elly, Lily, Jonax, Cedy, Kristie... that makes eleven. Eleven of us in total."
The old man's throat bobbed as he swallowed hard. The sound of it echoed strangely in the empty white space.
Ren narrowed his eyes.
Ren:
"...Why do you look like you just swallowed a knife? You know something, don't you?"
The old man didn't answer immediately, but Ren pressed closer, his voice low, demanding.
Ren:
"Okay. Spit it out. Did you have something to do with this?"
The mist around them seemed to thicken, as if holding its breath. Finally, the old man exhaled through his nose, closing his eyes.
Old Man:
"...I may or may not have dabbled with something divine."
Ren blinked, his jaw dropping.
Ren:
"...What the hell does that even mean!?"
Ren had the old man in a chokehold, his knuckles white with the effort.
Ren:
"Spit it out, old man! What the hell did you do!? Why are we even here!?"
The old man flailed his arms, smacking Ren with his chopsticks.
Old Man:
"Gah—! Boy, unhand me this instant! Where's your respect for elders?!"
Ren snarled, tightening the hold.
Ren:
"I'll respect you once you give me answers!"
They tumbled into the mist like a pair of children wrestling in the dirt, the old man whacking him on the head with his stick, Ren stubbornly holding on. After a few more grunts, coughs, and a particularly nasty headlock, the old man wheezed.
Old Man:
"F-Fine, fine! I'll talk! Just let me breathe, you accursed brat!"
Ren let him go, glaring as the old man dusted himself off with what dignity he could muster. He coughed into his sleeve, adjusted his robe, then sighed heavily.
Old Man:
"...It all started when I was lazing about, like any other day here in the Between. Empty skies, empty ground, nothing but mist and boredom. Then—out of nowhere—something fell from the heavens. A trinket, glowing faintly. It looked like a mirror... except, when I looked into it, I couldn't see myself."
Ren crossed his arms.
Ren:
"...Go on."
Old Man:
"At first, I thought it was just junk. But when I traced my fingers along its edges, something clicked. It lit up. And then... faces began appearing. Dozens, hundreds, thousands of faces. Random people. Their names, ages, places of origin—like I was peering into another world entirely."
The old man gestured, his hands trembling slightly.
Old Man:
"Boy, I cannot overstate how dull eternity is in this place. That mirror... became my only entertainment. I would swipe through faces endlessly, muttering their names, reading their fates. Sometimes, the words were strange to me. Words like... furry, queer, bisexual, pedophile, gooner— what do those words mea-"
Ren's face immediately twisted.
Ren:
"Stop. Stop right there. Don't even ask me. I'm not explaining that."
Old Man:
"But I—"
Ren:
"Nope. Not happening. Refuse to elaborate."
The old man grumbled, stroking his beard with annoyance.
Old Man:
"Hmph. Fine. In any case, as I toyed with it, I discovered something. A button. 'Transfer.' At first, I ignored it. But curiosity gnaws at the soul, boy. So one day, I pressed it."
Ren's stomach dropped.
Ren:
"...You didn't."
The old man avoided his eyes.
Old Man:
"There was a row of eleven faces, all lined up consecutively. I thought... well, why not? Nothing ever happens here. So I pressed it. One by one. All eleven of them."
Ren staggered back, his voice cracking.
Ren:
"You're saying—you're saying we were dragged into Varnak because you were bored!?"
The old man raised his hands defensively.
Old Man:
"Boredom can be crueler than any blade! Do you know how long I've wandered in nothingness? How the silence rots the mind? That mirror was all I had!"
Ren's fists clenched.
Ren:
"You ruined our lives for fun!?"
The old man flinched at his words but pressed on.
Old Man:
"There was... more. That mirror had odd symbols. Stars. Stickers, perhaps. I... may have put two of them on two faces. Random whimsy, no meaning. One was you, oh yeah that's why your name was familiar. The other was... some girl, named Elly."
Ren's eyes widened.
Ren:
"...You marked us."
Old Man:
"Nothing intentional! Just idle hands, idle mind. I could have added more, but before I could..."
The old man trailed off, his voice lowering.
Old Man:
"...She came. A Goddess. Descended right here in the Between. Radiant, furious. She demanded her mirror back. Said it had fallen here during a quarrel with her husband. When she saw me with it, I thought I was done for."
He sighed, shoulders slumping.
Old Man:
"But she didn't smite me. She simply took it... and left."
Silence fell between them, the mist pressing in heavier than before.
Ren's voice shook, a mixture of rage and disbelief.
Ren:
"So all of this—our suffering, our battles, our deaths... it all started because you were bored, and because a Goddess dropped her toy?"
The old man couldn't meet his eyes. He only looked down at his empty bowl, hands trembling.
Old Man:
"...Perhaps."
Ren's blood boiled, his fists trembling.
Ren:
"You—! You think you can just shrug it off like that!?"
He lunged.
The old man let out a strangled yelp and bolted, his robes flapping as he darted across the endless mist.
Old Man:
"W-Wait, boy! Have mercy!"
Ren:
"Get back here, you damn geezer!"
For an old man, he was surprisingly quick—his sandals barely scraping the pale ground, his beard bouncing as he pumped his arms. But Ren's rage gave him wings. Every stride was fueled by fury, every breath a snarl. They tore across the Between, their silhouettes weaving through the emptiness, far from the forgotten noodle bowl.
Ren finally dove, slamming the old man down and pinning him to the ground. His fist cocked back, ready to smash into that wrinkled face.
Old Man:
"I-I'll make it up to you! I swear! I can bring you back to your friends!"
Ren froze mid-punch, sweat dripping down his cheek.
Ren:
"...Don't play with me. You said it yourself—you know nothing about going back. Stop lying."
The old man's eyes darted nervously. His voice cracked, but he tried to steady it.
Old Man:
"I-It's true, I don't know the way myself! But listen—just listen, boy!"
Ren's knuckles ground tighter against his collarbone.
Ren:
"You've got ten seconds."
The old man raised trembling hands in surrender.
Old Man:
"You're here because you died, aren't you? That's what the Between is—it's where lost souls wander. Souls caught between being truly gone and being sent back. That's why you're here."
Ren's jaw clenched.
Ren:
"...So what? You're saying this is just some waiting room for the dead?"
Old Man:
"Not just waiting. Testing. A soul can return—but only under two conditions."
The mist around them seemed to stir as he spoke, his voice low, deliberate.
Old Man:
"First, you must possess an unshakable desire to return. Stronger than fear, stronger than despair. A flame so bright it defies the void."
Ren's fist loosened slightly, though his glare remained sharp.
Old Man:
"And second... you must attain the highest need of living beings. Self-actualization. To realize your true self. Only then can the mortal realm accept you again."
Ren's breathing slowed. His rage tangled with doubt, with suspicion.
Ren:
"...And you're saying you can help me with that?"
Old Man:
"Yes. With my guidance, you can reach it. The Between is nothing but emptiness without purpose... but with me, you'll have direction. I can teach you. Shape you. Lead you to that point where your soul burns bright enough to break the veil."
Silence stretched. Ren's fist hovered inches from his face, trembling—not with anger, but with hesitation.
Ren:
"...Or I could kill you here and now for wasting my time."
The old man gulped, sweat dripping down his wrinkled cheek.
Old Man:
"Or you could try. But then... what else will you do? Sit here in the nothingness? Forever?"
The words cut deeper than Ren wanted to admit. His grip loosened, and slowly, he pulled back, standing to his feet.
Ren:
"...Damn it. I hate this. But you're right. Doing nothing would drive me insane."
The old man exhaled shakily, sitting up with a half-smile, half-grimace.
Old Man:
"Good choice, boy. You won't regret it."
Ren narrowed his eyes.
Ren:
"We'll see."
The mist around them pulsed faintly, as though the Between itself had acknowledged the pact.
Ren's thoughts suddenly struck him like lightning.
Ren:
"Wait—hold on. What about my body in the mortal realm? Won't it just... rot away while I'm stuck here trying to 'self-actualize' or whatever?"
The old man scratched his beard, his expression grimly casual.
Old Man:
"Absolutely. Your flesh will decay, your bones will yellow, and if you're unlucky, you might just return as a skeleton. Imagine that, boy—rattling around, no lips to speak, no tongue to eat noodles."
Ren's eyes bulged in panic.
Ren:
"WHAT?! No, no, no! I didn't sign up for this! I'm not coming back as a discount Halloween decoration!"
He started pacing in circles, pulling at his hair. The idea of clawing back to life only to be a bag of bones horrified him. The old man lifted a hand, gesturing with a knowing smirk.
Old Man:
"Calm yourself. Let me show you something I've managed to do in this place of nothingness."
He waved his hand, and the mist rippled like water. A window of light shimmered before them, revealing the mortal realm.
Old Man:
"You don't have to worry, boy. Someone loyal to you has already taken steps to prevent such an outcome."
Ren leaned forward, eyes wide. His breath caught in his throat.
Ren:
"...What do you mean—loyal?"
The vision sharpened. There, staggering beneath the weight of a lifeless body, was Vultherin. The fox bond dragged Ren's corpse across the cobblestones, blood leaving a grotesque trail in his wake. Guards tried to intercept, but Vultherin leapt over them in a surreal blur, Ren's body dangling like a ragdoll.
Ren's face drained of color.
Ren:
"Oi. OI. HEY! What the hell are they doing with my body?! Don't drag it like a sack of rice, you dumb fox! My corpse—noooooo!"
The old man chuckled, stroking his beard with amusement.
Ren's horror only deepened as the window showed more: Stray Dawn chasing frantically after Vultherin, Seri riding Josh's back like a horse, Rica swooping overhead on the Aether Dragon, shouting directions. The chaos looked absurd, almost comical—except for Ren, who was screaming at the top of his lungs.
Ren:
"STOP HIM! Someone stop him! Oh gods, my dignity—!"
The image shifted again. Vultherin finally stopped, placing Ren's limp body into a coffin of pure ice, its frost sealing the wound, preserving him in perfect stillness.
The old man nodded approvingly.
Old Man:
"There. Until you find your way back, your vessel will not decay. You see? You are cared for more than you realize."
Ren slumped to his knees, both relieved and mortified.
Ren:
"...I swear, when I get back, I'm gonna suffocate that fox with every food that I can feed him with."
not expect to drop that much lore via a noodle-slurping old man.
Turns out Ren didn’t just die and wake up in a cool white void for character development points — the guy sitting there eating ramen is basically ground zero for why BondForged even exists.
Boredom really is the most dangerous force in the universe.
Absolutely went feral the moment he found out his entire life got derailed because some ancient hermit pressed “Transfer” like it was a mobile game button.
Honestly? Valid reaction.
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desire and self-actualization.
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Is Ren’s desire to return strong enough — or is it fueled by guilt and fear instead of will?
And most dangerous of all…
Does Ren even know who he truly is anymore?
Rein Silvers ??