Chapter 21: Past and Nightmares
Arren seemed to be submerged in a very long dream, but also in an instant. The dream confused him while also being very vivid. His first life flashed before him, and he was linked to his second.
As the experiences of the two lives became entwined, Arren himself became perplexed as to which was the true one and which wasn't. Both illusion and reality appeared in his dreams, confusing him more than he could handle.
Despite the perplexing and complex dreams, Arren was still enlightened to the fact that both lives were his and real at the same time, it was just that the previous life had ended and he was now on his second life.
Arren was both the observer and the participant in the dream.
Arren remembered that this was not his first time having such a dream; it had happened to him before. It was ten years ago when he remembered his first life. The feeling of having a vivid dream that was both himself being an observer and yet also relieving the dream was such an unforgettable experience that it left the biggest impression on him.
He saw himself in the hospital bed, his former parents crying by his side. There were also some relatives and a doctor in the room, but they did not bother the two. He shouldn't have remembered it because he was already dead.
It was strange seeing his own previous body lying motionless in the bed, obviously dead. He didn't know what to feel, but seeing his previous parents in pain and crying over his death brought back the pain in his heart.
He knew how much his parents loved him and how much they sacrificed for him in order to prolong his life despite all complications. Arren would not have been able to complete seventeen years of his life if his parents had not supported him. It was already regarded as a miracle.
He couldn't do anything about it; his first life was just that short. Arren could only hope that his parents would not blame themselves and would be able to let go of him. He sincerely wishes them happiness.
His dreams would shift from his first life to his second life. Arren discovered in his dreams that he was truly fortunate and blessed because the heavens provided him with loving and kind parents for both of his lives. Even though he only had a father in his second life, he was already content. He never knew or remembered his mother; all he knew was that she died when he was only three years old.
Actually, his father rarely told him stories or mentioned his mother. It was as if his father had already forgotten about her. In reality, however, this was not the case. His father still loved his mother and avoided memories of her. So, over time Arren just get used to it and even he also forgot to ask anything about his mother.
The dream changed again, becoming increasingly hazy; Arren recognized the scene as a very distant memory of his. Perhaps it was now a buried memory in his subconscious.