Waifus Are Forever

Awaken the Woke

Ren knew something was off. Not just the change in writing format, but the fact that everything around him was so serene. He was standing in the middle of a beautiful, elaborate garden that seemed to stretch on for eternity; a far contrast from where he was before.

"Am... I dead?" he asked aloud as he began to wander across the stone pathway before him. Each step caused the stones to ring out a melodic hum. Ren looked around to see if he was alerting anyone by doing so but was greeted with the sight of birds fluttering by.

It was like that for a while as he treaded carefully. The only signs of life, if you could even call them that, were the plants, the birds, and himself. Ren had to admit that, as confused and distressed as he was, he couldn't help but find comfort in the environment around him. For the first time in forever, he felt a semblance of peace in his life.

He wasn't sure where he was going, nor did he care to. If the stones were meant to lead him somewhere important, there was nothing else he could do but follow. The noises emitted from the stones became louder and louder as a gazebo began to form in Ren's line of sight. And with that, he ran faster.

So fast, in fact, that he almost fell over once he realized who he was running towards.

"Hey, Ren!" a blonde boy called out. "We don't got all day, man! Come over here!"

"R-Ryuji?!" Ren asked in disbelief.

The boy, Ryuji, nodded. He and a group of other people were seemingly waiting for Ren on a large picnic blanket. "In the flesh," a girl with short brunette hair replied. "Well, I guess 'in spirit' would be the more appropriate term."

Ryuji Sakamoto. Morgana. Ann Takamaki. Yusuke Kitagawa. Makoto Niijima. Futaba Sakura. All of his friends that were murdered in cold blood by his best friend were all waiting for him.

"...so I'm dead, then, aren't I?" Ren asked emptily.

"Not quite," said another voice. A slender, ginger-haired man adorned in glowing white robes materialized in front of the group. "You're being revived as we speak."

Ren gasped. "W-What!? Who are you!? Are you God!? I thought I killed you!"

The man chuckled. "My father's failed experiments, actually. I rarely get to visit your world."

Confused, Ren looked to his friends for answers. Futaba, the ever-knowledgable Oracle of the group, could only shrug.

"Sorry, dude," she said regretfully. "We know just about as much as you do."

"To think that there's even more to our universe than I ever expected," Yusuke mused. "I'm sorry we can't truly be there with you to shoulder it."

Ren instantly teared up upon hearing this. "I... missed you all..." he managed to say before breaking down onto the blanket. His friends began crying as well, doing their best to have some form of physical contact with him.

"You've been doing great on your own, though," Ann complimented through her tears. "We'll always w-watch on!"

Suddenly, Ren's body began to jerk. "What the-?" he panicked as he sat himself upwards.

"You're starting to come to," the unknown man explained calmly. "So I don't have much time to say this: I'll find you when I'm able to. And when I do, I'll join you on the other side."

"...huh?"

He smiled sympathetically and placed his hand on Ren's shoulder. "I'll explain everything when I do. I knew you would've have long here, so I figured you deserved this instead."

"You've got this, Ren!" Morgana cheered. "Go back out there and show 'em what you're made of!"

Ren jerked again and looked at the ginger, his world beginning to brighten harshly. "Who are you, though? Really."

"Glass 'Wrys' Joe," he grinned. "I'll see you soon, Ren Amiyama."

"Wait-!" Ren called out before his body began to shake one last time. Suddenly, pure light began to flood his vision as he felt himself being dragged at the speed of light.

Down to Earth.

Down to bed.

Down with a throbbing headache.

START OF ACT 2