Waking Up

When Ren awoke, he was shocked to discover he'd been sleeping for several hours. His eyes opened groggily and he took a moment to figure out where he was. It felt like he was back in his past, a worry-free kid who was always quick to smile, before he'd faced real challenges or been wounded by life.

Rubbing his eyes, Ren spotted Kestrel seated in front of him, her chin resting on her hand as she gazed out the window. She glanced his way, then turned back to the video playing on the opticomputer on her wrist.

"Something isn't right," Kestrel murmured, her eyes not leaving the screen.

"Huh… what's the matter?" Ren mumbled, still feeling somewhat disoriented. That was when he started remembering. He'd gone through a psychic grooming process and had fallen asleep before it had finished.

He recalled Kestrel's reassuring words, "Don't worry, I'll keep you safe." Comforted by this, he'd been able to completely relax and fell into a deep sleep beside her.