A few hours later...
Ren's POV:

"..." Everyone else was asleep. I turned over in my bed. 'Now that I've thought about it...' I thought. 'I can't stop thinking about it...' I thought, as flashbacks began to play in my head.

Sometime before the incident...

"..." I sat on the bench in front of the big cherry blossom tree, listening to music. "Ren!" I saw a familiar Floran run to me. "..?" I felt someone sit next to me. I took out my earbuds, and put my phone away. "Hey aria." I smiled. "Good morning!" She smiled. "Whatcha doing?" She asked. "Listening to music, and relaxing." I said. "Floran thinksss that'sss boring..." She said, resting her head on my shoulder. "Well, it can be fun to some people." I said with a sigh. "Well... It ssseems boring to Floran..." She smiled. "Humansss are weird..." She said. "I'm not weird!" I said. "Jussst kidding!" She laughed. "You aren't weird." She said, hugging my arm. "Good." I said. "Love you." She said. "Love you too." I said.

Flashback end.

'That's probably why I caught Aeris and saved her....' I thought. 'My mind made me see Aria instead of Aeris...' I continued. 'Of course I would have saved her anyways...' I thought. 'Maybe that's why I kept checking on Aeris when Recca, Zero and I were talking...' I thought.

The day of the incident...

"I am proud to present... The matter manipulator!--" The ground began to rumble. Then a monster appeared and grabbed the speaker! "Oh shit..." I said, grabbing aria's hand and running. "We're taking this!" I grabbed one of the matter Manipulators. "Ah!" Aria tripped, which caused her to let go of me. *Boom!!!!* a tentacle broke through the ground. "...!" My eyes went wide. "Ren!" I heard her scream. "..." I couldn't move. "Ah!-- ..." Her scream was interrupted by a crack. The monster let go of her, and she fell to the ground. "..." Tars formed in my eyes. 'Why her? And not me...?' I thought. "Aria!" I screamed. I felt like I was stabbed a thousand times. I ran over to her body, and kneeled next to her. "..." She was limp, and broken. She died instantly. "I'm so sorry..." I said. I stood up. I was angry. And I was hungry for vengeance." I continued to run. I found a supply crate, with a sword. "Yah!" I sliced one of the tentacles in half. I ran onto a ship, and escaped earth.

Flashback end.

"..." I tried not to get upset. I took a deep breath. "I could have saved her..." I said to myself "But... Why didn't I?" I asked quietly. "Was it fear that did this?" I asked myself again.