Ren stared at the ring.
"…Wait."
He hesitated.
"…We can't just do this."
Kai frowned immediately.
"Why not?"
He stepped closer.
"It literally says how it works. Let's just try it once."
Ren shook his head slightly.
"We don't know the risks."
Kai smirked.
"…You always say that."
A pause.
"Come on. One try."
Silence.
Ren looked at the ring again.
Then at Kai.
Then back at the ring.
"…Okay."
They stood facing each other.
The air in the room felt heavier again.
Like something was listening.
Waiting.
Ren took a breath.
"…At the same time."
Kai nodded.
"Yeah."
Together—
They said:
"Olydo."
The ring flashed faintly.
For a moment—
Everything twisted.
Their vision flipped.
Like the world turned inside out.
Then—
Silence.
Kai blinked.
"…It worked."
Ren's voice echoed—
"…What…?"
Kai looked down at his hands.
No.
Not his hands.
Ren's hands.
Kai smirked slightly.
"…Ohhh…"
He moved his fingers.
"…This is weird."
Across from him—
Ren floated.
"…Wait."
Ren looked down at himself.
"…Why am I—"
He lifted slightly off the ground.
"…I'm floating?"
Kai laughed.
"…Yeah. You're the ghost now."
Ren tried to move upward—
But stopped almost immediately.
"…I can't go higher than this."
He hovered just slightly above the ground.
"…Maybe like… three centimeters."
Kai stretched Ren's body slightly.
"…This is actually kinda cool."
Ren looked at him, annoyed.
"…Focus."
A pause.
"…Let's switch back," Ren said.
Kai nodded.
"Yeah, before something goes wrong."
Again—
Together:
"Olydo."
The room twisted again.
Then—
Everything snapped back.
Ren dropped back onto the floor fully.
Kai stood in front of him again—separate.
Silence.
"…Okay," Kai said.
"…That definitely works."
Ren adjusted his glasses slightly.
"…Yeah."
But his tone wasn't excited.
It was careful.
Then—
The door opened.
"Ren?"
Both of them froze.
Haruka Aoyama stood at the doorway.
"…Are you okay?"
Ren turned quickly.
"…Mom?"
Haruka looked confused.
"…Who are you talking to?"
Ren's eyes shifted slightly toward Kai.
Who was standing right there.
Clearly visible to her.
But…
Not to him.
Ren turned back.
"…No one."
A pause.
Haruka studied him for a moment.
Concern in her eyes.
"…Alright…"
She didn't fully believe him.
But she didn't push.
"I just heard you talking."
Ren nodded slightly.
"…I'm fine."
She slowly closed the door.
Click.
Silence returned.
Kai looked at Ren.
"…So she can't see me."
Ren exhaled quietly.
"…Yeah."
A pause.
Kai crossed his arms.
"…This just got more complicated."
Ren looked at the ring again.
"…No."
A beat.
"…This just got more serious."
To be continued...