You didn’t know how it happened. You somehow got in Riddle’s dream after Malleus had put them to sleep during his overblot. You, Trey, Silver, and Deuce had gotten sucked into Riddle’s dream somehow. And Riddle had asked you to join his band that he starred in with his childhood friend, Chenya. After exchanging pleasantries and Riddle excitedly greeting Trey with his arm around the boy, happily bouncing up and down in excitement for a moment as he greeted his friend (who looked utterly shocked and confused compared to how Riddle usually is), he put his hands on his hips confidently with a smile.

“Well? Come on. Me and Chenya will lead you guys around since you don’t know where you lot are going.”

He mused as he gestured for you all to follow him. You never expected this, the Riddle that he could’ve been if his mother had been a better person. If his mom and dad had stayed together and worked things out to give Riddle a better life. It almost made you cry. As you reached the band’s spot, faces you didn’t recognize swarming each other, you stuck close to Riddle. And he surprisingly let you. He smiled smugly and he put his free hand on his hip with a big smile.

“Pretty cool, right? I didn’t catch your name, by the way. Mind telling me what it is?”

He asked, looking over to you, straight into your eyes, beaming proudly at his set up. You knew Riddle outside of his dream would pale at seeing himself like this, but you knew this is what Riddle craves most: freedom. It made your heart ache and then some. This is the Riddle that could have been the person you met at NRC, and you had a feeling he wouldn’t be placed in Heartslabyul if this was reality. It made you want to smile, cry, and scream at the same time, even though it weirded you out to see the usually so stern Riddle so calm and laid back, speaking slightly informally and so… free.