Hello everyone and welcome to my latest experiment! So, I've been writing the fic Death From Within quite a lot—too much in fact. In other words, I needed something new to work on because I was pretty burnt out from writing it. So, a friend of mine recommended this idea and… voila!
This first chapter here is more of test to see if anyone would be interested or not. I mean, people have been asking me to write a P4 fic since my first story and while this isn't really that, it's P4 related, so close enough. It's basically an evil/dark Yu fic during the events of P5. Like I said, this is just an experiment, so no telling how far it'll go.
Souji took a step back from the television and held a hand to his chest, trying to calm his heart down for it was over. He had done it. Souji has thrown the bastard into the television world and it was over...
"That was for my sister, you son of a bitch." He cursed Namatame one more time as he glared at the TV with the same amount of hatred he had shown the man when he was cowering in front of him. It was a little poetic that the killer's instrument of murder would be what ultimately killed him.
Souji turned to his friends, the people who had stuck by him throughout this case and helped him find the culprit behind the series of murders that had plagued the small town of Inaba.
"None of what happened leaves this room," Souji said, "let 'em come up with whatever explanation of what happened, but no one is to know the truth."
None of them had it in them to respond. The shock was still fresh in their system and hadn't yet worn off. But they didn't have to respond. The looks on each and every one of their faces made it clear that they had all silently agreed to never speak of what happened to anyone.
"Let's get back to Nanako and…" Souji bit his lip, "S-Say… Say our goodbyes."
Everyone was eager to leave—or rather, they were eager to leave the crime scene, but none of them truly wanted to go the room where the once bright and hopeful little girl had met her end all too soon.
No matter how much they didn't want to go there, everyone surrounded the bed where the girl's body still laid. The doctors had attempted to resuscitate her, but it would seem that miracles were in short supply these days.
"It's over Nanako," Yosuke whispered as he gently brushed the girl's hair out of her eyes that would never open again, "we've… we've made sure the man who did this paid for what he did."
"I-I doubt she would've liked that," Chie said, barely able to hold back the tears. Hell, a few seconds later she gave up trying entirely, no one was hiding how much all of this was really affecting them.
"Yeah, she always was a kind girl." Rise's voice was barely above a whisper as she wiped the tears from her eyes. The little girl that had been a sister to all of them was now gone because of the actions of one deluded man. Even if that man was gone now, that wouldn't change the fact that she was too.
Kanji was crying just like the girls, not that anyone could blame him. However, even then he noticed something off about the group. "Wait, where… where'd Teddie go?"
"He's gone." Souji said, holding note in his hands. "He said that he was thankful to all of us for everything, but staying any longer would be too… painful, so he's gone back to his own world."
"So in the end," Yukiko struggled to talk, barely able to choke back her tears enough so that words could get out, "we ended up losing two friends."
Souji opted to keep his silence. He had so many things he wanted to say—too many. If he said even one, then everything else would just come flooding out.
"I'm sorry, Nanako," he thought as he held his cousin's hand. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to save you. I... I… I'm so sorry…"
But his apologies would continue to go unspoken. He was the leader, the strongest of his posse, yet, he didn't have the strength to say a few simple words.
…
…
"What am I even doing here?" Souji began to wonder as he continued walking around the town—or did he walk to the city? He was so occupied with his thoughts that he hadn't even kept track of where he was.
He didn't have a destination in mind. He just wanted to walk for the sake of walking now. His feet were hurting, but he didn't pay that any mind. He could still feel pain, he could still walk, he could still do something as simple as breathing, but now his cousin—the only one who had ever called him 'big bro' would never be able to feel or do these things again.
Damn, he was thinking about her again. The more he thought about her, the more he walked. The more he walked, the more he thought about her. The paradox continued until he just couldn't go anymore on most days.
How often did he do this again? Was it daily? Weekly? Was there supposed to be a schedule to all of this? Maybe all of it was on the same day, but his sense of time had become so distorted that he lost track? Who cared anymore to find out?
The fog had gotten so thick ever since then. Was there a reason for it? There probably was, but he didn't have the strength or will to find out. Perhaps it was better to be ignorant in this case—the truth was probably just going to lead to more and more pain he didn't want to go through right now.
"Souji? What are you doing here?"
Souji's footsteps stopped instantly. He turned to the source of the voice and saw the short bluenette Naoto standing there, a look of confusion, concern, and even a hint of horror all mixed into one.
"I… I want to go home now." Souji answered with the first thing that came to mind. Where even was home? Not long ago, that's what this place was. Ever since she died, this was just some… place. It was like the fog itself had clouded this place so well that it not only stripped away the joy he once felt here, but also any semblance of familiarity it once had. Everything just felt so… alien now.
Naoto slowly reached out and grasped the boy's hand. She'd never seen him like this before. He was always the one who inspired all of them to try their hardest, made them feel like they could overcome everything.
Now, here he was.
He looked lost, confused, and just… empty. Souji was the source of everyone's strength, but now that fire that was inside him was gone. All that was left was an empty shell.
"Let's… let's go back." Naoto said, unconsciously tightening her grasp on his hand. This was all she could of to do for him right now, but what good did that accomplish?
…
…
Naoto continued to hold onto his hand as she brought Souji back to his room. It had hardly changed a bit since she had last time she had been in here—the place was still seemingly spotless, though, she also began to wonder how much sleep Souji had actually been getting these days.
Both of them sat on the sofa that had been there for as long as Souji could remember during his time in Inaba. Naoto noted small bags that were beginning to form under his eyes and how the area around them was beginning to darken.
However, she also noted that his eyes weren't directed at her, but at something else. It wasn't hard to find what he was staring at—the TV that had been in his room since the start of this entire murder mystery.
"Souji, you can't keep doing this to yourself." Naoto shifted in her seat before placing a hand on his face to turn him towards her. "You know she wouldn't want to see you like this."
"Oh, I know," Souji responded, his voice lacking… anything. "But that only makes it worse. I know all that, but I'm still like this. It's funny how that works."
"Souji…"
"I just… I can't really describe it," Souji sighed, "I… I just miss her. I miss her so much."
"We all do, Souji. We all do." Naoto tried her best to sound comforting. While she might have come from a line of detectives, her ability to interact with others was lacking. Still, she couldn't sit around and do nothing. "But you're still here. You might be able to live with her now, but you can still try to live for her now."
"I guess you're right." He reached up and grasped the hand that was still on his face. Even though she was gone she still had people who cared about him.
Naoto's cheeks became flushed, but she didn't pull her hand away. Instead, she used the other so that she was now cupping his face.
Hesitating for a moment, the two began to slowly lean closer towards one another. Both of them could feel their hearts skyrocketing in their chest as they approached each other with their lips slightly parted, leaning closer and closer until—
BANG
Both of them jumped out of their seats as soon as they heard the loud noise. It wasn't just any random noise. It was something that came from inside the house.
Souji's mind went blank as he approached where he believed the noise had originated from with Naoto trailing from behind.
Not long ago, Dojima was released from the hospital and…
And…
When Souji opened the door to his bedroom, he saw that Dojima… with a pronounced blood splatter on the wall, behind where his head was… and his gun in his hand.
He didn't even move an inch when Naoto ran to call an ambulance. He was just frozen in time as he watched the blood on the wall slowly began to trail its way down, gradually slowing down while the rest of it began to coagulate.
Why?
Why?
Why?
Why did this happen?
Why did this happen?
Why was he losing the people he cared about one by one?
Why?
Why?
Why couldn't it all just end?
…
…
"Souji, help!"
"Help Senpai!"
"Help!"
Souji was rendered frozen again as his friends screamed for him to help them. They had managed to find Izanami, but even then, everything just got worse and worse.
He could already see the lifeless bodies of Chie, Kanji, and Yukiko. Meanwhile, everyone else was on their last legs while fighting what could only be described as a goddess.
Once again, he could only watch helplessly. He tried… He had tried so hard to fight. But it only ended in failure again.
"I'm sorry…" Souji took a step back, slowly shaking his head.
"Souji, do something!" Yosuke shouted for support, barely able to keep on fighting.
"I'm sorry…" Souji repeated, eying Naoto whose eyes met with his for just a moment, but that was she needed to know what he was about to do.
"Come on, partner!" Yosuke begged his friend. If there was anyone he could count on in a time like this, it was Souji.
"I'm sorry…"
Souji turned the other way and ran as fast as he could without looking back. Maybe the others managed to survive? Maybe not? He didn't know. All he knew was that he had to leave, now.
Traitor, coward, monster, there were so many words that could've been used to describe him right now.
…
…
Of course, he was recalled into the Velvet Room. The same place he had visited when he was on the train first arriving to this cursed town. He was always brought back here when there was something important to be said, or there was some change, or… hell, who knows what else?
This time, Souji wasn't going to let them speak first.
"Is this how you get your kicks?" Souji asked glaring, "Do you enjoy seeing my world crumble around me? Is that it?!"
Igor began to speak, "Master Souji, I—"
"Shut it, you long-nosed bastard!" Souji refused to let Igor get another word in. He had talked long enough. It was his turn.
"I tried everything I could and… and I… I…" Souji choked as he tried to push back his tears of Dojima, Nanako, everything.
"Do remember," Igor snapped his fingers and a paper with Souji's name on it appeared flowing between them, "the contract states that—"
Before the long-nosed man could finish, the contract between them was suddenly cut in half with Souji brandishing the blade.
"Fuck this game of yours, fuck that contract…" Souji's eyes focused on Igor, "And fuck you!"
In a fit of rage, Souji moved as fast as he could in the cramped car, aiming to put an end to that bastard once and for all.
"Enough of this!" But in his answer, he failed to remember Margaret.
Even in the small enclosed space, it wasn't hard for her to lift him up and knock him around. She wasn't trying to kill him. She was merely trying to defend her master while making her guest listen to reason.
Just before she could deal her last blow that knocked Souji back into the seat he normally occupied the boy reached out and grabbed onto the compendium that she always had by her side.
Souji coughed as he clutched onto the compendium now in his possession while the residents of the Velvet Room were briefly stunned by shock. Before they could try to take it from him, Souji immediately left the Velvet Room as quickly as he could.
…
…
…
"Damn them, damn them!" Souji cursed the Velvet Room as he ran—away from Inaba, away from his friends, away from… everything.
It was all because of them. They led him on this path and look where that got him. His friends, his uncle, and even his little cousin who he loved like a sister—they were all gone!
And who was responsible? He heard them mention someone name Philemon before. Apparently all of this was just a part of some twisted bet. That's all they were—pawns in some game for some twisted god.
But just they wait… they were going to pay.
He had the compendium now. While it was going to take practice, he knew that he had a vast source of power and knowledge at his disposal. They will pay for everything.
Best way to hit them would be hit the pieces of their game. There probably was or will be some other persona users out there, and he was going to put a stop to them by any means necessary. They were going to know that going down the path of a persona user was only going to blow up in their face.
And if they still continue to try, even after knowing the dangers… well, they would have already made their choice by then. Nothing else matter except making Philemon and the rest pay for what they did to him—treating his life like a sort of plaything and causing him to suffer. They were all going to die by his hand.
No matter...
They were going to pay. They were going to pay in blood and tears for what they did to him.
They were going to pay for everything.
…
…
…
Akira yawned as he was finally able to get off the train that he had been in for who-knows how long.
"So, this is Tokyo, huh?" He thought as he looked at his surroundings while traveling to where his caretaker should live. The city certainly was lively… and a lot more populated an cramped than his home town.
Regardless of whether he likes it or not, however, he was going to have to live here for the next year thanks to the terms of his probation.
"Eh, it isn't that bad." He shrugged to himself. "An entire year away from home, I have a feeling this is going to be a fun year."
Yeah… not a happy ending/story. Like I said, this is a bit of an experiment. Do tell what you guys think of the idea. Meanwhile, I'll just… sleep for a couple centuries.