Author's Note:

To those who are new to this fanfic, WELCOME!

And to those who believe that they have seen this title before, you are not wrong. I deleted the previous one because I wanted to start again. The original date this fanfic was released was sometime around December 2012. It really doesn't look good when a story only has 3 chapters after a period of 5 months, so I wanted to wipe the slate clean.

To the people who have read the fanfic before and enjoyed it, I am sorry that I stopped. I have no excuses to why I was not able to continue writing. Sure, there were exams and assessments and etc. but a little time management should have done the trick.

Hopefully I will be able to continue writing despite my entrance to a new life in college. I aim to have about 3000 words per chapter and I hope that I will be able to upload any new content within 2 weeks at the most.

If ever I fail to do so, kindly message me. I will gladly reply to any message, comment, etc. However, if for some reason I have stopped, then it would be because there are certain circumstances that have halted my writing.

Without further ado, enjoy the first chapter!

Chapter 1

And so it begins

"… And with that, the total number of people with the Apathy Syndrome has increased by 10%. Doctors are still trying their best to…"

Sigh. Even if they do their best, people will still get sick won't they?

School's just around the corner, and some transfer student will be arriving here shortly. Mitsuru said that he'd be late, give or take another hour or two. He'd better get here on time though; I'm the welcoming committee.

I checked my watch again. "It's almost time," I said. I'd bet that the newcomer won't arrive yet given the existence of the "thirteenth" hour. I'd better check on Yukari though; she was having trouble evoking her Persona earlier.

As I climbed up the stairs, I felt the pain around my neck throbbing over and over again. It was the pain of someone strangling me to death. Nobody in this dorm knows about it, and nobody ever will.

I arrived at her doorstep and knocked on her door. "Yukari, you there?"

I heard a small shriek followed by something that fell to the ground, something metallic.

"Y-yes, I'm here." was the voice that I heard behind the door.

"Can I come in?" I asked.

"Sure, just a sec."

The door opened and I saw Yukari drenched in sweat. Her room was pink all over with dolls on her bed and posters on her wall. She let out a small smile and welcomed me to her room. When I entered the room, I saw that the Evoker that was on the ground was Yukari's, so I picked it up and gave it back to her.

"You still having trouble with your Persona?" I asked while offering Yukari her Evoker back. She was hesitant to reply, but she still got the gun back. "I-I just don't understand. How exactly does this work?"

I scratched my head, thinking of an easier way to explain the evoking process. "Uhh, well, do you remember the part where you have to think of dying and stuff?" She nodded in response. "Well, it's like that. Personas can be summoned under extreme stress, which can be due to very dire situations, such as being at gun point. If you feel or experience that kind of stress, you are more open; your mind is more free. Because of that freeness of mind, our Personas can be summoned. In another way, we have to clear out heads in order for our Personas to break free from our minds, and through the fear of death, our minds are clearer, thus the gun and the shattering glass effect. "

Yukari bit her lip. She probably didn't understand what I was trying to say. In her pink outfit, she kinda looked helpless without someone trying to instruct her. I sat down on her bed and offered to give her a demonstration. "Give me… five minutes. I'll teach you how." Yukari accepted my offer and sat down next to me.

Five minutes seemed to take forever, and what's worse is, the AC's on. I was shivering in the cold! Fortunately I always wear a scarf around my neck. Not only to keep me warm, but to also hide my… marks.

Yukari noticed my actions and spoke. "You alright?"

No, I'm not!

"I-I'm j-just f-fine!" I regretfully replied. Yeah, I couldn't hide it, she noticed it too. She got up and turned up the heat.

Ahhh… much better.

"Why do you think Mitsuru asked us to join?" Yukari questioned.

Well that came out of nowhere

I tilted my head and wondered what Yukari was talking about.

"I mean, when she found out that I can summon a Persona, she kept nagging me to join SEES. Did she do the same to you?"

I gave out another sigh. Kirijo… Dad… "Well, didn't I tell you that my dad works for the Kirijo Group?"

Yukari grew silent and avoided my gaze.

Crap, I forgot! Her dad worked for the Kirijo group as well and…

"Uhh, well anyway, I said no."

That caught her attention. When I mentioned saying no to Mitsuru, she immediately turned to me and asked, "HOW?!"

"When she asked me if I want to help her, I declined. I just kept saying no to her over and over again. Not even Ikutski changed my mind. She eventually gave up and stopped trying." This was partly true. My real intentions for not helping is rather simple: What's the point? People will get sick and die eventually. What's the point in delaying it? I've seen people that are going to get hurt, but I ignored them. If things happen, they happen.

Yukari sighed, and turned to check the clock. It's one minute till midnight. "So, that's what you did? You just kept saying no? But you have an Evoker, does that mean that you are still a part of SEES?"

I pointed to my right shoulder. "I don't have the mark of SEES here. Mitsuru didn't give me the Evoker at first, but Ikutski convinced her. He said that I should keep one for protection. But my Persona's very fragile, so it won't last long."

I brought out my Evoker and waited for the few seconds to pass by. "Tell me though, why did you choose to join SEES? I didn't hear you deny the offer."

Yukari remained quiet. I won't wait for an answer though. "If you don't want to answer, then don't. I'm not forcing you. But whatever it is, use it for motivation. If I had any, I'd gladly join SEES."

The clock struck twelve and things started to change in appearance. Everything electronic failed to work, but for some strange reason, the lights still do. I turned to Yukari and raised my gun. "You ready to see my Persona?" Her nod was my only approval. I placed my gun underneath my chin and breathed deeply. Just think, think about her… I pulled the trigger and shouted "Persona!"

Blue light emitted from the "shot" and my Persona was standing right next to me. She looked just like a normal nurse would. She wore a small pink nurse hat, a light gray nurse uniform, and always kept a blank face, save for a pair of glowing blue eyes. The noticeable feature of my Persona is that in her hands lies a HUGE injection. It's so big that she has to lift it with both hands.

Yukari almost tripped from the surprise of seeing my Persona appear. I couldn't blame her, when I first did, I was still a kid, and the needle didn't help me calm down one bit. "Yukari, this is Mercuria, my Persona. Don't worry, she won't hurt you. She only knows supporting skills, no offensive ones. As I've said, she's very fragile. Physical attacks will hurt her the most, as for magic, well, she easily gets cold, just like me."

Yukari stood in awe since she was standing next to an actual Persona. The Nurse stood tall, and since she almost hit the ceiling, she had to bend down just to meet Yukari face to face. "Um… Hi?" Yukari waved her hand in front of the Persona's face. Almost like a greeting, the Persona nodded and made a gesture with the injection needle pointing at Yukari's face almost saying, "It's nice to meet you! Time for your medications!"

Mercuria faded away, and speaking of medications… "I have to go now. Since I'm the welcoming committee, I'll have to be there when the newcomer arrives. If you have any questions, you can ask me." I had to get to my room quick just in case something happens again. I was just about to leave when Yukari grabbed my hand.

"Wait, there's just one thing that I want to know." She said as she gripped my hand.

"Which is?" I asked.

"How come you can summon your Persona so easily? You said that we should feel a sense of 'Death' in order to summon our Persona. Does that mean that you…" She stopped.

I turned my head and stared at the floor. My neck started to itch and showing Yukari what's beneath my scarf was just going to scare her even more. "You should not fear death. We'll die sooner or later, but for now, we just need to continue to live. As for your question, yes, I do think about dying. All the time."

Yukari let go of my hand, and all I did after that was to continue staring at the floor. It was hard to believe that a person can think about dying so easily, but I'm an exception. I know that it's possible for me to die any moment from now. All because of her.

"You need to lighten up." Yukari said. I looked up and saw her smiling, which was weird since she just found out that I always think of death all the time. "Tell you what, come join me whenever you're free. We can hang out and stuff."

Honestly, I'd be glad to join her. She'd be like, my first real friend in a while. But I just don't feel very open. There are may things she doesn't know. Many dark secrets that nobody knows, except for my dad.

"I'll think about it," was what I managed to reply.

"Alright. I'll keep trying to summon my Persona. If you need me, I'll be in my room." Yukari said while holding her Evoker.

"And I'll be downstairs lying on the couch." I said with a smile.

I left Yukari and went straight to my room. It wasn't as colorful as Yukari's (if being only pink was considered colorful), but it was a decent room. It has yellow wallpapers (Yukari says that it matches my hair, which is blonde) a desk for studying, and a bed for sleeping. It was just a simple dorm room with nothing much in it, save for my clothes and other stuff. On the desk, sat my journal. I've had this journal ever since it started to get worse. Beside it were my medications, which my dad told me to stop taking. I refused to stop because this is the real stuff; whenever I take it, it helps a LOT. I don't understand what's the big deal.

I was just about to take my "medications" when I heard a knock on my door. I quickly kept the bottle and the journal, and asked who it was.

"It's me." a familiar voice said.

Sigh. And I thought she gave up already.

I opened the door and lo and behold, it was Mitsuru, standing just like the heiress she is.

"I heard you talking to Yukari. Is she doing okay?" she asked.

"She's fine. Once she actually summons her Persona, it will be like second nature to her."

"That's good," she said with a relief, "We'll need all the help we can get. And I mean ALL of it."

I rolled my eyes. I know where this is going. "Look, I said it before. I won't help you. I know why you are doing this. My dad works for your father, and before that, your grandfather. He's part of your R&D department, and we both know just exactly what they were 'developing' back then."

Mitsuru tensed up, which was only natural. A burden that big is hard to carry. I decided to relax and continue my little "sermon". "Look, I know what happened in the lab. Trust me, dad used to bring me to work there everyday. Even if I was in the hospital during that time, I know what happened, and so did my father. As much as I'd like to help you right the wrongs of the past, just let it be okay? Things happen for a reason, so don't try to change the unchangeable."

"Just let it be?!" Mitsuru shouted. Her voice echoed in the room, and I'm sure that was loud enough for Yukari to hear. "Just let it be?" she continued with a much softer voice, "do you not know that it's my responsibility to correct the mistakes of my grandfather? If things happen for a reason, then tell me: what's the reason for that chaos? How does that affect us now."

"I may be a year younger than you, and I'm very sure that I can never outsmart you, but like I said, they happen for a reason, just like I have a reason why I'm not joining SEES. That is unchangeable. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a visitor to wait for."

It seemed like a memorable moment for me. There I was, arguing with the Heiress, and I was actually winning. I'll take my meds later, right now, waiting for the guest to arrive were of my top priority, since after I meet him and show him around the dorm, I can finally sleep.

I returned downstairs and sat on the couch. Right beside me, I found my baton. I picked up my baton, which I love oh-so-much, and started twirling it around. Ever since I got a mini baton as a toy back in my childhood, I kept on twirling it and spinning it around and around. It eventually became a habit for me.

As I spun it over and over again, I can't help but think about my own past. The accident. The explosion. The way it changed me for the worse. Everything. As long as my journal is safe, nobody will have to know.

Waiting has to be a gift. Or a talent. It's just so difficult for some people to do nothing and wait for something to happen. That was never a problem for me. Patience was my strong point, which was probably why Mitsuru told me to become the welcoming committee. I just kept twirling my baton while I waited for him to arrive. The Dark Hour was almost ending, which means that it's almost time for, um, time to flow again.

The marks on my neck started to itch. The marks that were there only reminded me about the things that she did to me. It was painful to think about since it almost always leaves me unconscious. A little more, and I'd be unconscious for good. And whenever that choking event happens, I start to freak myself out and-

… Did I just hear something?…

"…Please sign here. It's a contract."

OH. MY. GOSH. WHO'S THERE?!

I stood up, with my baton in one hand while I scanned the room. Apparently, while I was thinking to myself, the doors opened and there were two people standing in front of me. One was in the school's uniform, while the other one was wearing… is that a prison outfit?

"There's no need to be scared." the little boy continued. In his hands was a piece of paper. I approached them, still with baton in hand. The other boy looked surprised to see me, and well, who can blame him? Who'd be twirling a baton like a weapon at this hour?

At this hour…Wait a minute!

I checked my watch and noticed that it was still midnight; The Dark Hour is still here! That means…

"Please do not scare my client." the little boy said calmly. "Let him sign the contract first." He snapped his fingers and a pen magically appeared in the newcomer's hands. He didn't know what to do, and heck, me neither.

"This contract only binds you to accepting full responsibilities of your actions." the boy continued. "Please, sign. We don't have much time."

In the silence, he came to a conclusion. As much as I'd hate to think that he'd follow what a kid in prison clothes says, he signed the contract.

"Very well." the boy said while smiling. "Time is something no one can escape. It delivers us all to the same end. Wishing won't make it go away."

I'd have to agree with the kid, it's just what I kept telling everybody. Things will happen no matter what! It's useless changing the inevitable.

"And you." the small boy looked at me and extended his hand. "There's something different about you. Can I see your identification card?"

Card? Does he mean this one?

I gave him a small card that was always in my pocket just in case. I don't know for what, but that card is rather unique. It's because it doesn't exist.

"Hmm… Interesting. Thank you for showing it to me. You know, we might meet again someday." He gave me back my card. After that, he got the contract and made it disappear just like magic. "I'll be taking my leave now. Goodbye."

I blinked, he was still there. I blinked again, and he disappeared.

The new guy looked at me and he kinda had the same face that I was showing. Shock. Fear. Uncertainty. All of it.

"Um, so…" Darn it, say something! "What's your name?"

The blue haired boy introduced himself. "Makoto. Makoto Yuki."

Okay, at least smile or something. Sheesh.

"It's nice to meet you. You just arrived right?"

The quiet boy nodded.

Look's like being friends with him is out of the question. "Well, hi! My name's Reila. Reila Minamoto. Glad to meet you."

"Who's there?" a voice from above said.

I turned around and saw a very, very, shocked Yukari with her Evoker in hand. "Oh, hey Yukari," was all that I could say. Yukari was just about to wave at me until she saw the strange boy that was standing right next to me.

"How can he… But it's…!" she said nervously.

"Yukari, calm down, and hide the, um, toy gun?" The presence of the gun was probably not what he expected, but heck, I was greeted with a giant injection when I first saw my Persona. A gun won't scare me now, and it probably won't scare him anytime soon.

"Ah, there you are." Mitsuru suddenly appeared out of nowhere and stood right next to Yukari. "Mitsuru, how can he be here? He's not…" Mitsuru placed a hand on her shoulder and calmed her down. "Easy Takeba. Don't startle him"

And just like magic, the Dark Hour was over. Time started ticking, lights were back on, and the TV (which I forgot to turn off) suddenly reported about the news.

"I didn't think you'd arrive so late. I'll explain everything you need to know about this dorm to you. Please, come this way." Mitsuru gestured him towards the sofa area. He followed her and so did Yukari and I was left alone next to the counter.

This boy… Could he possibly be the reason? I won't know for now, maybe I'll find out soon. The easy way, or the deadlier way.

Sigh, what a day.

I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter! Any comments that may be, is good enough for me!

P.S. If anyone can suggest a way for me to do a double space kind of action, please tell me! I need some way to separate paragraphs (or scenes) just by a bit! Thanks!