notes: just another uncreative fanfic thrown into the "persona-3-retelling" pile... with some tweaks... just like the others XD as a beginner, i might suck and accidentally rush some things, so feel free to point out what and where i did wrong. i at least hope it will be decent though. enjoy :)

now loading…

The clock struck twelve. Midnight. The night was abruptly plunged into a world splattered in dark yellow-green palette; swept away into a completely different dimension; where time froze, lights died, people gone and coffins stood. A gigantic moon looked down upon such a world with an ominous sort of gaze, while a strong metallic scent of blood lingered in the air. Pitch black shadows rose with glazing sharp blades and moved and roamed on streets. This was their domain.

However, at times there would be exceptions: an intruder in the world of the undead, like this one. On the dark backs of the alleys of Port Island, a sturdy figure in red peacoat stood around. Keeping a hand on his pocket, he scanned the area with eyes that glinted dangerously like a hungry beast out to hunt. He was looking out for something—no, not the coffins, not the unusual moon, and definitely not people—but as he realized 'it' wasn't around, he walked backwards, backwards, until he sensed another presence on his radar and his ears caught an approaching footsteps. On swift motion and out of reflex he turned around and swung a clenched fist to stunt his opponent—

"Whoa!"

—while the so-called opponent ducked his attack, almost causing him to lose balance. The clouds high above moved and the moonlight came into play, dissolving the darkness into green lights, giving him a better view on his 'opponent'. His eyes dilated as he recognized the face.

"…Aki?"

Silver-hair, red vest, and a white band-aid above the left eye. There was no mistaking it—he's Akihiko Sanada. The silver-haired teen gave out an awkward grin as he dusted his pants and rose back up.

"Yo, Shinji. It's been a while, huh?"

That 'friendly' greeting was getting kind of old and tiring, but it freed Shinjiro Aragaki of all doubts he might had have regarding his companion. Shinjiro loosened his guard completely and inserted his dominant hand back to his coat pocket. Unimpressed, he tch'd and turned away from the other teen.

"It's you." A growl. "…Aki. What are you doing here?"

"Usual patrol," Akihiko replied casually. There was a hint of excitement on his eyes however and his smile did nothing to betray it. "I was actually about to ask the same question. What are you doing here, Shinji?"

Shinjiro scoffed. "I'm always here."

"I know," the silver-haired teen nodded knowingly. After all, they did have a long history. "But not during this time."

That statement forced the less talkative of the two into silence.

"Is it them?" Akihiko suggested, his tone secretive. "There have been a lot of them lately. Out of the tower, no less. Personally, I've got nothing against it; the more they are, the more I train, and then the stronger I get. But I guess it's different for you… and Mitsuru too. The situation's obviously giving her headache."

"It's Kirijo. She's always having headaches." Though they usually involve you.

"Well, yeah," Akihiko chuckled. "I guess so. Still, though. What's with the situation, Mitsuru and I can always use a helping hand. Like yours."

Catching on the slight discomfort on the other teen's shoulders, Akihiko paused. For a few seconds, he kept his eyes fixated on his friend's broad back. He then casted his eyes downward, his brows deepening, lost in thought.

"Hey, Shinji… is there really nothing I can say to get you back on the team?" he began carefully. "We've got a new recruit now; her name's Takeba. Unfortunately she's still inexperienced and not cut out for battle. We need someone ready for combat to face off their increasing number—with me. And honestly, you're the only person I think fits the description."

Shinjiro turned around to him and scowled. "That again, Aki? How many times do I have to spell it out to you? I can't go back; not after that—"

"Shinji," Akihiko interrupted. His tone was calm. He stared straight into Shinjiro's eyes, his expression hardened. "It's all in the past. There's nothing left you can do about it now."

Shinjiro stared back at him with a mixed look of confusion and surprise. The silver-haired teen, however, stood still on his ground, unwavering. The atmosphere tensed; a pregnant silence came between them. The silence stayed for a moment until Shinjiro turned away, breaking the eye contact.

"…Tch. Whatever," he grumbled. "It's not like I don't know about that. Point is, I'm not joining you guys again. Not even if you or Kirijo come at me with a whip."

Akihiko smiled. "Heh, I guess that's where it leaves us now, then. There's no way through you when you're this stubborn," he scratched the back of his head. "Anyway, you still haven't answered my first question. What're you doing out here? You're not telling me you're trying to chase them off yourself, are you?"

"Nah," Shinjiro's replied as he looked up to see the gigantic, almost-full moon. "You're looking at the wrong person. It's just… I just saw something. Around here. And it's been rubbing off me."

Akihiko cocked an eyebrow. "…What?"

"A huge one," Shinjiro continued, hesitantly, as if struggling to find the right word. "…One of them, I mean. It's bothering me."

Akihiko, his interest piqued, whispered in a low voice.

"…Is it strong?"

Shinjiro groaned inwardly. Of all things, of course this guy would ask something like that. This was going to lead him straight into trouble someday. "Dunno, doesn't seem much different," he told him. "It's not the size or the power… I just accidentally saw it… feed on someone. I'm looking out in case it happens again, or if I'm not imagining things at all."

"Wait, feed on someone?" Akihiko's tone held both surprise and curiosity. Same old, same old. Shinjiro sighed.

"…Ever heard of the Apathy Syndrome?"

That sentence earned a reaction, but not of either of them. There was the sound of a can kicked and the both of them reflexively turned to the source and took a defensive stance upon realizing they weren't the only ones there. The spot where the sound came from—the entrance—was grim dark, and there was a moment of wary silence as a soda can, presumably what made the previous sound, rolled on the ground and stopped on Akihiko's shoe. Nothing else came. Shinjiro, getting impatient, called out to the other unknown—person?—presence that he was sure was there, his tone demanding.

"Who the hell's there?" Shinjiro glowered. "If you're not a coward, show yourself!"

No reply.

Shinjiro almost lost his patience and was about to go there to get the 'coward' himself, before a step after another came, stopping him. Someone emerged out of the darkness. A young man—maybe around their age, maybe a little younger—with striking navy-blue hair and a pair of metallic-silver earphones hung loosely around his neck. He was carrying a duffel bag on his left shoulder, which looked comparably heavy next to his lean figure, while holding a crumpled sheet of paper on his right hand. Although his presence arguably looked harmless and defenseless, the two teens stayed on their guard. He tilted his head to their silent hostility.

"Umm… Sorry, uh…" the blue-haired teen shifted uncomfortably. He did kind of eavesdrop them, but… "I was… lost. Do you know where the Gekkoukan boys' dorm is? There's… basically no one around and…"

Akihiko was the first to relax. His expression softened. "You're… a new student? A freshman?"

"No, I'm a second year…" the blue-haired teen corrected. He looked confused above anything else.

"If it's the boys' dorm you want, guess I can take you there," Akihiko walked over to him. Shinjiro though, stood still motionless, an eyebrow crooked, eyes seemingly fixated on something the other two didn't see.

The blue-haired teen blinked. "Huh…? You don't have to go through all the trouble. Please just give me the directions—"

"Oi, kid!" Shinjiro roared out of a sudden, startling both Akihiko and the blue-haired teen. Upon the realization of what he had been seeing since earlier was, a look of horror and desperation plastered his face. "Behind you!"

On the split second when Akihiko finally got what Shinjiro was talking about, a pitch-black creature rose from behind the perplexed blue-haired teen, raising its razor-sharp blade as it glinted against the moonlight and—

"…!"

—the scene faded to black.

track 00.
prologue/序章/joushou

butterfly effect (noun)
sensitive dependence on initial conditions; a chaotic effect created by something seemingly insignificant, the phenomenon whereby a small change in one part of a complex system can have a large effect somewhere else;

[see you in the next chapter!]