The most important thing to me, is to be by your side.

I will always protect you.

xxxxx

It's futile.

That realization rushed into me as I gazed at the descending moon above, and at his body slowly floating toward it. I pushed my body harder, against the invisible force weighting me down to the ground, reaching my hand helplessly to him.

"No! Don't go!"

I could see all of the members of SEES, all my friends, struggling against themselves as well, trying hard to reach him with no avail, each voicing their desperate calls.

"Why? After all we've been through..."

"Stop, don't do this! Come back!"

But it's futile. We could never reach him.

The invisible force returned and hit me harder, tempting my system to shut down. But I resisted. I'm no longer a mere machine; even though everything seemed impossible, even if my system overloaded and my circuits were burnt to crisp, I would fight to the end with all my will. That's something I learned from him.

That's what it means to live.

I strengthened my resolve and gritted my teeth, pushing myself over the critical capacity my body could ever handle. Just a little more; I have to be by his side. I wouldn't let him fight all alone.

But still, it's futile.

Another wave surged through my worn body and my vision sensor was cut off, shutting down my system one by one, sending me to the pitch black abyss of unconsciousness I've known so well.

Is there...really nothing I could do?

xxxxx

"Well, well, this is a pleasant surprise; to have a new guest at this unlikely timing, and a very rare one, too."

An unfamiliar voice entered my ears and I opened my eyes, only to meet yet a more suprising scenery. A room—or was it an elevator?—tainted all in deep blue, and two figures staring so calmly at me; an old man with long pointy nose, and a young woman with piercing yellow eyes.

"Are you a simulacrum, or in fact human...?"

I didn't answer; my perception module wasn't fully functioning yet. As my system slowly recovering, I finally realized I was sitting on a chair adjacent to the old man, a simple round table separating us. What happened? What is this place? As if answering my question, the old man spoke.

"Welcome to the velvet room, my dear. My name is Igor."

Velvet room? When did I get here? But before I could register anything, the man continued.

"And this is Elizabeth, my assistant. We reside in this velvet room."

The said girl smiled and greeted me, while I could only stare at the two of them with wide eyes. I could hear Igor snickered, before continuing his speech.

"This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter... A place for those who have forged a contract..."

"A contract?"

My voice finally came out for the first time, and Igor seemed delighted to hear it.

"Yes... In awakening to the power of the wild card, you are now bound to a contract. You must have known it, the ability to hold multiple Personas and wield their powers..."

Suddenly, the image of him resurfaced from my bank of memories and I stood, almost slamming my hands to the table.

"You...know of him? You know of Minato?"

"Indeed, I do. And right now he almost reach the end of his journey, to find the 'answer to life'... The power you have gained is a means to attain that answer."

The 'answer to life'... I muttered to myself and casted my eyes downward. For me that just understand what it meant to be alive, it was a very huge mystery.

...

No, I knew. I had actually known it.

I clenched my fist and brought my face back up, a small smile on my face.

"The answer to life is...'bonds', isn't it? The relationships with your friends...and your loved ones..."

It felt strange, hearing myself saying such things; it wasn't the same as the purpose of life written in my program, but still, I knew it was the right answer. And I knew what I have to do. I could see Igor's perplexed face, only for a moment, before it was instantly replaced by a huge grin.

"This is yet another surprise. I've never dreamed of seeing a journey that ends as it begins."

He closed his eyes as if in remembrance.

"Ah yes, if he is like a fine tree, growing bit by bit into splendor, you are like a flower. The Night Blooming Cereus; a pure white flower that resembles nothing but dead bush for year, only to bloom madly on one summer night, before closing its petals with the first rays of morning sun forever..."

The night-blooming cereus... I held my hand above my chest, suddenly feeling at peace.

"It seems that you have safely reached your destination. Though very brief, I am delighted to be your acquaintances. Now we must bid goodbye."

The ascending elevator suddenly came into a stop, its barred entrance slowly shifted open, engulfing me in a soothing light. And I walked forward, sending the two figures one last smile before I vanished into the pure white scenery.

xxxxx

I jolted back to reality to the sound of everyone calling his name. Everyone was giving him power, trusting their future on him and giving their whole life. And now, it is my turn.

"I won't allow this world to be destroyed!"

My body felt so light, the suffocating presence of Nyx could no longer be felt, and I rose to my feet.

"I need your help! Orpheus!"

The name came out naturally, and soon enough I saw the said Persona, my Persona, materialized before me. I could sense all the shock emerging from my friends, boring into me, but I didn't stop. I let my newfound power guided me, with Orpheus holding me and floated away, bringing me to his place.

The scenery changed drastically as I reached the surface of the moon, and I could find him standing there all alone in the pitch black world, facing the embodiment of death without fear. I approached him and held his hand; the sudden contact seemed to catch him off guard, and the look on his eyes proved that he didn't expect me to be there. I smiled and squeezed his hand harder, trying my best to hold my strength limiter not to crush his hand in mine.

"I promised...I will always protect you..."

Without thinking I raised my index finger to the sky, as if shushing a child, staring eye to eye with the mother of death herself, and I could feel power flowing from inside me. It was very strange, this whole scenario unfolding before me. All the things I did by now, they were illogical. No instruction was written about it in my program, yet, I felt so sure about the procedure. It was as if it came directly from my soul, from my heart; an abstract idea and uncalculated outcome. It felt strange, yet so right. It was as if I was no longer a mere machine programmed to simulate a heart, but having a heart of my own.

It was as if, I'm a real human.

I smiled, a real heartfelt smile I ever had, and closed my eyes, whispering softly.

"Good night..."

Hello everyone, Valor here.

For those who has stumbled upon this story, I want to say that this story is a 'what if' I made (and no, it doesn't have anything to do with Shin Megami Tensei: If...) where Minato survived the whole ordeal with Aigis sealing Nyx instead. Well, I hope you can enjoy this little alternate timeline I created, because I plan to make chapters of this, maybe even until Minato meet with the P4 cast. Probably. *laughs*

Anyways, enjoy~ And leave a review to let me know what you think.