-persona 3: death overture-
"The tragedy of life is not death but what we let die inside of us while we live." -Norman Cousins
Episode 0: Black Canvas, Bleached
Death.
The absolute one.
The beginning, and the end.
It is the one absolute thing in this world that cannot be denied, no matter what one may try. No matter what a person does to prolong their life, they only delay the inevitable. This absolute shall claim them, and return them to the Sea of Souls, where they would await reincarnation, and be born into the world once more...and perish once more.
The Sea of Souls was the collection of humanity's innermost self; a pool of their truest selves. In a realm not apart of the world of man, there lies a black void, lit by brilliant shining stars. However, these were not stars...these were the souls of humanity. It was the Sea of Souls itself.
And it was here where human malice gathered. The Earth is populated by 7.5 billion people, and within those 7.5 billion, there are many who desire to bring an end to their life. Those who were denied their existence, those left behind by their precious persons, those who have lost the will to live, those who no longer see the point in continuing a futile struggle. There shall always be one person who desires death. To represent this, a black being swirled around within the Sea of Souls, it's form yet incomplete. In time, it would become a being that stood on four arms, and bear two heads, with only a skeletal demonic jaw and large red orbs for eyes.
The embodiment of humanity's desire for death...Erebus.
Also within this realm was one who granted humanity's strongest wish. The one so often called the embodiment of death.
Nyx.
Known by many as the Greek Goddess of the Night, Nyx is the entity who will bring about the end of everything.
The Fall.
However...that wasn't quite true. In reality, Nyx is neither hostile or malevolent. She simply grants the strongest desire of humanity. More often than not, that desire was death.
Many times have humanity desired death...and many times has Nyx ended civilization.
It is a continuous cycle of creation, destruction, and rebirth.
It was a cycle that would continue...until humanity would grow out of their desires. Sadly, that day did not seem close.
The being who now stood within the Sea of Souls was going to make sure of that.
"AH, SO THERE IS WHERE YOU HAVE BEEN HIDING, MOTHER OF NIGHT..." a vile voice called out, as a black and red mist began to form into a physical body. It was a being colored a metallic black. It held no face, it's limbs were lanky tendrils with razor-sharp tips at the end. From its back sprouted grand demonic wings. Atop its featureless head was a golden crown. "YOU ARE A HARD WOMAN TO FIND."
"..." A feminine shadow said nothing as the outline of her form shimmered into existence in this darkened realm. It was a black mass with not defined shape, but the outline made it clear it was a woman of tall stature, bearing a curvy form.
"WHAT? NO WORDS OF GREETING FOR A VISITOR? SUCH POOR MANNERS..." The faceless being spoke.
"...you do not belong here, Crawling Chaos..." a voice echoed throughout the realm. "...leave...you have already disturbed the Flow of Time by coming here..."
"OH, I AM WELL AWARE...HOWEVER, I HAVE MATTERS THAT I MUST ATTEND TO HERE...AFTER ALL, I HAVE COME ALL THIS WAY TO SEE YOU..."
"...why..."
The faceless being laughed. "I BELIEVE...YOU KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT."
The Being grew silent, letting the other entity's words sink in. Eventually, killing intent overwhelmed the realm. The stars shimmered, and the black void that held them shook. "...you are arrogant, and foolish..."
"HAHA...I PREFER...AMBITIOUS and DETERMINED..."
"...Philemon has defeated you thrice now," the voice spoke. While sounding calm, there was a fury behind it that could not be denied. "Once with Naoya Toudou...a second time with Tatsuya Suou and Maya Amano...and now a third time, with Yu Narukami and Sho Minazuki...when will you realize that such a struggle is pointless..."
"...I'LL ADMIT...I HAVE GREATLY UNDERESTIMATED PHILEMON'S CHAMPIONS...HOWEVER, THIS TIME...I KNOW IT WILL BE DIFFERENT..."
Again, killing intent washed over the Sea of Souls' domain.
"...you dare presume you can do to me what you have done to Izanami-no-Mikoto..." the voice resounded. "...my power is to grant humanity's greatest desire...you, who embody their despair, hate, grief, and jealousy, have no right to carry it..."
"OH, I BEG TO DIFFER..." The Entity retorted. "YOU MAY GRANT HUMANITY's GREATEST DESIRE...BUT YOU FAIL TO TRULY BRING ABOUT WHAT THEY WISH..."
The killing intent only grew stronger. "...fate will run it's course, Crawling Chaos," Nyx proclaimed. "You will fall...and Philemon's champion will prevent the Fall from coming to pass...you cannot stop that..."
Nylarathotep cackled. "WE WILL SEE ABOUT THAT...FOOLISH QUEEN OF THE END!"
Without warning, black tentacles erupted from his being, and shot forward, aiming straight for Nyx. The Queen of the Night remained calm as shadowy tendrils from her own ethereal form shot out and intercepted them. The ghostly limbs grabbed them with ease. In seconds, a red-pulsating aura flowed through the phantom hands, and broke apart the tendrils.
"...Is that all you have?"
Nylarathotep's response was quick. In a matter of seconds, more tendrils launched out from him, this time in greater number. Even so, Nyx remained steadfast and countered each one. With each tendril that came, a ghostly limb grabbed it, followed by the overwhelming power of "death," and promptly obliterated.
"...concede defeat, Crawling Chaos," Nyx told the faceless god. "You, too, are apart of the Sea of Souls...thus, you know what awaits you...all things must accept the ultimate end, even you...just accept it..."
Nylarathotep growled. "NEVER!" he roared. "UNTIL THE DAY PHILEMON BURNS, I WILL NOT STOP! NOT UNTIL I HAVE BROUGHT HUMANITY TO THE BRINK! AND I SHALL DO JUST THAT...WITH YOUR POWER, NYX!"
"You are a fool if you think I will assist you in your endeavor."
For a split second, Nylarathotep's form shivered, revealing a smirk.
"...WHO SAID IT WAS WILLING?"
The Queen of Night bristled as she went on the offensive. Several hundred transparent limbs launched forward, intending to grab the entity and reduce it to naught. However, Nylarthotep proved to be a slippery one. He managed to evade and weave through each limb. His form, true to his nature as the faceless god, was like metallic liquid. Even if a hand came close, his body would seemingly split apart, or develop a hole where the limb would pass through.
Nyx wondered if this emotion she felt was what the humans called "irritation."
"...YOU MAD?" The Malevolent Being mocked.
Nyx did not understand the concept of "anger," but she certainly felt annoyed by his antics. Nylarathotep was trying to disturb a balance, a balance that was kept in place for a reason. His being here was not out of order, but his actions were.
She could not let this continue any further.
"...die..."
She summoned all the power she had for one strike ensure his annihilation. The limbs struck forward, all at once. It came at him with the intent to grab and obliterate him utterly. However, Nylarathotep's form shimmered again, showing a smirk.
"...PITIFUL FOOL."
Once the encroaching tendrils made contact with the Vile Being's form, they became absorbed into his body. Nyx's form shivered, as if shocked by what she saw. How could he have-
Then she felt it. Her power.
"...you are making a mistake, Crawling Chaos..."
"I AM WELL AWARE OF WHAT I AM DOING...I AM DOING WHAT IS NECESSARY!"
"...no," Nyx shook her head, as her form grew ever smaller, and the darkness that made up her body breaking apart, slowly descending down into the black, starlit void of souls. "You are a fool who cannot except your fate..."
"YOU ARE WRONG! I WILL SUCCEED! I WILL BRING HUMANITY TO THE BRINK! I WILL MAKE PHILEMON KNEEL BEFORE ME!"
As her form grew smaller, Nyx let out a sigh. "...you will fall like you did before...you cannot overturn fate...Crawling Chaos..."
"I CAN AND I SHALL...FOR THE SAKE OF EVERYTHING!"
Then, with that...the being known as the Mother of Night, Nyx, faded away from the Sea of Souls, reduced to naught but a black ball that fell to the Earth.
Nylarathotep's form shimmered. Soon, his body took on a new form. Similar to the one he appeared to with Izanami, it was a young man with dark blue hair unkempt at the front, glowing yellow eyes and a light build, being shorter than average. His bangs had covered the right eye. His skin was slightly pale, and his body was slim. He wore a white dress shirt underneath a black blazer with white trims, a necktie, and an insignia with a red circle bearing two black and white fractions inside of it on the left breast pocket. Below, he wore formal slacks and dress shoes, though oddly, he wore a neck-strapped mp3 player around his neck, and over his ears were clip-on headphones.
The faceless god smirked evilly, as he held out his palm. A dark, pulsating red orb throbbed in his hand, reacting to him.
"It begins once again, Philemon," Nylarathotep said with glee. "Our game continues!"
Makoto Yuki was depressed. He had been that way for ten years, since the death of his parents.
Ever since their demise, his face, once vibrant with emotions of childhood joy and innocence, was always set in a hollow, stoic facade.
It wasn't just appearance-wise, either. He hasn't displayed a single trait of human emotion since that day. Despite this fact, his interactions with others weren't as one might have expected from someone who lost their parents. Rather, children always seemed to flock to him. He honestly didn't mind it...or couldn't. It was always hard to tell. Nevertheless, he was always surrounded by others his age throughout the span of ten years.
He never pushed them away, or tried to grow closer to them. It was more like he was at the center of a crowd. That was, more or less, the summary of his boring life, moving around from place to place for the last ten years.
'And now,' he thought as he stood on the train platform, waiting for his train to arrive. 'I'm coming back home.'
After ten long years, he is finally returning to the place that took everything from him that night. He didn't feel anything regarding his home. Just simple apathy. There was pain at the memory of his family being killed, but that was all it was. Passing pain. Sure his heart ached for what happened, but he always remained passive about it. It was as if he became incapable of feeling true sorrow from the memory. Either way, there was nothing to feel about yet another move to yet another city. As he waited for the train to arrive, he looked down at his mp3, which showed the current time, as well as the time the music had begun playing. Despite having lost interest in, well, everything, music had brought forth some sense of peace to him. Lotus Juice was...unique, to put it mildly, but he greatly enjoyed their songs. Especially "Mass Destruction."
'Two more hours before the world goes to hell,' he thought, recalling how the world looked at the stroke of midnight. A low sigh escaped him, adjusting his headphones. 'This will be a long wait.'
Akihiko Sanada wanted to be strong.
Strong enough to take down his foes. Strong enough to power through life. But most of all...strong enough to protect what he has left.
Year ago, he lost his little sister Miki because he was weak. He never wanted to experience that ever again.
Every time he closed his eyes, he could see it...the flames, and the screaming.
His eyes became fierce, and his fists grew tighter. A swift jab, followed by a hook, then ending with an uppercut. Gloved flesh struck against the sandbag with intent to break and kill. He held back against human opponents, but the monsters he fought? He chose to strike with furious strength, with the power to bring down any foe. It was why he chose to join the Boxing Club. After all, what better way to protect the things he loved than with these two hands?
And then he met her...Mitsuru Kirijo. The heiress to one of the biggest corporations in all of Japan...and overseas. When he first saw her, he felt captivated by her cool demeanor and determined eyes. Her fiery red hair was also a striking feature. And that same woman gave him an offer.
The offer to become stronger. Now, here he was at Gekkoukan High School. Captain of the Boxing Team. Senior.
And member of the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad.
Their goal? To eliminate the entities known as Shadows. They are vile beings who prey on the minds of humans. The most unusual part? They only exist in a hidden hour after the clock strikes midnight. After that, normal people become locked up in coffins.
Conventional weapons have no effect against them. Guns were useless. They were unstoppable...well, almost. There was one thing that could defeat them.
A Persona.
Personas were manifestations of the human psyche. One could say they were a person's mind given form. They can only be summoned during the dark hour, and through a strange, gun-shaped device called an Evoker.
Now here comes the crazy part. To summon a Persona with an Evoker, you have to press the barrel against your head and pull the trigger. Essentially, you mimic the action of committing suicide.
Akihiko was shocked about this fact at first, but eventually learned the reason why. To invoke a Persona, one must feel the sense of "walking on the edge of death," where one's existence is placed on the line. In other words, a life-threatening situation, where one false step could mean your end. Holding a gun to your head, especially a realistic one, provides such a sense.
He was anxious at first, but after remembering why he pursued strength in the first place, he had no hesitation of putting the barrel of the Evoker to his forehead and pulling the trigger. It was a...thrilling, almost rapturous experience for him. Akihiko never knew he had such power, but he greatly enjoyed it. Call him out for being punch drunk, but the power he had was amazing. However, it still wasn't enough.
What happened with Shinji was proof of that.
"Stronger," he chanted like a mantra as he continued to beat down on the sandbag. "I need...to get stronger!"
Mitsuru Kirijo had a duty. A duty that was critical to both her nature as the daughter and noble heiress to the Kirijo Family, and as leader of S.E.E.S.
It was a position she was born into. One she endeavors to carry out to her best. And her duty was to defeat the Shadows, and undo the event known as the "Dark Hour."
It was her duty...and to make up for her family's past sins. It was always a deep rooted subject to her. The desire to improve and become strong enough to overcome it. It was her duty as a Kirijo to wipe away her family's sins. However, she knew that, even with her own strength, it was impossible. To accomplish such a thing, she needed to grow even stronger, and capable allies. That was what S.E.E.S was.
So far, there was only Akihiko Sanada, the promising boxer, and Yukari Takeba, an ordinary school girl who lost her father. She wasn't aware of the circumstances behind the latter, and to be frank, wasn't interested. Call it cold of her, but she didn't want to pry into another's personal life. It was none of her business. There was Shinjiro Aragaki, but he left after the loss of control of his Persona. That incident still weighed heavily on her mind, but she had no choice but to accept the outcome. It also served as a lesson that not everyone could control their Personas properly.
Still, it was worrying. The number of victims of the Shadows increases with each passing day, and SEES is still lacking the manpower to venture into and explore he Nest of Shadows, known as the Tower of Tartarus. Thankfully, however, there was a promising candidate, and a possible member.
Makoto Yuki, and Minako Arisato. Both were individuals who were originally from Tatsumi Port Island. But due to the event from 10 years ago, they had to move.
Makoto Yuki, from what she read, moved around from city to city, and after ten years, was returning home. Minako Arisato, however, had already moved back into Iwatodai, and would be starting her first year at Gekkoukan High School. Currently, the Chairman is making arrangements to transfer her into this dorm.
From what Mitsuru read, the girl was quite the hard worker. She excelled in sports, had good greats, and was known to have a large social circle. She was the model student. Despite the loss of her parents, she was surprisingly upbeat and cheery, like she wasn't bothered. Of course, as the saying goes, "there's more sides to the story." Regardless, even if she didn't have the potential, Mitsuru would be glad to have someone like her attending Gekkoukan High School.
Now for the other student that is due to arriving at the dorm as well. One Makoto Yuki...
Similar to Minako, he had excellent grades, but didn't seem to partake in sports unless required. When he did, he showed minimal effort, but his performance was utterly outstanding. He was noted to be a fairly quiet individual, and didn't pursue relationships with his peers, despite having a large number of friends. A total contrast, it seemed. One was cheerful, the other seemed sullen. One was loud, the other quiet. One extroverted, the other introverted. These two were like opposites on the personality spectrum.
A sigh escaped her lips, closing her eyes. "This year is truly going to be a tiresome one."
Yukari Takeba wanted nothing more than to learn the truth about what happened to her father.
All she knew that he went missing ten years ago...and not much else. Suffice to say, since his disappearance, her family fell apart. Her mother had fallen pretty low. She filled the void in her heart by flinging around with other men. She would sometimes bring them home with her, much to her chagrin. Since then, Yukari stopped coming home often, staying at a friend's house. She didn't know much about how her father disappeared, other than that he was working for the Kirijo Group. Officially, he was listed as deceased...but she knew there was something else going on.
The reason? The group that welcomed her after experiencing that strange, green world.
S.E.E.S, led by one Mitsuru Kirijo.
The series of events was more than just coincidence, and were too related to not be suspicious in the least. That is why she is here. To find answers. By joining S.E.E.S, she would be able to obtain those answers. Still, she had to admit, the whole thing was pretty surreal. Aiming a gun at your head, to call upon the strength of your inner self? Fighting monsters? If she didn't know any better, she would have thought she was in a manga or something. Regardless, the danger was real. She learned that the first night. She was paralyzed with fear and could barely stand. Hell. She couldn't even use her Evoker...she was too afraid. Akihiko and Mitsuru told her it was only natural that she would feel that way. Even still, the memory of putting the gun to her head, while also facing down a bunch of monsters, was still so terrifying.
Regardless, she had to do this. Otherwise, everything would be for nothing.
She needed to find out what really happened to her father.
Junpei Iori sighed as he scratched his head, laying down on the bench next to the fountain found in Palownia Mall. "Damn old drunk," he muttered with distaste. "Can't he find something better to do with his life?!"
Once more, he scowled at the fact his father was nothing but a hopeless drunk. It aggravated him to no end. Sure he has a day job, but he spends just about all of his free time downing booze or other forms of alcohol. He even gets drunk off of cooking wine! It had been like this for as long as Junpei could remember...which wasn't much. He didn't care for the past, ever since his mother died. He had long since gotten over it, but his father was still drowning his sorrows at the bottom of a bottle. Because of that, he rarely ever went home. Spending time at friends' house, playing games, anything to keep him away from him. Call it cold of him, but as much as he loved his father, he couldn't accept his drinking habits.
Doesn't he see that he is just destroying himself? In the end, Junpei knew there was nothing he could do, but it still pissed him off to see his old man wasting away like this. Hell, even now, he could hardly look at the man without smelling booze touching the air. Once more, he sighed. "Man...what a freaking drag...I just wish something amazing happens to my life..."
Unknown to him, such a wish would soon be granted, as the clock grew ever closer to midnight.
Fuuka Yamagishi was always a shy girl. She didn't talk back to others, nor try to stand up for herself whenever bullies ganged up on her. All she did was simply hang back into the background. Truth be told, it was frustrating to her, but her kind nature never let out lash out. It was just wrong to her. Instead, she would find ways to avoid reality.
One of those ways was computers. She would turn away from the hardships of real life and find solace in working on computers, be it online gaming, programming, or graphic design. She never had much experience in online gaming. The closest she has ever come to gaming was solataire and poker, but that was it. She still enjoyed it though.
Sadly, not even the virtual world could keep her away from reality. Currently, she was at home, typing away on her PC when she received a message. She sighed when she saw the sender's name. "Nobu-san, again?" a voice commented behind her. Peering over the shy girl's shoulder was her friend from middle school, as well as her classmate for history. "He really doesn't know when to quit, does he?"
"I just don't understand why he keeps sending me e-mails every day," Fuuka said, confused. "Do I do something to upset?"
"No," her friend shook her head. "I think it's more like he doesn't know when to take a hint."
"Eh? What does that mean, Minako-chan?"
1"Are you really asking me that, Fuuka?" The girl fuddled her brow. "It's so obvious. He doesn't know you're not interested in him."
The green-haired girl blinked. Nobu? Interested in her? She couldn't see it. What was so interesting about her? She was just a geeky girl, as the other girls in her class said. Regardless, she gave a glance at the message. It seemed like Nobu really wanted to meet her at a cafe. She doubted she could accept. Her parents were quite strict when it came to those she met. The only reason they allowed Minako to be accepted into their home was because she was a model student, both grade-wise and personality. But Nobu? They don't even know him. That said, they would find it difficult to trust their daughter with a stranger boy.
That was another negative thing in her life. Her parents. They were demanding and controlling. Sure, they were thinking carefully about her future, but they could be so...overbearing at times. It was as if they are controlling every little thing about her life. She does not believe she even has a choice in anything anymore. That her whole life has been decided by her parents from start to finish. Sometimes it was so frustrating for her. She would often vent to her friend whenever they were online and at school, but she couldn't actually bring herself to hate her parents. She knew they meant well.
She just wished they could stop for one moment and listen to what she had to say. She was tired of her words falling on deaf ears.
"Sorry, Fuuka, but I have to go," Minako said with sadness as she picked up her bag. "Captain's called for an emergency meeting."
Fuuka smiled. "It's fine," she told her. "Just be careful."
Ken Amada was overcome with sadness and grief, even if outwards, he was cheerful and an upbeat kid. The reason? The death of his mother.
No...that wasn't right. It would be more accurate to say...the murder of his mother. It's been two years since the event, but the trauma was still fresh in his mind. The problem? He can't quite remember who or what really killed his mother. His memories were hazy, but he knew what happened. It took place during a strange time of the night, where the night sky turned green, puddles of blood lay all around, and everyone became replaced by coffins.
He had seen who, or what, had killed his only family. The image was hazy, but he could still recognize it easy.
However...no one believed him. No matter how much he tried to explain it, no matter how detailed his words were, everyone just wrote it off as trauma. Not even the police would believe him.
It frustrated him. Knowing his mother's killer was still out there and no one else making the move to stop them. They all wrote it off as an accident when it wasn't! They letting this injustice go free! Ever since, the rage in his heart had long since passed, replaced by sadness and grief. He knew, by now, that his mother would never allow him to seek revenge. It wouldn't be worth it. Besides, what good would it do? What was it worth? How could killing his mother's murderer bring her peace? How could it bring her back.
That was what made him angry. If he couldn't kill them...then what was he supposed to do? Live with this? How could he? There was just no way for him to have any closure from all of this. Anything he did would be futile.
"Ken-kun?" the man in front of him asked. "Are you alright?"
Ken blinked, shaking his head to remove himself from his train of thought. "Sorry, Ikutsuki-san," he apologized. "What were you saying?"
"Oh, it wasn't anything important, I can assure you of that," the man said with a smile. "I was concerned, however. You seemed troubled. Is everything okay? If you want, we can discuss this another time."
"N-no, it's fine," he told him. "So, um...what's this offer about staying at the Iwatodai Dorm? I thought it was exclusive to High School Students."
"It is. Or rather...it was. This summer, we are holding a special transfer program."
"Summer?" the boy inquired. "That's a long ways, isn't it?"
Ikutsuki chuckled. "Yes, true," he said with mirth. "However, I figured it would be quite beneficial to you. From my understanding, you've been having troubles at home, correct? Call it presumptuous of me to say this, but personally speaking, I believe it would be best if you stayed in a more...comfortable environment." Well, he wasn't wrong there. His relatives weren't exactly the nicest of people. Some said they outright didn't like him, others were just to preoccupied with their jobs to look after him. Some ignored him, and others failed in some aspects. When it boiled down to it, his life at home, especially at present, was hardly what he called a 'perfect environment.'
"That," the man continued. "And I think it might be beneficial to you in the long run."
"What do you mean by that?" The boy tilted his head in a questioning manner.
Ikutsuki gave a mysterious smile as he bent forward. "Ken-kun...I know this is hard for you, but do you recall the night your mother died?" Ken winced. A sore subject for him, and one that confused him. Why was he bringing that up? "According to the reports, the world had suddenly been thrown on it's head. The sky turned sickly green, the moon glowed even brighter, pools of blood paved the streets, and coffins stood all around you."
"Y-yes...but that was-"
"Ken-kun...that was no hallucination made up by trauma," the man said sharply. "What happened that night...was real." The man pushed up his glasses, creating a reflective glare. "Tell me, Ken-kun...have you ever heard of the Dark Hour?"
Shinjiro Aragaki was a punk. At least...that was the image he built for himself ever since the incident two years ago...
It was better this way. If people saw him as a punk, they would steer clear from him. That way, he wouldn't get anyone hurt. Of course, because of such a lifestyle, he often received criticism from the adults. He got fed up with it to the point where he dropped out of school, despite being in his senior year. He even left his best friend. It was for the best, of course. After what happened, he just couldn't stand being there any longer. Then again, there was also the fact that he was sitting here on the spot where his 'mistake' happened, standing away from the ever rowdy crowd of delinquents and gangsters. The night was colder than usual, so he clung to his jacket more close, adjusted his beanie, and shoved his hands into his pockets. Not that it would do him much good, though. It was freaking cold.
"Tch." An annoyed click of the tongue escaped from his lips. Why was he even here anyway? Oh, wait, stupid question. Guilt was always his answer. No matter how hard he tries, he would always find himself back here. Perhaps it was his way of reminding himself of what he did. His unforgivable mistake.
His sin.
"...figured you were still here." Shinjiro looked up, seeing a familiar face with a bandage beneath the right eye, and slightly messy silver hair. "You know, being out in the cold is bad for your health, Shinji."
The older teen scoffed. "Screw you, Aki."
Akihiko shrugged as he tossed a jacket to his friend, who caught it and stared at it. "Well, if you're gonna stand here all night, might as well bundle up."
"...dumbass," the punk said, but sighed. He slipped it on over his purple coat, despite it being slightly smaller than what he is used to. "So, what're you here for? If it's about me, then you can forget it. I've already told you and Mitsuru, I ain't coming back."
Akihiko sighed. "Well, that was what I was going to ask...but that isn't the reason why I came here," he said, earning a quirked eyebrow. "We're getting two potential recruits...long lost siblings. Makoto Yuki, and Minako Arisato. They lost their parents in a car accident on the Moonlight Bridge ten years ago."
"And...this has to do with S.E.E.S how?"
"Well, according to Minako's testimony...it was during the Dark Hour."
Shinjiro's eyes widened at a fraction of a second. Images from the incident flashed through his mind. His head pounded, his manifestation of the soul trying to run wild, but the punk wouldn't let it. He forced it to calm down. He wasn't going to let it loose here. Not here. Not now. "...that a fact?" he asked, earning a nod. "Huh...tough break. And these kids are siblings?"
"Separated after the accident, and adopted by different families," Akihiko said. "That's all we know, really. Mitsuru thinks they might have the potential, so the chairman managed to pull a few strings and have them move into our dorm, see if they do have it."
Shinjiro sighed. "Well, whatever...actually, why tell me any of this?"
"Like or not, Shinji," Akihiko said firmly. "Your still apart of S.E.E.S, so you deserve to be in the loop."
The punk's gaze shifted to the ground. So that's what his friend thought? If only he really was deserving of such a thing. "...whatever," he scoffed. Why should any of this matter to him anyhow? Still, since his friend was here... "So, how's boxing? Let me guess, no good competition."
The protein nut smirked. "Heh, what do you think?"
For the last ten years, Minako Arisato, originally Minako Yuki, had been looking for her sibling and twin brother, Makoto. You wouldn't have guessed that they were twins, but when they were younger, the only way to actually tell them apart were their hair and eye colors. While Makoto's were blue, hers were red.
Now, though, she was a single child, raised by her aunt and uncle. Minako Arisato. That was her name now...but despite all of that, she remembered her roots.
And yet, no matter how hard she tried, she could never find out about her brother. She tried every possible thing, from hiring a private detective from all of the allowance she saved up, to searching for him via google, to even looking up any possible national events that have happened in the last ten years that might have provided some clue to his whereabouts. The result was nothing. Not a single lick of info.
However, regardless of the failures, she remained steadfast. She was not going to give up. No...she will never give up! She will find her brother if it was the last thing she'd do! Why wouldn't she? Not seeing her twin brother, or even hearing from him, for the past ten years, she couldn't help but be worried for him. Was he doing alright? Was he eating healthy? Was he being social?
...was he staying pure? Oh, what was she saying? That dense idiot couldn't tell if a girl had a thing for him even if she stripped down to her undies. Hell, she had done that herself, wanting to tease him when she caught him looking at one of their father's naughty magazines. She always liked to tease him, and while she was not confident in her body, she was sure the sight of her being nearly naked, in front of her brother no less, would fluster him.
He didn't even bat an eyelash at her. He just stared and stared in silence. At first it was confusing, then unsettling, then creepy...eventually he asked; "what are you doing in your underwear? Your going to catch a cold."
Gosh! It was like her brother's head was as dense as a black hole! He didn't even show the slightest bit of emotion! Well, at least she didn't have to worry about his chastity, though! Still...it was frustrating, not knowing where he was!
"I hope your safe, Makoto-nii," she said to herself as she walked away from her friend, Fuuka Yamagishi's house, staring up at the night sky. "I really want to see you again."
Unknown to her, as the clock came ever closer to midnight, a young child dressed in black and white striped clothes smiled, standing in the darkness.
"It's almost time..."
One stroke. Two strokes. Three strokes. The sound of the clock's hands ticking down continued to echo in the rather empty train platform. The nightly ride was uneventful, as he had expected, and there were few people around at the moment. It was rather empty, sans the people who moved about slowly. Honestly, it surprised him to see people around at this time of night. He didn't expect to be arriving so late, either.
"So troublesome," he muttered as he took out the pamphlet he was given. "Alright...where is that dorm anyway?"
Upon the tenth stroke, an eerie silence fell upon the world. The music in his headphones ceased, as had the soft footfalls of those traversing the halls of the train station. Makoto looked up from his paper, and noticed that the lights had not turned out. "Huh?" That was odd...was the power out? No, they would have had a backup generator, just in case? Although, the eerie green tint in the air, as well as the red liquid that seeped unto the floor was familiar.
"...is it that time of day again?" he questioned himself, though he already knew the answer. He shook his head, and moved forward, not at all bothered by the coffins that stood silently in the halls, marked by their black crystal pristine and the red mist that danced at their feet. "Feels so boring without my music," he muttered. To him, his music was really the only thing that kept his life from being so dull. "Why does everything shut off around this time? So creepy..."
That was something he wondered about for the past few years. During the times he was awake at this hour, he noticed how anything and everything electronic just shut off. Not to mention to ominous atmosphere of the creepy green sky, yellow moon, pools of blood, and coffins taking the place of people. But in the end, he wasn't really affected by any of it. Truth be told, hardly anything phased him.
Well...that wasn't quite true. There was one thing that surprised him.
Namely, the appearance of a small girl lying asleep on the ground. "...that's weird," he said. "I didn't think anyone was up at this time."
The girl was young, maybe thirteen or so. It was hard to tell. Her hair was blonde, falling down to her shoulders, and wore what he assumed was gothic lolita, as it was a midnight black dress with dark purple frills and seams, along with white fluffy cuffs and hem at the end of the dress, and at the sleeves. Her face was peaceful, as if she wasn't bothered by the fact that she was sleeping in the middle of the street, surrounding by coffins and a puddle of blood not far from her. Makoto compared her to a kitten, what with how she was curled into a ball, also much like that of a cat.
Just what was she doing here? Did she get lost? No, that couldn't be it...hell, was she even here, anyway? She should be a coffin, like everybody else. Was...was she like him? Was that why she wasn't a coffin? Well, either way, he couldn't leave her here. He walked over to here, crouching down to get a better look. "She's a kid," he concluded. Seeing her up close now, he could assume that she was probably maybe 13 or 14. He gently nudged at her shoulder. "Hey...wake up. It's not safe here." The girl did not respond. She remained motionless. Makoto gently shook her again. "Hey...hey," he tried a bit harder. "It's dangerous here, kid. There are monsters out here."
The girl's eyelids twitched. A sign she was slowly stirring. "...hrmm..." A soft moan escaped her lips. Her eyelids slowly opened. Makoto's eyes widened slightly. Her eyes were gray, an eye color that wasn't exactly uncommon...but if he didn't know any better, he'd say that they were transparent, almost like glass. He decided to ignore it for now, since she was awake. Slowly, she sat up, rubbing her eyelids. "...you okay?"
"...I, am fine," the girl responded. Her voice was monotone and stoic, showing no emotion whatsoever. He considered it akin to the voiceless language of dolls, those who only show expressions rather than speak with tones. "However...I, am most tired..."
"If you're tired, don't sleep out on the street," Makoto told her. "Where are your parents?"
The girl tilted her head. "Par...ents?" she parroted, confused by the word. However, she seemed to recognize it. "...ah. You are referring to those who raise you from birth, yes? I, do not have parents." Makoto's expression softened. She...didn't have parents? She was just like him. "...where is this?" the girl asked, looking around. "This place is...unfamiliar to me."
"It's Iwatodai," he answered. "I'm going to go to school here. As for why everything looks so creepy..."
The girl shook her head. "I, am aware of this state," she told him, garnering surprise. "It will last for only a few minutes longer." She then let out a hum. "So...this is what the human world looks like."
'...what a weird girl,' he thought. 'Still...can't just leave her here. Although, will the dorm accept having a kid there?' A pause, then a shrug. 'Oh well...not like it's any of my business.'
"...I'm heading to the dorm," Makoto told her. "You...want to come with?"
The girl turned to look at him. Her gaze was judging, as if deeming him of something. Eventually, she seemed satisfied, and nodded. "...yes, that will suffice." She then stood to her feet. To his surprise, she was completely barefoot. "I, am Nyx...and what is your name?"
"...Yuki," he answered, standing back up to full height. "Makoto Yuki."
Unknown to him, that day, Makoto had met the Mother of Night herself.
-Prologue: END-
Preview!
Yukari: Who's there?!
Mitsuru: I didn't think you'd arrive so late...and with a little girl, at that.
Minako: Makoto Yuki...wait, aren't you...?!
Nyx: So, this is what you humans call school.
Junpei: This is gonna be a fun year, I can feel it!
Makoto: ...Mina-nee?
Suiv - Before The Storm