Warning: Side character death ahead.

A/N: I probably got some things wrong about education in Japan, among other things that you may notice as the story progresses. Do feel free to point out any mistakes to me, and I'll see if I am able to make changes, though the likelihood of that is very low. I apologise for that.

Thank you for reading (and also adding this to your alerts if you did)! I really appreciate it!

April 12, 2013

It had been nearly an entire year since his last visit to Inaba.

The previous time he returned to the peaceful town had been during the summer break in the preceding year. He was greeted by his close friends and family who held a party to commemorate his return. After that, Souji made sure to spend every moment possible with them: eating with them at the Junes food court, having sleepovers at the Amagi family inn, even reading out bedtime stories to his young cousin and taking her with him on the group outings.

He was glad to know that the friends he made during his year-long stay at Inaba didn't change their contact details, and called up all of them to arrange a time for them to meet up. Kou and Daisuke took him to see the progress of the basketball team he was a member of. Ai was there, doing her job as secretary of the team seriously, and spared a few minutes to engage him in a conversation. He noticed the many subtle hints the sandy blond-haired girl was dropping for the navy blue-haired captain, and it seemed like he was beginning to notice them and even blushing lightly sometimes, despite his feelings towards Satonaka. It made Souji feel relieved that Ai was coping well, but the situation worried him nonetheless; love triangles are...complicated.

Then he bumped into Yumi, who was busy with preparations for an upcoming school play. She still spent quite a while with him though, telling him about how her life had been after he left and thanking him once more before she sprinted off. After he left the school compounds and wandered into the shopping street, Souji bumped into Naoki at the liquour store. The latter seemed pleasantly surprised to see him back in Inaba, and told him about how he had been going to Junes more often. He even got along well with Hanumura now, which made Souji relieved and glad for the both of them.

Souji later dropped by the daycare centre, but didn't manage to see Eri. He made sure to leave a note with the staff to pass it to her when they saw her, then visited the hospital to ask the staff about Sayoko. Apparently, she had been recently awarded for her remarkable contributions through her volunteer work overseas, and would be heading to another secluded part of Africa to continue her efforts. It was heartwarming to hear that.

When taking the bus back to the shopping district, he had decided to pay Shu a little visit, but it turned out that the boy had friends over so Souji promptly left after exchanging a few words with Shu, feeling rather happy and proud of him. With some time to spare, Souji decided to spend it by heading towards the TV station to look for Marie. The first thing she did was call him a 'stupid jerk face'. The grey-haired adolescent laughed heartily upon hearing that.

The next day, he recalled, he had gone to the Tatsuhime Shrine to see the fox. He made an offering and a short but sincere prayer before he made his way over to the police station to visit Adachi in prison. It was not an easy decision to make, but Souji felt that it was the right thing to do. After all, he had not thanked the older man for writing the letter that led Souji and his team to Izanami.

And that was exactly what he did, the moment Adachi took a seat in the visiting room. His gesture startled the former detective a little, but after that, they engaged in a surprisingly normal conversation. Souji felt something stir within him after his visit, but shrugged it off, and returned home to an enthusiastic Nanako and Dojima, who had prepared a feast to commemorate his return to the Dojima household once more.

Souji had spent his entire summer holiday in Inaba, and was sad when the break was nearing its end. After he left the town again, he never went back. He still kept in contact with everyone, of course, but over time, the amount of time spent on such interaction dwindled as everyone got busier and busier. While it did make him feel a little lonely, Souji remembered Margaret's kind words to him, and managed to get by while keeping those words in mind.

Until he woke up at three in the morning of April 12, his sleep disturbed by a violent ringing in his head.

Five minutes after that, he received news through a message from an unknown number that Hisano had passed away.

He quickly dialled the number and learnt that it had been Hisano's son who contacted him.

"She often told me about you, Seta-kun," the unfamiliar voice spoke quietly and meekly. Souji heard sniffles in the background and felt shivers going down his spine. "She gave me this number a few days ago and kept reminding me to call you if she... I'm so sorry that our first conversation has to happen this way..."

Souji learnt that the funeral was to be held in Inaba.

Without hesitation, the eighteen-year-old packed some clothes and immediately left to catch the earliest train. At the station, he sent messages to his team mates, informing them about his sudden return, but received no reply back.

When he finally reached Inaba, he was welcomed by no one. He wandered into the shopping street, which was deserted and unusually quiet. Then he walked the way to the Dojima household, and found it to be empty. Leaving his bag of clothes at what used to be his room, Souji returned to the shopping street and headed towards the Tatsuhime Shrine.

So here he is now, surrounded by people he recognised as well as people who were complete strangers to him. The fox was nowhere to be seen; Souji figured that it didn't take sorrowful events all too well and had gone to reside somewhere else until the mourning period was over. Then he noticed that Yosuke had walked up to him, looking solemn and oddly melancholic, despite the fact that he didn't know who Hisano was.

"...We got your message, dude." And Souji understood.

The next few hours had been terrible, to say the least, but Souji was grateful for the comforting presence of his friends and family by his side. He managed to meet with Hisano's son and other relatives, who were willing to share information about Hisano's life with him. It made Souji feel strangely insignificant and inferior, for he had nothing else to give back in return, even though Hisano's family insisted that he had already done enough for her.

Most people would think that Hisano's death shouldn't have such a grave impact on him. After all, he didn't spend much time with her. It was strange for a young man like him to feel so strongly about the passing of an elderly widow whom he had no blood relation to and had only known for just a few fleeting moments of his life. If anything, people would expect him to only show a little bit of sympathy and sadness, like any other person would at the news of a stranger's death.

But Hisano wasn't just a stranger to him. Yes, Souji had only known her for a while, but the duration did not matter. It was what had happened in that seemingly brief moment that truly mattered. In those few days, Hisano had willingly poured out all her thoughts, all her feelings, allowing Souji a glimpse into the sorrowful, lonely woman hiding beneath the thin, black veil over her wrinkled face. She treated him kindly, and would sometimes pat him on the shoulder or his knee in an almost endearing manner as she told him her life story and he told her his.

Hisano was like a grandmother Souji never remembered having. While spending time with her, sometimes his thoughts would wander and he would instinctively compare her to his own grandmother, but he'd often find himself drawing a blank on how she even looked like in the first place, let alone how she was like as a person.

That, he supposed, was why it hurt to hear that a wonderful and caring lady like Hisano had passed away so suddenly.

"She said she wanted to buried along with Dad," Kuroda's child explained, trying to remain calm. "So we transferred her to the hospital here after we got approval from the doctors. We wanted to contact you then, but her condition suddenly took a turn for the worse, and right after that, she..."

Souji then requested for the man not to speak any further. Hisano's son thanked him for his understanding as he tried to hold back the tears, but just a few seconds later, he broke down. And he remained there, on that spot in front of his mother's photograph, crying his heart out.

It was evening before he knew it.

By then, his friends had already left for home.

Nanako and Dojima had offered to wait for him, but he told them to go back first, that he would return home soon. Nanako wrapped her arms around his waist and said nothing before she pulled away reluctantly and returned home. Souji felt something cold and wet trickling down his face once she left, and stared up to find an unusually dark and gloomy sky.

Then he left the shrine and made his way towards the Samegawa Flood Plain, ignoring the light showers of rain. He walked down the steps leading to the Samegawa River, then stood by the river bank, staring into the rippling waters.

"I'm sure I don't have very long left in this world, but that isn't the case for you."

Souji reached into his pocket and brought out an old fountain pen. It was black and beautifully coated with cherry blossom patterns. The paint was coming off, and it was getting harder to remove the cover, but to Souji, it looked and felt like the most marvellous pen he had ever owned.

"You're carrying on my story now. I think I can keep smiling, to the end."

The grey-haired adolescent curled his fingers around the pen, gripping it so tightly his fingers turned pale. He continued staring into the river waters, trying as hard as he could to block out the multitude of voices whispering in his head.

"I think...I've had a good life."

Souji returned to the Dojima residence later that night, drenched and completely soaked to the skin. He headed to his room, without giving the shower a second glance, and locked the door behind him. Then he sat by the desk on the floor, grabbed a piece of paper and removed the cap on the old fountain pen, and began to write.

He couldn't bring himself to write anything more than a "Thank you".

Souji turned in with his wet clothes on that night.

April 13, 2013

The voices had quietened down by the time Souji awoke the next morning, but hearing them still made him feel slightly ill, so he tried to force himself back to sleep. His plan was disrupted, however, when Nanako knocked on his door, asking about his well-being. He couldn't bring himself to lie to his younger cousin, so he told her that he needed a bit more time, and she understood.

Souji changed out of his clothes from the previous day, which had turned wrinkled from being soaked in rainwater, and put on a simple shirt and pants that he grabbed when he was in a rush to return to Inaba. He left the household after having breakfast together with Nanako, and walked around the peaceful town listlessly, holding up an opened umbrella when it turned out that it was still raining.

He had considered dropping by Junes to see how Yosuke was doing, but decided against it. He didn't want to impose on his good friend and disturb him when he was working, especially not after Yosuke had generously turned up for the funeral the day before. The same went for his other friends, who had taken the time out of their busy schedules to attend the wake of a stranger, just to show their support for him.

With no particular place in mind, Souji spent the morning in the shopping street while actively avoiding Tatsumi Textiles. He had found himself standing by the Moel gas station without him realising it, and once he did, he quickly walked away before a staff could approach him to ask if he was interested in a part-time job.

After that, Souji noticed a familiar eatery not too far away, and decided to head towards there. If there was a place he could go to without bumping into any of his friends or triggering any more memories of Hisano, it would be Aiya. At this time of the day, most of his friends would be working, and lunch break wasn't until a few hours later; Souji figured he could take this opportunity to take the Rainy Day Meat Bowl Challenge to while away the time.

Before he could step into Aiya, however, the adolescent felt his consciousness slowly slipping away. Feeling a sense of familiarity at the sensation, Souji took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and gave in.

When he next opened his eyes, he found himself in a familiar setting: an azure interior of a limousine that he came to know as the Velvet Room. Although he hadn't visited it in nearly over a year, he could tell that nothing in the room had changed; the wine glass and liquor were still where they were, the table with a blue tablecloth remained where it always was, and the lady with long, sandy blonde hair, dressed in blue from head to toe, was still sitting in her usual seat, her hands folded on the thick book in her lap. An old man with a hunched back and long nose sat behind the table next to the lady, his eyes closed while he had his chin on the back of his hands, with his elbows rested on the edge of the round table.

The woman turned to face him, her lips pulling into a thin, but warm, smile.

"It is so nice to see you again, dear guest."

Souji felt himself giving a nod back in response.

"Under normal circumstances, we should not be meeting you again in this manner. However, my master and I felt a shift in your subconscious last night, so we attempted to call you into this realm, but it appeared to have been in vain," Margaret explained, her voice carrying the same indifference and detachment Souji had grown used to. "Our condolences."

He figured that he must've had looked confused, as Margaret seemed to have noticed something and said, "Ah, yes, I believe my master and I have never explained to you. While we appear to be responsible for the management of the many Personas residing in your soul, our primary duty is to watch over you as a part of your subconscious. From the behaviour of your Personas, my master and I can detect any changes in your well-being. That is how we came to know of the news, dear guest."

She opened the book entitled Le Grimoire that was on her lap, stopping at a page that was printed with the picture of a card painted with a simple diagram of a skull. A similar card manifested before her, sparkling like a freshly polished diamond.

"The Death Arcana," Margaret murmured. Hearing the familiar term startled Souji a little, but he remained calm in spite of it. "Associated with change, renewal, and endings, the card symbolises a drastic change in your life. Though it may be a painful ordeal for you, it does not mean that it is the end of everything. Overcoming all obstacles, moving forward in spite of the grief you have experienced, growing stronger as a person...that is what the Death Arcana means."

The beautiful woman looked up from her book, giving Souji a warmer, slightly more sympathetic smile. "I believe that is a lesson you have learnt from her as well."

Souji casted his eyes downward, but said nothing.

"Though the time you spent with her was short, the bond that has been forged between you will always remain," Margaret continued, redirecting her golden eyes to the card floating before her. "Her appearance, words, and experience that she's shared with you...they will always reside within you as fond memories, as evidence of your bond. Even though she may have departed from your world, you will never lose your ties with her."

"Close your eyes, and listen carefully," Igor finally spoke, revealing bloodshot eyes as he stared at the grey-haired adolescent. "The voices of your Personas calling out to you... Can you hear them?"

Souji obeyed, and listened as intently as he could. Slowly, but surely, he could pick out the voices belonging to the Personas that had awakened within the depths of his soul when his relationship with Hisano was first established.

"I am Death."

Without realising it, Souji had taken a sharp breath at the first coherent sentence that echoed in his mind. Though the words were spoken by the Personas residing inside him, all Souji could hear was Hisano's voice.

"...You mustn't become Death."

He could see Hisano's image flashing before his eyes, her expression forlorn. Just like the time she told him those words.

"When a person dies...the people who are left behind start to grieve, right?"

It might have had been his imagination, but Souji could have sworn that he heard sorrowful murmurs coming from the Personas that were speaking to him.

"If you don't know what you should hold dear, then your life is just a journey without a destination."

Souji could imagine the horrible fog that once covered Inaba shrouding his vision and the limousine known as the Velvet Room driving towards nowhere.

"Loving, being loved… All that is what goes into making us human."

He remembered the late widow staring into the river, her eyes clouded with tears as she read through the letters to her husband once more.

"Thank you…"

Souji kept his eyes closed.

'Ghoul... Mokoi... Matador... Samael...' The names of the Personas whispering to him resonated in his mind. 'Mot... White Rider... Alice...and...'

Then one name stood out above all the rest, its owner mumbling gently to him, repeating the words that Hisano once said to him before she left Inaba. Subconsciously, Souji had raised his arms, covering both of his ears as he focused all his attention on that Persona and just that Persona alone.

'Mahakala...'

"...Yes, I can hear them," Souji said softly, smiling. He opened his eyes to see the familiar tarot cards lying on the table, face-down.

Igor seemed pleased. "Do not forget what they are saying," he said as he flipped a card to reveal the Death Arcana in its upright position. "Remember their words, keep them close to your heart. They will aid you through this period of time."

"I will," the eighteen-year-old replied politely. "Thank you."

"Do not forget that we will be watching over you as well," Margaret added, flashing yet another kind smile at him. "We wish you the best of luck."

Souji smiled back, then closed his eyes. When he reopened them, he was standing on the pavement in the shopping street, facing the ethereal, blue door in the wall in front of him.

Then he turned and walked in the direction of Aiya, taking out his phone and sending a message to his friends while doing so.

Moments later, most of the Investigation Team could be found gorging themselves, having fun and laughing among themselves, just like old times.

"It's been hard on you," Dojima said sympathetically, placing a comforting hand on Souji's shoulder when the latter returned home. "You sure you don't want to stay for the night? You can always take the train back tomorrow morning..."

"Yes, well..." the eighteen-year-old began awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head. "I don't want to trouble you any further, I did come back without telling you in advance..."

His uncle frowned at his reply. "Who cares about that? I already told you, Souji, we're family. You're welcome to stay over as often and as long as you like. Nanako and I are happy to have you with us."

"But..."

"I'm not hearing any of that now. It's late anyway, and the weather forecast has predicted that there will be a thunderstorm approaching. It won't be safe for you. That settles it, alright?"

Souji gave in, smiling gently. "...Thank you, Oji-san."

Dojima smiled back. "Any time, Souji."

With that, the older man returned to his coffee and newspapers at the dinner table, while Souji walked up the staircase and entered his room. Though his initial intention had been to spend the next few minutes packing everything quickly, the change in plans allowed for more free time, so he decided to take out the piece of paper he had written on the previous night, sit at the table and continue writing.

He removed the cover of the old fountain pen Hisano gave to him, and began finishing his note to the late widow. After a few minutes, he was done. Satisfied, he placed the cover back on, and read through the words he had written in the best handwriting he could attempt.

Just as he was about to pack away the note into his bag, Souji felt his cell phone vibrating against the desk. He picked it up and checked the caller ID, laughing softly to himself while shaking his head, and answered the call. "What's up, Yosuke?"

"Dude, you were supposed to leave tonight and you didn't even tell us when we were with you just now? What the hell is up with that?" Yosuke sounded livid. Souji's smile widened.

"I guess Oji-san contacted you."

"Damn right he did. Souji, seriously, I get what you're thinking, but hasn't it crossed your mind who we are to you? We're your friends, partner. Do you seriously think we care about all that?"

'Doesn't that sound familiar now,' Souji mused.

"Yosuke," the eighteen-year-old replied casually. "It's fine now. I'll only be leaving tomorrow morning."

There were sounds of someone shuffling his feet, making Souji wonder whether the brunet was out at the moment. "Yeah, I know. Your uncle told me over the phone. I'm just...calling to tell you off for not telling us in the first place."

"...I'm sorry."

"No, dude, don't apologise-argh, I didn't call to hear something like that from you." Yosuke paused then. Souji could just imagine the look of frustration painted on his partner's face; it made him chuckle, which didn't go unnoticed by the other person on the phone with him. "...You're trying to imagine my expression right now, aren't you? Very funny, partner. I must look like an idiot in your head."

Though the tone was sarcastic, Souji still couldn't stop himself from apologising, which earned him an exasperated sigh on the other end of the line.

"Anyway, what're you doing now, since you're not leaving tonight?"

"The same thing you're doing now," came the rather cheeky reply.

"The same-Dude, is it just me or did you grow a funny bone after moving back to the city?"

"People don't grow funny bones, Yosuke."

"Oh shuddup."

Souji laughed, and a few seconds later, he heard Yosuke joining him.

"Seriously, now..." Yosuke began again, taking deep breaths to calm himself down after the random bout of laughter. "How has life been, back in the city? All I know is that you studied at some prestigious high school and managed to pass the national examinations with flying colours. Awesome job, by the way."

Souji chuckled again. "Thanks. Well, it's been okay, I suppose...but it really isn't the same as living in Inaba."

"Heh, I thought so. Missed us that much, huh?"

"Yeah..."

There was the light shuffling again, which made Souji glance down from his window to see if a familiar brunet was standing there. Fortunately, he found nobody by the doorstep; if Yosuke had really been outside the Dojima residence all this while with a storm brewing, it would be Souji's turn to reprimand his friend instead.

Then, he finally heard Yosuke's voice again, after a pregnant pause. "I wonder if it'll be the same for me..."

Souji blinked. "Huh?"

"Ahh, well... How should I put this..." Souji now imagined Yosuke scratching the back of his head, trying to avoid his gaze. "By some sort of miracle, I got a good enough score on the national examinations, so I'm going to attend university in the city, too. I'm...leaving this town. Tomorrow. With you."

"Oh, wow... That's great, Yosuke!" he replied, a little more excitedly than he had expected. After remembering what his friend had mentioned earlier, he calmed down, and continued, gently, "Ah, but you sound worried. Afraid you'll miss Teddie and the others here?"

'I know I did,' went unspoken, but it didn't need to be said.

"Sort of," Yosuke replied, sounding a bit uncomfortable with the situation. "I don't know if this is really what I want... I'm a little afraid to find out, to be honest."

"It'll all work out in the end," Souji said encouragingly, speaking from his own experience.

The brunet sighed. "I really hope so, dude. Wish you could still be there with me, though, but knowing you, you've probably gone and applied to a Medicine course in the University of Tokyo or something."

"Psychology, actually," Souji corrected. Then he laughed quietly. "And no, I didn't apply to the University of Tokyo."

"Huh, that's surprising. Why?"

"No particular reason, really. It's just that there's another university near where I live now, and it is affiliated with the high school I graduated from, so...why not?"

Yosuke laughed into the phone. "You are one weird dude, alright. Which university is it?"

"Raira University."

Immediately after Souji said that, he heard something shatter on the other end of the line.

The storm ended in the middle of the night.

With most of the city sound asleep despite the flashes of lightning and claps of thunder, barely anybody noticed when the thunderstorm was over.

For the same reason, nobody realised it when the city was enveloped in a thick fog once the storm ended.

As the hours would slowly tick by and the dawn of a new day approached, most of the people living in the city would still remain asleep, for the day was a Sunday, a day of rest for them.

Not for all, of course. There were a handful of people who would wake up at the crack of dawn, as usual, and brush their teeth and eat breakfast before heading out for a walk around the quiet town, which would soon undergo a transformation into a bustling, lively city within a few hours.

They would be undeterred by the mist, which would have yet to clear up even as the sun began to rise. While it was certainly unusual to have such dense fog, it was not an impediment to their daily morning exercise. It would still, as far as they knew then, be an ordinary Sunday morning.

But it would be another tale altogether for a particular man.

That night, Souji dreamt.