[This chapter has been edited 11/30/2015]

Even if my wings turn black from all the dust
Just to reach that place

I wouldn't mind at all

Despite all these hardships and failures for the sake of my dreams
I show in my face that everything's fine and call them "happiness"
If it takes the long route just to make you smile
I act like I'm all right, and call it "happiness"
I know I'm just pretending, but in some ways, I do mean it
So even when things are difficult, I was always smiling
Till that day...

Once I realize my dream
I will come for you

That promise is what keeps me going

- KIMI WO TSURETE IKU ("Taking You With Me"), sung by Abe Asami

March 31, 2010
Iwatodai Dorm Lounge
Late Night

"Stand aside, Shinjiro Aragaki," Black Condor demanded once more.

"And if I don't?" Shinjiro challenged. He subtly poised his axe to strike should Condor rush forward.

The two figures glared at each other.

The other members watched with morbid fascination. Aigis was down for the count. Nobody seemed to notice that the fire had gotten slightly bigger than earlier.

Suddenly, Black Condor whipped out something that looked like a sci-fi laser gun. In the blink of an eye, he aimed at Shinjiro and fired magenta colored shots. Shinjiro's reflexes acted quickly; he simply sidestepped the assault and advanced, swinging his axe, effectively knocking the gun out of Condor's hand.

An energy blade suddenly slid out from the device on Condor's left arm. He brought it up to block Shinjiro's overhead axe swing. Condor's other arm had another gun-like contraption, and it was pointing directly at Shinjiro's chest, where the heart was supposed to be. It was too late to dodge, and Condor's blade was still blocking Shinjiro's axe. Thinking fast, Shinjiro pushed all his weight on Black Condor to force him to stumble backwards just as the sidearm gun fired, missing the teen by centimeters.

He barely recovered when Condor pressed a button on his wrist device. All at once, the sound of a motor gunning was heard from somewhere below. In a flash, a motorcycle rode up the trapdoor stairs like a ramp and literally flew towards Shinjiro's head.

Rolling away just in time, he heard Fuuka shout, "Senpai, the enemy has no weakness, and the motorcycle seems to be controlled by that little machine on his wrist! It seems to be his main arsenal… try breaking it!"

The motorcycle had screeched to a halt just in front of a dazed Ken. He had been looking at the motorcycle and Black Condor with awe in his eyes, but when he heard Fuuka refer to Condor's "little machine" like that, he snapped his head up indignantly. "It's not a 'little machine'! It's called a Cross Changer! And Black Condor's motorcycle is called the Phoenix Speeder!" Ken shouted with all the confidence of an angry fanboy.

Mitsuru glanced at tKen with a puzzled look on her face. She opened her mouth to say something to the boy, but all of a sudden a wave of tiredness washed over her, causing her to sway slightly on her feet. She quickly leaned against the wall to support herself. As a seasoned fighter, she instantly knew that what she was feeling at the moment wasn't just normal fatigue. What's going on here? She wondered.

Meanwhile, Junpei didn't seem "fatigued" in the slightest. He was having a lot of fun, actually. "Wahaha! I knew he liked watching Featherman R!" Junpei guffawed, unable to resist teasing Ken despite the tension of the moment.

While dodging more of Condor's potent laser beams and avoiding getting roadkilled by the motorcycle, Shinjiro growled at Ken. "Is this really the best time for that kind of shit? And whose side are you on, anyways?"

.

.

March 31, 2010
Naganaki Shrine
Late Night

It was a nightmare outside the dorm. After receiving Mitsuru's call, the two began to wander around Iwatodai to make sure everything was alright – and immediately they noticed something.

It didn't matter where they went. Everyone… everyone around them had fallen asleep. People had collapsed on the streets, the sidewalks… late night store owners were slumped over their shop counters; stray animals were lying on their sides; and the worst part was the traffic. Drivers were sleeping too, and there was a huge crash site in the middle of the city, and an equally dire crash site on the Moonlight Bridge. Luckily, no one seemed to be hurt too badly.

Akihiko and Yukari had agreed to split up for a brief moment to cover more ground, making the Naganaki Shrine their rendezvous point. The senior had arrived first and waited impatiently for his kohai. Finally, after what seemed like hours, he spotted her running across the street to reach the shrine.

"Any luck?" Akihiko asked Yukari as she bounded up the last three stone steps. She slowed to a stop in front of him.

Wrapping her arms around her stomach, she gasped, "N-no, they're all asleep!"

Suddenly, she closed her eyes and fell forward. Moving quickly, Akihiko stepped forward and caught her by her upper arms. "Hey! Are you okay? Don't tell me-!"

Yukari immediately straightened up and tried to regain the feeling in her legs. "Sorry, senpai, it's just that for a second there, I just wanted to close my eyes and sleep..."

Yukari's words struck a dissonant chord in Akihiko. With that single sentence, he was thrown all the way back on that school rooftop with "her" in his arms. In his mind's eye, she was slowly being swallowed by darkness. He was holding her hand with all his might, but the darkness was too strong. Her hand slipped from his grasp and then she was gone….

"No!" Akihiko shouted, startling both himself and Yukari.

The girl drew back in surprise. "S-senpai? Er- I'm sorry. I'll try to stay strong, I promise!"

Are you okay? Physically, I mean.

I'm fine. How about you, senpai?

…Huh? Er… yeah, I am. Well… it's just that… whenever I watch you fight in Tartarus, I feel… angry.

W-what am I doing wrong?

N-no, I don't mean it like that! Ugh, how do I put it? I'm not angry, more like… irritated. No, wait, it's more like… I'm nervous….

Do I seem dangerous?

Ah, no, of course not. You… Is there any way you could avoid having to fight? ARGH! No! Forget what I just said; I had no right to say such things. Out of all the members, you're trying the hardest.

…?

Ugh, why did I say those things? …Deep down, I know why I feel this way everytime I see you fight… I… I'm worried about you….

Don't worry, senpai! I'll try to stay strong, I promise!

…You know what? Just forget it. C'mon. Eat up, okay?

Akihiko winced and glanced around the apparently empty shrine. Now wasn't the time to reminiscence about her.

He reminded himself of this by saying to Yukari, "I guess we'd better head back to the dorm and report this to Mitsuru… dammit, if only my phone wasn't acting up, I could've contacted her immediately!" Noticing he still had his hands on her arms he let go, muttering an apology.

Yukari checked her own phone and tried pressing the buttons. The cellphone was on, and it was on the home screen - not to mention brightly lit - but that was it. It didn't respond. After a few seconds of fiddling with her cell, it dawned on her that she had a hard time ignoring the clock displayed at the top of the screen.

11:59pm.

Was it just her imagination, or did the frozen clock actually mean something? Heck, even her senpai's watch was stuck at that time.

"What are you waiting for, Yukari? Let's go!" Akihiko urged her.

.

.

March 31, 2010
Iwatodai Dorm Lounge
Late Night

"Yes! The enemy is down! Senpai, here's your chance to break his, um, Cross Changer!" Fuuka cheered. From within Juno, she took a deep breath as she watched Shinjiro rip the device from the fallen Condor's arm and drop it on the floor. He quickly smashed soundly it under his boot.

Fuuka realized she was tired. Strange… she knew her limits, and Shinjiro had been fighting Black Condor for only about ten minutes. So how could she be tired?

Suddenly, she caught movement out of the corner of her "eye" and turned to look at her friends. Junpei had slumped to the floor. He was still awake, but just barely. He was supporting himself up by placing his palms face down on the floor. Mitsuru was standing, but with visibly great effort, her face strained. Ken had his arms wrapped around Koromaru's neck, his eyes drooping.

What's happening? She wondered. Why is everyone so tired?

Fear slowly crept up her spine. She turned her attention back to the battle and studied Shinjiro's movements. It was just as she expected – he was clearly fatigued. His mouth was open and he was breathing hard, his movements had turned awkward and sluggish, and his free hand was clutching his chest-

"Senpai, are you alright?! You're heart-!" Fuuka cried.

But her warning came too late.

Meanwhile, Black Condor slowly rose to his feet from the floor, unperturbed. He didn't seem tired in the slightest. He sized up Shinjiro and sighed. "Look at you, Shinjiro Aragaki. You're already gasping for air, and I barely started fighting you. Do you understand now? It's pointless to fight back. Pointless. Why not just stand aside?"

He pointed at Shinjiro's heart. "Otherwise, if you don't stop, what will become of you? You're fighting a pointless battle, Shinjiro Aragaki! A foolish waste of everyone's time!"

"It's never a waste!" Shinjiro roared back. Only God knew why those words came forth. Since meeting her, a large portion of his outlook on life had changed dramatically: he began going out more in the daytime, he enjoyed his life at the dorm, and he began to smile more often. He had rediscovered something he had lost long ago: hope.

Unfortunately, his shouting at Black Condor caused him to gasp for more air. His heart throbbed painfully again. Dammit, what the hell is wrong with me? He thought angrily. He was supposed to be healed. He was supposed to be better after awakening from his coma.

For a moment, Black Condor didn't reply. Instead, he picked up the destroyed pieces of his Cross Changer from the floor and studied them before tucking the parts safely away in a hidden pocket. He looked up at the fatigued teenager. "At this rate, by the time you realize how utterly foolish you're acting, it will be too late," he said, his tone of voice odd.

Had Condor appeared before him as a friend, and not as an enemy, Shinjiro could've sworn that he sounded concerned. And it was at this point that he decided to stop thinking, because his tiredness was obviously dicking around with his brain if he thought for one second that the enemy in front of him was concerned.

From her position, Fuuka suddenly sensed something dreadful. Something powerful. Deadly. "Shinjiro-senpai!"

Black Condor pulled back his mask halfway, so that only his mouth was visible. He reached into his pocket, took out something, and shoved it into his mouth before properly readjusting his mask. "You're more resilient than I expected. I have no choice."

"Senpai!" Fuuka called out again. "Watch out! That's the move he used to knock out Aigis!"

A warm wind began to blow seemingly from nowhere. Something fluttered in Shinjiro's eyes and momentarily blotched his vision. Irritated, he yanked the stuff away from his face. They were feathers. Pitch-black feathers.

Shinjiro tossed them aside and looked up in awe and tension at his adversary. To his utter shock, Black Condor seemed to be moving faster than normal, almost as if he was an illusion. As Condor rushed at him with full speed, Shinjiro could swear that he saw black wings flashing on his back.

"Argh!" Shinjiro gasped as Condor executed an impossibly fast roundhouse kick that knocked the wind out of him.

Damn, what's happening? I thought I was winning, Shinjiro thought bitterly to himself as he struggled to his feet. He stared hard at Black Condor, who had paused near the entrance to the dorm. By now, the fire had completely enveloped one of the armchairs, but no one cared.

Shinjiro tried to regain some of his composure, but his whole body was racked with pain.

And when Condor delivered a swift punch squarely into the chest, Shinjiro was too tired and in too much pain to hold up his axe to block the attack; he ended up getting knocked all the way to the other side of the lounge near the bathrooms, hitting the wall with a hard thud before falling heavily to the floor. The shock of the impact left him with only a small fraction of his consciousness still working. Somewhere in the background, he faintly heard Fuuka cry his name in horror.

His heartbeats slowed, then stopped.

Is this it? He asked himself. Am I going to die? A brief spark of anger flashed through him, then died out as grief and helplessness washed over him. I couldn't do anything this time, either. I...couldn't protect-

.

.

March 31, 2010(?)
Place and Time Unknown

All of a sudden, Shinjiro found himself standing in a void of blinding whiteness. Standing in front of him was the woman who appeared in his hollow life, ripped it open with all the force of a whirlwind and filled it with sweet confusion. Her face was bright with that damned lovely smile she had always given him.

His vision blurred.

She, who has reached the end of her journey and chooses life for the sake of those she holds dear.

He, who struggles with loss and pushes onward without looking back.

Once again, I look forward to seeing how your story will be played out.

A shiver ran down Shinjiro's spine. He turned away from the image of her and noticed the blue-violet door a few feet away from him. As if to invite him over, the said door creaked open a bit, a cool blue light escaping from the crack.

Shinjiro slowly approached the door, put his hand on the doorknob, paused. He looked over his shoulder at "her". She held out her hands to him, reaching for him as if to say don't go.

He felt gentle sorrow sting his heart. He wanted to stay here, in this place with her; he could not. It didn't feel right. And, Shinjiro admitted to himself, he was too weak to be by her side right now.

"I'm sorry," he whispered with great regret before pulling the door open, the light from inside enveloping him completely.

"Welcome," a voice greeted him from beyond the door.

.

.

March 31, 2010
Iwatodai Dorm Lounge
Late Night

Black Condor was using a Persona.

That was the only explanation Fuuka could think of as she studied his sudden increase of strength and speed. He most likely used a Sukukaja and a Tarukaja spell on himself. As if to agree, Juno, her Persona, let out a confused cry. Juno sensed a Persona… but where was it?

It has to be a Persona! Fuuka thought desperately as she stared hard at Black Condor, who had just picked up Ken by his jacket collar and lifted him into the air. It has to be… Juno can sense it… so why can't I see it? Please, Juno, tell me the answer…If I could just pinpoint the origin of his power, I could figure out a way to defeat him!

Mitsuru and Junpei watched in silent horror as Condor aimed his gun at Ken's heart. Aigis was still unconscious, and showed no signs of waking. Fuuka herself, lacking the physical capacity to engage in direct combat, could only watch the scene unfold before her eyes.

And it was this particular moment Shinjiro decided to wake up.

Or rather, it looked like he was awake, but there was something about him that Fuuka couldn't put her finger on.

Everyone else was also momentarily distracted by Shinjiro's sudden comeback. Black Condor lowered Ken a bit, eyeing the teenager warily.

Shinjiro slipped a hand into a hidden pocket in his coat and pulled out something. It glistened eerily in the firelight, but it was still pretty dark in the lounge so Fuuka had to concentrate for a bit in order to find out what he was holding.

An Evoker.

Huh? How did he get that? When he lost consciousness last October, we took his Evoker for safekeeping… and the other Evokers were already confiscated by Mitsuru-senpai, Fuuka's mind raced. In a flash, she recalled Mitsuru's and Aigis' exchange in the command room earlier that day….

Mitsuru-san, I was unable to locate the last Evoker… Was Aigis' apology.

It's all right, Aigis. I actually anticipated that. Indeed, I can think of one – no, two people who could've taken it. Was Mitsuru's matter-of-fact reply.

At the time, Fuuka was mildly confused when her senpai said two people could've taken their leader's Evoker, but it seemed unimportant nevertheless. She had this hunch that it was Akihiko who took the Evoker - and it seemed like Junpei suspected senpai, too – and briefly wondered who the other person could've been for no more than six seconds.

Shinjiro aimed the said Evoker at his head, his facial expression unreadable.

"W-wait a minute! Senpai, don't!" Fuuka screamed.

Mitsuru was able to collect herself for a brief moment to cry out her own warning. "Shinjiro! You already lost your potential! That, together with the fact that your body and heart have been weakened due to the suppressants… if you try to summon a Persona at this stage, you could die!"

Shinjiro paused, and tilted his head back to peer at Black Condor.

"I hope you're ready to die, you son of a bitch."

He pulled the trigger.

To everyone's complete and utter amazement, the familiar sound of glass breaking was heard, loud and clear. A bright blue circle of light formed around Shinjiro. Strong gusts from air began to blow from some unknown place, causing his long burgundy coat to flap wildly.

"…A-ah…" Fuuka gasped weakly, the only reaction she could muster as she stared in awe at her senpai.

The next few seconds seemed to play out in slow motion.

Castor leapt powerfully, majestically, high into the air on his horse, which was neighing triumphantly. At the same time, a swirling warp appeared right above Shinjiro's head. Castor snapped the reins, spurring his horse towards the "warp" and jumped through it like a show horse in the ring.

But to everyone's increasing astonishment, the Persona that came out the other side was not "Castor" any longer.

"Thou art I, and I art thou," announced Castor's brand new form in a strong yet feminine voice.

"The hell?! That's freakin' Orpheus!" Junpei shouted over the strong winds. "That's her Persona!"

Ken gaped at the Persona if he were hypnotized. He was speechless.

Mitsuru's eyes widened with a sudden realization.

"What is this?" Black Condor stuttered, completely forgetting to shoot Ken. It was the first time he showed any other emotion besides confidence.

Orpheus let out an angry shriek and attacked.

.

.

March 31, 2010(?)
Between Dreams and Reality
Time unknown

Theodore stood at attention next to his master, studying their latest guest.

His name was Shinjiro Aragaki, aged 18 years and 121 days. Losing his parents at a very young age, the first eight years of his life were made up entirely of the orphanage he grew up in. He was very close friends with Akihiko and Miki Sanada.

Was, Theodore noted to himself. It was apparent that the incident that occurred a decade ago not only took young Miki's life – it also took away both boys' innocence. Throughout the years they've stayed friends, but neither of them were willing to admit how deeply the loss of Akihiko's sister had affected them, thus, they gradually grew apart. At present, were they really and truly friends? Only the boys themselves could tell for sure.

Two years ago, Shinjiro had taken the life of an innocent. True, it was unintentional. But no matter how the cards were played, it came to the same result; Ken Amada's mother had died, and Shinjiro was to blame.

Since becoming a resident of the Velvet Room alongside his sisters, Theodore became aware of one single fact. The Velvet Room's appearance changes to mirror the heart of whoever enters.

It was almost amusing; about a year ago, when she entered the Velvet Room for the first time, the Velvet Room took on the appearance of an endlessly ascending elevator, cleverly mirroring the situation of Tartarus. The ivory clock that kept the gates securely closed was working doubly faster than that of the human realm, moving forward without stopping. When she unlocked the power of the Universe, the Velvet Room had ceased its ascent. The clock was still working, but it had unlatched its hold on the gates, which swung open in response to her call.

And now, since the appearance of this young man, the Velvet Room had begun to move downwards. The ivory clock had stopped at a peculiar time: "11:59:59pm".

Theodore recalled the moment Shinjiro released Orpheus. It was an intense burst of energy that caused his very psyche to shatter… and yet, just like her, he was able to withstand the burden of the Wild Card through sheer willpower alone. Theodore wondered about this.

He was not born under the Fool – Shinjiro was the Hierophant. Castor morphing into Orpheus, her Persona… the talent to control multiple Personas and to wield their power was a gift that only a few had the strength to accept. Perhaps it was because his "bond" with their former guest had influenced him?

Shinjiro's power was immense, but at the present, uncontrollable. His unstable soul was the result of a rift between his body and mind. While his Wild Card ability was certainly present, there was no way of telling how it would manifest. Would Shinjiro control multiple Personas, the way she could? Or...

Theodore glanced up as the Velvet Room itself began to hasten its descent a notch. It was about time their honored guest had awakened.

"Nghh-"

Shinjiro shifted abruptly in his chair. His eyes blinked open, dazed. Right on cue.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room," Igor greeted the teenager with his customary warmth. Unlike Theodore, he made no attempt to hide the way he scrutinized the new guest. "Ah, a very rare guest indeed. You've lost more than just your path; you've lost your true self. Your identity."

"Where… where am I? Who are you?" Shinjiro demanded, much more awake than a few seconds ago. He froze, then looked up and asked hesitantly, "and who am I?"

A very rare guest, indeed, Theodore repeated his master's words in his head. Those who appear before Master Igor normally have a firm grasp of their basic identity. It is what keeps them from being swept away into the sea of collective human unconsciousness.

"Ah, forgive my manners. I forgot to introduce myself." Igor paused for effect. "My name is Igor, and this is Theodore, my assistant. We reside in this Velvet Room."

"Pleased to meet you," Theodore said politely, formally bowing to Shinjiro.

Igor continued, "This place exists between mind and matter, in the sea of the collective human unconsciousness… a room for those who have forged a contract. Yes, in awakening to the power of the Wild Card, you are now bound to a contract! From this moment forth, you are our guest in the Velvet Room."

From where Theodore stood, he could easily see that Shinjiro was reeling from Igor's explanation. It took him a brief moment to swallow everything he just heard. Theodore didn't blame him, because it was apparent that the teen had just lost a huge chunk of his memory.

"Wild Card?"

Igor nodded, pleased that despite Shinjiro's amnesia, he could keep up with the explanation. "The Wild Card… the ability to wield the powers of multiple Personas."

At that, Shinjiro gasped in pain and clutched his head with both hands. "Personas… multiple Personas… Tartarus, Dark Hour…," he moaned in agony, writhing on his chair, his speech just barely coherent.

Theodore blinked. It seemed that Shinjiro was regaining his memory faster than expected, although the things he was remembering did not include important, basic details such as his own name. Theodore looked at Igor out of the corner of his eye. He had the vague suspicion that his master chose to say those things specifically in order to jostle the teen's memory.

"I remember… I remember," Shinjiro ground out, slowly lowering his hands when it seemed like the pain had subsided. He still looked a bit shaky, however. "I remember… her."

"Yes," Igor agreed completely, nonchalantly, as if Shinjiro didn't just freak out right across the table from him. "She was a talented young lady, and until recently, she was our guest here."

"She was a guest here? You know her?" Shinjiro demanded.

Igor chuckled. "Indeed, I do. She achieved a marvelous thing! Reaching the answer to life…."

"What... the fuck is that supposed to mean?" Shinjiro muttered.

"The power you have gained is a means to attain that answer."

For a moment, Shinjiro did not speak. Instead, he stared at the floor, deep in thought.

Theodore frowned. There was some kind of power enveloping the teen at the present. It was faint, but it was potent enough to partially block their new guest from "fully entering" the Velvet Room… and it seemed that this force was blocking out certain parts of his memory, as well. And what a deadly force it was. It made it difficult to "connect" with their guest – and a weak connection was a grave disadvantage for any guest, for it prevented Igor from using his talents to the fullest.

And yet, nothing meaningless happens within the Velvet Room, so what did this frail connection mean?

Finally, Shinjiro looked up. He stared Igor directly in the eyes, clenching his fists. "This answer, whatever the hell that means. If I reach it… what happens afterwards? What comes next?"

"All who live journey in search of the answer, and they reach it at the journey's end." Igor replied smoothly.

It was obvious that the boy needed reassurance of some kind. Theodore exchanged a subtle look with his master. Igor conceded with a small nod before turning back to their guest. "If you have close ties to people you call friends, remember this… 'Strength of heart, when united, is barred by no door'…."

Shinjiro looked puzzled by what Igor said, so he added, "It was the same for that young lady. And that is all I can tell you. We of the Velvet Room are indeed helpers to our esteemed guests... but your Fate is entirely of your own making."

Theodore exhaled the breath he didn't realize he was holding with relief. Of course, he wanted his master to tell their guest much more, but it was not permitted. A dark force had seized Shinjiro and the others within the dorm; Theodore felt that they were all in terrible danger. He knew full well that Igor wouldn't allow him to say anything to Shinjiro Aragaki regarding his specific doubts. The future was a shifting, ever-changing thing after all, dependent on countless choices made by countless beings.

Theodore smiled gratefully at his master for this one small admonition. True, it would not make much sense to Shinjiro right now, but in time, if he remembered this important lesson, it could save his life.

"Well, I shouldn't keep you here any longer," Igor said after a long stretch of silence. "The beginning of your ordeal awaits."

SMASH!

"What the hell?" Shinjiro panicked, jumping to his feet.

Theodore gently rubbed his temple with his index finger and thumb, a bit dazed. To his surprise, their current guest's influence on the Velvet Room's interior was so strong, the time skips could be felt all the way over here, in this place that existed between dreams and reality, between mind and matter.

"I am certain you will require our services in the future," Igor was saying, effectively ignoring both of their reactions. "Please, take this-"

With a single, sharp finger snap, a key materialized in front of Shinjiro's face. It twirled lazily in the air for a few seconds before landing gently atop the teen's open palm.

While Shinjiro stared at the key, dumbfounded, Igor told him, "It would be better if you came here of your own free will next time. Until then, farewell."

Shinjiro's eyes rolled upwards. He blacked out, and fell back onto the chair.

As his body faded away, Igor's gaze turned to Theodore.

Theodore acknowledged the silent signal. It was time to play his role.

.

.

March 31, 2010
Iwatodai Dorms
Late Night

Back in the lounge, Fuuka took a deep breath and focused her energies once more on her unconscious senpai, who lay unmoving on one of the two couches that were spared from the fire. Fear had already begun to well up within her; for the past six minutes, she wasn't able to detect a single hint of life from Shinjiro. His heartbeats were practically nonexistent, and his bodily functions were slowing down. Shinjiro's skin was gradually becoming cold to the touch.

Fuuka didn't think she'd ever have the courage to look at her friends in the eye and flat out tell them that Shinjiro was dying. Especially to Akihiko.

"How is he, Yamagishi?" Mitsuru asked at long last. She had been sitting on the armchair on the right side of the table, her posture deceptively patient and relaxed as she waited for a report from Fuuka.

Fuuka cringed inwardly and, acknowledging that she lacked the skill to control her emotions, subtly turned her face away from where her senpai sat in order to hide her facial expression lest she revealed anything.

"Yamagishi." Mitsuru's voice was firm; her relaxed mask slipping slightly.

Shinjiro suddenly groaned and his shoulder jerked abruptly, causing Fuuka to jump.

What? Fuuka mentally gasped, staring hard at Shinjiro, who groaned again. Shinjiro-senpai is… alive?

Yukari, who was standing nearby, instantly knelt on the floor next to Fuuka and summoned Isis. A faint, golden glow enveloped Shinjiro's body, and the discomfort on his face eased after a moment. Fuuka stood up and analyzed Shinjiro for the umpteenth time while Yukari continued to use her Dia abilities to soothe his pain. She finally detected life within him, but just barely. Definitely not enough to keep a person going. Of course, Fuuka was glad just because he was able to regain consciousness, but something felt… off.

The warm glow vanished as Yukari relaxed her focus. Shinjiro wheezed and coughed. His eyes blinked open.

Yukari sighed and straightened, Isis returning to her psyche. Koromaru, who was curled up comfortably on Shinjiro's feet, felt the change in the axe wielder and quickly leapt to the floor and began a mad dash around the couch, barking excitedly.

Junpei, who was cleaning up the remains of the ashes from the fire, looked up, saw Shinjiro waking up and exhaled loudly with relief. "Phew! He woke up!"

Shinjiro stared at the ceiling for a few moments before painstakingly bringing himself to a sitting position on the couch, leaning against the back of the sofa and placing his bare feet on the floor.

"Yo, senpai!" Junpei bounced over. "How are you doing, man? You really scared us, collapsing like that."

As if to agree, Koromaru jumped up on Shinjiro's lap and began licking his face. He petted the dog affectionately, but his face had this guarded look as he stared at the people in the room. He said nothing to Junpei in reply.

Fuuka felt uncomfortable as she felt her senpai regard her with a curious yet questioning gaze, as if he were memorizing her face; as if he was seeing her for the first time. Also, there was something decidedly different about him.

"I came cause Mitsuru-senpai called for me just in case, and I get caught up in this?" Yukari muttered. "Give me a break."

Just like that, the spell was broken.

Shinjiro gently eased Koromaru aside and studied himself. "Huh? Where the hell are my clothes?"

He was still wearing pants, but his coat and T-shirt was off, leaving his muscled torso bare. A long length of bandage had been wound twice around each shoulder and wrapped around his stomach area. His beloved beanie had also been removed from its rightful place on his head.

A suspicious reddish tinge colored Mitsuru's and Yukari's faces.

The redhead was the first to recover. "Yukari and I combined our healing arts to save you. We found some strange things under the floor... there was no sign that you would wake up, so instead of waiting, we tried everything we could," she explained.

Yukari quickly added, "Your coat and shirt were badly burned by the fire, so they had to go... but, your beanie came out just fine, senpai." She stepped forward and held out the said beanie to him.

Junpei scratched the back of his head and sighed. "It still sucks, though, getting bossed around by him like that..."

"Him?"

"Black Condor managed to escape, but we succeeded in capturing his partner," Fuuka explained. "And when we tried to interrogate him, all he said was 'if you want Shinjiro to live, you shouldn't let him get involved.' He also gave us some medicine to apply to your burns, which I might add, worked surprisingly well."

And if it wasn't for the medicine he gave us, you would've died, Fuuka added silently.

Without another word, Shinjiro stood up and made his way over to the kitchen area. Or, to be more precise, what remained of the kitchen area. Mitsuru stood up from her chair as well, and followed after the gruff senior and the others.

A little past the trapdoor sat a figure in a red Featherman R uniform, chained to the chair. Akihiko and Ken were standing guard on both sides respectively.

"Yo," Akihiko greeted Shinjiro as he approached. "Looks like you've been through a lot, sleepyhead," he teased.

Fuuka had to smile at her senpai's show of bravery because in truth, Akihiko had been out of his mind with worry the whole time.

"No worries here, though - he's on his best behavior," Akihiko was saying, gesturing towards the Featherman in the chair.

"His name is Red Hawk, and he's the leader of the Phoenix Ranger Featherman R!" Ken just couldn't resist inserting background information, to everyone's bewilderment. Realizing his blunder, Ken cleared his throat and said in a more mature tone of voice, "...Anyway, he won't be able to cause any trouble. We have our Evokers this time."

However, Red Hawk himself did not seem to be paying attention to the conversation. Nobody in the room could really tell because of his custom Featherman helmet, which covered his entire head.

"What do you gotta bust things up like that for? I mean, today's my turn to clean the place!" Junpei whined at the costumed intruder.

Red Hawk made a noise in his throat, as if he were clearing it. He straightened in his chair. "I'm sorry. If only I had arrived sooner, I could have stopped Feather Condor before he caused so much collateral damage."

He levelly regarded each SEES member's face with disinterest. But when he got to Shinjiro, he drew back, surprised.

"Ah-"

Shinjiro stepped forward. "You worked with them to help me?"

"The reason I came here in the first place was to warn you, but I was too late - Condor had made it here first, and ambushed you and your friends. Helping you heal was the least I could do," Red Hawk replied. He lifted his chained arms. "These restraints aren't necessary. I won't attack you."

"Just in case you haven't figured it out yet, I'll spell it out for you - nobody in hell is going to believe what you say until you explain to us why," Shinjiro advised. Everyone else in the room turned back to Red Hawk expectantly.

"It's because... well, if you must know, it's probably all my fault," Red Hawk said at last. "I mean, I think it's my fault why my br- ...er, Condor decided to attack. And I... this is my responsibility, so...," he trailed off.

Shinjiro shoved his fingers through his hair with his free hand, thinking hard.

"Let's free him."

Everyone stared at him, confused.

"Look, I don't know if he can be trusted or not. But it doesn't seem like he wants to fight," Shinjiro said matter-of-factly. "Besides, if he really is 'Red Hawk', then the chains won't hold him."

"Yes. Red Hawk is the second strongest in the Featherman group when it comes to physical strength," Ken added, proud to know this inside information.

As if to prove their point, Red Hawk took a deep breath and yanked hard on the chains, which snapped loudly and easily. He stood up and flexed his newly freed arms and wrists, testing them for stiffness.

"Huh?" Junpei exclaimed. "Then these friggin' nonstop shifts were for nothing?"

Suddenly, Red Hawk struck a triumphant pose.

"Unknown even to others! Unknown even to the world! We become shadowy birds of prey to defeat evil! Phoenix Ranger Featherman R! HAH!"

Shinjiro didn't seem shocked or disturbed by this display in the least, unlike the others. Instead, he continued to interrogate Red Hawk. "First, tell us who you are, and your real purpose for being here."

"...I am Feather Hawk, the captain of Sky Force's X-6 Phoenix division, and the leader of Featherman R," Hawk responded. "Feather Condor is also my teammate. As for my purpose, it's simply to save you and your friends from this hopeless situation."

"Hopeless situation?" Shinjiro repeated. He eyed the others. "Hey, what happened while I was asleep? How long was I out, anyways?"

It was Red Hawk who answered him. "Since your battle with Feather Condor ended, I'd say about four hours have passed. Yet right now the date and time is March 31st, 11:59pm. Tomorrow, and all the days that follow, will also be March 31st, 11:59pm. At this rate, it will last forever." Hawk paused, then said, "You felt it, too, didn't you? Four hours ago, right before you and Condor clashed... the moment when time skipped?"

"'Skipped'? Do you mean what we felt at midnight? Are you trying to tell me that time has stopped?"

Akihiko suddenly spoke up. "That's not all," he told Shinjiro. "We haven't been able to leave the dorm since Yukari and I got here. That makes two ways we're trapped here."

"Shit," Shinjiro spat. He ran his fingers through his hair again, this time with anxiety. He took a deep breath, trying to regain some composure.

"Care to explain why this is happening, Red Hawk?"

Hawk nodded. He crossed his arms over his chest and gave every appearance of thinking deeply. "The Abyss of Time below us is causing a space-time distortion," he said slowly, careful with his choice of words.

"Abyss of Time? Below Us? You lost me," Shinjiro muttered, shaking his head.

Mitsuru stepped forward. "It's difficult to explain. It may be easier to show you."