■ Chapter 1: Echoes of Emotion

Let's rewind the clock a little. Because while our story didn't begin until we met, what would come to define our journey happened well before then. Yes, let's go back. Back to April 6 of that year. The day I stepped off that train, taking my first steps into Iwatodai.

A quiet, chilly night had settled in as the train I'm riding in continued along its path. An empty train. I was the only one riding in it, which was understandable given how late it was. Not to mention that the trains were running rather late. I was supposed to have arrived hours ago, but a huge accident caused the schedules to change drastically.

What was supposed to be a train ride from 6 PM expecting to arrive at 8 PM, got delayed to 10 PM and I was only just reaching my destination close to midnight. I never learned what the accident that caused this was, but it was a massive inconvenience nonetheless.

(Of all the times to arrive...)

I really hoped that midnight wouldn't come while I was still on the train. Because what was coming would effectively leave me trapped in there until everything returned to normal. Around an hour, give or take.

I sighed and sat back down in my seat. I diverted my attention away from that possibility and instead thought about my destination. Looking out the window in front of me, I saw many buildings still lit up. The various heights of the buildings made the whole place look like a jungle to me, and I expected it to be just as difficult to navigate through. Thankfully, I had a map on hand to help me find my destination.

"It would certainly help if I can get to the station before everything goes weird..."

I chuckled. Complaining wasn't going to get me anywhere, and I knew that perfectly well. I just had to take things as they came. It's how I lived up to this point and it's always worked for me.

Something did bother me about this whole thing. I recalled hearing someone say that I used to live in Iwatodai, but I didn't remember anything about that. Then again, I couldn't remember much to begin with. A lot of my past was just a massive blank, and I expected more recent events to become a blurry mess in my mind eventually.

I didn't know for certain if what I was told was the truth, but I just had to take their word for it. Perhaps coming here was a blessing in disguise? Maybe I would remember something if I took the time to explore the city. That was what I hoped.

"Due to a malfunction in the switching system, today's rail schedule has been greatly altered," the intercom blared out. Oh yeah, that happened as well. On top of a rather serious accident. My luck was just the greatest. "We apologise to any customers who are in a hurry. The next stop is Iwatodai."

I checked my phone quickly. 11:55 PM. That was good. I was going to make it with time to spare. I let out a relieved sigh and stood up. I grabbed what little I brought with me. A small bag that I slung around my shoulder.

I walked towards the door and waited. The buildings passed by me quickly, the lights flashing in and out of my sight. This long preamble would soon come to an end and I would take the first steps of my new journey.

And then, my vision suddenly dimmed.

The lights faded. And in the distance, I thought I saw something blue. Something fluttering in the air with difficulty. Like it was trying to stay in the air for just a little longer before it inevitably fell.

A voice rang in my mind. Masculine, deep. And yet, it sounded like he was in pain.

"This world is in its death throes. There is little time, and far too little light to combat the darkness that is encroaching our reality."

The butterfly managed to get close to me and rested on my shoulder. I looked towards it with a curious expression.

"To you, who is about to face this ordeal, I'm sorry. There is little aid I can offer, and your journey will be more difficult as a consequence. Far too difficult for the likes of you. But this is our last chance... You have less than a year. Go forth, young firefly, and let your soul decide what is right..."

Light returned to the world, the butterfly vanishing from my shoulder. My eyes shifted to look back out at the world, and a shaky sigh escaped my lips.

"...Less than a year... I wonder if..."

The question died in my throat. It was strange. I could somehow understand exactly what the butterfly was trying to convey to me. The reality of things was that the strange realm that appeared every night was somehow connected to what it was talking about, and that I needed to be extremely careful getting off this train.

Once I did so, there was no going back.

"...Not like there's anywhere for me to go."

I came this far already, and I had no intention of backing out of this now. I guess you could say I passed the point of no return a long time ago.

The train slowly came to a halt at the station, and the doors slid open silently. Letting out the breath I was holding in, I stepped out onto the platform. Looking around, I saw that I was the only one there.

Not unexpected, given the time. I brought out my phone once more now that I was thinking about it. 11:59 PM. It would begin soon. Not long now. I watched as the clock slowly ticked towards midnight.

The moment midnight struck, the world twisted and turned into something that most couldn't, or wouldn't, imagine. A world where the buildings, the night sky, even the moon hanging over us, would become a sickly green colour, and any form of water would become a crimson, blood-like colour... It was either that, or it actually was blood. I didn't have the nerve to check for myself.

I looked down at my phone. What I saw didn't come as a surprise. I had figured out quite some time ago that anything electronic just simply did not work under the cover of this mysterious realm.

Placing the phone in my pocket, I pulled out the map that I was given. The building I was looking for wasn't too far from the station. Probably around an hour's walk. This strange phenomenon should clear by the time I get there. I hoped, at least.

I began to make my way to my destination. As I walked, I noticed another peculiarity of this realm. Coffins that lined the streets like a twisted, demented graveyard. I made my way past them, doing my best not to acknowledge what they could be.

A collection of shops was across the street from me as I left the station, as well as a staircase that led up to a shrine a little further on. I considered visiting it, but noted that I didn't have time to be sightseeing. There would be plenty of time for that later.

I stopped suddenly. A tingling feeling that made the hairs on the back of my hand stand up. My senses told me that something was approaching. Something dangerous. I froze for a moment.

...And then the tension in my body disappeared. I knew what was there, and it wasn't something that I needed to be concerned about.

"I'm sorry," I said politely to the creatures behind me, not needing to look, "but I don't have anything to give you tonight."

A strange, high-pitched gurgling. To other folk, it must have sounded like gibberish, or the noises of an animal. And yet, somehow, I was able to understand what those creatures were saying. I was always capable of that, ever since I first discovered this realm.

I recalled being cautious of these creatures at first but I eventually came to realise that they meant no harm. I remembered thinking that something felt strange about my assessment. But it was the only conclusion I could draw from what I experienced.

The creatures were disappointed, as I expected. I felt sorry for them, wishing I had the foresight to bring something in case I ended up in this realm again.

"Wait." I suddenly had a thought. I might have had something to give after all. "Hold on a sec." I brought my bag around and opened it. A small light brown paper bag was in it. The moment I caught sight of the paper bag, it moved slightly, revealing its contents to me. I had bought a bunch of apples in case I got hungry during the ride, but I never did.

I took out a red apple and smiled. Turning around to face the creatures, I shook the apple in my hand. Three small black blobs wearing yellow masks bounced up and down in excitement. I couldn't help but chuckle at the situation.

For some reason or another, these creatures always seemed to recognise me. No matter where I went. They never attacked or did anything weird, so after a while, it became... normal. I probably should have been more worried that this situation was becoming normal for me, but I couldn't do anything about that.

Taking out three apples, I threw one to each of them, devouring them within their gooey bodies happily. I didn't know exactly what they ate but they seemed to enjoy what I gave them regardless. I looked around while they partook of their midnight snack... Something felt off.

Even in this realm, there were a few things that were certainties. The way the world looked, the creatures inhabiting it, and an ever-present feeling of uneasiness. It was only natural, considering just how alien this realm was. However, what I felt when I stopped to think wasn't uneasiness. It felt as though I was standing on an uneven cliff that was about to fall apart. This city just seemed far less stable than any other place I'd been to that experienced this realm.

(How didn't I notice this...?)

Probably because I didn't stop to think about it. Or perhaps I was just trying not to think about it. Either way, I was aware of it now. High pitched noises drew my attention back to the creatures. Their masks moved around as though they were looking around in a panic. The one closest to me screeched at me, sounding completely terrified.

"Run?" I repeated what I heard. "What do you mean 'run'?"

Another screech.

"...A monster?"

The moment those words reached my own ears, something in the air changed. I immediately looked to the south. A mostly clear horizon. Nothing obstructed my view of the sky. I looked around carefully, in case there was something that was flying about. Nothing.

Something gnawed at me. A feeling that there was something missing. Something that should have been there but wasn't.

A loud screech pierced the air. I looked towards the sound quickly and saw the creatures feeling for their lives.

And once again, I was left alone. Deciding that it was best not to stick around for too long, I quickly made my escape.

Five minutes later, I arrived at my destination. A moderately sized building, around four floors, that served as a dorm for students of the school I was going to attend. The cover of that realm still lingered, but at least I would be safe now. I had imagined it would be locked but, to my surprise, it was open. I could push the door open with no problems.

"That's just asking to get robbed," I noted amusedly. "Might have to bring that up later." I let myself in, closing the door behind me. "Excuse me."

The room was somewhat cold, but nothing I couldn't deal with. I couldn't see very far into the living room because of the lack of lighting. The only thing letting me see was the light of the moon shining through the window. Perhaps someone was awake? I didn't think so, but I was supposed to meet someone when I arrived. It was likely that everyone would be asleep, so I decided that I should probably just sleep on the couch until someone found me. I'd probably slept in worse.

I took a step forward, and then a voice rang out.

"You're here. Is it that time again, I wonder?"

I turned to the voice. Behind the large wooden desk sat a boy who was wearing striped pajamas. Pale as a corpse, piercing blue eyes, short black hair and a mole under his left eye. He had a gentle smile on his face as he addressed me.

"It certainly took you a long time to get here."

I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

"Yeah. Accident in the last town I was in and then a problem with the switching system while I was on the train. Just wasn't my day."

"It can't be helped. You're here now. That's all that matters." He jumped down from his seat and walked around the counter so he was standing in front of me. "Normally, I would have you sign your name there." He pointed to the desk. I looked at the red folder on it for a second before opening it up.

A single sheet of paper. Right above a black line was written "I chooseth this fate of mine own free will."

"What's this?" I asked.

"It's a contract. It would bind you into accepting full responsibility for your actions. And that no matter what happened as a result, you would accept it... But I don't believe it's necessary. After all, the outcome of all this has been determined from the start. Even if you don't accept it, you'll be guided to your proper place regardless."

I was silent. I didn't want to respond to the boy's words.

"I'm curious, I admit. Why, of all creatures, did he choose you?" The boy let out an eerie chuckle. "I'm looking forward to seeing how your journey unfolds. Perhaps I might even be there to see its end." He stepped into the darkness as it slowly engulfed him. His form vanished into the shadows. "Farewell for now..."

The darkness receded, allowing the light from outside to fill the room once more. I sighed.

(That's the second time I've heard something cryptic tonight... Maybe it'll make more sense in the morning.)

It probably wouldn't. I was just looking for an excuse to go to sleep, because I was exhausted from the journey.

I let out a yawn.

(Hopefully they don't mind if I sleep on the couch.)

Before I could make good on that thought, someone decided to make their presence known.

"Who's there?!"

I instinctively looked towards the back of the room. On the edge of the darkness stood someone who I would come to know very well. A brunette with brown eyes, wearing a pink cardigan along with a red ribbon around her neck and a black mini skirt.

She stared at me, while I stared at her. Neither of us knew what the other was thinking. The only thing I knew was that someone else was in this realm with me and that she was looking at me with what could only be described as suspicion. Sweat built up on her face as she contemplated her next move.

And that's when I noticed it. Wrapped around her left thigh was a holster, and in that holster was what appeared to be a silver gun. It was too dark to make out details, but the shape was unmistakable.

I made the mistake of taking a step back out of caution. If the situation at that moment could be compared to anything, it would be a loaded gun. In that moment, I held the gun in my hands and I accidentally pulled the trigger.

This metaphorical gun going off made the brunette yank the real gun out of the holster. But before things could escalate⸻

"Takeba, wait!"

Pure silence throughout the room. The yell of another person caused the tension in the air to evaporate. A few seconds passed, and the lights flickered back on. That strange realm had finally relinquished its hold. Now that the lights had come back on, I could see who yelled.

A girl who looked slightly older than the brunette. Red hair and reddish-brown eyes, wearing a white blouse along with a black skirt that went to just above her knees. The two of them looked at each other for a moment before walking over to me, seeing that it was safe.

"I didn't think you would arrive so late," the red-haired girl said, looking me over with an inquisitive stare.

"Sorry," I apologised for the second time that night. "It couldn't be helped."

"It's quite alright," she said with a smile. "My name is Mitsuru Kirijo. I'm one of the students who live in this dorm."

I wondered if I was familiar with that name. After a brief bout of thought, I couldn't think of anything. Something told me that the name was important but I couldn't place a finger on why.

"Who's this?" the brunette asked Mitsuru.

"He's a transfer student. It was a last minute decision to assign him here. He'll eventually be moved to a room in the boys' dorm."

"...Is it okay for him to be here?" the brunette asked apprehensively. Mitsuru only smiled in response.

"I guess we'll see." She turned to look at me, motioning to the brunette. "This is Yukari Takeba. She'll be a junior this spring, just like you."

"...Hey."

There were several questions I had at that moment. One of them being the gun in her holster. But I doubted that I would get an answer, and I didn't want my first words to her to be so confrontational.

So I settled with a polite, "Nice to meet you."

"Uh, y-yeah..." Yukari let out a smile. "Nice to meet you, too..."

"It's getting late," Mitsuru pointed out, "so you should get some rest. Your room is on the second floor, at the end of the hallway. I was surprised at the lack of things you have. There was very little that was delivered."

"I've always travelled light. Makes moving around much easier."

"Yes, I'm well aware of your circumstances." Mitsuru placed a hand on her chin. "Speaking of, I don't believe you've introduced yourself yet."

"Name...? Oh, right. Name. Sorry, I'm tired." I shook my head to get rid of some of the drowsiness. "If you could, call me... Kazuto."

Mitsuru nodded without question, though Yukari was understandably confused.

"No last name?" she asked. I shrugged my shoulders.

"Do I need one?" I asked in return.

"Well, it's sort of normal. So I thought..." She fell silent, perhaps realising that there was no proper way to answer my question. Mitsuru turned her head slightly to look at her.

"His circumstances are... unique. If you want to know more, you can ask him later." Mitsuru smiled. "I think he's just about ready to fall asleep standing up."

I almost laughed from how accurate her words were. Falling asleep while staying upright would be pretty impressive. I wasn't sure if I was capable of something like that, but I didn't want to test it.

Yukari looked at Mitsuru, and then to me. Noticing that I was exhausted, she stepped back.

"I-I'll show you the way. Follow me."

She began to make her way to the stairs, and I followed after her a moment later.

"Kazuto." The sound of Mitsuru's voice calling out to me made me turn to look back at her. She was watching my back as I walked and seemed to want to say something. Her expression was that of curiosity. I couldn't discern much beyond that, but something in the back of my mind made me think that there was more to it. "You... Never mind, it's nothing. You've got a busy week coming, so try to get some rest."

I nodded before following Yukari up the stairs. She was correct when she said that. Getting acclimated to my new school, meeting new people, walking around the city and learning about it. Quite the busy week, indeed. It would be best if I went to bed as soon as I got to my room. I had to get there first, though.

We stepped onto the second floor, and Yukari led me down the hall to the last door on my right. She turned to face me when she came to a stop.

"This is it," she announced, with a cheerfulness that sounded somewhat forced. "Pretty easy to remember, huh? Since it's right at the end of the hall. Oh yeah, make sure you don't lose your key or you'll never hear the end of it."

She held out a small silver key, which I took off her hand.

"Duly noted." I nodded in response. I tried to put a bit more perkiness in my voice but I couldn't muster the energy to do so.

"So, any questions before I go?"

I considered for a moment asked about the kid that was there when I got through the front door, but after considering that she or Mitsuru would have mentioned him by now, I decided to not bother her with it.

"Not really. The only question I really have is when I'll be getting woken up." I chuckled lightly. I knew that I would be getting nowhere near the amount of sleep I was used to by now, but I was alright with that.

"I'll make sure you get up on time. Don't worry about that." Yukari smiled a little. That's good, I thought. After that encounter at the entrance, I thought she would be a little more cautious. But it seemed as though she had relaxed a little. "Um... Can I ask you something? On your way from the station, was everything okay?"

I stared at her for a few moments. Why would she ask a question like that, when she and Mitsuru were acting as though things were normal downstairs? I knew exactly what she was talking about and decided to just say it outright, not wanting to play this game of "You know, I know".

"You're talking about that strange realm we were in a few minutes ago, aren't you?" I asked, softening my voice to an almost whisper. Just loud enough for her to hear me and for her to understand that I was aware that not many knew about it. I didn't know who else was in the building, so discretion was key.

Yukari looked surprised that I even mentioned it. She nodded.

"Y-Yes... I'm sure you have a lot of questions, but let's save them for later, okay?"

"Alright." I could accept that. Because despite what was brewing under the surface, the world continued on. "Well, I'm heading off to bed. See you in the morning?"

"Yeah. Good night."

I watched her walk down the hallway and down the stairs out of my sight. Turning to face my temporary home, I took hold of the handle and gave it a twist.

The room was in total darkness and it took me a few seconds for me to find the light switch. Suddenly, the room was illuminated. A mostly empty room, with only the bare essentials; a bed, a desk and chair, a TV, and a sink with a mirror above it. It's slightly bigger than the room I was in before, but that didn't mean much.

A few small boxes were placed against the wall to my right. What little clothing I actually possessed. Never had much I could call my own.

I walked over to the bed and placed my bag down beside it. I looked around the room and let out a heavy sigh. It felt as though I could properly relax for the first time since I departed for Iwatodai. So much trouble just to get there. Well, I couldn't complain too much. I was there now, and at that moment that was all that mattered.

I turned off the light and practically collapsed onto the bed. Immediately, all the exhaustion I felt as I made my long journey to the city caught up with me. I could immediately feel the pull to just close my eyes and go to sleep. And with everything that had happened, I was more than happy to.

Yet, as I was about to close my eyes, something echoed in my mind. The voice of that butterfly.

(...Less than a year...)

Those words stirred something inside of me. Something unfamiliar, yet familiar. An emotion that I couldn't ignore or deny. It told me to not let what that butterfly foretold come to pass. The question was how could I do it. And, though less important, why I felt that way.

Both questions I could think about later. At the moment, I was just too tired to think. I fell asleep quickly, unable to stay awake any longer. Once more, that butterfly's warning rang in my mind.

【Author's Note】

Beginnings are a rather curious thing. The first step your characters take depend on what kind of story you're telling. Persona 5 had a bombastic opener that, though fun and stylish, didn't truly payoff until you're about 75-80% through the story. Persona 4 had a slow start, building up characters and relationships while also setting up the mystery—and it also takes the longest to get going. And Persona 3 had a short beginning before getting into the action, explaining enough to let the player know what they're doing and why they're fighting.

And when you're familiar with the beginning of a story, any changes made in an adaptation of it are quite noticeable. As I'm sure you have seen.

What this may hold for the future is for you to discover.

◆ Next Time – Chapter 2: Broken Night ◆