Author's Note:

Wowowow, I am so sorry that this took forever to update. Original ideas are a little more difficult to churn out (especially since I have a script to go by for L'Effet Papillon), so it takes longer for me to write. I'm also lazy and have been spending most of my writing time for Attack on Titan/Shingeki no Kyojin, so...

Priorities. I have none.

Ragnarok
a Persona (© ATLUS) fanfiction

Chapter Three
Curiosity Killed the Cat

Opening Song: "Dirty Paws" - Of Monsters and Men

and for a while things were cold,
they were scared down in their holes
the forest that once was green
was colored black by those killing machines
but she and her furry friends
took down the queen bee and her men,
and that's how the story goes

April 5, 2016, Yamasachihiko, Kaihin, Kageri International High School

The next morning, Ino walks to school alongside Ken and Walker. While she excitedly chats about the local art with the latter, Ken spends the majority of the route with a newspaper unfolded in front of him. "APATHY SYNDROME CLAIMS FIVE MORE VICTIMS" is printed on the front page, with a picture of the hospitalized individuals underneath it. The image isn't particularly gruesome, though it does stir some discomfort: all of the victims are slack-jawed, sickly pale, with wide and empty eyes. "I can't believe it's happening again," Ken thinks as he scans the article. "But why...? Why is it happening again? Didn't we stop this six years ago?" A question that he refuses to acknowledge tugs at the back of his mind: Was her sacrifice for nothing?

Ino carefully pulls the newspaper down in order to look at his face. "You've been reading this entire time, Ken-kun," she says, wearing a small smile. "You're lucky you haven't run into anyone yet."

Ken blushes. "S-sorry..."

"You're reading the article on Apathy Syndrome, right?" Walker asks. When Ken nods affirmatively, a sad expression crosses the blond's face. "It's unfortunate that this is happening... I hear it's only on Yamasachihiko, too. The doctors can't figure out the cause, or why it hasn't spread everywhere else. People are really starting to worry."

"How long has this been happening?" Ino asks.

"A couple of months, according to the article," Ken answers. "It started out with only a few cases, but the numbers have been growing over the past two weeks." He easily recalls the void expressions of the Lost when they littered Tatsumi Port Island, before every Full Moon Operation. All of those major Shadows have been defeated, though, and Nyx is gone. "For now," he has to remind himself. For as long as humanity exists, so too will Nyx — even if it's in slumber.

"You know," Walker says, "the first victim was from our school."

"Really!?" Ino gasps, eyes widening. "Did you know her, Walker?"

"A little..." His lips twist into a small frown as he nervously fiddles with the edge of his white scarf. "Actually, she was in my class... We were together during our first year, too. I didn't talk to her very much, though, so I only know what everyone else knows." Walker shrugs a little, obviously a little perturbed but trying to brush it off. "She became a celebrity after it happened."

Ken sighs. "Well, people only pay attention after something tragic's happened... Otherwise they don't care."

The suddenly morose atmosphere starts to suffocate Ino, who looks physically uncomfortable. "I'm sure she had a lot of friends and family," she protests. "Well, has. She's... She's still alive, right?"

"Yes," Walker says. "She's in the hospital, though. Her parents are paying to have her hooked up to the life machine, although..." He scratches the back of his neck, averting his eyes. "Although it's not much use. She isn't responding to anything or anyone. Her heart's still beating, but they can't sense any brain activity. She's only alive in the technical sense."

What a sad way to be talked about, Ino can't help but think. "But even if it's technical, as long as she's still alive, there's a chance, right?"

There's a noticeable dip in his brow, one that suggests he finds a problem in her question, but it disappears quickly as he puts on a smile. "Would you consider yourself an optimist, Ino-chan?"

There is absolutely nothing bashful about her grin. "Of course!"

Ken chuckles as he lightly pats her on the shoulder. "We could use a couple more optimists in the world. It's nice to have someone always searching for that light at the end of the tunnel, especially when everyone else is blind." The way she hums cheerfully in response and moves forward with a skip in her step is too familiar. Before he can stop it, his memory reels, bringing him back to the Iwatodai Dorm with the other members of SEES. Everything that was hurled their way — the twelve Shadows, Ikutsuki's betrayal, Ryoji and Nyx — should have stopped them. They should have failed, more than once. Yet, one person continued to push, continued to seek out that light.

"Hey, Ken-kun?" Ino's voice draws him back to reality; he inwardly curses himself for letting himself go like that. "Are you okay? You've got a kinda spacey look on your face."

He apologizes quickly, hoping that the other two don't see him sweating. "Maybe I shouldn't read the newspaper so early in the morning," he says lamely. He awkwardly folds up the newspaper and crams it into his book bag. "Looks like we're already here, anyway... What class are you in, Walker?"

"2-A," he says. "Both of you are in 2-B, right?"

"Yup!" Ino answers, popping the "p" loudly.

"So your homeroom teacher is Erik Albrecht, then." Both Ken and Ino wince, the memory of yesterday's humiliation still fresh in their minds. Walker laughs, even if he does give them a sympathetic look. "He's notorious throughout the school. Even third years are scared of him. He's pretty new, though... This is only his second year teaching at KI, I think."

"He looks young," Ken comments.

"The KI administration is always looking to get people from overseas to come, students and teachers," Walker explains. "He'd just gotten his teaching license in Germany when he was recruited. He's a bit of a jerk, but they really wanted him."

"You know a lot about him," Ino observes.

The pinkness of his cheeks is very noticeable, though neither Ken nor Ino comment. "Mr. Albrecht is actually pretty popular with the female population," he answers quickly. "He's— Ah, they say he's attractive. And, well, he's foreign, which is another factor."

Ino taps her chin thoughtfully as she really thinks about her homeroom teacher's appearance, trying to disregard his scowl and the way he embarrassed her in front of her classmates. "I guess, objectively speaking, he's kinda attractive... Then again, I also have a thing for blondes, so I don't know how objective I am." She doesn't realize that Walker is blushing (even more) until she recognizes that he's remained silent. "Oh! Oh, Walker, don't blush! Of course you're attractive, but I wouldn't jump you just because you have blonde hair!"

Ken resists the urge to burst out laughing as Walker attempts to sink into his scarf. "I don't think you're helping much, Hakuna-san."

Ino and Ken part ways with the still red-faced Walker so that they can enter their respective classrooms. Fortunately, they're early this time, though there's no sight of their homeroom teacher. "I guess we got lucky today!" Ino chirps, moving over to her seat. As she settles, pulling out her notebook and pens (which she remembered today), she glances at the boy next to her out of the corner of her eye. She sniffs her shirt, decides that she smells like the perfect dose of vanilla perfume, and taps her neighbor on the shoulder. "Hi!"

The white-haired boy looks positively startled. "Hello," he replies, sounding unsure.

"Thanks for letting me borrow your pen yesterday. It was a big help." She quickly digs through her orange pouch, pulling out the pen lent to her the day before. "By the way, I'm Ino."

"Lin," he says, taking the pen. He opens his mouth, like he wants to continue the conversation, but ultimately decides against it and turns forward.

Even if he seems to think the conversation's over, Ino has plenty to say — as usual. "Nice to meet you, Lin! It's always nice to have a friendly neighbor, especially when you're new. I mean, not that I couldn't ask Ken-kun," (she slaps the boy in front of her on the back, earning a surprised grunt), "if I really needed a pen, but it's a lot less conspicuous if I ask the person next to me. I have a feeling I'm already in Mr. Albrecht's bad books, anyway."

"It doesn't take much to get in his bad books," Lin says. "Although coming in late on the first day is gutsy for anyone."

Ino blinks at the deadpan delivery of his line, but figures that he means it as a joke (rather than as an insulting comment on her lack of punctuality) and cracks a grin. "Well, I was voted most gutsy in elementary and junior high!"

The corner of his lips quirk upwards ever-so-slightly. "Are you aiming for the all time record, then?"

"Oh, absolutely!"

"So—"

Lin's next question is broken off into a yelp when a rolled up magazine thwacks the back of his head. "Quit flirtin' and open up your textbooks, kiddos." Lin, whose face is burning in shame and embarrassment, tries to sink into his seat as their homeroom teacher saunters by. Erik Albrecht sticks the magazine under his arm and cheerfully sips at his steaming coffee, which is apparently the reason why he's later than usual. "I'd love to do some field research observing hormonal teenagers in their natural habitat, but unfortunately I'm a math teacher, not a sociology teacher. Besides, all that social science bullshit is conjecture."

While Mr. Albrecht sets himself up at the front desk, Ino mouths a concerned 'Sorry!' to Lin, though he doesn't notice because he's too busy recovering from his trauma. "Teachers can be really cruel," Ino thinks as she taps her pen against her notebook.

Ken does his best to keep his composure, especially since he's in the first row. "Two guys in one morning," he thinks, stealing a glance at the girl behind him. Just two minutes into class and she's already doodling in the corner of her paper. (He notices, with some amusement, that she sticks her tongue out of the corner of her mouth when she focuses on something.) "This one's deadly."

KI has an impressive inventory of lunch food, consisting of foods from all over the globe. While the idea of being a food connoisseur and trying new things is super exciting, though, Ino settles with some old-fashioned bread. "Are you sure you don't want anything else, Ino-chan?" Walker asks as he picks up some North European pastry. "I know a lot of school cafeterias have questionable food, but KI is pretty top notch. You get what you pay for. We can share something!"

Mouth full of bread, Ino shakes her head. It takes her a couple of moments to swallow everything she stuffed in her mouth before she can answer him. "Ahh, thank you so much, but I'll have to pass this time. I've already gone over my carb intake for the day..." She looks down at the half-eaten bread mournfully.

Walker looks utterly confused. "Carb intake...? You monitor how many carbs you eat?"

"Well... Yeah. Don't you?"

They both look down at his arms, which are filled with packaged items bought from the school vendor. "No," he says simply.

Suddenly, her eyes roam up and down his body in way that can only be described as envious, though it still has him writhing uncomfortably. "How do you stay so skinny?" she demands, poking his sides. "Gah, I bet your metabolism's awesome... Oh, do you work out a lot? You look like you could be a runner. We should go on morning runs together! It's always so much fun when there are more people! Ken-kun—"

"I'll pass on the morning run," he cuts in with an apologetic smile. "It's hard enough for me to get up for school. If you ever feel like going for morning coffee, though, feel free to knock on my door."

Cheering, Ino, loops her arms through Walker and Ken's, pulling them close. (And resulting in Walker dropping most of his lunch, much to his horror.) "This is so great! Dormmate bonding time!"

"Dormmate bonding time? Pencil me in!" Etsuko somehow manages to wriggle her way into the three-man embrace, poking her head between Ino and Walker and wrapping her arms around their waists. "You kouhai can't go leaving your senpai out. It'll make us feel unloved. Right, Azusa?"

"Feel free to leave me out," he retorts, hands shoved disinterestedly into his pockets. "I'm allergic to affection."

"Oooh, that's not true. He loves hugs and kisses just as much as the next guy," Etsuko insists, flashing him a teasing grin when he glowers at her. "By the way, have you guys heard about the fourth floor bathroom?"

"Oh, an urban legend?" Ino asks, eyes lighting up in excitement.

"Urban legend?" Azusa snorts. "What are you, a kid?"

Etsuko waves him off dismissively, though Ino looks terribly offended. "Urban legends are fun, no matter how old you are. Stop picking on the kouhai, Azusa." He snorts, unimpressed, and takes a large bite out of his hamburger. (Which, Ino notes with disgust, is dripping with grease.) "Anyway, no, not really an urban legend. It's been under 'construction' for the past couple of months."

Walker's eyes widen in realization. "The fourth floor bathroom — you mean the girls' bathroom?"

"That's the one."

"What's so important about the girls' fourth floor bathroom?" Ken asks.

"That's where the first victim of Apathy Syndrome was found," Walker answers, looking a little uncomfortable once again. "She'd been having trouble with her family and was missing a lot of days from school. When she came back, she didn't show up to class, and they found her in the bathroom."

Etsuko bobs her head. "That's right, that's right! So of course, now everyone is saying that it's haunted and you'll find her ghost in there... Of course, that's just silly because she's not dead."

"Not technically," Ino thinks, recalling Walker's words from earlier.

"Anyway, it's been closed since the incident. They say it's to reinstall some things and make it nicer, but it's definitely just because of the rumors and everyone's scared. I mean, I don't really blame them. I get shivers when I walk past it on my own." She ducks out from underneath Ino and Walker in order to place her hands on her hips. "It would be fun to do an investigation or something, though, wouldn't it?"

Azusa scoffs and tussles her hair in a way that's more mocking than affectionate. "Are you crazy? That bathroom is off limits, which means you'll get a detention — or worse — if you get caught in there. Why don't you do something useful, like investigate the inside of your textbooks?"

"I know that's a comment on my intelligence, but I'm not going to retaliate," she replies, sickly sweet, as she smooths out her red waves. "Anyway, it was just a joke! ... Mostly." Etsuko turns to the underclassman with an uncharacteristically stern expression. "As your senpai, I'm supposed to be giving you good advice to keep you out of trouble. Don't go around doing anything dangerous, okay? You'll all worry me." As if to make a point, she stands on her tiptoes (and she's pretty tall, especially standing next to Ino) to pat Ken on the head.

Azusa rolls his eyes dramatically. "Quit treating them like your babies."

"Hey, we all live in the same dorm, so we should treat each other like family!" she says, punching his arm lightly. "So then we should dine like a family."

"Oh hell n—"

Before he can make his escape, Etsuko wraps an arm around his, and while Azusa is larger than her in all aspects, she manages to keep him in place. "We should all get to know each other a little better, hmm? Ino-chan and Ken-kun barely know us!"

"Sure, I'm all for it," Ino says, easily deflecting the glare Azusa shoots at her. "I was just gonna wander around school, but getting to know people sounds fun, too."

Etsuko grins. "Great! I know this perfect spot on the roof."

The day is over before she knows it, and everyone is getting up to go home. "Do you wanna home together, Ken-kun?" she asks as he hurriedly grabs his book bag.

"Sorry, Hakuna-san, I can't today," he answers, shaking his head. "I have a meeting. I'll probably see you sometime tonight, though." Without leaving much room for questions, Ken jogs out of the classroom, then breaks out into a full sprint when he's in the hallway.

Ino purses her lips. "Bummer... I hate walking by myself..." She glances at Lin, who's taking his time packing up. "Where do you live, Lin-kun?"

"'Lin-kun'?" he repeats in his head. "I live in the Daidouji district."

Her mouth forms an impressed 'o.' "That's the richest district in Yamasachihiko, isn't it?"

"Y-yeah..." He rubs the back of his neck, as if embarrassed by the fact. "A lot of people who work for Kirijo have houses in Daidouji so they don't have to make the long commute. My dad does some construction work for them."

"That's cool! I haven't been able to visit yet, but Walker says it's really nice."

"Yeah, I guess." Silence falls over them (more uncomfortable for him than for her, as she looks positively engrossed) before he stands up, flushed and a bit shaky. The intensity of her gaze is a little too strong, even if it's meant to be friendly, and not something he's used to dealing with. It's easy to be "that quiet kid in class" unless you're sitting next to the chatterbox — which happens to be his case. "I need to go. I, uh, have practice."

"For what?" she asks, oblivious to his discomfort.

"Music club."

Her eyes absolutely light up, in a way that makes him think she's going to glomp him; he moves backwards, even though she remains in her seat. "Music club? That's so great! Ahhh, I'm so jealous of people who can play. I don't have any musical talent whatsoever." She sighs, like it's the greatest disappointment in the world. "What do you play?"

"Piano," he says, still a bit unnerved.

"You should play for me sometime!"

For second (perhaps third or fourth — he isn't keeping track anymore) time today, his cheeks light up because of Ino. He averts his blue eyes, steadying them on his feet as he tries to get his heart rate under control. "Y-yeah, sure. Maybe. Sometime." With his eyes still attached to the ground, he grabs his backpack, swings it over his shoulder, mumbles something that barely resembles a "goodbye," and races out of the classroom.

"Ah, wait!" Ino shouts. "Lin-kun, you dropped—" But he's already far out of hearing and sight. Confused and mildly concerned, Ino kneels on the ground to pick up some sheet music that fell out of his backpack. "I guess I can give this to him tomorrow... I hope he doesn't need it today."

She lingers for a little while longer, occasionally talking to a classmate or introducing herself to someone new, before deciding to head back the dorm. As she puts away her things (making sure to be extra careful with Lin's sheet music), she overhears a couple girls gossiping in the back of the room.

"Mitsuki Shimazaki's parents have been all over the news lately," the brunette whispers. "I heard they're both trying to sue the school."

"What!?" her friend gasps. "Why? Is it just because they found her in the school?"

"Probably. They say that she was totally fine at home, but then she came back and fainted in the bathroom."

"That's not true, though. She was telling everyone about what jerks her parents were. Weren't they trying to get a divorce or something? She came to school crying every day; I heard her in the bathroom before classes!"

"Well, they're not getting the divorce anymore. They're working together to get as much money from KI as they can."

"That's just messed up!"

Mitsuki Shimazaki must be the girl Etsuko and Walker were talking about earlier — the first victim of Apathy Syndrome from some months ago. Her parents in the news, the rumors concerning the bathroom where she fell... It can't all be coincidence, can it?

"Well, no one's expecting me at the dorm, and I have some time to kill... It wouldn't be bad if I just looked would it?" The fact that she has to justify herself should be a warning in and of itself, but Ino's already convinced, up on her feet and ready for adventure. She waves goodbye to everyone still in the room before making her way up the stairs, towards the fourth floor. As soon as she's on the landing, she can see it: the criss-crossed yellow caution tape is hardly low-key.

She's the only one in the hallway (which is strange, even if it is after school), but Ino still tip-toes over to the bathroom. Her eyes move from one end of the hallway to the other, back and forth, until she's content that she won't get caught. "I'll just peek in real quick," she decides, after Etsuko's words of warning ring in her ears.

What Ino considers "peeking in real quick" the rest of the world considers breaking and entering. The soles of her black school does click against the light blue tile, echoing through the room and reminding her that she's alone. Even if the sun is still up and its rays peak through the window in the corner of the wall, she can't help the shiver that runs up her spine. "Bad idea...?"

Before she can back out of her own plan, however, her gaze lands on the most obvious thing in the bathroom: a broken mirror. It's full-length, positioned beside the sinks, with cracks covering its entire surface; some pieces, broken off, even sit on the floor in front of it. "That's kind of dangerous, isn't it?" she murmurs to herself. Yet Ino still walks towards it, until she sees a warped image of herself, broken and in pieces. "Then again, I'm not technically supposed to be in here, so..." She tries to smile at her reflection, but she can't make it out amid all the cracks and aberrations.

She leans towards the mirror, careful not to step on any stray pieces, so that she can make out the whites of her eyes. Just as she's about to pull away, she sees an expression in the mirror that she knows she isn't making: a sneer. "W-what—?"

CRACK.

The sound of glass shattering rings in her ears and causes her head to pound. The sudden pressure in her temples forces her onto the ground, broken glass ignored, as she shouts from the pain. Ino tugs at her hair and presses her fingers against her skull, trying to mute the screaming and breaking in her mind, trying to get a grip on the situation.

awaken

She screams at the muted voice in the back of her mind, almost sobbing from the pain. "What's going on!?"

your time is now

Ino reaches around — searching for the voice, someone beside her, something to hold on to — and leans all of her weight against the broken mirror.

Only to fall right through.

Closing Song: "The Phoenix" - Fall Out Boy

PERSONA ACTION NEXT CHAPTER HOLLA HOLLA. I'm gonna try really really hard to update this soon (or at least quicker than usual), especially since summer's almost over and school is starting soon. Gaaah, I need to get on this.

xx, der kapitan