" Welcome to the velvet room." Igor greets. "You have arrived sooner than we expected, and yet unfortunate event seemly have been set into motion. A mysterious force has reared a while ago, it having unfavorable consequences. It has seemed that fate has brought you here to seek out such ailment and cleanse it. However in order to hone your unique ability, you will need my help to do so. As long as you abide by you contract and accept the consequences of those choices you make, i will be happy to assist."
A card slowly descends into my hand, a voice speaking to me.
I am thou, thou art I
Thou hast acquired a new bond
This will light a course of spontaneity
Guiding your lamp of innocence
With the birth of the Fool Arcana
You have obtained a new flame
That lights the flame to new power
The card was warm in my hand for a brief minute before disappearing without a trace.
"You have awakened the fool arcana. This arcana symbolizes innocence, divine inspiration, madness, freedom, spontaneity, inexperience, chaos and creativity. It tends to be the known as the "jack of all trades," since its Personas can inherit all skills without preference for any type." Aeson explains. "A unique trait indeed."
"By strengthening your bonds with those around you, you will unlock new arcana, an ability that you will need in the near future."
"Do make sure to increase your bonds while you are outside of your mission." Aeson says.
"I'm afraid that we have kept you too long. We will meet again." Igor says. Aeson nods.
"It's all my fault. This whole thing is my fault!" Kana whimpered through sniffles. I blink, unable to understand our surroundings at the moment. "I can't believe i put your life at risk for a stupid butterfly! I'm the worst friend ever...I...I…"
I woke up later in my room, the head feeling light. The door to my room slides open.
"Hey." Kaito greets, a tray in hand.
"Where's Kana?" I ask.
"I'm not really sure." he says. "When i found you, i found two sets of wet clothes in the bathroom, and you tucked into bed."
"Oh." I say, a little disappointed. I hope Kana is okay.
"You wouldn't...happen to have an explanation for this, would you?"
"We went bug hunting...and came across a waterfall after running off the path...i think i went under."
Kaito looks at me with confusion.
"A waterfall?"
"Yeah?"
He sighs.
"Listen kid. I respect that you are a teenager and that you want to explore but there is a path for reasons exactly like this. You could have drowned or gotten lost or…" Kaito tkes of his glasses and rubs his eye.
"I'm sorry." I say.
"No, don't be. Just...be careful for now on. Promise me that you won't do anything reckless for now on."
"I'll try."
"That's all i ask."
He places the tray on my lap, opening a bowl of porridge and pouring me a glass of tea.
A strange voice goes off in my head. Remembering what Igor had said earlier.
I am thou, thou art I
Thou hast acquired a new bond
This will light a course of nurturing
Guiding your lamp of inspiration
With the birth of the Hierophant Arcana
You have obtained a new flame
That lights the flame to new power
A card lights up in Kaito's chest before fading away back into reality.
"Hey, are you sure your okay? You seem to be spacing off a lot."
"No it's nothing." I say, taking a sip of tea.
The next morning, i overhear the news as i prepare my lunch.
"Another death was confirmed in the town of Hironori, in which, a presumed bug has been going around for quite a while. This would be the fourth victim this year. No traces of what caught the illness has been found, but all the victim's symptoms have been the same. Symptoms of severe headache or light-headedness, condition of high fever, severe pain behind the eyes, joint pain, muscle and bone pain, a rash and mild bleeding from the tear ducts, failure of the circulatory system, shock and ultimately death. There has been no finding for the cure as of yet, but…"
I turn off the tv, startled by the news.
The fourth one this year?
School check-ups were happening at school the next couple of days, each student being called down for a five minute examination. No classes would be running during this time, but you must attend school so each student would be sent in and come back with a personal note from the doctor, concerning their health.
By the gossip overheard by the other girls, the doctor was very handsome and nice, which put a bit of ease in my shoulders.
The student council president was walking around, trying her best to alert everyone when their name was called, but people shrugged her off as if they didn't hear her.
Kana sat at her desk, staring out the window. She didn't even acknowledge me when i sat down, deep in her thoughts.
"Hey, Kana. About-"
"Ms Aikawa, you're next."
"Yeah, thanks." Kana says, brushing past me. A pang goes off i my heart. Was...was she ignoring me now?
Ten minutes went past, and she had yet to return to the classroom. Fifteen went and then i went out to look for her.
"I'm so screwed. I didn't know check ups are today so i wore my pyro-jack undies." "ugh! I gained weight again!" "He told me i might not get any taller."
When i go around to turn around the corner, i bump into the student council president.
"Oh, I'm sorry!" she says, backing away from me.
"No...it's okay. Are you alright?"
"Yep, never felt better!" she says. She says that, however, something in her face was strained, as if she hadn't slept in a couple days.
"Uh...okay." I say.I swear i see her waver about for a moment as she tried to walk away, swaying side to side.
I find Kana, sitting next to the vending machine, downing what looked like her third can of Mad Bull. Her note from the doctor was crumbled up next to her, her eyes puffy as if she had been crying.
"What did yours say?" I sak, cautiously. I sit next to her.
"That i'm fine, just need to talk about my feelings more." There was a blatant lie in her voice but a hint of truth, as if that is what it says but there was more to it. "It's nothing."
"It doesn't look like nothing." I say, looking over at her. She shoots me a glare, but her eyes softens almost immediately. She shakes her head.
"It's not about that...it's about...About yesterday…"
"Yeah?"
"You...you almost drowned."
"But i didn't."
"But you could' it's all my fault. "
"Kana…"
"No...i...i could've gotten you killed."
"But you was there to save me."
"But i never should have…"
I grab Kana's hands.
"Kana remember when you promised to be my bestie forever. That means that we forgive each other's mistakes. I'm glad for yesterday,the good and the bad, because we were together. And i'm glad that you were there to save me. You did nothing wrong."
Kana looked at me with huge, tear-filled eyes.
"Ainu!" she whimpers, pulling me into an awkward hug.
A strange voice goes off in my head. Remembering what Igor had said earlier.
I am thou, thou art I
Thou hast acquired a new bond
This will light a course of adventure
Guiding your lamp of inspiration
With the birth of the Chariot Arcana
You have obtained a new flame
That lights the flame to new power
A blue card highlights in Kana's chest before fading back into reality.
Sadly, the tender moment was short-lived as a blood-curdling scream rang out in the hallway. Kana and I ran to see what was going on to find the student council president sprawled out on the floor. Mika tried to help her up, shaking her while her brother ushered people to move along and stop staring.
"Hey! Hey! This isn't funny, dammit!"
"What's going on? She was fine just a minute ago!"
"She just collapsed! Se just got out of her check up, too."
The brother quickly snatches the paper out of his sister's hand.
"Dammit, i says she has a fever of 38°C (100.3°F), and that she could go home and rest." he says.
"That's a pretty high fever. Do you think?"
"No!" the red-head snaps. "She's fine. Just a little fever."
"Big brother."
Denial set in on his face as he picked her up.
"We're going home." he growls. "She's going to be okay. She has to be."
"Hey, don't get to hasty. If she's that bad...don't you think it would be better if you took her to a hospital?"
The boy grinded his teeth, contemplating his choices. His eyes throbbed with the wanting to protect and see is sister get well and the anger of letting her go and having no way to help. He didn't want to believe that these was the early stages of the virus.
She was transferred to a clinic downtown. Check ups was postponed. The school called the students into the classrooms to avoid a scene, reassuring everyone that she was going to be okay. That however didn't stop the rumors from spreading.
"So...do you think she's going to die next?" "Probably." "that's a shame, she was really smart" "who am i going to copy off of now?" "she better have not brought the virus to school" "It wouldn't be surprising if hot-head and hero-to-zero got it next" "what was her name again?"
"I forgot she was the student council president for a moment."
"How can you eat at a time like this?" yells a girl. The stout boy sat in a corner, eating a candy bar.
"I'm stress eating." he replies.
"A girl literally collapsed in the hallway. What do you have to be stressed about."
"I don't know! What do you have to be pissy about? It's not your body!"
I wince at their argument. I don't disagree with either of them nor agree with them. It was a toss up in moral standpoint.
Kana seemed shooken up by the whole thing, crumbling up the note given to her. When i try to reach out to her, she flinches. She tells me that today had taken a toll on her and that she needed time to think.
Appropriate to the mood, it started to rain. And...i didn't bring an umbrella. So i wait.
"Hey…" the boy from earlier says. His golden eyes looks through my emerald ones. He had more scratches then he did earlier, his hands wrapped up with gauze. "Didn't bring an umbrella?"
"Didn't know it would rain. Most of the time, the broadcasting is wrong…" i say.
"Not in Hironori. When they say it's going to rain, it's going to rain." he scoffs. He glaces at me. "If you want, it'll be a pain in my ass, but we can share mine."
" . I don't want to...i'll wait until the rain…"
"Big bro! Stop flirting and come on!"
"Well, good luck with that. It's going to be raining for the next three days." he says. "Now, are you coming or not?"
I blush, stepping underneath his umbrella.
"You're the girl from yesterday!" Mika says, smiling. "I'm Shitsuyōna Mika, and that's my brother, Ikari. And you are?"
"Yayoi Ainu. Ainu." i smile.