The next morning, I was walking to school when an out-of-breath Yukari caught up to me. "Hold on," she gasped. "I wanted to talk to you."

I slowed my pace to let her catch her breath. "What about?"

She seemed slightly apprehensive. "I… wanted to apologise for not making you feel more welcome."

I shrugged. "Hey, unlike most other people, you actually tried to welcome me. If anything, I should be thanking you."

She gave a slight brush. "Thanks, Minato-san. You're a nice guy… I still feel kinda bad, though, especially about yesterday. I shouldn't have let those new rumours about you get to me. Are you doing anything tomorrow?"

I shook my head. "I haven't planned anything yet."

Yukari perked up. "Do you want to catch a movie or something tomorrow? Let me make it up to you."

I grinned. "Sure. Is this a date?"

Her smile turned into a deep blush, and her expression became flustered. "What? No, I didn't mean it like that… you're just as bad as Junpei." She then slapped me in the face and rushed off in a huff.

Real smooth there, Minato.

School that day was unremarkable, except that Yukari came to me at lunch, to apologise for slapping me and to tell me that her offer still stood (it was most definitely not a date). Inevitably that caused a new wave of rumours: I was psycho who had caught the eye of the most popular girl in the year, and whom no one knew whether to befriend or avoid. I was really making a name for myself.

That evening, we all gathered in the meeting room to listen to the chairman talk about 'Tartarus'.

"I'd like your undivided attention," he began. "For some time, we only had three Persona users on hand, but that number has recently jumped to five. Therefore, at midnight tonight, I'd like us to explore Tartarus."

I interrupted. "I know I asked this yesterday, but what is this 'Tartarus'?"

Junpei gave a nervous laugh. "Heh… I'm not surprised you don't know. It only appears during the Dark Hour…" Evidently Tartarus had the capacity to terrify him.

"What do you mean, it only appears in the Dark Hour?" Yukari seemed to have picked up on Junpei's nervousness, and she seemed to be shaking now as well.

Mitsuru stepped in to calm everyone. "At this point, the easiest way to answer your questions will be to show you. Think of it as a nest for the Shadows. As long as we're dealing with Shadows, Tartarus isn't something we can avoid. Do any of you have immediate concerns?"

I shook my head, and no-one raised any issues. Mitsuru smiled and nodded. "We'll set off shortly. Before we do, Arisato, Takeba, here are your new phones." She handed me a black iPhone, while Yukari received a white one.

"Thank you, Mitsuru-sempai." I added my thanks to Yukari's.

"Both of you will also need this." She handed both of us a small earpiece. "This is to stay in communications in Tartarus. I will be staying back to feed you information. As Akihiko is injured, he will be staying with me by the entrance. Iori will be going with you as backup, but the main purpose today will be getting the two of you accustomed to Tartarus and your Personas. We won't ask you to be going far in."

I nodded. I still didn't know what Tartarus was, but at least I understood what I'd be doing now.

Yukari, though, looked puzzled. "Hold on. What about you, Mr. Chairman?"

Ikutsuki looked down, as if dejected. "I'll have to stay here. I don't have the same power as you."

An awkward silence filled the room, before Mitsuru cleared her throat. "We should be going now. To maximise exploration time, we should arrive just before the Dark Hour begins."

I have to say, I was surprised at where Mitsuru led us to.

"This is our school." Yukari was similarly disbelieving.

Mitsuru gave a knowing smile. "It's a few seconds to midnight. Hold on."

Everything turned green, as expected.

A dark, abrasive grating sound began echoing from underneath our feet. Okay, that didn't seem natural.

With a sharp judder, the school suddenly jerked upwards. That definitely was not natural.

Slowly it began its rise, spires occasionally breaking or twisting off at impossible angles. Onwards and onwards did it continue to climb, until it scraped the murky green haze of the sky above, blocking out the light of the crescent moon.

The abnormal colours and textures, the colossal scale that no human hands could create, the sense how none of it could fit in any system of geometry… all of it reminded me of Lovecraft's description of sunken R'lyeh. Like how Cthulhu waited in that drowned city, I could only shudder at what horrors waited within this tower.

Yukari's voice was filled with awe and terror. "This… our school became Tartarus?"

Mitsuru nodded, already accustomed to the sight. "Indeed. After the Dark Hour, everything returns to normal, but yes, this is Tartarus, the labyrinth that only appears in the Dark Hour.

"But… but why did it turn into this?"

Mitsuru was silent. I spoke up. "I doubt anyone knows. Is that why we're looking for answers here?"

Akihiko replied, smile on his face. "Yeah. You can feel there's some sort of clue in here. Exciting, isn't it?"

Mitsuru cleared her throat to regain control. "Remember, Akihiko, given your injury, you will stay at the entrance with me."

That deflated him. "I know… you didn't have to remind me."

We entered the tower to find a large hallway. A flight of stairs leading to a giant clock with an archway cut in was the focus of the room. Next to the stairway was another, much smaller clock, along with some sort of green machine. The walls and ceiling were all twisted like the tower itself, though the floor was level. In the corner of the room, I noticed an oddly familiar blue door.

"It's just like outside…" Yukari's mood hadn't changed. "It sure is creepy…"

"This is only the entrance. The labyrinth lies beyond the doorway at the top of the stairs," Mitsuru calmly told us. "As I said, you, Arisato and Iori will be going in to get a feel of the place. I'll feed you information from here. I'll also appoint a leader to make any necessary decisions." She looked over us several times. "Arisato, you're the leader."

Wait, what? "Why am I the leader? I don't have any experience in fighting these Shadows – on the roof, I just pulled a trigger and blind luck did the rest! And…"

I would have continued rambling, but Akihiko cut me off. "Junpei has showed us before that he's the most incompetent leader possible." The boy in question attempted to hide within his jacket. Akihiko ignored him and continued, "Minato, you have one special quality: you've summoned your Persona before, while Yukari hasn't."

He paused for dramatic effect. "These are Shadows we're talking about here. Without your Persona, you're screwed. Since Minato's summoned his Persona before, he's less likely to panic, so that's why we appointed him leader."

Okay. Their logic was sound enough, though I still did feel that Junpei should have been leading… and why was that door so familiar?

"So, when you're ready, go through the doorway… Arisato, are you alright?" They couldn't see it. Figures.

"Give me a moment." I stepped towards the door to get a better look at it. As I got closer, I felt a sense of heaviness from within one of my pockets. Its source was a blue, triangular key which I had certainly not taken with me.

This door leads to the Velvet Room, doesn't it?

Right on.

Huh. Lyra had been unusually quiet; she tended to talk a lot around these really weird things.

Well, I should probably see Igor again and try extract some answers from him. Sighing, I jammed the key into the keyhole and opened the door.

Yep. It was this place again. Igor was sitting there, and Elizabeth was standing quietly in the corner, as usual.

At my entrance, Igor gave his characteristic wild and creepy grin. "I've been waiting for you. The time has come for you to wield your power. Why did this tower come to be? For what purpose does it exist? Regrettably, you are not yet able to answer these questions. That is why you must be made aware of the nature of your power."

"Right. About that…"

Igor raised a hand to silence me. "Let me explain first, then I will deal with the issues you ask. Your power is that of the wild card: by itself it may be empty, but it yet holds infinite possibilities. Perhaps more than I could have ever predicted."

I leant closer to him. "Yeah, you mentioned my power was 'wilder than expected'. What did you mean by that?"

Igor gave a dismissive laugh. "I believe it is best for you to experience it for yourself when you venture into the tower. When you return, I will explain. Suffice to say for now, you have the power to acquire and use multiple Personas, and summon them as needed."

Wow. That seemed pretty cool. Igor continued.

"When you have defeated your enemies, you may see the faces of possibility before you. There may be times when they are difficult to grasp, but you should not fear. Seize what you have earned, and your power will grow accordingly. Be sure to keep that in mind."

"Don't worry. I will."

Igor smiled again; not a crazy one, but a genuinely warm one for once. "My spare time will soon become scarce. But please come again of your own accord. Then, not only will I answer the issue of your wildness, but I will also tell you of my true role… the manner in which I can best assist you. Until then, farewell."

I sat there for a few seconds, expecting to be sucked out by some mysterious force again, before I realised I could walk out the door I came in.

When I returned to the real world, Junpei and the others were standing behind me, looking concerned. "Dude, are you alright? You looked like a zombie for a moment there…"

You should probably tell them about that.

What, an imaginary room? They'll think I've really gone crazy.

Not all of it. Just that you can use multiple Personas. This way, they won't be shocked when you summon something unexpected while exploring.

Fair point. "I'm fine. Lyra just told me that I can use multiple Personas. Don't ask me why she knows, because I don't know myself." Having a mysterious, sage voice inside my head was useful sometimes.

Right. This small lie seems simple enough. Just be careful not to convolute yourself too much.

Everyone's reaction was different. Junpei was confused, Yukari looked sceptical, Akihiko seemed impressed, while Mitsuru was merely curious. She was the first to speak. "Interesting… while we have no previous evidence to support such a thing being possible, this could be a great help against the Shadows, if it was true."

I shrugged. "I don't know yet, either. Let's go into Tartarus and see."

Akihiko smiled. "I like your attitude." He then handed us some weapons – Junpei got a two handed katana he seemed accustomed to, Yukari received a shortbow for being on the archery team, and I was given the shortsword I'd been given the other day – before letting us set off into Tartarus.

"Whoa."

The first floor of Tartarus was the same sickly green as the outside. The ceiling was green, the lighting was green, the floor was chequered with green and black. Every now and then, a pool of blood dotted the floor. Yukari seemed somewhat oppressed by the atmosphere, while Junpei looked like he'd seen this all before.

"Can you all hear me?" Mitsuru's voice rang into my ear. "My Persona has this ability. I'd join you, but the structure of Tartarus changes every day, so outside support is imperative. Give a sign if you can hear me."

"I've got you."

"I can hear you, sempai."

"Iori, calling in."

"Good. Before you go any further, you should all summon your Personas, to acclimatise to them. Junpei, as the most experienced, you go first."

"Sure." He pulled out his Evoker and pressed it to his head. "Hermes!" With a bang, and majestic blue figure rose behind him. He wore a golden visored helmet, and golden wings connected his wrists and ankles. It was a vibrant image of the Greek god. The figure soon faded.

"Arisato, you're next." I pulled out my Evoker and pressed it to my head.

Huh. I was shooting myself again. This really didn't feel great for my mental health.

Eh. I'd done it before.

"Pied Piper!" The familiar man in black and white with his pipe appeared before me. Yukari stared in wonder, before he too vanished.

"Alright, Takeba. You haven't done it before, so feel free to take your time."

"Okay…" She took out her Evoker and stared at it for several seconds, always trembling. Finally she pressed it to her head. "I can do this… I can do this… I can do this…"

She stood there panting for several seconds, trying to prepare herself to pull the trigger. "I just… pull the trigger… no chickening out…"

"Takeba…"

At Mitsuru's voice, Yukari collapsed, trying to stifle tears in her cardigan; I quickly ran to support her. "I… I can't do it…" she whimpered.

I gently stroked her hair (it felt like the right thing to do). "Don't worry. It's the most difficult the first time. Just ask yourself, what do you have to lose? It's not a real gun. It's not going to harm you."

"But… but… but…"

"Here." I handed her my Evoker. "You saw this didn't harm me. It won't harm you either. And remember, we're all looking out for you."

She sniffled. "Th… thanks, Minato. I'll try again." She got up and pressed my Evoker to her forehead. Again she tried to prepare herself to pull the trigger. "I can do this…"

This time, I gently put my hand on her shoulder. "I've got your back."

She smiled. "Okay… Persona!"

She pulled the trigger, and the shape of a cow's head appeared above her. There was a blonde woman chained within it. Wasn't this another Greek myth? Something about Zeus turning one of his lovers into a cow?

The figure completed the thought for me. "I am Io… you have freed me… I will aid you on your journey…" it spoke, before fading away.

"Io…" Yukari said, momentarily dazed by what she'd just done. She then turned to me. "Thanks, Minato-san. I don't think I could have done that without you."

I smiled, and was about to respond when Junpei interrupted. "The queen of 2-F and the new transfer student? Is this the blossoming of a new romance?"

After Yukari had slapped Junpei in the face again, we began moving deeper into the labyrinth. "These will be real battles you'll be fighting," Mitsuru reminded us. "Now, let's see if you can deal with all the Shadows on this floor."

"Um, sempai…" Yukari asked. "How does this fighting actually work?"

"Very well. Naturally, you can attack with your weapons. These will do various types of physical damage, depending on the weapon. However, you can also use your Persona's skills. These have various affinities: fire, ice, wind, lightning, light and darkness, as well as the same physical affinities. Different Shadows are more sensitive to different types of damage, so be sure to mix up techniques to exploit weaknesses."

"Alright…" I then noticed a Shadow ahead of us.

"I've spotted a Shadow. How should we engage?"

"Simply put, run up behind it and stab it. Be careful, though, as it will likely split into multiple smaller Shadows when you attack it. Also, you'll be at a disadvantage if the enemy gets the first hit in, so try to surprise your opponents and strike first."

I didn't need to be told twice. I ran up behind the Shadow and plunged by sword into its back. It exploded.

I was now surrounded by three small Shadows, each an amorphous blob with a small mask. I vaguely recognised them; each looked like the pile of ichor that had crawled out of the remains of the large Shadow on the roof.

"These are called Cowardly Mayas," Mitsuru explained. "They're weak to fire."

Fire, eh?

Letting the old pyromaniac out, are you?

I dodged the first Maya's clumsy lunge, leaving it sprawled on the floor. Dropping my sword, I pulled a can of deodorant from one of my pockets and a lighter from another, both packed for this very purpose.

"Stand back," I called to Junpei and Yukari.

Two seconds later, I had a working flamethrower.

The Shadows didn't last very long after that.

Isn't catharsis satisfying?

I had forgotten how good setting something on fire felt…

"Well, I suppose that is another method for dealing with Shadows," Mitsuru mumbled. "However, I would like to remind you that the purpose of this foray is to let you gain experience with your Persona. As such, I would recommend not using your new weapon until necessary."

Fine. I put my flamethrower away and picked my sword up again.

The next group of Shadows was around the corner. I rushed them in the same way as the last group. Three more Mayas appeared around me.

"Yukari, summon Io and see what she can do! Junpei, take out one of these so I'm not surrounded!" I pressed my Evoker to my head. "Pied Piper! Do something!"

The Pied Piper appeared above me, played a little ditty on his flute, then disappeared again. What?

One of the Mayas clawed at my leg. It was a shallow cut, but it still stung.

Another one lunged at me, and I jumped out the way, landing on my freshly injured leg. Ow. Ow. Ow.

"Hermes, Agi!" Junpei shouted from behind me. One of the Mayas became doused in fire and withered away. That fire skill would be useful for fighting them.

"Io… help him…" Yukari's voice was a worried whisper. Immediately a blast of wind staggered a second Maya, before an odd blue glow surrounded my leg. The sensation that followed was unnerving, but not painful. When the light faded, the wound on my leg had closed up.

"Cheers, guys!" I shouted back to them. "Pied Piper, could you do something helpful this time?"

He played another tune on his flute before vanishing again.

Screw this. I stabbed the nearest Shadow until it collapsed, pirouetting out of the last Shadow's way. "Yukari, you deal with the last one."

"Okay… I can do this." She was obviously still finding it difficult to pull the trigger on her Evoker, but she steadied herself and summoned Io again. Another blast of wind staggered the Shadow, and a hail of arrows finished it off.

Look, Minato. Something's happening.

I quickly glanced around to see three cards spinning about my head. Okay, what was happening now?

Grab one of the cards and see.

Fair enough. I reached out and crushed one of the cards in my hand.

"Dude, why did you just grasp at thin air?"

Rather than answer Junpei's question, I opened my hand. I did not expect to see several silver coins gleaming in my palm.

"Junpei, Yukari, don't ask me why, but apparently I can break the laws of physics as well." I showed them the coins (all real money) and briefly explained what I'd just experienced.

Igor mentioned something like this, didn't he? 'When you have defeated your enemies, you may see the faces of possibility before you.' Or something like that. This was probably what he meant.

"This is most interesting," Mitsuru spoke over the comm. "Evidently, we underestimated you potential, Arisato."

"Yes, sempai, but that doesn't really explain why he saw those cards or anything." Yukari was understandably confused, like I was.

I decided to say something. "Lyra just said that those cards were linked to me supposedly being able to use multiple Personas. How, I don't know yet."

"That is a fair explanation…" Mitsuru commented. "You should try catch more of these cards, to see what happens."

"Alright." We started walking again.

I had a brief chat to Yukari. "So, what can Io do?"

"Hm? Oh, I think she can use wind skills and heal injuries. Though, I don't know why they're called 'Garu' and 'Dia'. Skill names are weird…"

"Well, at least your Persona seems to be able to do things."

"If I may interrupt," Mitsuru cut in, "I believe you should continue trying to see what Pied Piper can do. It may be that its powers are not yet unlocked."

Alright. I'd caught sight of the next Shadow, so I decided to give my Persona another try. This one only split into two smaller Shadows when I stabbed it.

I put my Evoker to my head again. "Alright, Pied Piper. This time, don't play music, or twiddle your thumbs, or waste my time. This time, do something offensive, to hurt these things."

When I pulled the trigger, Pied Piper seemed somewhat annoyed and frowned at me. He then put his flute to his lips and blew gently.

A small ball of light descended from nowhere, nestling between the two Shadows.

It burst in a giant explosion.

Everything turned white.

What just happened?

I was sent flying through the air and landed roughly on my tailbone, before clacking my head onto the floor.

Really, what just happened?

Still half-dazed, I staggered to my feet just as my vision returned. "Is everyone alright?"

"I'm fine, dude."

"I'm also fine. Just a bit dizzy."

"…sato." The comm was still filled with static, but Mitsuru's voice was clear. "What did you do?"

"I don't know. It just happened!" Igor really needed to give me some answers.

When everything became clear again, I saw three more cards floating around my head. I crushed one, expecting more money to come out.

Instead, I felt something warm seep into my arm, and something seemed to worm its way into my brain.

You just got a new Persona. Apsaras, of the Priestess Arcana.

Thanks, Lyra. I'm curious, though. The term Arcana seems to be coming up a lot. Can you explain that to me?

The Arcana refer to the twenty-two cards of a standard tarot deck. The Fool, the Magician and the High Priestess are three of those cards.

Cheers.

"Arisato, I'm guessing another card appeared before you. What did you get?"

"I'm not sure, but I think I got another Persona."

Mitsuru's voice almost quivered with excitement. "Remarkable… I would recommend testing this against more Shadows."

"Will do." That response seemed to worry Yukari slightly, but she made no comment.

As we searched for more Shadows, we passed a flight of stairs ("Staircases are the only way to proceed to the next floor," Mitsuru had said. "I can't allow you to go any further today, but please remember for next time.") and a strange yellowy-green circular tile embedded into the floor ("That's an access point. It lets you return from where you are to the ground floor.").

As we rounded the next corner, I saw another Shadow. "Junpei, Yukari, you two hold back. I don't know what could happen here, so I need you two to avoid injury."

They both nodded, and I rushed at the Shadow. Again it burst into three Shadows.

Alright, let's see what this new Persona can do.

"Apsaras!" With the pull of my trigger, a figure appeared.

I took a brief moment to admire it. A pale-skinned young woman in a white dancing leotard, she had blue hair and wore a blue belt, seemingly made out of raindrops.

Suddenly she exploded.

A thousand things seemed to happen at once. A deep drilling pain seemed to rush out from the centre of my mind, something which I imagine a lobotomy would feel like. A cold blast of wind brushed by me, followed by small chunks of snow and ice that dug their way into my skin. And then I realised I was careening through the air, and I crashed into a wall, and I bounced off, and crashed into another wall, and bounced off again, then slid along the floor on my face for a few metres.

What just happened?

"Arisato, what just happened?"

I had no idea. "Erm… I think my new Persona just exploded."

"I could tell that. Any idea why?"

"Erm… no."

I looked to where Yukari and Junpei now were, and I was amazed to see that I'd been thrown a good twenty metres by that blast. The Shadows I had been fighting seemed to have been obliterated.

Junpei came running over to me. "Dude, are you alright?"

I forced myself to my feet, and immediately regretted it. My entire head felt like someone had violated it with an electric whisk. One of my cheeks felt like it had been sandpapered off, and my body was bleeding from multiple small cuts from the ice.

Before I could say anything, though, a shrill scream pierced the air.

Yukari. Alone, a new group of Shadows had pounced on her. She was now cut off and panicking.

Ignoring the pain in my own body, I started trying to run towards her. Every step caused the pain to spark up again, but I had to help.

She frantically dodged a swipe and pressed her Evoker to her forehead. Yes. Io could defend her, then me and Junpei would deal with the rest.

She was about the pull the trigger.

She froze completely.

No. Don't stop. Just pull the trigger. You need your Persona…

The Shadows seemed to sense her fear, and one of them clawed her arm. Yelping, she fell to the floor, dropping her Evoker, which was quickly swept away.

Shit. Her bow would be useless, and without her Persona, all she had was a handful of arrows.

What had Akihiko said?

Without your Persona, you're screwed.

I tried to run faster, but my body forbade it. I wouldn't make it in time.

Pied Piper would either do nothing or blow Yukari up as well. He wasn't an option.

Junpei had only just realised what was happening. He wouldn't make it in time.

Shit.

Listen to me, Minato…

Lyra. You've always been there. You have to do something!

I can, Minato. You have to let me take control, though.

Take… control?

I'm not one of your Personas. However, if you summon me like one of them, then I can take control of your body briefly. Only then can I help you.

Wait, how does that work?

There's no time to explain!

Okay. I have to save her.

"Lyra!"

Time seemed to slow, as I slowly became aware of what being wrenched from my own body felt like. It wasn't painful or anything, but there was a distinct wrongness about it that words couldn't really describe.

Dimly I realised I was losing my senses, but I was still aware of everything happening in my body. The facts seemed to be beamed directly into my conscious. That sensation, of not feeling and yet feeling, was even more unnerving.

All of a sudden, I knew there was something beneath my chest. I knew it was writhing, twisting inside of me, and all it gave out was an intense sense of wrongness.

For a split second, everything was still.

Then from my chest burst out a dark amorphous shapelessness, leaving blood and bone and lung in its wake. It rushed towards the Shadows at an impossible speed and latched onto the nearest one.

The Shadow gave an unearthly wail and withered into nothingness.

The shapeless thing turned into a conical wedge and pierced into the second Shadow. Spikes spouted out of the cone, and it began to rotate.

The hapless Shadow was torn apart from the inside.

The last Shadow tried to flee, but the shapelessness caught up with it easily. It turned into what looked like a paper shredder.

The Shadow's dying screams echoed through the halls of Tartarus.

The amorphousness finally seemed satisfied with its work and came back to me. It entered my chest through the hole it had made. As it settled back down, the hole closed up, leaving not a trace of a scar.

And like that, I was in control of my own body again.

Lyra… what did you do?

"Arisato, I can accept not knowing what happened in the earlier situations, but you need to tell me right now what just happened."

Lyra… can you hear me?

"Arisato, I need you to concentrate!"

I looked up and saw Junpei and Yukari. Earlier, they had seemed doubtful, or confused, or sceptical at my odd abilities.

Right here, right now, the only expression on their faces was horror.

Lyra… who are you?

I tried to open my mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

I did the only sensible thing I could think of.

I passed out.