When she blinked, she was in the Velvet Room.

Or what it used to be, at least.

The elevator wasn't making the same rapid ascent it had a few years ago. Rusted, worn metal screeched weakly, like the room itself were taking its final breath. It was too dark to see the usual ornate details.

Once every few minutes, the floor lurched downward several inches. It should have been hard to keep steady, but Minako stood firm.

Elizabeth and Theodore, standing across from her, did the same.

"...I haven't been here in a long time."

Despite the state of things, Elizabeth seemed to smile despite herself. It was different that usual. Sort of slanted and sad.

"We haven't had cause to summon you in your dreams for quite a while," she replied. A lazy gesture of her gloved hand created a small flash of light. The persona compendium floated within the siblings' reach. "Theo here was quite insistent that we should offer guidance to you at this point in your journey. I do hope his eagerness has not caused offense."

Minako felt an identical smile creep across her lips. It was pretty sad, wasn't it? They hadn't accomplished a single thing since the Dark Hour and her memories returned. All she did was make the people closest to her feel bad about things they had no control over.

Living without hurting others was starting to feel impossible. She caught herself wondering if that was a good thing. Somehow, it helped her understand Shinji a little better.

"Something terrible is going to happen again, isn't it?"

Deep inside the sea of her soul, she felt Thanatos stir. She might have thought that dying once would wash the stain of Death away. Now it seemed intent on making a permanent home in her.

She didn't need those pills after all. They never had a chance of fixing things.

"Nothing in this world in certain." Theodore held his palm above the compendium. The cards began to shuffle themselves. "And it is our sworn duty to guide you along your life's path. Wherever that may take you."

They were so kind. Even though they already seemed to know what the cards would say.

Regardless, she was in no position to turn away from this.

"I want to save everyone. Please help me do it."

She was gone and he wasn't sure what to do with himself.

It wasn't the first time, so Shinjiro tried to find a routine. Anything to fend off the insistent voice that said he was less trouble when he was in a coma. At least then he couldn't fuck stuff up by opening his mouth.

Yamagishi was nice enough to tell him that Minako was okay and, no, she still didn't want to speak with him. The pity in her voice left a bad taste in his mouth, but it was just the way she was. What she didn't say said enough on its own, anyway.

Of course she didn't want to talk to him. Knowing her, she was probably beating herself up for hurting his feelings. If they spoke, she'd apologize, and neither of them wanted that right now. It would only make things worse.

He would apologize too, of course. The difference was that he wasn't sure he would actually mean it.

"Why would you rather hurt, or be dead, than live?"

Minako had a right to ask, and he was too pathetic to give an honest answer. For some reason, sure, he never really managed to shake his teenage death wish. The real problem was that he didn't want to.

Passivity was easy. Dying was, too. Somewhere along the way, they became the same thing to him.

And in his rare moments of complete sincerity, he still couldn't say what he meant. Changing himself meant caring for others. Allowing them to see anything beyond his surface. It was something Shinjiro never thought he wanted.

She unearthed it from somewhere dark inside him. Dragged it out kicking and screaming until he was cooking meals at the dorm, talking to a dog, and going to the damn movies. He should have known not to get too comfortable. When things went well, it was only because they were about to get much worse.

The orphanage hadn't been that bad, at first. The last time he laughed and smiled like a normal kid was because Aki and Miki were there. Then Miki wasn't.

SEES nearly gave him a sense of purpose, but more death followed. After what he did to Ken Amada's family, he would have been content to die that night in Octber. He remembered the vague image of Minako at his side, desperately clasping his hand.

Telling her not to cry. Telling himself that everything was fine, so why are you sad?

Shinjiro stopped walking. He hadn't been paying attention to his path, but, fuck. Even his subconscious had a sense of humor these days.

Those memories were plaguing him because he'd wandered straight into them. His feet automatically steered him to the alley where he'd gotten himself shot.

It was either the stupidest or most perfect thing, given his circumstances. Sure, whatever, he was thinking about dying more than usual. (Which was a lot.) It made sense that living solely for another person was a fucking problem. Movies made it seem so damn romantic, but it only made his reunion with Minako harder.

Love and death were both a lot harder than other people made them look.

He didn't need a watch to know what time it was. Letting out a resigned sigh, he heard the bells ringing in the distance. Voices from the adjacent clubs and bars slowly died out as the Dark Hour came over the city.

"Ah, there you are. Shinjiro Aragaki."

At the other end of the alley, a high school-aged boy with dark, slicked back hair gave him a smile and friendly wave.

"The cards of your past, present, and future..." Elizabeth leaned well into Theodore's personal space, eyes scanning the still-moving tarot cards. "Don't keep us in suspense any longer, Theo. Our precious guest is ready."

Minako couldn't quite read any certainty in his face, but he continued observing the cards. One more wide sweep of his arm and dozens of shuffling papers slipped back inside the compendium. Only three cards remained, aligned neatly at her eye level.

"My past?"

The first card flipped over to reveal its face. A hunched over figure with a bag slung over its shoulder. The number zero peered across the room at her. It resembled a curious, empty eye.

"The Fool, signifying the start of your journey. Endless possibilities, and most importantly, the ability to make your own decisions." After reciting the card's meaning, Theodore paused. He frowned. "Calling her past foolish seems quite unnecessarily harsh, in my opinion."

"Your opinions are well-noted, however useless, dear brother."

Minako almost argued with Theodore, but stopped herself. 'The Fool' was perfect. The freedom to make choices and strive for a perfect future sounds nice, but there are drawbacks. At the end of it all, you have to assume responsibility for everything that didn't turn out right.

Anyone in SEES would have taken her place in those last moments with Nyx. She knew it. She loved them dearly for it, but that was her burden as a leader.

...At least, in another world. She isn't dead. Why did she have to keep reminding herself?

"Present, please?"

The siblings paused their half-hearted bickering, returning to the task at hand. The second card flipped over.

It showed a silver crescent moon, with the profile of a face. This card didn't look at her. It seemed to actively avoid her gaze.

"Strange... The Moon, once again. Perhaps it wasn't satisfied with your previous reading, Theo?" Minako wasn't sure what Elizabeth meant. Whatever happened in the other reading, it apparently now required reconsideration. Theodore seemed to think very hard for several seconds, wringing his hands.

"The Moon spurs The Fool to unconscious action. This may provide clear guidance, or..." Theo trailed off. Elizabeth rolled her eyes, as if resigning herself to finish a particularly un-fun chore.

"Inspiration is not always a force for good. The Moon does not create distortion out of malice, but a misguided attempt to help in the most simple, direct way. This can cause both swift, joyous success or horrific consequences in an instant." Elizabeth's gaze traveled along the room as she spoke. Slowly, finally, it returned to her guest. "The cards feel that yourself and Shinjiro Aragaki encountered important crossroads several times. Places of opportunity, where your bonds to others would have been your greatest assets. In each instance, you isolated yourselves. Your goals became distorted as a result of these actions."

A bitter scoff practically jumped out of Minako's throat. How much did these two truly know about her? Did they know that she'd looked Minato-kun in the eye and prayed for him to stay away? Far away, wherever he was now, and never come back?

It was fine that living is painful for her. If it meant being able to live at all, she wouldn't complain. But, making it painful for others wasn't right. She knew that and told herself she didn't care.

She was a terrible liar lately.

"...I hope that wasn't too cruel." Theo breathed, eyes downcast and nervous. They never stopped worrying about her. She needed someone to be honest, and there was no point in hiding the truth just because it hurt.

"I still have my future." Minako allowed herself a smile, stepping closer to the last remaining card. "All I need to do is learn from my mistakes, and do my best. Then I can be happy no matter what the ending is."

She clasped her hands together, now very aware of how much she was shaking.

"I don't think we've met." Shinjiro stuffed both hands into his pockets; his familiar, uninviting body language. He didn't like the look of this kid. In his experience, strangers walking around during the Dark Hour were always bad news.

"Wanna tell me how you know my name?"

An amused look crossed the boy's face, as though he realized something funny. A joke that Shinjiro wasn't yet privy to. He began casually walking toward him as he spoke.

"Fair point. I guess it's simplest to say that I've met you, but you haven't met me." He stopped more than a yard away, but it was still too close for Shinjiro's personal taste. The boy didn't seem to notice or care. "We're both acquaintances of a remarkable young woman."

He laughed, as if once again terribly amused.

"Sorry, that's not quite right. We're both much more than simple acquaintances to her, right?"

Anger flared up inside of Shinjiro like violent nausea. The implication was obvious and infuriating, even if it didn't make sense.

"You're a little young for her, don't ya think?"

At last, Shinjiro could place the look on the other's face. For a skinny teenager, he looked bizarrely self-satisfied; almost bulletproof. None of his usual venom was going to work here.

"It's a little difficult to explain, like many recent events in your life. But I've known Minako-chan for much longer than you'd think." His gaze drifted off to the side, one hand resting beneth his chin. As if recalling a fond memory. "And I was so glad to see her reach you when you needed someone."

Shinjiro only stuttered. He was used to being completely lost, but this was a new kind of bullshit he didn't need right now.

"Who the hell are you?" He asked, though it came out as more of a bark. "And don't call her that. She ain't a kid."

Finally, the boy's expression changed to a faux pout. He was clearly pretending to be shocked and hurt.

"Minako-chan hasn't mentioned me? My name is Ryoji Mochizuku. We had quite a close relationship at Gekkoukan High."

This time, Shinjiro was truly too stunned to respond. Minako had mentioned Ryoji. Back when they were creating a cover for her to meet the other members of SEES. He was the little bit of humanity that Death borrowed from her. She wouldn't look at Shinjiro when they talked about him, even after summoning Thanatos nearly killed her.

Of course he could walk around in the Dark Hour. This scumbag wasn't human.

"Oh, I guess you were in the hospital when I met her in this form." Ryoji took his silence as an invitation to keep talking. Shinjiro really wished he hadn't. "Rest assured, Shinjiro-san, I gave her a lot of happy memories while I had the time. She was so sad for a while, but she was able to smile again by winter."

Before he realized it, Shinjiro's body moved on its own. He threw out his fist, and it collided sharply with Ryoji's jaw. The boy stumbled until his back was against the side of a nearby building. Pained tears stung the corner of his eyes, but he was still smirking.

"Was that wrong of me? Are you the only person allowed to make her happy, Shinjiro-san?" It was like one of his nightmares. Ryoji couldn't stop talking; clawing into all his insecurities. "But, in this world, she never really met you. Do you ever think about that?"

His breath was coming heavy now. Ryoji wasn't finished.

"You wonder if there was someone else she loved, don't you? Someone that didn't hurt her the way you did."

Shinjiro heard himself tell Ryoji to shut up, but he was losing all sense of reason. Every part of him was shaking. It was bad enough that he constantly told himself that he was a no-good piece of shit. Hearing it from someone who'd treated Minako's body like a plaything was more than he was willing to handle.

"You thought about telling her about Ken Amada, right? When she slept in your bed. While you held her. She would have helped you avoid that whole mess on the full moon. But wanting to die was more important to you than her feelings."

The next thing he knew, Shinjiro felt his fingers closing around Ryoji's throat. He was warmer than he expected, and he never stopped looking him in the eye. He never stopped fucking smiling.

"Don't worry, Shinjiro-san... She was never lonely with me."

Both hands squeezed as hard as they could. Ryoji didn't fight as the color left his face. He sputtered one last time, starting to speak again. Shinjiro reeled back, throwing him forward against the wall with a guttural yell. When he let go, the boy's slender body crumbled to the ground.

He didn't know how many minutes passed during their exchange. The clocks rang, signaling the end of the Dark Hour. Cold sweat felt like it was soaking through his coat.

When he dared to open his eyes, Ryoji was nowhere to be seen.

The last card... it had to be something good. A little bit of hope was all she needed. She would be able to keep her word and try her hardest for everyone.

Please, be good. Please. Please. Please.

The card turned over. A black and red building was being struck by lightning. Two figures were falling along with it. For some reason, she could smell smoke again. It made her think of Minato and Ryoji.

She wasn't smiling anymore. She didn't know what to say.

"The Tower often signifies an impending disaster. Upheaval and sudden changes to all aspects of life." Elizabeth rushed through the worst part of it, now also showing signs of agitation. But, she didn't stop speaking. "The future position is prescient. When one expects the imminent, it no longer has power over them. If any guest of ours is capable of miracles..."

Elizabeth paused unexpectedly. She seemed to be swallowing a sudden wave of emotion. Theodore stepped to his sister's side, laying a hand on her shoulder. He gave a small, but confident nod.

"That miraculous guest would be you. We eagerly await your happy ending."

As much as she didn't want to, Minako studied the tarot card. The Tower reminded her of something. Not quite Tartarus, but not quite normal. Smoke clouds covered most of the visible sky.

She imagined how it would look with a full moon looming over the scene.

Something snapped above her head. The elevator swayed freely in the shaft. Only one cable was holding onto the heavy cage now, and she didn't believe for a second that it would last.

Turning her attention back to The Tower, Minako wracked her brain for an answer. One little clue would suffice. What did this card have to tell her? What good did it do to show up in her future, rather than her present?

The useless, groaning machinery in the elevator shaft halted at once. The lights cut, and it was only then that she realized Theo and Elizabeth had vanished.

The final cable snapped, noise echoing all the way up the shaft. Less than a second later, the elevator floor fell away from under Minako's feet.

She shut her eyes, even though it was dark enough that it hardly made a difference. In the privacy of her own mind, she could almost swear she was flying.

Too many of her dreams ended this way. Was it bad to get used to it? To want it over with fast?

She didn't realize the shaft wasn't bottomless until the elevator crashed into the ground. At the moment of impact, the thinest metal bars folded like they were paper. Slightly thicker ones snapped in the middle. The ceiling made it collapse inward on her, like a bespoke iron maiden. The metal was cold. Her insides spilled out, hot and wet.

As far as deaths go, it wasn't as bad as the others. Messy, but at least it was instant.

Minako sat up, eyes round and blinking. Slowly, she made out the details of Fuuka's room from her position on the floor. Her friend was still sleeping soundly. Letting out a sigh of relief, she flopped back onto her futon.

But now she was wide awake.

She let out a small laugh. Then a louder one, forcing her to clamp a hand tight over her mouth.

She buried her head under a pillow, fighting a losing battle against the joy welling up inside her chest. It'd been a while since she laughed hard enough to cry. To sob, really

"Theo... Elizabeth... I promise..."

She finally saw her goal. The Tower spoke to her. It gave her the pieces, not to change fate, but to reinterpret it by her own design. Whatever was coming for the city, she would find a way to save it. She wasn't The Fool for nothing.

"I'll make a happy ending no matter what."

At some point, Shinjiro found himself at Escapade. He couldn't stop looking at his hands every few seconds.

The sensation of Ryoji's neck cracking beneath his palms kept playing in his head. The sickly noise. The smug fucking look on his face until the very last moment.

His empty glasses started piling up on the bar. Usually people who drank away their problems made him sick, but these were extraordinary circumstances. Committing some kind of supernatural murder didn't make him feel better.

At least the pursuit of alcohol might be enough to make him feel nothing.

The bartender, one of his old co-workers, eventually cut him off. He got up and left without a fight, but didn't head to his apartment. Detour after detour, relucantly walking off the alohol. Wandering around for however many hours until his feet were too sore to keep going.

By the time he got home, the sun was coming up.

It took a few tries before he managed to open his door. Once everything was shut and locked, he loitered in the entryway. It was so damn quiet, every single day. Only the unpleasant buzz of white noise reached his ears.

A buzz so persistent, that Shinjiro barely noticed the noise was actually coming from his pocket. He fished out his phone, then canceled the call. It was Aki, and he wouldn't want to talk to him even if he was 100% percent sober. It was quiet again.

Minako hadn't been living with him that long, but he got used to her sounds. When she was still sick, she'd get out of bed to greet him with a big smile. She'd insist on helping anytime he would cook for her. They got noisy together.

Ryoji's face flashed in his mind. He had to bite the inside of his mouth to keep from breaking the nearest object. Flexing his fists inside their pockets, he let out a loud, shaky breath. Lashing out wasn't helping. He had to calm the hell down.

Shrugging off his coat, he made his way into the bedroom. It was still painstakingly tidy. He cleaned up when Minako first left for lack of anything better to do, but his watch never turned up. Keeping the floor and other flat surfaces clean was his only idea on how to get it to show up. Maybe he'd see it out of the corner of his eye if he waited long enough.

With both Minako and the watch missing, he was getting desperate for tangible proof that he was alive.

As if bound and determined to annoy the shit out of him, his phone rang again. It caught him at a bad enough moment that, this time, he picked up.

"Call back in the afternoon like a normal person, asshole."

Akihiko seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. He was breathing hard enough that the receiver was buzzing. As though he'd been running around.

"Thank god! I got worried when you didn't pick up." His friend's tone was strangely serious. He didn't have time to voice his confusion or ask what the big deal was. "Are you alright, then? Is Minako with you?"

Shinjiro didn't know what to say to that. It took a few seconds for him to process the question.

"...What're you talkin' about? I'm fine, but Minako's at Yamagishi's place."

"Shinji, she's not there. Fuuka called Mitsuru first thing this morning because Minako was gone. She left all her things behind, even her phone."

Once more, Shinjiro gaped in stunned silence. That wasn't like her.

"But, hang on, isn't the full moon tonight? I thought you said she asked to be on this mission. Why would she run away?"

It was a pretty pointless line of questioning, but Shinjiro couldn't wrap his mind around this. Running a hand through his unwashed hair, his eyes scanned the room. Like if he looked hard enough, he'd realize she was hiding out of sight somewhere.

He didn't find her, but he did notice something else odd. There was a moment where his heart leap, and he spotted something unfamilair. His subconscious wanted it to be his watch, but it wasn't.

Laying on his un-cluttered desk was a folded piece of paper. It hadn't been there when he left. He told Akihiko this, interrupting him mid-sentence.

"...Listen, don't jump to any conclusions, alright?"

His friend's measured voice barely reached him. If Minako wouldn't call him, why would she sneak into his place to leave a note?

"Hang tight, Shinji. Mitsuru and I'll come over and -"

He ended the call, tossing his phone onto the floor. In the relative silence that Minako left in her absence, the sharp clatter was harsh to his ears.

Before he could stop himself, he picked up the paper and unfolded it. She used a sparkly pink pen to write one simple line:

Come find me tonight. Don't tell the others. XXII.

He let out a slow, steady breath and stared at the words for a long while. Eventually, he laughed. Leave it to Minako to be cryptic as hell at a time like this. When he's sleep-deprived and hungover.

For some reason, he liked the idea of a challenge. This grim shit might be the best thing to happen to him in weeks.

He'd fine her, alright. He just needed to figure out where she'd be.

"Shouldn't be too hard. It's only a whole fuckin' city."