Dojima hit the ground with agonizing force, too cold to properly land. Pain rang through his nerves as he lay there on the floor, shuddering and nauseous. He willed his body to get up, but it wouldn't listen; he simply lay there, unable to move. The atmosphere felt heavy in this world, making it even more difficult to move. It was as if he was suffocating on the air itself.

He lay there for what felt like eternity. It was so quiet in this world. If it wasn't for the sounds of his shivering breaths, he would have thought it sent him into a silent void. The nausea slowly ebbed away and Dojima felt strength return. It wasn't much, but it was enough to get him in a sitting position. He slowly opened his eyes, only to flinch and jump back in surprise at a weird entity staring at him. It looked like... some kind of mascot. A... bear...?

It peered at him curiously, sniffing the air, before it stamped it's foot. He jumped again as a set of TV's suddenly appeared behind him, and he looked back at the bear in confused wonder.

"You need to go home, right?" the bear asked, ears flattening on its head. "I'm beary sorry, but I don't have time to help you more. Something beary beary bad is happening and I have to find out what it is."

It was like he got hit by a truck, the heaviest feeling laying low in his gut. It was Souji and Adachi, he knew it was. He struggled to his feet, the bear hesitantly helping him up with its paws. It started to lead him towards the TV set, but Dojima stopped him. A bear... a bear... Was this the bear Souji had mentioned? The one that helped him?

He turned to the mascot, placing his hands on... what he assumed to be its shoulders. The bear's pupils grew smaller in surprise, the mouth disappearing completely. What... was this thing? He didn't have time to dwell on it as he shook the bear. "Souji! Souji Narukami! He's in here again! With someone else! Where are they?!"

"S-Souji? W-Who's that?" The bear's expression changed again to one of confusion, before it's ears perked up. "Wait, did you say, 'again'?"

Dojima nodded, and the bear hummed in contemplation and then exclaimed, "Oh! The sick and scared guy! Gray hair?"

"Yes! Him! Where is he?!"

"I-I-I don't know! I was just on my way to the smell of chaos when you fell in!" Its ears flattened again as it looked at him... accusingly? "And w-why do you want to know?"

"He's my son—" He paused, blinking and taking a deep breath. "—nephew, and some asshole dragged him in here. I have to help him. I have to make sure he makes it out of here."

The bear looked him up and down, humming in contemplation again until it nodded. "Ok. A-Any funny business, and you'll regret it!" The threat seemed empty, the bear stuttering over its words. It looked like, if he really wanted, Dojima could simply push the bear over and that'd be it.

Nonetheless, he nodded. "No funny business, I just need to save Souji."

The bear hummed and wormed out of his grasp, motioning for him to follow. His joints were stiff as he followed the bear into the fog-covered land, vague outlines of railings the only thing he could see as they walked. Past the bear's squeaking steps, and his still shaky breaths, the world was eerily quiet. Dojima brought his coat closer to himself, wishing for a cigarette to calm his nerves. He was on his way, Souji, don't worry.

There was a bright flash of light.

Souji knew he was dead—it was the light you weren't supposed to go into, after all.

But, then, he heard a chime.

And the light turned... blue.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room."

He blinked and the plush inside of a limousine was in his view. In front of him, a man with bulging eyes and a long nose, and beside the man a woman with platinum hair and golden eyes. There was a song playing softly in the back of the limousine, almost like it was playing in the back of his skull. All at once, the memories rose from the depths of his mind like a knife through the back of his head.

They had summoned him here before. This was between the realm of reality and dreams. They were telling him about his power—his Persona—Izanagi! How could he have forgotten?!

Before he could mull it over any more, he watched the grin on Igor's face grow wider.

"I'm glad you finally remember."

He blinked and he was back on the ground in the TV world. His skull was pulsating like he'd been pummeled into the floor, but, he realized, he wasn't dead. In front of him, blocking Adachi's Persona—Magatsu Izanagi, a voice in his head was telling him—was his own. Their weapons were locked together, sparks flying from steel and the electricity both Personas were throwing around. Souji's attention was drawn to Adachi, who had started laughing. It was different from his laughs before, but Souji couldn't place why. Even in insanity, something wasn't right with that laugh.

"That's what I was waiting for!" Adachi howled, rearing his head back with uncontrollable laughter before he hunched back over, eyes lit up dangerously. Souji didn't have time to react with Magatsu Izanagi suddenly retreated from the standstill. There was a sudden flash of electricity, and Adachi and his Persona were gone. Souji scrambled to his feet, looking around in horror, trying to spot the man. Electricity jumped around the area as he made his way to the center, Izanagi floating behind him a small comfort.

He could hear Adachi's laughter echo in the bolts of lightning that hit the ground. It bounced from his right, to his left, to behind him, to above him, to his right... He couldn't get a grasp on it. It circled him, taunting him, before there was another giant flash and Adachi was in front of him. Souji couldn't backtrack fast enough, Adachi driving a fist right into his gut. Blood splattered out of his already bloody mouth and onto Adachi's face before he collapsed to his knees.

Adachi gripped onto his hair, pulling his head this way and that. "Oh, come ON! Put up a FIGHT!" The amusement was gone from his voice again, laced with anger and hatred once more.

He could feel Izanagi looming behind him, before it was suddenly on alert. Magatsu-Izanagi was attacking it. He could feel them whip around the area, winds and electricity picking up at extreme speeds. Adachi kept a firm grip on his hair, tugging him this way and that. He gasped in pain as he felt Izanagi take a blow to the side, to the shoulder, to the back.

Gritting his teeth as he felt more blood pooling out of his mouth, Souji grabbed onto Adachi's arms. He felt the man tense, and before Adachi could react, Souji yelled. He felt Izanagi's power surge through him, the waves of electricity running through his veins like it belonged. He felt it flow through his body and up his arms, intense lightning shooting out of his fingertips and through Adachi's arm. Adachi shrieked in agony, ripping his hand away and stumbling backwards, allowing Souji to scramble to his feet, Izanagi returning to his side as Magatsu-Izanagi returned to Adachi's.

The man's expression wasn't human anymore. It looked too exaggerated, like it was clay being pushed to its limits. The pure malice on the man's eyes as he held onto his smoking arm was nothing short of a nightmare. When the frown seemed to literally crack back into a grin, it just made the imagery worse. There was a standstill once more, Souji unsure of what to do. He didn't want to look away from Adachi, mortified of what would happen if he did.

Adachi lowered his arm, the smoke fading away as he flexed his fingers. He shifted his footing, and Souji stiffened, before changing his stance too. His heart was hammering in his chest. All he'd ever done was run, but he knew Adachi wouldn't let him. He didn't know how to fight! Not against a seasoned detective! He should have kept up the assault when he'd gotten the upper hand and knocked Adachi unconscious. He didn't know what to do. He didn't know where to go.

Izanagi floated closer behind him, as if telling him everything would be all right. Souji took a deep breath, examining the husk of a man before him, eyeing him just as carefully. That thing Adachi did with the electricity warping—could he do that? They had the same, or similar enough, Personas. He felt the electricity surge at his feet, sparks flying as he concentrated on Izanagi's power. He could feel his hair and clothes moving in the wind that started to surround him with his focused energy. He saw Adachi's grin crack even more in amusement.

His hair was standing on end, goosebumps running up his arms as he felt the lightning surge through every inch of his being. He shifted his stance, trying to copy styles from one of the shows Nanako watched. It certainly felt like he knew what he was doing. With a cry, he pushed himself forward, watching Adachi ready to reciprocate or reflect his blow, when there was a flash and he was at Adachi's back. Magatsu Izanagi glared down at him, and Souji squeaked, conjuring up the energy and warping again. He couldn't control it as Adachi did so fluidly. He'd warp and have to take a second to warp again. He could feel Adachi's eyes on him the entire time. He couldn't quite figure out how to control where he went, and he found himself teetering forward over the edge of one of the railings. As he steadied himself, he felt a hand clutch around the back of his neck.

It doubled down when Izanagi was slammed to the railing beside him by Magatsu-Izanagi. He couldn't breathe—the feeling of electricity surging down his throat.

"This is getting boring," Adachi hissed, leaning into his ear. "I thought you'd make it more fun."

He let out a strangled gurgle as Adachi slammed his head forcefully into the railing. The world spun around in a dizzying haze as he fell back to his knees. Adachi had let him drop, but he still found it hard to breathe, Magatsu-Izanagi still choking Izanagi. He gurgled and croaked in agony, the pain from Izanagi entering him like a blistering fire. He grasped blankly onto the railings as he fell, still managing to put his head through a gap to vomit at the cacophonous discord in his system. It wasn't so much vomit as it was more blood and violent tears.

He could feel Adachi's menacing presence, about to grab for him when there was a sudden and loud BANG.

The world seemed to freeze, and Magatsu-Izanagi slowly released Izanagi from its grasp. He gagged on his spit and blood, shaking as he pushed away from the railing, barely able to focus at the source of the sound. He felt Adachi back away from him, and a chill air filled the atmosphere, the electricity from their Personas fading away, Magatsu-Izanagi drifting back to Adachi's side.

Without the support of the railings, Souji fell to his hands and knees, heaving up more blood and bile and tears. Izanagi didn't come back to him, fizzing like static where it leaned against the railing itself. He could feel the static creeping down his body, causing him to retch and cough and vomit once more. His breaths were laboured as he squinted, trying to keep his coughing to a minimum to find the source of the sound. Adachi had continued to inch away from him, he noticed.

As his vision slowly, very slowly, stopped swaying, Souji thought he had to be dreaming. There, at the other end of the area, was his uncle who looked drenched to the bone. Beside him was the bear that had helped him before, cowering behind Dojima's leg. And, in Dojima's hand that he had raised into the air, was Adachi's modified gun.

He watched as Dojima lowered the gun, holding it in front of him and started taking steps forward. His finger was off the trigger, but his scowl was aimed at Adachi and nothing else, like he wasn't even fazed by Magatsu-Izanagi in the slightest. Dojima continued slowly, Adachi backing away at the same pace, until Dojima was in front of Souji, the bear helping him to a sitting position. As the bear placed its paws on him and glowed with the soothing healing magic, Souji's vision started to recuperate, his breathing coming back easy and his body running back to normal. Was this happening? Was his uncle actually there, or was this another trick of the TV world?

He turned to look around Dojima, unable to think of something to say. What could he say? He peered curiously at Adachi, who looked like a cornered cat. His face wasn't melted into a distorted horror. Even past the swollen eye, he... looked horrified? He continued to back up slowly, before he was stopped by the railings at the other end.

There was a choking silence, before Adachi's voice cracked into a scream, "What are you DOING?!"

Dojima didn't respond, and Souji couldn't tell his expression. He could see his uncle's hands tense even more around the gun.

"You shouldn't BE HERE!" Adachi screamed again, pointing wildly. "You should be IN THE OTHER WORLD! Keeping NANAKO company!"

Dojima didn't respond again. It almost looked like he wasn't breathing with how tense he was. Sweat rolled down Adachi's brow, mixing in with the blood. Souji thought his eyes were playing tricks on him. Was Adachi crying?

"GO HOME!" The detective's voice peaked, cracking with almost every word. "THIS DOESN'T! CONCERN YOU! Are you REALLY going to just leave Nanako-chan ALONE?! What if you DIED in here?!"

There was another bang and he watched Adachi's face turn even more horror-stricken as the bullet whizzed past his head. He looked just as scared as when he saw the glass in his shoulder. The young detective's mouth hung open, and Souji could see his lip quivering. Magatsu-Izanagi seemed to faze in and out of existence. His entire demeanor flipped on its head. Why...?

It was like a cool wash of water filled out his body and washed away the agony. He still had pulsing pains in his mouth, a swollen eye, and blood dripping off of his chin, but the majority of the pain was gone. The bear huffed quietly, somehow looking worn out as it leaned back, shaking its paws. Souji gave him a quick pat as thanks before slowly and shakily getting to his feet, leaning on the railing for support as he watched the adults and their standoff.

It was then he noticed the slack in Dojima's shoulders, before his arms started to tremble.

"Why?!" He yelled, and Souji could hear that he was crying. "WHY?!"

He knew his uncle had more questions, but couldn't articulate them in the heat of the moment. That was all he could come up with. Souji saw Izanagi move out of his peripherals, the Persona back to it's regular form, no more static in its limbs. Magatsu-Izanagi, on the other hand, seemed to be warping, the Shadows that had coalesced to form it trying to claw their ways out, a dark energy swirling at Adachi's feet. The man looked at Dojima in shock and horror, a wind picking up as the Shadows screeched and squealed in Magatsu-Izanagi's form. It was just a moment, but he saw Adachi glance over the edge of the railing.

He jumped over.

There was a belligerent scream from Magatsu-Izanagi as the Shadows ripped free from the form, scrambling away back down the pathways, or even falling down the railings into the depths below. Dojima shuffled awkwardly around them, running to the other side and peering down. Souji hobbled up next to him hesitantly. All he could see when he looked down was an endless pit of fog. Adachi was nowhere to be seen.

He jumped when Dojima hit the railing, until Dojima looked at him with utmost concern. He dropped the gun onto the floor and grabbed Souji by the shoulders, checking him over before delicately wiping away the blood from his face with his sleeve.

"Are you okay, Souji?" He asked, voice quiet.

Souji swallowed harshly. He didn't know if he was. He was confused, betrayed... He felt tears welling back up into his eyes as Dojima pulled him into a tight hug, stroking his hair lightly. Despite the fact his uncle was soaked and freezing, it was the warmest hug he'd ever had. His uncle had come into this shithole of a world, just... just for him? He didn't know what to say, or how to react, but he felt his heart light up.

"W-Wh-What's THAT?!"

The two separated at the bear's sudden cry, watching it pointing frantically behind them. They turned to look where Adachi had jumped, and Dojima pushed Souji behind him, backing them to the other end slowly. Adachi's body was lifting up into the air, being ravaged by Shadows that stretched from the depths of the fog. They chewed on his flesh, coiled around his limbs, and all but consumed him... except, it looked more like they were sinking into his flesh and clothes. The man's pale skin was etching away into nothing but a pure black, as if is skin was melting into ink. The gurgling and shrieking of the Shadows started slowly as the process started, turning into a giant discord of sounds as they continued to merge with Adachi.

And then it was silent.

They watched as the colourless Adachi floated slowly to the ground, landing with not a single sound. His head twitched and jostled, absolutely grotesque in movement. His eyes were a haunting yellow, like those of his Shadow and their Persona's, but they were uncanny. They held nothing in them. They were just a void of yellow.

The amalgamation of Adachi took a step forward. Not a sound was made past it kicking the gun across the floor. It took another step, still no sound. Dojima kept an arm in front of Souji, and the bear was clutching onto his shirt and trembling so hard he thought the poor thing would combust.

When they hit the railing, Souji perked up, suddenly remembering the existence of Izanagi itself, and he urged the Persona to help. Lightning crackled through the air, slamming into the amalgamation with a brilliant flash. He took a step next to his uncle, who watched him in both wonder and horror as Izanagi moved with him, Souji putting Izanagi between them and Adachi.

When the flash dispersed, the malformation snapped and twitched and clicked itself back into place—all still without a sound. Dread filled every inch of his being as he watched the void of Adachi continue to shamble towards them.

"W-We have to go," he heard himself squeak out. "N-Now!"

He said that, but found himself frozen in place until Dojima grabbed his arm and yanked him back down the way he came. They heard the bear scrambling to keep up, it's plush shoes squeaking as it ran behind them. Izanagi disappeared when they ran, but Souji could still feel the Persona resonating in his soul.

He looked over his shoulder into the fog-ridden world. He could see those yellow eyes following them crystal clear. He looked back in front as Dojima tightened his grip on his arm, and they continued bolting down a path, a route it looked like Dojima had remembered taking. As they ran, the fog seemed to grow thicker. It was subtle at first, but soon he could barely see Dojima standing right next to him.

He heard his uncle cursing under his breath, turning his head this way and that way trying to see if he could find anything past the thick fog. Souji realized he hadn't heard the bear's squeaking steps in a while.

His heart beat rapidly in his chest, gripping tightly onto his uncle's arm for support as their run slowed into a walk. He swallowed, scared to speak in the silence. He looked around slowly, hoping to hear the squeaking steps, but nothing came.

Dojima had stopped mumbling, trying to survey something—anything. There was nothing but fog, sinking into their skin and digging its way into their lungs. The hairs on his neck stood on end, and goosebumps chilled up and down his arms. He could feel his uncle tense as well. The two shared a barely-seen glance in the horrendous fog before hesitantly looking over their shoulders.

The empty yellow eyes stared at them from not even a foot away.