Chapter 2:

4/10-Akira awakes that morning still remembering the strange dream he had last night. A man named Igor and his two wardens of the Velvet Room Prison, Caroline & Justine. A world of ruin and fate, all such things Akira is going to have to face. It doesn't make any sense. Try as he might to do so, Sakura-san walks up to his room and tells him it's time to go to school to meet the principal and rest of the staff Akira will be interacting with. He tries pushing Igor and that room out of his mind for today at least and gets dressed.

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Akira sits in his room documenting what happened today.

Sakura-san gave me this journal and told me to document what I do on a day to day basis. I'm not sure if I'll really take this that seriously, but today was my first day of probation living. Sakura-san took me to Shujin academy today to meet the principal there and my new homeroom teacher Kawakami-sensei. The school seems nice, but I wonder if any of the students have heard of me and my record. Sakura-san did say that one's past seems to follow them wherever they go. Guess I'll have to see.

Akira sets the small journal down on the floor and rolls over to go to sleep. He checks his phone one last time to see that app is back again. Why does this keep coming back? Do I have a virus or something? Akira deletes the app once again, reboots his phone, and finally falls into a restless sleep.

4/11-Akira gets off the train at the stop for Shujin and begins walking towards the school. Damn, he thinks as it begins to rain. The one day he forgot to bring his umbrella. He's got a few minutes to kill and wait and see if the rain stops. He stands next to a hooded figure and pulls out his phone. Look it's that damn app again! As he's about to delete it, another person comes to stand beside Akira under the awning, and right as he turns to look at them, they drop the hood they're wearing.

What Akira sees under the hood takes his breath away. A tall, somewhat lanky girl with golden hair pulled into twin tails. As she turns to him, Akira notices her deep blue eyes that hold an enormous depth to them. She's the most beautiful girl he's ever seen in his entire life. She's practically a model, with her faint smile and her gorgeous face. Just as he was working up what to say to her a car pulls up with a man with a mop head of hair who rolls down his window.

"Good morning. You want me to give you a ride to school? You're gonna be late," the mop headed man says.

"Sure, thank you," the girl replies as she begins walking to the car.

The man turns to Akira and offers him a ride as well. Still speechless from the girl's beauty he just smiles and waves his hand and the car drives off. Little did he know that would be the first time Akira had met someone who would end up being very important to him in only a year's time.

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First day at school was terrible. I did meet this guy named Ryuji Sakamoto after I watched that girl get into that car. But something strange happened. As we walked to school, Ryuji was telling me about Kamoshida-sensei, and we arrived at a large medieval castle where the school was supposed to be. We were attacked by these 'Shadows' in the castle and imprisoned by the castles king, Kamoshida-sensei. We couldn't get any service and were imprisoned for hours. During our escape attempt I, ripped off my own face? No, it was more like a mask on my face and fought off Kamoshida and his shadows to allow Ryuji and me to escape. During our escape we found this cat named Morgana. It showed us the way out of the castle and told me about what happened to me and how I was fighting off the shadows.

He said it's something called a 'Persona.' When I first ripped off the mask, I had heard a voice speaking to me telling me to fight back. 'I am thou, thou art I' was the phrase it had said before erupting behind me in a blue fire after removing that mask. It had changed my clothes and told me it was the rebel soul within myself. Arsene is what it said its name was, and it gave me the power to fight.

Morgana fought with me to protect Ryuji and afterwards told me what this Persona thing was. As far as he knows, everyone wears a mask within their hearts, and when you remove it you are granted control over your mask, your Persona. With this, someone can fight shadows. Morgana showed us the way out of the castle and when we got back into the streets, my phone had said we had returned to the real world. Strange, I know.

During this time in the castle, hours managed to pass apparently since it was nearly lunch time. We both showed up late and got an earful for it. Kawakami-sensei said she had wanted to introduce me to the student body president, a girl named Makoto Nijima. From the earful I got I learned that Sakamoto-kun is the school trouble maker, and it seems to be because of bad blood between him and Kamoshida-sensei.

In class I introduced myself and heard that rumors they were saying about me. I had been afraid that they had heard about my record, but it's worse, they have heard rumors about my record. I sit behind the girl that got into Kamoshida's car this morning. I tried to say hello and introduce myself, but she ignored me.

The day ended with Ryuji and I on the roof talking about everything we had seen and experienced in the castle. We've agreed to go again tomorrow after school. Seems I've made my first friend already. If Ryuji weren't a trouble maker, I'm sure Sakura-san would be thrilled I'm beginning to make the most of my situation here. I wonder what's going to happen tomorrow.

Akira closes his journal and lies it on the ground next to his bed before turning over to go to sleep. Sleep doesn't last long as Akira is once again awoken to the sound of clinking chains and this time, the sound of a baton rattling the bars of a cell door.

"About time you've come to!" Caroline says. "ONYOURFEETINMATE!" she shouts.

"I'm… back?" Akira asks.

"Our master wishes to speak with you." Justine responds. "It's for your own sake that you take his words to heart."

Akira speaks with Igor, and in turns learns more about has happened to him. The Metaverse Navigator was the app that appeared on Akira's phone and was what transported him to the castle. Igor reiterated Morgana's brief introduction to Personas and told Akira not to worry if he doesn't understand it now, that he will in time.

4/12-I had another strange dream… Akira thought. Fate and Awakening? Forget it for now, I need to get ready for school.

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Ryuji and I used the Metaverse Navigator to go back into that castle today. We met up with the cat from yesterday too while we were there and learned a little bit more about 'cognition' and palaces. Apparently if someone is corrupt in their heart enough, they can have a cognitive palace in another reality. By using the metaverse navigator, we can explore palaces in the metaverse. Since Kamoshida sees the school as his own personal castle, that is what it appears as in the metaverse. Crazy stuff.

The metaverse is a neat but strange place, what you believe is real, can be. Ryuji had brought a model airsoft gun to the palace and found that it fired real bullets when he nearly blew his own brains out on accident. Morgana said he doesn't think it'd kill him in real life since he'd heard rumors of people shooting themselves in the head to summon personas but said he wouldn't risk someone's life on a rumor he'd heard from somewhere.

Morgana claims to have lost all memory of what happened before Ryuji and I found him in the castle. I'm worried the little guy was tortured or something, but he seems in good spirits and can remember some information just fine if it's not about himself. So, we explored the castle a little bit with him, and found metaverse copies of Shujin students according to how Kamoshida sees them. What a despicable man, they're like slaves to him.

Ryuji studied their faces to learn who they were and vowed to confront them once we were back in reality. During our second escape, we were surrounded by shadows and King Kamoshida. Ryuji awoke his own persona and helped Morgana and me fight our way out of the castle. I barely remember escaping since I saw a metaverse copy of that girl from class. She was in the castle in a skimpy two piece and seemed to hang all over Kamoshida. I felt a tightening in my chest and an immense anger course through me just at the sight of it. I knew we'd be done for if we stayed so we had to leave to ensure we could go back tomorrow.

Ryuji and I went out to get ramen afterword and decided we'd keep exploring the castle. I like Ryuji, he's a bit loud and foul mouthed, but he seems honest. And true to those things and people he cares about.

That being said, I'm convinced I've actually died while trying to help that woman back home since it's only been three days and I am exploring the cognitive world with a talking cat and a trouble maker at school. None of this seems real. If it weren't for the bruises, I wouldn't believe what I've seen. I can't wait to see what excitement tomorrow brings.

Akira lies down the journal and rolls over to go to bed only to find himself waking to sounds of clinking chains and rattled bars. Igor explains to Akira the power of 'Confidants' and that by making close friends, Akira can potentially stop the coming ruin. If those who have personas can have their bond with Akira strengthen, they may even be able to strengthen their own personas.