"Okay, Philemon, what you got for me, today." I curiously look at Philemon.

"You seem quite happy, even though your current situation is not favorable."

"Yeah, you're right about that."

"But I'm not saying you can't survive this."

"I never said that either, but I'm not the only one who's going to survive."

"Huh?"

"Both Fuuka and me are gonna survive this."

Philemon chuckles to himself. "You're right, I'm sorry."

"It's okay."

"But more importantly. Kazuki, there is something I need to tell you."

"Go ahead."

"When I told you that the shadow you fought your third day at the dorm, and the shadow on the train was a test, I lied."

"What do you mean?"

"Those and the rest aren't test...they're games."

"What!? You think this is a game!?"

"Not me, no. Another entity does."

"What is this entity!"

"It is the darkness in everybody's heart, the madness that crawls in the darkest corners of our souls. Nyarlathotep."

"Nyarlathotep..."

"Yes, he's our prime enemy, but not our only."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean he has a player like you are mine, but I consider you to be a companion, less than a pawn."

"Um, thank you, but can you tell me more about the player."

"All right, I'll explain..."

"You see, Nyarlathotep is treating this as a game, so what does a game have?" "Players obviously." "Yes, you are correct. ...Now the limited amount of players for each side is two. So in total, four players." "I see, continue." "Now each player has a secondary arcane..." "Really, does it affect anything?" "No, not really, Nyarlathotep thought it wouldn't be a game without each player having a title." "I haven't even met this guy yet and he still pisses me off." "He's quite arrogant." "Sorry, continue about these title things."

"I don't know who are the players and I don't know their titles either. He is using his power to keep me from finding out who they are." "Okay, can you at least tell me who's our second player, and our titles?" "I can tell you your titles and the most probable person to become our second player." "Great, tell me my title, then tell me the other person's title and name." "Very well."

"Kei Kazuki, Suit of cups: Ace of cups"

"Ace of cups," that sounds awesome Now for the probably second player

"Fuuka Yamagishi, Suit of cups: Queen"

"WHAT!"

"It's only a probability that she'll be the second player."

"YOU CAN'T DRAG HER INTO THIS!"

"Kazuki, please listen to me, yelling won't get us anywhere."

He's right, yelling won't get me anywhere. So I settled down and I listened to what Philemon had to say.

"Kazuki as you already know, Fuuka Yamagishi is a kind-hearted person."

"Yeah, I know."

"...But with it comes a commitment."

"A commitment, to who?"

"To the people, she cares about."

"Why is she committed to me?"

"Because you showed her something she never knew she could obtain."

"What?"

"You'll have to ask her yourself."

"Okay."

Philemon puts his hand on my shoulder.

"Kazuki, you were hurting for far too long, and you know why."

"I...I do."

"So when the time comes, and she's ready to obtain her Persona, let her choose her destiny; she is entitled to her own choices."

"But I wanted to protect her from all this, from the Dark Hour, but I failed."

"You didn't fail, you just need to do something else now."

"What?"

"I think you know what that is."

I think about it for a moment, I kind of have no idea what he means. I look around the sea, I still see all the really tall buildings, but something is different; the sea has a bit of teal in it. I look over to Philemon one last time.

"All right, I'm ready to get back to Fuuka now."

"Okay, I'll send you back now."

"Thanks." Everything started to become shrouded in darkness.

If I can't keep Fuuka away from the Dark Hour, then I'll just have to get ready to protect her! But, I need to tell her everything, even about my past.

Hour: 6

I started to wake up with a sense of relief since nothing attacked us yet. I look over to Kazuki-kun. He's awake.

"Good morning, Kazuki-kun."

"I don't think it's morning. It's still night time...in a way."

"Oh, You're right."

Kazuki-kun seems to be looking better than he was before.

"Fuuka, I told you I would tell you why I was being distant, remember?"

"I do."

"Well, I'm gonna need to put it on the back-burner for now, because I need to explain my childhood for it to make sense."

"I don't mind."

"But before that..."

Kazuki-kun puts his hand on mine, worryingly looking at me.

"When I'm done explaining everything: will you still look at me as the Kazuki Kei that's in front of you?"

"Of course."

"Thank you..."

He took a deep breath, working up the courage to speak.

"Before I started living with Naoya, I lived in an orphanage starting from when I was three until I was six."

"I thought you lived with your parents?"

"I...lied."

"Why?"

"My dad left my mom in 1996. The year she died."

The sudden reveal of the truth hit me hard.

"Kazuki-kun..."

"Naoya told me she died due to an unknown sickness, but that's not what other people thought."

"What do you mean?"

"...Fuuka, did you by any chance happen to come across another rumor about Mikage-cho?"

I tried to remember if I did come across another rumor.

"I think I have."

"What did it say."

"It said something about there being demon roaming the town; showing its presence as a human being, why?"

"Because people thought that same monster killed its own mother - my mother."

"Don't tell me...!?"

"People called me a monster with human skin."

"But your not a monster, you're-"

"Most people didn't think that though. For some reason, everybody saw me as a monster, something to be cautious of. Whenever I was walking down the street or to class, people use to look at me with cold, but fear-filled eyes. I acted like an idiot most of the time so I wouldn't notice, but it didn't work. Everybody knew what I was by superstition, but not as a person."

So he was ostracised from a society based on a rumor?

"Sometimes I would return home with bruises on my face if someone decided to jump me; the more times it happened, the more I started to shut myself away from the world." Tears starting rolling down from his eyes.

"I just wanted other people to understand me as a person, as Kazuki Kei, was that so much to ask for. And the reason why I kept away from you was that eventually you were gonna find out what I was, and if you did, I don't know what I would do."

"Kazuki-kun..."

"I was scared of that fact and I only realized this whole thing when I scared almost all my team members."

"Team members?"

"When I looked at them, I remembered how 'they' looked at me. I started to think it was gonna be like Mikage-cho all over again... And I...I can't go back to that, I don't want to, I never want to. So when I saw you act like a shield between The Reaper and me, my heart was crumbling; I thought I was gonna lose the only person besides Naoya who ever cared about me whatsoever.

There was no way for him to stop crying, he was bawling his eyes out in front of me. I could feel it, the sadness that was behind his fake smile. Was it always like this? Had I always fail to notice this sadness?

"But I was just being selfish, I didn't think about how you felt, only me. Haha, I really am a monster, aren't I?"

I couldn't let him do this to himself anymore. He's suffered long enough and I don't want him to suffer anymore. I pull his head closer to my chest, and I start to rub it.

"You are not a monster, you are, Kazuki Kei, a regular and average person... I don't know why everyone saw you as a monster, but I never did, nor will I ever see you as one. Besides, you could've just left me here all by myself but instead, you came to rescue me. Even if no one else can see you as Kazuki Kei. I always will, and Naoya will too. So don't cry anymore."

Tears began to come from my eyes as well. I couldn't handle seeing someone I care about being this sad, I don't want it.

"I don't want to see you cry. So please, know that I'm always here for you, just like you were for me."

He finally let the tears flow from his eyes and so do I.

"It's okay...just let it all out."

"AAAAAAAAH!"

I hear him scream out in pain but I don't mind it; he's been keeping this in for far too long, he has every right to this. Kazuki-kun wraps his arms around me and grips the back of my uniform, but I don't mind it. I'll sit here for as long as it takes until he's finally let it all out. Eventually, he looked up at me.

"Fuuka, I didn't get to tell you this before you did, but I'm gonna say it nonetheless."

Tears were still coming out as he formed a genuine smile.

"...I love you."

"I love you, too"

I hug him back and we stayed like this for a while. Kazuki-kun has been through so much, I won't allow him to proceed like that anymore. I'll be there to help him.

hour: 9

It felt like hours since we've been in Tartarus, but you know I don't feel any type of danger anymore; I feel...happy. I guess it has to be the fact that I was finally able to find someone who understood me.

I had my head on Fuu-chan's lap. At first, she was sort of embarrassed letting me rest my head on her lap, but she didn't mind it anymore. While I was resting, I was thinking back to what Philemon said, "Something she never knew she could obtain". What is it? I guess I should ask.

"Yo, Fuu-chan, can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"What was your life like, before you met me?"

She froze up from the question. Maybe I stepped on a landmine.

"You don't need to answer if you don't want to."

"It's all right. I'll tell you."

She placed her hand on my head.

"My life was normal and everything was just that 'normal'..."

She was emphasizing 'normal', that's good, right?

"But I never really liked being at home."

"Why not?"

"Because no one there cares about what I think, or about me at all. Whenever I was there, it never really felt like home; like I never belonged there at all. My mother though, made me feel like an inconvenience to her and my father and I rarely speak alone with each other anymore. It's like that every day, but it's nothing compared to what you went through."

"No one cared about what you thought and treated you wrong, not even your own parents cared for you."

"Huh?"

"Even if my thing was on a bigger scale, you were dejected by your own parents. If Naoya ever did that to me, I don't think I would be the person I am today, and the same applies if I hadn't met you."

"Really?"

"Don't think you didn't have anything to do with it."

"I did?"

"It's true, you helped me realize a lot of things. Some people can understand me, your one, and probably many more who were handed a bad hand in life. But you know what, when we get out of here, I'm gonna owe you a date."

"What," I express my shock by raising my voice.

"What's the matter, I thought we're dating now?"

"We are, it's just..."

"You need time to adjust, right?"

"Yes."

"Then a date is a perfect way."

"How are you sure about that?"

"I'm only guessing. I'm new to this as well."

"That's a pretty good guess."

"Thanks."

I started to stretch out my arms. I see my jacket and hoodie still on the floor. I went over to pick them up.

"Man, my threads got ripped."

Looks like I'm gonna need to buy a new uniform jacket and pants."

"It's okay Kazuki-kun, maybe you could find someone who can stitch it together?"

"Maybe I can, are you that person?"

"I'm sorry, I don't know how to, but maybe I should take it up."

"I heard you have to be good with your hands."

"Then it's a good thing I am good with my hands."

"How so?"

"Um, you might find this weird, but I'm good with machines."

"Okay."

"Do you think it's not...feminine?"

"Who cares, it sounds like you really enjoy it."

"I do actually."

"How did you get into it?"

"My dad would repair speakers and headphones."

"So audio devices."

"Exactly. I loved watching him work while he was repairing them."

"You must really like your dad."

She took on a sullen look.

"Did I say something wrong?"

"Nothing, it's just I don't have a great relationship with him right now."

"Oh...sorry."

"It's alright, it's not like you meant to offend me. It's just a bit depressing is all."

We should probably get away from this depressing subject. Maybe I should talk about Tartarus.

"Fuuka, since you know about Tartarus, I might as well tell about The Dark Hour."

"The Dark Hour?"

"Yeah, so I need you to listen to me very carefully because this might be a bit complicated."

"Okay."

I began to explain what the Dark Hour is. Once I was done explaining everything I laid down on my back.

"So those monsters you were fighting are called shadows?"

"Yes."

"And those arms you summoned were a part of your Persona?"

"Yes."

"But now you can fully materialize it?"

"Yes."

"And its name is Skeith?"

"Yes."

"I get it, the Dark Hour is an hour in between 12:59 A.M and 1:00 A.M."

"Exactly."

"...but during this time period, any type of machinery is unable to function."

"That's the basics of, The Dark Hour."

Wow, it took me by surprise she was able to wrap her head around this whole thing. I know it took me a while to...

"Wait, you mentioned something about a transporter!"

"Yes, but it won't work without someone working the other end."

"How come."

"You see, the main transporter locks on to the other transporter in this place, but it needs to be manually handled so said person can lock on to the other transporter in this place."

Mitsu-chan explained it to us in fine detail, so I know the specifics of it.

"What about the transporter in Tartarus?"

"No, it wouldn't work, they intercept the command signals from the main transporter, but can't issue commands from these. Sure we could try to rewire it to where we could have it send command signals."

"You seem to be right. What if I rework it?" Fuu-chan suggested.

"I don't think we would be able to do it."

"Are you sure, maybe if I tried?"

"No, think about it the transporters are being powered by something, but it's not by normal means."

"You're right."

"Besides, I don't even think we could do it, despite what tools we had."

"Looks like all we can do is wait."

"Yeah, let's just hope we get out of this."

We still have some food left and some medical supplies left. But it can last us forever; we need to get out of here soon, or else...

Hour: 10

Fuuka went to sleep, I wanted to join her but I needed to keep watch just in case any shadows come by. I let her use my coats as a blanket, it is still kinda cold in here. I look at the voided hallway like an eagle until I spotted something.

"Who's there!?"

I prep my sword for a fight...

A person dressed in a skin-tight bodysuit. It was all black, and it seemed to have pockets on the upper part and the Thighs. And this person appears to be wearing a mask, but there's nothing on it, it's just all black. Who is this guy?

"Kazuki Kei, correct?"

"Who are you!?"

"I asked you a question first, I suggest you answer it."

"I am Kazuki, now who are you!"

"I never said I would tell you my name"

"Then what do you want?"

"Before your allies come, I like to see something."

"What?"

"Your strength."

"My strength?"

"Yes."

"You want to fight?"

"Yes."

"Why should I!?"

"I can guarantee both you will be able to get out of here."

I froze for a moment. If this person is telling the truth, then we can get out of here. And all I need to do is win!

"Fine, I'll fight you!"

"Good..."

The unknown person turns around and began to lead the way away from the stairs. I look back at Fuuka, who is still asleep. Good, it's better if she doesn't see this. I turn around and I followed the unknown person to our fighting ground.