A familiar hymn reached Ren's ears; a piano completed by a woman's voice. It was a sound that once filled Ren's mind with distrust but became a place of peace.

Ren opened his eyes to the familiar jail and chains above him. He sat up from what was barely a bed, expecting the clothes of a prisoner on him. To his surprise, rather than an inmate's uniform, he wore a black tailcoat, a waistcoat that reached his neck, and red gloves. He reached up to his eyes to make sure that it wasn't his glasses that completed his look, and he was right. On his face was a bird-like mask that covered his eyes, a black-and-white domino mask that he knew so well.

He was relieved. He was wearing his complete Metaverse outfit.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room, Trickster," a high-pitched voice rang out to him. Ren looked up and out the jail cell, and there were two people in the middle of the room. A man with a very long nose, bulging eyes, and a wide smile sat in the middle of the room. His table had both a lamp and a large book. In front of the table was a little girl with long platinum hair, completed by a blue headband and butterfly hairpin.

"My name is Igor. I am delighted to meet you once again," the man said as he chuckled. "You already know, but this is Lavenza," he said as he pointed at the little girl.

Lavenza curtsied. "Compared to last time, it has not been a while, hasn't it?" Lavenza said with a worried smile.

Ren got off his bed and stood up, walking past the open jail cell door. "Good to see you guys too." He greeted them both before focusing on Lavenza. "It has only been a week since we last met. What's with the look?" he asked as he stopped in front of her. "Worried I'll be in trouble again within a week?"

Lavenza broke into a small fit of giggles before facing Ren. "No, of course not. I fully believe you will be able to surpass any trials you face. It is something else that worries me..." She looked away as she trailed off.

Igor chuckled. "What she means, Trickster, is that she worries about your bleeding heart."

Lavenza whipped her head as Igor finished, glaring at her master. "Is this necessary?"

'That's weird. Lavenza's usually respectful to Igor, and a lot more patient,' Ren thought, raising an eyebrow at the exchange. 'The only time she got mad was when we kept interrupting her right after everyone in the Phantom Thieves gathered here.'

"Bleeding heart?" Ren asked.

Igor and Lavenza kept staring at each other as if sharing a quiet conversation. It only lasted another second before Lavenza sighed and looked at Ren.

"Trickster," Lavenza began, "know that this is not a command nor an order. It is a request, one that you may decline."

Igor nodded. "Indeed. While we offer this request, we would like you to remember that you must take responsibility for all your actions."

"Of course, I'd remember that. I have to ascertain everything with my own will, that I would follow my path of justice. I promised myself that in the beginning." Ren repeated what he promised to Arsene, his Persona, the manifestation of his rebellious soul. Ren could only smile sheepishly as he saw Lavenza beam with happiness at his words, as if she were a parent proudly looking at her own child. "Still, what's the request?"

"Of course. We would like to send you to help someone, a fellow Guest of the Velvet Room." Igor requested.

Ren gulped. He always had a feeling that he wasn't the first Guest, nor would he be the last. After all, as Igor once said, the Velvet Room was a room that existed between dream and reality, mind and matter. A Guest should be able to complete their journey. He's done it 3 times after all, though Ren knows that may not be normal. If Igor thought that they needed help, then their situation must be serious.

Igor chuckled again. "Worry not, their journey has not ended," Igor reassured him. Ren's worry must have appeared on his face. "Rather, we will be sending you to a time when said Guest has just begun their journey. We ask that you help them."

"What about my life here?" Ren asked. After all, he had a life right now. He was a 3rd-year student in Yasogami High with plans to move to Tokyo to study psychology and cognitive pscience. "I have plans, you know."

Igor nodded. "Again, worry not. You will continue to live here as you help the other Guest."

"Trickster, don't think about it too much. We will deal with that on our end," Lavenza added.

'Still, doesn't explain why Lavenza is off today.' "Then, why don't you tell me what's on your mind, Lavenza?" Ren asked.

Lavenza's face squirmed as if she swallowed a lemon. She sighed a second later. "Because I know your answer, Trickster. If someone is in trouble, I have no doubt you will help them."

"Then what seems to be the problem? You think I can't help them?"

Lavenza shook her head. "No. Rather, you've done so much, one after another. You've fought again and again with barely any rest in between! Even if you are the Trickster, you are still human. I-"

"I know, Lavenza," Ren stopped her before she got even more riled up. "I know. But I can't sit still knowing that someone out there needs my help.. If I do, I'll be abandoning my promise to myself."

Ren could only chuckle as Lavenza's face couldn't choose between being proud of him or being even more worried for him.

Ren reached out to her and patted her head. "C'mon, Lavenza. Trust in me. I'll be fine. I'll help them, whoever they are. I will get them through their Journey."

"I-I understand. All that I ask is that you try," Lavenza said.

"And what is your answer?" Igor, who had been watching the two, asked.

Ren looked at Igor with a knowing smirk. "You know my answer; of course, I'll help." Ren saw Igor's smile grow wider a tiny bit.

"Very well, Trickster. I have heard your answer," Igor nodded, accepting Ren's answer. "You have received your Velvet Key, so you will still have access to the Velvet Room functions you once had. When you arrive, you will know where to find us. Let us know when you are ready."

"Well, it's not like I have anything to do now. I have everything ready."

Igor gestured to Lavenza. "Very well, let us begin."

Lavenza reached for the book on the table and began flipping through it. She stopped at a certain page and the book began to glow.

"Trickster, I truly believe that you will conquer what is to come," Lavenza said. "Or, rather, help your fellow Guest do so."

"Yeah, I know that. I'll see you guys soon." Ren closed his eyes as everything turned to white.

-Take Your Time-

Ren woke up blearily, still mentally tired from his visit to the Velvet Room. As he closed his eyes to try and stop the sunlight from stinging his eyes, he realized something.

His bed was far too comfy than normal. His bed in LeBlanc was a thin mattress placed on top of crates. Right now, it felt like he was sinking into clouds.

Then, the memories from the Velvet Room began to flood his mind. He remembered Igor's grin, Lavenza's proud smile, and his promise to help a fellow Guest.

He groaned as he sat straight up on his bed, already missing the feeling of falling when he rested. However, he knew he had work to do.

That same feeling of regret getting up from his bed reminded him of another time-

Waking up in pain.

Forcing a smirk across his face in front of his friends to reassure them he was fine.

The feeling of needles piercing his arms as the bruises across got worse by the second.

Ren shook his head. It wasn't the time to get lost in his memories again, not now. He knew they were just phantom pains; his body had already healed what was recoverable. On top of that, he had Morgana back then to get help. He was alone right now, and if his memories got the ball rolling, it would be hard to stop, even with the concentration techniques Maruki taught him.

For the first time, Ren took note of the room around him. It seemed to be a small, yet decent, hotel room. Nothing fancy, but it wasn't shoddy either. A window that lets the sunlight in was on his right. From his bed, on the other side of his room, there was a table with a neat stack of papers, a manila folder, and a closed laptop. He saw a large, black luggage bag next to the table. On his left were 2 doors, most likely leading to the outside and another to the bathroom.

He got off his bed as he started getting ready for the day.

-Take Your Time-

Ren flipped through another page. 'This one talks about the Apathy Syndrome too.'

Currently, Ren was going through the stack of papers on top of the table. It was a stack of newspaper clippings and most were about the mysterious Apathy Syndrome, a condition that rendered people in a vegetative state. At times, it also led to suicide. It was centered in Tatsumi Port Island, the city he was currently located in. While the numbers did climb in general, they dipped twice in recent times. However, it was on the slow rise again, slated to go even higher before the end of the current month.

While the person wasn't dead at that point, they practically were, since they couldn't feed nor care for themselves, staring at nothing in space. The only times anyone ever recovered were when the cases dipped.

'At least they have a chance at coming back,' Ren thought. 'A mental shutdown was a guaranteed death for someone.' It may have been over a year already, but Ren still remembered the mistake of the Phantom Thieves, a mistake that, as the leader, he must bear. Okumura Kunikazu. He could still remember Haru's face when they saw the live conference.

Okumura began to choke, gasping for air. He drew his head back, though the attempt for even a little bit of air was futile. Black sludge began leaking from his eyes, nose, ears, and mouth. He suddenly looked at the camera and black eyes stared right back at Ren through his phone screen. Something went wrong with their operation, but Ren couldn't think of anything that they had done differently this time around.

Ren shook his head. He was getting lost again.

From what Ren read in the papers, Apathy Syndrome began approximately 10 years ago. The numbers weren't significant back then, but they did climb slowly over the years, ramping up only recently. Ren knew that this Apathy Syndrome was directly related to the Guest's journey.

Ren flipped through another page. However, instead of another bit on the Apathy Syndrome, it was about the Kirijo Group, the group that practically owned the city. Everything about the company smelled of suspicion. After all, how much money did a company have to own the city? On top of that, there was an explosion in the city, which happened 10 years ago. At this point, Ren could only be suspicious. While this practically screamed of something going on, it could just be a coincidence. As a Phantom Thief, he shouldn't make a conclusion from just a coincidence.

While thinking about the Kirijo Group, he reached for the coffee he had ordered from the hotel. He sipped, but his face grimaced. It wasn't bad, but Sojiro had taught him there are better. Still, he can't be choosy at the moment. He'll need whatever he can get to help him get through the day.

Ren finally reached the end of the stack. He sighed as he leaned back on his chair. He looked at his phone, noting that the time was noon and his stomach grumbled.

'I guess it's time for a field investigation.' Ren turned on the laptop and began searching up for places to eat. He had 2 choices: Paulownia Mall and Iwatodai Station. His hotel was located in Iwatodai Station and it would do well not to be out for long since it's only noon. Who knows if truant officers are roaming around. 'Then I guess I can try the Wild-Duck Burger.'

He reached into the manila folder that was beside the laptop and took out 3,000 yen and his I.D., which he assumed was just enough for lunch. Lavenza was nice enough to give him enough to start him off. About 200,000 yen in cash, all the documents about him that were updated for the current era, and a note saying that if he needed more, all he has to do is visit her and she'll get him it, within reasonable demands.

For now, his main goal is to get food. The investigation can resume later in the afternoon and evening when he has more freedom.

'Let's see if this Wild-Duck beats Big Bang.'