Clear, cloudless skies. Crisp country air. The smiling faces of others around him. It felt like only yesterday. A golden afternoon. The last he would spend in the rustic town of Inaba for quite some time.
"Thank you for everything!"
There had been friends.
"You'll always be my sensei forever!"
There had been a great mystery.
"Please don't forget about us over there!"
An even greater enemy.
"I love you senpai!"
A truth uncovered.
"I'll do my best! You better not run away too!"
Not just about the town, but about themselves.
"I'll always remember our time together!"
That there was nothing they couldn't conquer, together.
"Distance doesn't matter to us! Even if we're separated we're still friends!"
It had felt like nothing would ever change. That he would come back in less than a year and pick everything up just as he had left it. But that had been a dream. A foolish dream, from a foolish child. And sooner or later, he had to wake up.
Yu Narukami jerked bolt upright as the alarm clock blared to life next to him. For a few moments he sat there in the din, trying to hang onto the pleasant memories in his mind. Eventually though, he had to let out a breath and reach out to silence the alarm
I need to stop that he chastised himself. Memories stay in the past.
Pulling back the covers, he quickly climbed out of bed. Work was going to start for him soon, and he couldn't afford to be late again.
Morning routine passed quickly. Inside of the tiny apartment lined with peeling grey wallpaper, almost everything was right within arm's reach. A "bedroom" filled entirely by a bed, with a closet that couldn't open all the way for lack of space. Washbasin, toilet and shower all occupied the same small side room which he quickly used to clean himself up as fast as he could to not overuse water. Almost all of the "living room" was dominated by the stovetop and kitchen area. Pulling some clothes he had hung up the night before off a chair, Yu got dressed. Simple T-Shirt and shorts, nothing he didn't mind getting dirty. Breakfast was a prepackaged sweet bun, one of a set of six that had gone stale a day or two before. Hopefully his paycheck would come in by the afternoon, and he could afford to buy a few more groceries.
Though they never manage to send it through on time.
With a sigh, he looked himself over in the small mirror he had hung on the back of the bedroom door, ensuring he didn't look too bedraggled. Black hair, probably overdue a cut at this point. Rubbing his chin, he felt a few specks of stubble. He couldn't afford to let that get too out of hand, lest his employers start making comments about his tidiness. Still, it was something to deal with tomorrow on the day off. With a sigh, he pulled his phone off the charger on the kitchen bench and threw it into a duffel bag he kept the rest of his uniform in. He had about an hour to get to work. Knowing how busy the trains would be, it paid to be ahead of schedule. Pushing open the door to his apartment, he stepped out into the narrow corridor that connected all the apartments on the second floor of the building.
At least it's not raining. Weather in the city can do all kinds of stuff this kind of year.
Locking the door behind him, Yu strode past the other apartment doors. The baby from the family in 4B was crying again, and Yu felt thankful he lived three apartments down from them so the sound didn't travel that far. He had enough trouble sleeping as it was. He made his way down the stairs carefully, knowing from experience that whatever the landlord used to clean them made it dangerously slippery. Pushing open the main doors, he stepped into early morning air. Even now, eight years into living here, he could never adapt back to how overwhelming the city was.
One year in Inaba really ruined me.
But this was Jongen-Jaya. One of the most crammed residential districts in Tokyo. Even this early in the morning, the city was alive with noise. Numerous black suited businessmen were making their way down the road towards the train station, doubtless to catch a train into work in the center city. He quickly started a brisk walk, joining the morning commute towards the station. Once again, he wished it might have been possible to find somewhere closer to his work.
Not that I could afford to be choosy. He mused.
As he got closer to the station, more and more students began to occupy the path. He caught sight of a few familiar uniforms amongst them, though he was sure none of them would recognize him. The trip to the station was brief, at least. Scanning his ticket card, he pushed through the turnstiles and towards the platform. His train would arrive in the next few minutes, barring any unfortunate delays. He stared down at his smartphone, idly running a finger up and down the crack that divided the screen. It was probably due an upgrade, but there were more important things on the list before extravagances like that. Soon enough he heard the telltale rumble of a new arrival, and lifted his bag up.
The train ride was cramped, as usual. Ever since school had started back up a few days ago, the journey had become almost unbearably clustered. Stop after stop, even more salarymen and students somehow crammed themselves in. Eventually, though, Yu heard his stop come over the speakers. Finally. As the train came to a bracing stop, the doors hissed open and he was able to exit back into relative open air again. Yu looked down at the cracked phone.
Twenty minutes. Plenty of time.
Hurrying through the Turnstiles exit, he power walked down the path towards his destination. He'd been late once before here, and his supervisor had not let him hear the end of things. While he had no love for this job, it was one of the few he had been able to land in recent years. He wasn't about to throw it away by being tardy.
How ironic. Even after all these years, I'm still worried about being late for school.
Coming around the corner and gently shoving through the clusters of students gathered outside, he came up to the foreboding building that dominated most of the block.
Shujin Academy.
The front entrance wasn't for him, though. Stepping down a gravel path, he quickly made his way towards a side maintenance door. Pressing in a code and stepping through, he entered the familiar back corridors of the school. This was the realm of supply closets, electrical boards and storage rooms. Quickly turning a few well memorized corners, Yu entered a small room. A few other men and women were gathered there, all wearing blue jumpsuits. One of them looked up at him as he entered.
"Ah, Narukami. You'll want to get changed quickly. I think the boss had a few things they wanted to go over for today."
Yu nodded back to the man, stepping past them towards a door marked with a bathroom sign. Entering and locking the door behind him, he slung down his bag and unzipped it. Out came an identical blue jumpsuit, ironed and cleaned just the night before. Quickly taking off his shoes and pulling it over his clothing, he brought out his steel capped boots and put them on instead. All geared up, Yu stepped back into the maintenance room just as their supervisor entered. She was an older woman who seemed to perpetually have sucked on a lemon just before speaking with you.
"Narukami. On time as ever, I see."
That's outrageous. I'm fifteen minutes early.
Out loud, Yu merely hung his head down in apology. She let out a sigh before clapping her hands together.
"Well, since we're all here now, there's a few things I need to run through. Ever since school started, the cafeteria has been declining in the standards we expect it to be cleaned to. Those of you assigned to it…"
Yu felt himself mentally check out as she droned on. This job wasn't particularly glamorous, or fun, or rewarding. But hey. Someone has to clean the floors.
Five hours later, lunch had started. Yu had spent that time sweeping the various paths around the academy, clearing away the dead leaves that had fallen away to new spring blooms. Sometimes, he got the feeling that Shujin was too big for its own good. His task had dragged on, and he'd ended up going through his break. So now here he was, picking up litter during the recess. Trash sack in one hand, litter grabber in the other, he strode through the courtyard and wished he could have been given literally any other job.
The lucky ones get to vacuum the maintenance halls. That takes five minutes and you can spend the rest of your time slacking off. Of course, I never get it.
Around him, various groups of students were conversing back and forth during the break. Some gave him a quick glance, but none lingered. The blue jumpsuit janitors of Shujin may as well have been invisible to most of the student body, Yu had quickly realized in his time here. Impaling a discarded bag of chips, he wondered what made it so hard for students to clean up after themselves. There were plenty of trash cans around Shujin. He should know, after all, he was probably going to have to empty them all later today.
"Hey, you."
Yu idly looked over his shoulder, pulled away from his thoughts. A group of first years were looking over at him, one boy at their head holding an empty banana peel. Seeing him glance over, the boy thrust it towards him.
"Take this for me, would you?"
Yu blinked slowly. Silently, he pointed to a trash can mere meters away from the child. The boy followed his gesture, and shook his head.
"You're the garbage man. Do your job."
Swallowing every ounce of his pride for fear of earning himself any ire from the supervisor, Yu walked over to the group of students and placed his trash grabber under his arm. But as soon as he reached out for the peel, the boy let it slip from his fingers onto the ground.
"Oops. Sorry, I dropped it. Pick it up."
Kids will be kids. This is just what they do.
Yu bent down and picked up the banana peel, which had the kid and his friends all give a savage chuckle.
"Hey, thanks. You're doing the school a real service."
He ignored the jab, placing the peel into his trash sack and swiftly moving away from the group to continue his cleanup. Behind him, he heard a few more mumbled jokes and jeers amongst the group, probably at his expense. He put it out of mind. They had gotten their fun. Hopefully, that would be all. It wasn't worth getting angry over. It wasn't worth making a complaint over. Much like most of what he did here, it wasn't worth it at all.
Four hours later, Yu chucked the last garbage bag into the dumpster out the back. It had taken him the better part of two hours to gather everything up onto the dinky trolley they had him use, but it was finally over. The results of a single day of waste from Shujin Academy, nearly piling the dumpster to full. Slamming the lid down shut and clipping the lock into place, Yu let out a sigh of relief. With that, his shift was almost done. Tomorrow was a day off. A chance to relax, at least a little bit. Pushing the cart back towards the supply shed, he let his mind drift to what he could with the spare time tomorrow.
I need to at least get a haircut. I think the place at the end of my street got a new trainee last week. Might be able to get a cheap one from them. Need to pick up some stuff from Super Murasama Mart. They might have some of that nice spicy ramen in stock again…
He let himself slip into routine. Cart replaced, shed locked, gloves off, back into the maintenance corridors and the break room. Clock himself out on the sign-in booklet. Strip off his sweaty jumpsuit in the bathroom, and stuff it into his bag. But then, halfway through changing back to his more comfortable sneakers, his phone suddenly started to buzz.
A call? Who?
There weren't many who would call him at this point. His supervisor communicated entirely through text messages. Nanako only called once a week, and it wasn't time for that. None of his other old acquaintances would ever bother to check up on him. So who…?
Upon looking at the caller ID, all of Yu's confusion melted away. He instantly swiped the accept and put the phone to his ear. There was still at least one person he kept in regular contact with.
"Detective Prince? What do I owe the pleasure for today?"
He heard a deep sigh on the other end of the line. "Oh, nothing much. Just wondering if, since I'm in Tokyo, I could catch up with my Senpai."
He laughed, the first genuine and honest laugh he had felt in awhile. "I didn't know you were back in town. Last I heard, you were up north on some big case. I've just finished work. Where are you staying?"
"Well, truth be told, I am currently standing outside Shujin Academy."
"... Naoto, this better not be what it sounds like."
"What does it sound like?"
"That you've abused your police privileges to discover my current place of employment."
"I may have… Inquired into your record, recently. It was for honest reasons at first, truly. But since I was already so close by, and school was so close to ending, I thought it might be best to simply… meet you there."
He sighed, smiling slightly. "Still the same, I see. Wait outside, I'll be out in a moment."
"Alright. See you soon, Yu."
He finished changing his shoes in a blur, chucking everything into his bag and rushing out the door in a light jog. Rushing down the path, he came to the front entrance to the academy and began looking around expectantly. It didn't take long to spot her.
"Naoto!"
A woman leaning against a tree stood up straight and waved to him. She was still short, even after all this time. Wearing a crisp white dress shirt with pressed black blazer over top, clipped straight blue tie, the very image of a modern day detective. Still wearing that silly hat, of course. Yu didn't miss the slight bulge at her waist that indicated a firearm hidden under her blazer. He waved back to her, running over. As soon as he got close, she embraced him in a hug, which he returned.
"It's good to see you again, Naoto.
She nodded. "And you too. If I'm interrupting your work-"
He cut her off with a shake of his head. "No, I just finished my shift. Follow me, there's a quiet spot nearby where we can talk."
"That sounds good. Lead the way, Yu."
He had no idea what to think about the sudden appearance of the big shot detective. Striding down the road, he tried to recall the best way to reach the nearby park. It was always fairly quiet there. Naoto kept pace next to him, fidgeting slightly.
"You're sure this is no interruption?"
He nodded. "Hey, I should be asking you if it's an interruption, miss detective prince. Last I saw you was on TV handling some big corruption case"
He caught a slight pink of embarrassment on her cheeks at the old nickname. "Yes, I just recently resolved that incident. And since I was free for the foreseeable future, I thought it good to meet with everyone again. It has been awhile since we last spoke in person. When was it?"
They moved further down the street. "It must have been around two years ago. Back when we were celebrating your promotion?"
She nodded. "Too long then. Have you caught up with the others at all?"
He did his best not to let his good mood slip. "Well, probably too long for them as well. You know how it is, we're all busy. Speaking of, how's Kanji doing?"
Naoto smiled wistfully. "He's doing well at the shop. Truth be told, I am eager to see him again. I'm going to visit him in Inaba two days from now. But first, it seemed prudent to visit you and some of the others while I had the chance."
"Hm. I was hoping for a little more news than that. Maybe I should give him a call, remind him that there's a few questions he needs to ask you."
"Q-questions?"
"Well, maybe just one question."
Naoto visibly blushed. "Now, none of that. He and I are taking things slowly, with how my job has me traveling so often."
Yu chuckled. "Yeah, I know how you two are. No doubt I'll have real grey hair on my head before you two manage to hold hands."
Naoto tugged her cap down over her face. "Good thing he's not here, otherwise he'd probably die of embarrassment. Enough of my affairs. How are you faring? When I was reading through your file- For perfectly legitimate reasons, I might add- I was very surprised to see this new job. You didn't tell me about it, last we spoke on the phone."
"It surprised me too. You know I tend to apply for almost every job I can try for, since most of them won't take me. I somehow got an interview for a… maintenance job, here at the Academy. By chance, I mentioned to my interviewer that I went to Inaba high. He turned out to be a graduate of it. That seemed to convince him I was of 'high moral standing' and I got the job. I'm doing fine here. Decent hours, Not too far away."
She nodded. "I'm glad to hear you're employed again."
"Not as glad as I am. Hang on. We're almost there."
Yu led the way down the side street to a small park. It was more of just a patch of greenery, but it nonetheless had a tiny playground and a series of benches to sit on. Tucked just out of the way, in a quieter part of the district. Yu has spent a decent amount of time here, away from the hustle and bustle to simply feel alone for a bit. He sat down, Naoto sitting next to him. Yu turned to face her.
"How actually were things with that corruption case you were working on? I saw you on the news talking about it, so I assume at least slightly interesting."
Naoto smiled. "To be honest, it was somewhat boring. The police had me on as a consultant, and while I did uncover some useful information, they didn't want me investigating too deeply. I get the impression it was a case they wished to keep hidden from the general public. From what I discovered anyway, I can understand why. Several high end public officials may lose their jobs from this scandal."
Yu laughed. "Or won't, of course, seeing as whatever you discovered probably won't hit trial."
"I have hopes that the prosecutor I passed this information onto will execute upon it well. Regardless, there is something more important I wish to speak to you about."
"Does this have to do with the 'legitimate reason' you were going through my record?"
Naoto shifted in her seat, not making eye contact. Even after six years as a detective, she wasn't much better at hiding her emotions. Yu knew what this was probably about. After a moment of silence, she spoke.
"I was looking at dates, and considering wordings of what was written there. It… it has been six years since the incident, Yu. I have many friends in my position as consultant detective. I believe it is possible for you to return to the police force. Most who would question it have since retired or passed on."
Yu let out a deep sigh, his good mood immediately vanishing. Of course it was about this. She had never let go of this. "Naoto…"
"I understand you have made your position clear in the past. But what was done to you was not only grossly out of line, but also an affront to justice. You didn't let me help you back then, and I respect your decision, but things can change now, surely? After all this time?"
"Naoto, you're at the height of your career. Play your cards right from here, there's any number of places you could end up. Don't drag your name through the mud vouching for me."
"The situation has changed in the time you've been away, Yu. I'm not a simple outsider anymore. I have connections and allies in the police force. My opinion is highly respected. If I spoke in your favor, your previous record could be overlooked."
Yu stood up. "Naoto, please. You and I both understand how things are. My name is toxin for a career. It was the case then, and the people I pissed off have long memories. That kind of blacklisting doesn't disappear just because someone retires. And besides, even if they would have me back, I'd have no desire to work under their corruption again."
"Then there are positions in my family company. Ones I know you are more than competent enough to fill."
"Associate me with your family, and watch all those police contracts dry up. We've been over this before, Naoto. Many times."
She stood to face him. "Then what? You intend to stay here, mopping floors for the rest of your life? There was a time, once, where you were the most driven man I knew. When all of us gave up hope, you were the one who drove us forward to seek truth and justice."
"A long time ago."
"And yet, in some of my most troubling moments, I have recalled your example to lead me forward. Where is that young man who let no hardship keep him down?"
Faint memories of a dark battle and a fierce light echoed at the back of his mind. A familiar echo, long since buried from the years.
"Like I said a long time ago. Honestly Naoto, things aren't that bad here. It's easy work. A simple life. I'm happy. Truly."
Naoto frowned. "Are you? After graduation, you and I spoke often of your dreams and ambitions. How could you be happy after all of those were unjustly taken from you?"
Because I'm not happy.
Outwardly, he smiled. "As always, you worry too much Naoto. I've had plenty of time to get over it. What happened, happened. The life I'm living now isn't too bad. 'Mopping Floors' isn't all I do here, you know."
Lies.
She sighed. "... What I said was out of line. Forgive me. I understand this job is important to you. But I cannot help but worry!. And the others do too, even if you have not spoken to them recently. Why, Rise called me just the other day and asked if I had heard from you recently."
Rise. A whole other bottle of bad memories he didn't wish to recall. He shook his head, trying to clear them away.
"Well, you can tell her I'm fine. And if she ever wants to talk, I'm happy to do so". He gave his best smile. "Honest, Naoto. I'm fine."
The look she gave back told him she wasn't convinced. Eventually, however, she relented, tipping down her cap again.
"Very well. Know that if you ever consider a return to detective work, you can contact me at any time. If you need any help at all, call me. Do you still have my number saved?"
"Of course, of course. Always so pragmatic. That's our Naoto."
She nodded. "Well, someone had to be amongst us, didn't they? If you wish, I could stay a little longer. We could have dinner somewhere, catch up properly."
Yu shook his head. "Kanji is waiting for you, right? I'm not going to keep you here."
"Are you sure?"
"I am. Besides, I'm pretty busy these next few days. I probably wouldn't have time for it."
Naoto gave him another look that made it clear she understood the actual truth. Despite being so bad at it herself, she was always very good at catching him in a lie.
"Very well then. Please, keep in contact, Yu."
"I will, I will. It was great to see you, Naoto. Say hi to Kanji for me. Tell him if he doesn't get off his ass on a proposal, I'll be back in Inaba to knock it out of him."
She sighed, shaking her head. "I will pass on SOME of that message. Take care, Yu." She leaned in and gave him a final quick hug, which he returned.
"Alright. Thanks for stopping by. See you later?"
"Hopefully sooner than the gap has been before."
And with that, Yu strode back down the street towards the train station. He turned and waved back to Naoto, who hadn't moved from the bench. But after catching a glimpse of tears reflecting from her eyes in the afternoon sun, he quickly turned away to hurry back home.
The train ride home did nothing to shift his thoughts. Seeing Naoto again in person had surfaced many memories he thought were left buried. Days spent in the same golden sun. At the Junes Foodcourt, laughing at Yosuke and Teddie's antics. Venturing into the mist of the TV world, overcoming mighty shadows. Of bringing Adachi to justice, and saving the town of Inaba from fog. Of foolish teenage love confessions. Of tearful goodbyes, leaving with the promise to one day return.
Though you never did.
As he got off the train and began a slow walk back to his apartment, the bad memories began to flow in. Ones of arriving back in Tokyo, full of drive to make a difference. Of his greatest mistake, one that had ruined any chance of a potential police career. Of Rise moving away. Of the eight years since spent wallowing between dead end jobs, watching his friends drift further and further away from him.
Though that was your own fault as much as anyone else.
Pushing open the door to the complex, he trudged up the stairs and tried to think positive. He still had the day off tomorrow. It had been good seeing Naoto again, how she was only continuing to move up in the world. Kanji would probably grow that balls to propose sometime soon, or Naoto would get impatient enough to give it to him. Then there would probably be a wedding, and it might be nice to catch up with everyone again after all this time.
Or it might kill me to see how they've all moved on with their lives, while I'm stuck in place.
Unlocking his apartment, he let out a sigh and tried to push it all out of his mind. Hanging his bag up on the door handle as a reminder to take its contents to the cleaners in the morning, he collapsed down into the solitary chair in the living room. The exhaustion of the day's work, alongside the mental exhaustion of meeting back with Naoto, quickly overwhelmed him. Putting aside all the things he had left to do, Yu allowed himself to sink further into the chair. A few minutes of rest was what he needed.
Maybe I should call Chie, at least. See how things are doing in Inaba…
Yu yawned, feeling sleep begin to overtake him.
Or maybe Yukiko. Though she might be busy this time of year.
He quietly kicked off his shoes, slouching down even further.
If he'll still pick up the phone, I'd even speak to Youske at this point.
He felt his phone slip out of his pocket, though he felt too tired to bother picking it up.
Anyone. Anyone who still remembers I'm here…
Yu opened his eyes lazily. How much time had passed? He yawned, stretching out, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Who had turned the lights off? It was suddenly super dark. He pulled himself further awake, becoming aware of his surroundings. He blinked twice, not believing what he was seeing. No longer inside his tiny apartment. He was within a large square brick walled room, in front of an ornate wooden table. A single bare bulb hung overhead, leaving the room mostly in darkness. And there, sitting at the opposite end of the table, was a pointy nosed old man staring intently at him.
Yu laughed out loud. "This has to be a dream."
At the far side of the table, the man quirked his head to the side. "But of course it is. Surely it has not been so long that you've forgotten the rules of this place? It exists between dream and reality…"
"... Mind and matter" Yu finished for him.
The man laughed. "So you do recall. In case my name is one you've near forgotten as well, it is Igor. Honored guest, I do hope you can forgive this means of contacting you."
Yu jumped up from his chair. "What's going on? What is this place? It… It doesn't look like how I remember it."
Igor steepled his chin on his hands. "That would be because we are not presently within the Velvet Room. Think of this as a… minor dwelling until renovation upon that room can be complete."
Before Yu could ask any questions, the whole room suddenly rumbled and shook, nearly throwing him off his feet, knocking the chair he had been sitting on to the ground. Dust filtered down from the ceiling and the bulb swung back and forth.
"What was that!?"
Igor sighed. "It seems this conversation will have to be a short one. Forces beyond even my control act upon this realm between."
Igor pointed a hand forward, and the fallen chair suddenly raised itself up into place all on its own. He gestured to the seat.
"Please, sit. In this brief time we have, there is something I would discuss with you."
Yu buried a million questions within his mind. "All right, Igor. Start explaining."
Igor chuckled as Yu took his seat. "Rest assured, what I ask is not related to your own journey. The forces of fog still lie placated. Rather, I look to the future."
Igor held out a hand, and a familiar tarot card suddenly materialized on the desk. A silhouetted man, dancing along with a sack on his back. The Fool, Yu realized.
"Another Wild Card, much like yourself, will soon rise. Indeed, his destiny is already in motion. Another reckoning may soon face humanity's cognition, one he will need to unravel in the course of his journey."
Yu's head was spinning. Deep down, he had always known they couldn't have been the only group to have encountered personas. Though, all this time later, nobody had ever approached him about it. Naoto had, in her spare time, apparently done a lot of digging in various government databases, to no result. If they were aware of the TV world and what it entailed, they kept it well hidden. And yet here was Igor, claiming another Wild Card was being chosen, as if it was a common occurrence.
"Another? You made it sound as though I was one of a kind, Igor."
"Though the arcana may align, each journey shall be of a different ilk. Yours was one of discovery. This one… Will be of rebellion."
Yu rubbed his temples, trying not to explode with questions. "And? What does this have to do with me?"
Before Igor could answer, the room shook again. The light above was sent spinning in loops, illuminating the room in flickering brevity. Yu clung to the desk, trying not to be thrown off. As the rumbles faded, Igor cleared his throat.
"I will be brief. They will need guidance. Guidance I am unable to provide myself. The kind that can only come…" Another card flipped over. One Yu had only seen once before in his life. The World. "From you."
"Me?!"
"Indeed. Though you may have long since outgrown the need for the Velvet Room, I still consider you an honored guest. As such, I have kept a close eye on you. You have suffered many tribulations. But it brings me much joy to see that despite your numerous trials, you remain undaunted."
Yu laughed. "I'm not sure if you've been following the right person."
Igor stared him dead in the eye, silencing his mirth. "I look within, Yu Narukami. Know that I would not call you here today if I did not know with certainty you are one I can trust and rely upon. Listen closely, and consider the request I am going to ask of you."
Yu paused, the sudden gravity of the man's words silencing his complaints. "... I'm listening."
"You are no longer The Fool. You are The World, and it is only with your guidance that they will succeed. Show them the path of a Persona wielder. Help them understand. Be their mentor in all things. Regrettably, my other attempts to provide such guidance have been… mislaid. Though you are my final recourse, you are free to accept or reject this favor as you will. But…" the old man smiled. "I have faith that you will."
Silently, Yu leaned over the table. "... Even if this isn't some kind of crazy dream, I have no idea where to start. Who even is this new Wild Card?"
Igor chuckled. "They are closer than you know, dearest guest. When you awake, a path will make itself clear to you."
A low rumble started to echo over the room, growing louder and louder. Yu looked around himself, panicked.
"Wait, I still don't understand. What do you want me to do? Where should I go?"
Igor smiled. "Well, seeker of truth, I believe that is a mystery you will have to solve on your own. Now, our time here is complete. You will likely not hear from me again until the conclusion of this journey, if you choose to follow it. Farewell, honored guest."
Before Yu could respond, the rumble grew into a roar so loud he couldn't hear himself think. It was like a blaring siren, harsh and cold. The bricks of the room started to shatter and rupture open, before finally in one final burst of noise and force everything erupted at once.
"IGOR!"
Yu leaped to his feet, gasping for air as sweat ran down his forehead. His phone was letting out an incessant beeping on the ground, and it took him a moment to realise he was back in his apartment. It was dark outside, the only light now from the yellow lights on his ceiling. He must have slept all through the evening and into late night.
"A dream… just a dream…"
He let out a breath, allowing the tension to drain out of him. A few hours of sleeping in a chair had left him with an awful cramp in his muscles. Stretching, he turned to look for his phone to shut up the awful beeping noise it was making. Spotting it on the ground under the chair, he leaned down to pick it up.
Stupid thing. What is it this time?
Flipping the phone over, he saw that it was a notification constantly beeping on his phone, over and over again. A new app was sitting on his phone screen, softly glowing an ominous red. It definitely hadn't been there before he fell asleep. Everything that had occurred while he was asleep came rushing back to him, suddenly feeling too real to have ever been a dream.
A path will reveal itself.
As if still in a daze, Yu pressed onto the app. Immediately the notification sound stopped blaring out. The strange app opened itself up, flashing a series of strange words and icons onto the screen. He struggled to make any sense of it, looking for anything recognizable. He caught sight of an eye on screen briefly, before the screen aligned itself into something resembling order. Reading the title at the top of the screen only left Yu more confused.
"What on earth is a Metaverse Navigator…?"
And far away, sealed beneath infinite depths of human cognition, Igor smiled.