Persona: Beyond the Fog

by Dragoon Swordsman

After bouncing from one place to another for most of his life, Souji Seta finds himself in the sleepy town of Inaba. Over the next year, he will find himself drawn into a mystery beyond his imagination, and finally make some friends. Novelization of Persona 4, with emphasis on Souji's relationship with Naoto.

2. 2 Per so na

Thursday, 14 April, Morning

---

If it hadn't been for the still-tender lump on the back of his head, Souji would have just dismissed the bizarre events of the previous night as simply a crazy dream or hallucination. As it was, it had kept him sufficiently preoccupied that he was able to tune out King Moron's morning scolding, to Chie's somewhat envious disgust. Morooka himself, fortunately, had been too wrapped up in his rant to notice.

What was that, anyway? Souji thought for the hundredth time since breakfast. I know Yosuke and Chie will just brush it off as a hallucination, especially with the voices, but there's no way it's that simple.

He put the thought aside for the time being, focusing on the new teacher. A woman, middle thirties by the look of her, she wore a yellow-and-black Egyptian headdress and exotic blue eyeliner. Odd, certainly, especially with the hooked rod she held, of the same color as her headdress, but lacking Morooka's corrosive personality.

Souji was willing to overlook many things if it meant he wouldn't be fantasizing about murdering the teacher.

"Good morning, everyone," she said. "My name is Kimiko Sofue, and I don't know how much you know about world history, but I happen to be an expert."

As it happened, Souji did have a firm grounding in world history. His parents were emphatic about the importance of a well-rounded education, and he found the subject fascinating for its own sake. He wasn't so arrogant as to call himself an expert, though.

"First, a little about me," Sofue went on. "I love to use my dowser to look for lost items, and there's nothing like a good romance."

Strange, but passion for the subject and a friendly disposition made for a good combination. The entire room seemed to relax at Ms Sofue's soothing tone.

"In fact, you could say history itself is a romance," she said. "It's like a river; it was born in the past, and flows ever forward. I hope we can all enjoy the profundity of history together." She laughed lightly.

O-kay, that makes sense . . . I guess.

"Well, since this is my first lecture, I'll start with an easy question." She pointed her rod at Souji. "Mister Seta."

Souji stood. He'd had a feeling something like this would happen. If nothing else, the faculty undoubtedly had access to his previous school records.

"When did A.D. –in other words, Anno Domini– begin?"

Easy is right; that's grade school level. "When Christ was born."

Sofue smiled. "You understand well, Mister Seta. Now, do you all know what B.C. stands for?" She answered her own question. "Since we're just starting out, I might as well just tell you. Before Christ, the period prior to Christ's birth. It is of course how we count our years today, but it wasn't adopted in Western Europe until the fifteenth century. It was a time of many religious wars and power struggles."

Which summed up roughly ninety percent of human history, Souji knew. Warfare, be it over religion, territory, money, ideology, or any of a dozen more reasons in every conceivable combination.

"Anyhow, beliefs have been constantly shifting ever since humanity started to emphasize religion." Her smile turned wry. "Most holidays have a religious origin. If you do a little research, you might come across some interesting facts."

Souji had in fact done so once, more out of idle curiosity than anything else. It went far beyond commonplace celebrations like Christmas.

"But regardless of culture or tradition, it is the tide that decides who survives, in the present and the future," Sofue intoned. "And they pass on their will to the next generation."

Poetic. Still, beats King Moron any day.

---

After School

---

If there was one silver lining to the murder case, it was that Souji was no longer at the center of school gossip. He couldn't quite decide if he should feel guilty about being relieved. Certainly he didn't want to benefit from someone else dying.

"A body hanging from an antenna, that's just scary, like mimicking an execution." Souji hadn't learned the girl's name. "I wonder who would do something like that."

"I don't know who would do it, but I've heard who found the body," the girl's friend said. "My senpai said it was a third year named Saki."

So he'd been right; that was Saki Konishi on the news the previous night. It wasn't really a surprise that word had already spread; in a small town like Inaba, few secrets of such magnitude could be kept for long. People everywhere loved to gossip, and there was little to talk about in Inaba.

"Yo." Yosuke seemed unsure of himself. "It's not important, but. . . ."

"But?" Souji prompted, eyebrow raised.

Yosuke hesitated. "Yesterday on TV, I saw. . . ." He twitched, then shook his head. "Ah, never mind, it's not really a big deal. I'll tell you later."

He was hiding something. Souji could tell that much at a glance. Nervous twitching, excessive perspiration, an unwillingness to make eye contact, something was bothering the "Junes boy" more than he was letting on. Souji still didn't know him very well, but it wasn't hard to spot.

Chie joined them, having just finished putting her own books away. "Hey, did you guys hear the rumor? Supposedly it was Saki-senpai who found the body."

"I figured that out last night," Souji said. He smiled a little at Yosuke and Chie's incredulous looks. "There was an interview with the student on the news," he explained. "They blurred her face and distorted her voice, the usual stuff, but there was something about her that gave it away."

Chie whistled. "You've got pretty sharp eyes, Souji," she said, impressed.

Souji waved a hand. "Comes from spending half my life hanging around corporate boardrooms. Dad taught me how to read body language, said it's a useful skill to have."

"That would explain why she looked so down yesterday," Yosuke said. "I haven't seen her at school today, either."

"She might have skipped out because of the rumors," Souji said. "I've seen that kind of thing before." More than once; he recalled with some disgust a girl who had almost suicided because of rumors.

With a scraping sound, Yukiko pushed her chair back and stood. "You helping out at the inn again today?" Chie asked.

Yukiko sighed. "Things are really out of hand right now. Sorry."

She's looking even worse than Saki-senpai was. Recalling some talk he'd heard at the start of school, Souji was beginning to suspect the chaos at the Amagi Inn was in some way connected to the murder case. Watching her leave, he was struck by her listless gait.

"Is it just me, or does Yukiko-san seem really stressed-out?" Yosuke said.

"It's not just you, Yosuke," Souji said quietly. "There's definitely something up, though I couldn't begin to guess what. You have any idea, Chie?"

The martial artist shook her head. "Just that the inn is really busy right now. Yukiko hasn't said anything more than that." She perked up. "Oh, did you see it last night?"

Yosuke stammered at that; Souji had to hide a smile. "Uh, well, what about you?"

"I did!" Chie said. "I actually saw someone. I couldn't tell who it was, though." She pursed her lips. "It was a girl, long brown hair, looked like she was wearing our uniform." She blanched suddenly. "Wait, does that mean my soul mate is a girl!?" She appeared aghast at the very thought.

Yosuke's eyes widened. "That sounds like the same person I saw. I couldn't make out as much detail though; it was a lot blurrier. Definitely a girl, though."

"Yeah. . . . Wait a second. Does that mean we have the same soul mate or something?"

It means that's not what the Midnight Channel is about, Souji thought. At least the others were confirming that not everything he'd experienced was a hallucination. There still remained the issue of being almost sucked into his TV.

"How the hell should I know?" Yosuke said, before looking at Souji. "How about you?"

Souji covered a sigh. Here we go. He gave them a brief synopsis of the previous night's events. The image on the TV screen was normal enough, insofar as the word "normal" applied to the situation at all. Yosuke and Chie both visibly twitched when he mentioned the voice, and probably thought he was crazy for thinking he'd gotten stuck.

"That's about what I figured," Yosuke said, "at least until the really crazy stuff happened. I mean, weird voices aside, actually getting stuck in your TV?"

"I know it sounds crazy, but I'm not making it up," Souji said. Just the reaction he'd expected.

Yosuke held up his hands. "Hey, I'm not saying you're lying, just that you might've gotten mixed up. You know, got real tired and fell asleep after seeing the Midnight Channel, and then dreamed the rest. The whole thing is weird enough that you could've gotten confused."

Chie chuckled softly. "It would be one interesting dream, though. Especially the part where you got stuck 'cause your TV was too small. That actually makes a lot of sense."

"As much as any of it did," Souji said. "Believe me, the only thing that convinced me I wasn't hallucinating was when I banged my head on the table."

"If it had been bigger, you might've–" Chie broke off, her train of thought apparently derailed. "That reminds me, my parents have been talking about buying a new TV set. Ours is getting a little long in the tooth."

"CRTs in general are on the way out," Souji agreed. "I'm not sure if anyone even makes them anymore, at least in Japan or America."

Yosuke nodded. "Flat screens are all the rage these days. Big screen, crystal clear image, the works."

Chie's enthusiasm was palpable. "Yup! I've just got to see my kung fu movies on the big screen, in HD." She struck a brief martial arts pose.

"In that case, how about we stop by Junes on the way home?" Judging by his tone, he was used to Chie's energy levels. "We're beefing up our electronics section this month." He shot a cheeky grin at Souji. "Maybe we'll even find some big enough for you to fit into, hehe."

"I know, you don't believe me," Souji said. "No need to rub it in." He shrugged. "Why not. Maybe I'll find something my uncle will be interested in."

I still don't think that was a dream or hallucination, though, he added silently. It was crazy, but it was too real to be just a dream. There has to be more to this Midnight Channel than anyone realizes.

He was, he decided, looking forward to seeing the Junes electronics department.

---

They stopped by the food court first; Chie in particular was hungry, though as Yosuke noted that wasn't exactly unusual. Not hungry himself, Souji contented himself with a milkshake, using it to cover a smile as Chie eagerly wolfed down her food.

A few minutes later, Souji found himself staring at quite possibly the largest TV he'd ever laid eyes on. Not that he'd grown up with small ones, exactly, given his family's affluence, but they'd moved around so much that a truly large TV was simply impractical.

Chie was downright flabbergasted. "Whoa, this thing is huge! Who buys something like this, anyway? It's insanely expensive."

Yosuke shrugged. "Rich folks, I guess. Hey, Souji, your family's pretty well-off. You guys ever get something like this?"

Souji shook his head briefly. "We could probably afford it, but we'd be hauling it from here to Okinawa."

"Yeah, that's what I figured." Yosuke's lip twitched. "Not many people shop for TVs here anyway, that's why we don't have any clerks around. Be a waste of money."

"Then it's not really worth trying," Chie said, not really disappointed. "Oh well, at least looking's free." A devilish smile appeared on her face. She traded looks with Yosuke, and they stepped forward, placing their hands on the screen.

Yosuke smirked. "Nope, nothing happened. Must've been a dream after all." He laughed. "Besides, with a flat screen you'd just fall out the other side."

I am never going to live that down. He supposed he couldn't really blame them, though. Even allowing for the general weirdness of the Midnight Channel, his story had been just a bit over the top. If he was being honest, Souji probably wouldn't have believed it if he'd heard it from someone else.

"So, anyway, what kind of TV are you guys interested in?" Yosuke looked at Chie inquiringly.

"They said they want a cheap one," Chie said. "Not too small, but not too pricey, either."

Yosuke led her to a nearby stand. "Well, Miss," he said, his voice a caricature of a salesman's, "perhaps this one would suit your needs."

Chie's jaw practically hit the floor. "What the!? That's not cheap at all! Way, way too many zeroes!"

"I should've asked what you meant by 'cheap' first thing," Yosuke said, shoulders slumping. He quickly rallied. "In that case, how about this one? It's a display unit, and kinda old, but. . . ."

It wasn't a dream. It wasn't a hallucination. Souji had no explanation for how he'd been able to put a hand through the TV when Yosuke and Chie had both failed. It certainly made no logical sense, but then nothing about the Midnight Channel was logical to begin with.

He looked at the huge TV they'd been examining. If he was right, and his experience the previous night hadn't been merely a dream, that screen was more than large enough to fit through. It would prove once and for all whether it was dream or reality. With a feeling of crossing some inner Rubicon, he put out his hand.

His right arm quickly sank in to the elbow. This time there was no pull, allowing Souji to maintain control. He risked a glance to his right; Yosuke and Chie were still discussing the costs and relative merits of the various TV sets on display.

Then Yosuke looked at Souji, and whatever he'd been saying slowly trailed off. "W-W-What the hell. . .?"

Chie blinked, uncomprehending, then followed his gaze. Her eyes opened wider than Souji had thought physically possible. "W-What. . . ."

"I-Is his arm . . . is it really in the TV?" Yosuke stammered.

Souji Seta was far too well-bred to say, "I told you so." Nevertheless, he couldn't help the feeling of triumph that welled up at his friends' stunned expressions. He had no more idea than they how it was happening, true, but it still proved that he was right. He hadn't been dreaming.

"I-Is that . . . some kind of new model?" Chie sounded like someone trying desperately to find a rational explanation.

Yosuke shook his head jerkily. "Hell, no!"

The pair jogged over to where Souji stood, his arm still elbow-deep in the screen. "You've to be kidding me!" Chie said. "Is your arm really inside the TV!?"

"Sure is," Souji told her. He flexed his arm muscles; still plenty of freedom of movement.

"So, what's the trick?" Yosuke asked, sounding like he was starting to panic. "What's the magician's secret?"

Souji shook his head. "It's no trick, Yosuke. This is the same thing that happened to me last night, except it's not trying to pull me in." Why that was, he had no idea. "I wasn't dreaming."

Which still left unanswered the question of why any of this was happening. Souji had read his share of weird stories, but his direct experience with the paranormal was basically nil. Or had been, until his TV had tried to suck him in.

He needed more information, and could think of only one way to get it. Withdrawing his arm, Souji braced both hands on the display stand and pushed his head through.

Yosuke was definitely panicking now. "D-Don't put your head through, for crying out loud!"

So far, he wasn't getting much of anything. With no reference point, sight distance was difficult to determine, but he could at least tell it wasn't a small area. From his position, all he could see was a thick fog.

"Plenty of empty space," he said, his voice echoing oddly.

"W-What do you mean, 'empty space'!?" Yosuke demanded. "This is crazy."

Souji couldn't really dispute that point. Sticking one's head through a TV screen, into what was very plainly another world or dimension, wasn't exactly what one called normal. More like something out of a particularly outlandish video game or anime.

"Really spacious," he said. "I can't see much of anything from here, but there's definitely plenty of room."

By that point it was plain Yosuke and Chie were both on the verge of losing it completely. "What the hell's going on here!?" Chie said, her voice sounding just a bit shrill.

Souji wished he had an explanation. "That's what I'm trying to figure out," he said, keeping his voice smooth. No sense provoking further panic.

For all the good it did. He heard the sound of rapid footsteps, and Yosuke saying something about needing to use the bathroom. It was oddly muffled, though, as was Chie's response, though he could hear a mixture of panic and irritation in her voice.

Yosuke dashed away, and then right back. "Dammit! There's customers coming!"

Okay, better pull out before this gets any worse. If the tapping sounds were any indication, Yosuke and Chie were running around like chickens with their heads cut off. He was just starting to withdraw from the bizarre space when he heard the others collide, and then felt them slam into him in turn.

They fell.

---

By rights the impact should have been at the least crippling, and very possibly fatal. Either the fall wasn't as long as it seemed, or there was something about this bizarre space that acted as a cushion. Not much of one, though; Souji suspected he was going to have a nasty series of bruises by evening. He stood and dusted himself off, wincing.

"You guys okay?" he asked.

There was a soft groan as Yosuke heaved himself upright. "I think so. . . . Damn, I landed right on my wallet."

Souji helped Chie to her feet. "Where are we, anyway?" she wondered dazedly. "Is this someplace in Junes?"

"Hell, no," Yosuke said, sounding more than a little punch-drunk himself. "We just fell through a TV for crying out loud. Whatever this place is, it sure as hell isn't Junes."

"Then what is it!?" Chie demanded. "All this fog, I can barely see my hand in front of my face!"

"Calm down," Souji said before Yosuke could reply. His eyes were starting to adjust, and the sight distance wasn't quite as short as was first apparent. "Well, that fits."

Yosuke had noticed it, too. "Is this some kind of TV studio?" he said.

"Then is this really fog, or smoke?" Chie said. "I've never seen anything like this place before. Is there really anything like this in Inaba?"

"Well, if you don't know, then we sure wouldn't," Yosuke pointed out. "Damn, this place is huge."

Chie swallowed. "W-What are we gonna do?"

"Look for a way out," Souji said, keeping his voice as soothing as possible. "Just standing around lamenting our situation won't solve anything."

He was mildly surprised when Yosuke and Chie both visibly relaxed at that. To him it was simple common sense; if there was a way in, there was probably a way out. The best thing they could do was look for it.

"You're right," Yosuke said. "Bitching and moaning won't help."

"Yeah," Chie agreed. "Sorry, kinda lost my head for a moment."

Souji waved it off. "It's all right, Chie, I don't blame you." He smiled a little. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared, but we can't afford to give in." He beckoned them forward. "We'd better stick close together; be way too easy to get lost in this fog."

With the fog inhibiting their sight, they didn't dare move too quickly. Much as they wanted to; something about the atmosphere triggered a bone-deep fight or flight response. It wasn't simply the fog, either, fog they could deal with. It was, Souji thought uneasily, the sheer unreality of their situation, and the total lack of any signs of life.

It was also giving him a profound sense of deja vu, and he had no idea why. The closest he could come up with was a half-remembered dream fragment, and aside from the presence of fog it hadn't looked anything like what he was currently slogging through.

Eventually they arrived at an almost normal-looking building. On the outside, at least; the inside was anything but normal. It gave the vague impression of a hotel room, but Souji was pretty sure normal hotel rooms didn't have posters covering the walls, interspersed with blood spatters. More disturbingly, the faces had all been cut out.

"The fog seems a bit lighter here," Yosuke remarked. He pulled out his cell phone, switched it on, then off. "No service. What a surprise."

"I'd be more surprised if there was," Souji said. He winced a little; his limbs were starting to feel heavy. An effect of the bizarre environment, like as not. "This is getting more bizarre by the minute."

Chie shivered. "Tell me about it. Look at those posters. All the faces cut out, someone must've really hated this person."

Something about those posters was nagging at Souji. He was sure he'd seen them before, but couldn't place it. Without the face, it was almost impossible to tell.

Yosuke, after another moment struggling with his bladder, had spotted the most disturbing feature of all in that twisted hotel room. "Dude, this chair and rope . . . that kind of arrangement is never good. Is there a scarf tied to it?"

"Never good" was the understatement of the century. A simple chair in the middle of the room, with a rope hanging directly above it. A rope tied in a noose, classic suicide scene.

"I don't think I wanna know," Chie said. "This is obviously a dead end; let's head back and try another way."

"Chie's right," Souji said. He may have been better at keeping his wits about him, but the room still unnerved him. "The sooner we're out of here, the better."

Retracing their steps was straightforward, at least. Yosuke paused at the door, echoing Souji's own thoughts about the posters, but Chie insisted they keep moving, saying she wasn't feeling well. Souji agreed; the fatigue and heaviness were getting worse. He wasn't at all sure how much longer he could go.

---

Souji estimated it took them only a few minutes to reach the empty studio again. Just as well; even Souji, who'd managed to keep up an exercise regimen despite his frequent moves, felt almost ready to collapse. If they didn't find an exit soon, he wasn't sure they were going to.

Don't think about that, he told himself firmly, making sure not to voice his fears. Concentrate on finding a way.

"Phew," Chie said. "Finally made it back here." She looked like she was about ready to pass out. "Now if only– what's that!?"

"That" was a short, rounded shape barely visible through the fog. As it approached, its feet making an odd squeaking sound, Souji could make out more details. It looked like some kind of mascot, dressed in red and white pants. Huge eyes, an innocent-looking smile, small round ears, blue and white fur, it made him think of some kind of cartoon animal.

"What is that thing?" Chie said, calmer now. "A monkey, a bear, or something else?"

A bear, that was it. A cartoon bear, the kind one saw at theme parks. Souji recalled seeing something similar while staying in Okinawa a couple of years before.

"Okay, what the hell is going on?" Yosuke grumbled.

The bear thrashed its hands –paws?– in irritation. "That's what I want to know." Its voice was male, with a bit of a nasal tone. "Who are you guys, anyway?"

Chie sucked in a startled breath. "I-It can talk!?"

After the sheer amount of weirdness he'd experienced over the past hour or so, a talking cartoon bear was about the least surprising thing Souji had seen lately. "We're high school students who came in here by accident."

"What's it to you, anyway!?" Chie said sharply, sliding into a fighting stance.

The bear immediately cowered. "D-Don't yell at me like that!" he protested.

"Calm down, Chie," Souji said. "Like I said," he told the bear, "we came here by accident." He waved a hand at their surroundings. "What is this place, anyway?"

The bear relaxed. "It is what it is," he said, shrugging. "It doesn't have a name. I live here."

"You . . . live here?" Yosuke repeated carefully. "Seriously?"

"Yeah." The bear nodded. "If I were you, I'd get back to the other side. It's not good for humans here. Especially when the fog lifts; it gets really dangerous then."

Souji grimaced. "We've noticed. That's why we've been wandering around, trying to find a way out, but we keep hitting dead ends."

"Well, someone's been throwing people in here." The bear looked annoyed. "It's a big headache; I just want a little peace."

The teens exchanged puzzled looks. "Throwing people in here?" Yosuke said. "Who?"

The bear stomped on the ground, visibly upset. "I dunno who's doing it or why, I just want them to stop! Can't people think about what they're doing!?"

Chie hissed through clenched teeth. "And just what gives you the right to yell at us over it, huh!?" she snapped. "We're not here because we want to be!" She glared. "Where are we!? What the hell is going on here!?"

Spooked, the bear dashed around behind Souji. "I-I already told you," he said, shivering.

"Calm down," Souji said for what felt like at least the fifth time. "Look, like I said, we didn't come here by choice. We're just trying to find a way out."

The bear's expression brightened at that. "I can help you out there," he said. He tapped his foot, and a stack of old-style TVs appeared in a puff of smoke.

Yosuke and Chie took a reflexive step back in almost comical unison. Souji, more inured to things by then, simply tilted his head, curious. It probably didn't mean anything, but the TVs looked like they were from the early 1980s at the latest, before he was born.

"T-That's the way out?" Yosuke said, a strong note of disbelief in his voice. He and Chie crowded in behind Souji.

"Yep. Now you guys had better get moving." There was a sudden pressure at Souji's back. "Go, go, go, I'm a busy bear!"

The last thing Souji heard was Yosuke's startled-sounding yelp of protest, and then they were through.

---

He'd never thought the sights and sounds of a department store could be so welcoming. After that foggy other-space they'd been trapped in, even the cheesy Junes jingle was welcome. It was fortunate that there weren't any customers around, though.

"This is . . . where we started, isn't it?" Chie said, dazed.

Yosuke slowly stood. "Did we . . . did we really make it back?"

"I think we did," Souji said. "Even I was starting to doubt it for a while there."

The store's PA system chimed. "Attention, shoppers. Our daily limited-time sale will now begin at the side dish area on the first floor."

Yosuke's eyes widened slightly. "It's already that time? We must've been in there for over an hour. No wonder we're so beat."

If Souji's memory was accurate, that made it roughly five in the afternoon, well after school. His uncle (assuming he was home) and cousin were probably getting worried. Steadying himself on a display stand, a flash of color caught his eye. That poster.

Yosuke was evidently thinking along the same lines. "Hey, look at that. I knew it looked familiar."

Chie's jaw dropped a couple of centimeters. "Yeah, you're right. It was hard to tell with the face cut out, but that's Misuzu Hiiragi."

"Which means that twisted hotel room was connected to the announcer case somehow." Souji shook his head, unable to believe what he was saying. "Forget I said that, it's too insane."

"No kidding," Yosuke agreed. "That freaky room . . . forget it! I'm going to try and purge the whole thing from my brain." His shoulders slumped. "Besides, I'm beat. Dunno about you guys, but I'm gonna head home, take a long shower, and get some sleep."

"Me, too," Chie agreed. She yawned. "I could sleep for a week after that."

"It's unanimous, then," Souji said, smiling tiredly. He winced, feeling more joints than he thought he had popping. "See you in the morning."

---

Evening

---

Dojima, as it happened, had managed to get home on time. To Souji's relief, the older man accepted his explanation without protest, though he seemed preoccupied.

"Say, Souji," Dojima said. When Souji looked at him, he went on, "Do you know a girl named Saki Konishi, by any chance?"

"She works part-time at Junes; I met her a couple days ago when one of my classmates took me there," Souji acknowledged. He frowned. "I heard she wasn't at school today, but I thought she was just skipping out to get away from all the rumors." He hesitated. "I hear she discovered Mayumi Yamano's body."

Dojima sighed. "It's true. She did. Anyway, we got a call from her family; she's gone missing. Do you know anything about it?"

Souji winced, thinking how Yosuke must feel about it. "Nothing beyond the rumors, sorry. One of my classmates knows her pretty well; I can call him up and ask, if you want."

"I appreciate it, but it probably won't do any good." Dojima sighed again. "This case is going nowhere fast. Work just keeps piling up."

Souji wanted to say something encouraging, but no words came to mind. What did one say to a police detective on a stalled murder investigation? It wasn't like simply having a bad day at the office.

The news came on then, sparing him the need for a reply. "And now, the latest on the case still casting a shadow over foggy Inaba."

Of course they would still be talking about the murder case. If there was one thing news agencies the world over had in common, it was sensationalism. Well. He supposed he couldn't really blame them in this case; it was highly unusual, certainly newsworthy.

"Not long ago, television announcer Mayumi Yamano was found dead in this rural town." The usual rehash, typical of the twenty-four hour news cycle in the modern world. "Until now, her whereabouts prior to her death were unknown. But the police investigation has found she had been staying in the town's famous Amagi Inn."

There was one question answered. Yukiko hadn't been so stressed merely because the inn was busy, but because of a very direct connection to the murder case. Making a mental note to tell Chie the next morning, Souji frowned. He hoped the girl's parents weren't considered suspects.

"Oh, yes, the Amagi Inn!" the commentator put in. "Their hot springs are first-rate! The manager's teenage daughter also works there, and rumor has it she'll be taking over in the spring."

Chie had said much the same thing, so it wasn't too surprising. Still, Souji didn't like the way the commentator was talking. He didn't know Yukiko Amagi very well, but he somehow doubted she would be interested in whatever this guy had in mind.

"If that happens, she'll be one of the youngest managers on record! I should book another trip there!"

This guy is officially creeping me out, Souji thought.

The anchor seemed to agree. He coughed lightly. "I . . . see. Anyway, next is the weather report. The rain is beginning to subside. From now until morning, heavy fog warnings will be in effect throughout the Inaba region."

Souji winced. More fog. Maybe it's because of that other dimension we went through, but more fog sounds really bad.

"Visibility will be very poor, so please exercise caution if you plan on driving in the area."

Dojima looked disgusted. "That's going to make our job even harder. Damn, what is it with all the fog lately?"

The news went on, continuing to more mundane topics. Souji was no longer paying attention; something about the increased fog was nagging at the back of his mind. Maybe it was the fact that Mayumi Yamano's body had been found on a foggy day, but he was certain that wasn't all of it.

"Is the ramen ready yet?" Nanako asked, briefly derailing Souji's train of thought.

"Give it a few more minutes," her father said, and was in turn distracted when Souji sneezed. "You okay?"

Souji sniffed briefly. "I think so." Either I managed to catch a cold from all this rain, or that other dimension took more out of me than I thought.

Dojima gave a brief nod. "Sounds like you might've caught something; happens sometimes when you're adapting to a new area. We've got some medicine, but you should get to bed after you take it."

"Sounds good," Souji agreed, feeling decidedly sluggish. "I'll turn in after dinner; haven't gotten any homework yet, so it's not like I'll be losing time."

At least whatever it was he had wasn't affecting his sense of taste. Instant ramen was always welcome in a pinch, and he was downright ravenous after the day's insanity. He quickly finished his ramen, took his medicine and, feeling like his legs were made of lead, bid his uncle and cousin goodnight.

---

Friday, 15 April, Early Morning

---

Morning found Souji in much better shape. The medicine and a good night's sleep had apparently been just what he needed. Stretching, the first thing he noticed was the fog, persistent even in the driving rain. It struck him as an ill omen, though he couldn't have said why.

He went downstairs just in time to see his uncle leaving. "Ah, you're up. Well, I'm off." Dojima was out the door before Souji could reply, the sound of his SUV's engine already fading into the distance.

"Dad got a call from work," Nanako explained when Souji looked at her. "Something came up again."

Souji felt a chill go down his spine. A rainy, foggy day, and his uncle was called in early. On the surface it was a coincidence, but he couldn't believe it. There was something very, very wrong. Nanako, it appeared, shared his worry, though she probably hadn't thought it through the way he had.

Retrieving his umbrella, he stepped out onto the rainy street, wondering uneasily just what bombshell was about to be dropped.

---

The walk to school was deceptively normal. While it was still raining, the fog had largely dissipated by the time he got to the school zone. He moved at a relaxed pace, hiding his disquiet enough to politely greet a few students who crossed his path.

"When I looked, I saw three police cars zooming past, lights and everything."

Two girls he didn't recognize, one with a white umbrella, one with a red. Souji paused, his unease deepening. Three police cars was no minor event.

"You live by the police station, don't you?" White said. "You hear anything?"

Red shook her head. "I heard some yelling, but that's all. Major disappointment there."

"Seriously, you need to pay closer attention to stuff like that! How else are we supposed to get all the good stories?"

Ordinarily Souji would have just shaken his head at such gossip. In light of recent events, however, hearing the conversation only deepened his unease. Another incident, his uncle called in early in the morning, and he could hear sirens in the distance.

Something very bad had happened. He was sure of it. Swallowing, he picked up his pace a little. It was going to be a bit more difficult to concentrate on his schoolwork.

---

Afternoon

---

Classes proceeded as normal for the first half of the day, though the teachers (save for Morooka, who was irascible as ever) seemed oddly subdued. Nothing overtly out of the ordinary happened, though, until after lunch. Souji had just gotten back to class when the entire school was called for an unscheduled assembly.

Most of his classmates were either perplexed and/or irritated by the change in routine. Souji, by contrast, had tensed up the instant he heard the announcement. After everything he'd already heard, he was on a hair trigger. As far as he could tell, though, he was the only one.

"Hey, did you see it last night?" More gossiping girls.

Her companion snorted softly. "Of course not. Don't tell me you think that rumor's for real."

It's real. I didn't believe it myself, but it's real. And there's more to it than anyone suspects.

The first girl shrugged. "Dunno, but I hear a lot of people have seen it."

Souji tuned the rest out. He wished the faculty would get on with it; the uncertainty was beginning to strain his nerves. The one thing he was certain of was that it had something to do with whatever the latest incident was. Which of course only served to heighten the tension.

In front of him, Chie was staring at her cell phone. "Yukiko said she'd be here after lunch," she said, pocketing the device.

"They're probably still dealing with fallout from the Yamano case," Souji murmured, grateful for the brief distraction. "If last night's news report was even close to accurate, it must be sheer chaos at the inn right now."

"I guess you're right," Chie conceded. "What's wrong, Yosuke? You're looking pretty down."

Yosuke looked up. "Huh? Oh, it's nothing, don't worry about it."

Souji eyed his friend sidelong. Yosuke was obviously hiding something, but it was neither the time nor place to pry even if Souji wanted to.

"Everyone, please settle down." It was Kimiko Sofue calling things to order. Better her than Morooka, Souji reflected, even if she was still wearing that Egyptian headdress. "The school assembly is about to begin. First, the Principal has something to say."

The principal of Yasogami High was an older man, bald and bearded. Souji didn't even know his name, though he was at least friendly enough, like someone's favorite uncle. Today, however, he appeared downright grim. Souji held his breath.

"I . . . deeply regret that I have a terrible announcement for all of you. It is my sad duty to inform you," the old man said, "that one of our third year students, Ms Saki Konishi . . . has passed away."

Souji froze. Saki-senpai, dead? Beside him, Yosuke looked suddenly stricken.

"Ms Konishi was found deceased early this morning," the principal went on. "The cause and circumstances of her death are currently under investigation by the police. If they ask you any questions, I urge you all to provide nothing but the facts."

So that was why his uncle had gone into work early. Souji carefully avoided looking at Yosuke's face. A second death in less than a week, and he would have bet his entire life savings that it was the same as Mayumi Yamano. Found hanging upside down on a foggy morning, cause of death unknown.

There was someone truly sick and twisted in Inaba.

"I have been assured by the faculty that there is no evidence of bullying in connection with this unfortunate incident."

Not unless it was by sloth-face Morooka, Souji couldn't help thinking.

"So mind what you say, not only to the police but to anyone else who asks."

No problem there. Watching his words was practically second nature to Souji. What concerned him more was Yosuke. The "Junes Boy's" usual boisterousness was completely absent; he was actually fighting back tears. He looked like his heart had been ripped out.

"Found dead?" Chie breathed. "But how? How could this have happened?"

On the surface, the most logical explanation was the killer wanted to silence Saki-senpai, since she'd been the one who found Yamano's body. Souji wasn't so sure; he couldn't put his finger on it, but he was convinced there was something more going on. He just hoped the police could catch the killer.

Seeing Yosuke's expression, he made a mental note to talk to him later. He had the distinct feeling Yosuke might be planning something drastic.

---

Only half an hour of classes left. Souji was just as glad; while he hadn't known Saki-senpai the way Yosuke had, the news of her death was still a blow. Especially in light of what had already happened. So of course, as he and Chie were on their way to their last class, they ran into a couple of girls chattering next to the bulletin board on the first floor.

"This is so creepy," one was saying. "She was found the same way as that announcer, except she was hanging from a telephone pole."

"Yeah, there's no way this isn't a serial murder case," her friend agreed.

Souji thought they were being rather callous. Talking about the announcer was one thing, but Saki Konishi had been one of their own. A little sensitivity, he thought, was in order. Not that he disagreed with the main point; it was unlikely the near-identical condition of Saki's body was a coincidence.

"They're saying the cause of death was some kind of unknown poison," the first girl said excitedly.

The other rolled her eyes. "Unknown poison?" she repeated. "Come on, it's not some kind of sci-fi drama. Oh, I heard people are saying they saw Saki on that Midnight Channel thing. Word is she looked like she was in pain."

It was the first girl's turn to roll her eyes. "Seriously? That freaky rumor? Heh, sounds like a nightmare to me. They've been broadcasting that interview with her around the clock, so someone must've had Saki on the brain." The pair wandered away.

Souji shook his head. "You'd think they'd show just a bit more respect," he muttered. "Talking like that about a classmate's death just makes things harder on the survivors."

"Yeah, it's easy to toss around theories when you're not personally involved," Chie agreed, a grimace twisting her face. "But to talk about her like that. . . ."

"Callous is putting it mildly," Souji said, then turned slightly on hearing footsteps. "Yosuke?"

Something in Yosuke's eyes set off alarm bells in Souji's mind. "Did you guys . . . did either of you check the Midnight Channel last night?"

"I went to bed right after dinner," Souji said. "That little trip of ours took a lot out of me." His eyes narrowed. "Wait, are you saying. . . ."

Yosuke nodded. "I couldn't get it out of my head, so I stayed up and watched. It was Saki-senpai, I'm sure of it. She looked. . . ." His voice caught. "She looked like she was writhing in pain." He closed his eyes. "And then . . . she disappeared."

Chie paled slightly. "What. . . ."

"You guys heard Senpai's body was found in the same condition as that announcers, right?" Yosuke pressed. "Remember that guy you told us about, the one who was so excited that the announcer was his soul mate? Maybe . . . maybe Ms Yamano was on that Midnight Channel thing, too."

It made sense, a little too much sense for Souji's peace of mind. It explained the police's inability to find a cause of death, or even the slightest clue as to how the bodies had gotten so high up in the first place. Unfortunately, Souji was beginning to see just what Yosuke was up to, and he didn't like it.

"Yosuke," he said carefully, "are you saying it's somehow connected to that other dimension we fell into yesterday?"

"Hold on," Chie interrupted. "Are you saying, people who appear on the Midnight Channel," she swallowed hard, "die?"

Yosuke took a deep breath. "I can't say for sure yet, but it won't leave me alone. I just can't believe it's a coincidence." He looked at Souji. "Plus, remember what that freaky bear said? About how we should leave before the fog clears? And that someone's been throwing people in there."

"Yosuke," Souji said, choosing his words carefully, "are you saying Ms Yamano and Saki-senpai were thrown in there?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying," Yosuke said. "I don't know for sure, but it fits a little too well. That's why," he met Souji's gaze, "I want you to take me into that world again."

Chie shook her head hurriedly. "A-Are you crazy? Shouldn't we just leave it to the police?"

Souji was very much of two minds about that. On the one hand, they were total amateurs, and that strange world they'd fallen into was not to be taken lightly. On the other, the police knew nothing about it, and if Yosuke was right (and Souji strongly suspected he was), their efforts were useless.

"The police?" Yosuke repeated. "They haven't even made any progress on the announcer's case! Besides, even if we told them about the world inside the TV, they'd think we were crazy, and frankly I wouldn't blame them."

And that was the rub. No police force had the training or knowledge to deal with outright supernatural phenomena, assuming they believed it in the first place. Which, Souji knew, was highly unlikely; his uncle, for one, was down-to-earth as they came.

"Yosuke," he said, "just what is it you have in mind?"

Yosuke appeared to take his calm tone as a good sign. "I just want to see that bear thing again. He might have some answers." He managed a bleak smile. "I know you think I'm crazy, but there's no one else I can turn to. There's some stuff I have to get, so I'll see you at Junes."

Souji watched him go with very mixed emotions. He understood where Yosuke was coming from, certainly, but the danger seemed too great.

"I kinda understand how he feels," Chie admitted.

"So do I," Souji said, "but it's still a bad idea. We'd better stop him before he does something drastic."

Chie nodded jerkily. "Y-Yeah, you're right."

---

After School

---

Yosuke was waiting for them in front of the same TV they'd fallen through the previous day. He was holding a golf club in one hand, and had a sizable length of rope wrapped around his midsection. Souji had a good idea what the latter was for.

"You came," Yosuke said when he saw them, a half-smile on his face.

Chie was in no mood to banter. "We came to stop you, idiot!" she snapped. "Just what are you thinking, anyway?" Her expression softened a little. "Look, I know how you feel, but you really shouldn't do this. It's way too dangerous."

Souji doubted Yosuke would listen. He was right. "I know, but we made it back once, didn't we? I figure if we go in through the same TV, we can meet that bear again."

It made a certain amount of sense. Unfortunately. "Are you sure about this?" Souji asked. "Like Chie said, this is very dangerous. You'd be risking all of our lives."

"It's just going to be you and me this time," Yosuke said. He offered Chie one end of the rope. "Chie, I want you to hold this."

She took it, clearly wondering what he had in mind. "What's this about?"

"It's a lifeline," Yosuke explained. "If I tug on this, I want you to pull us back out, okay?" He extended the golf club to Souji. "This is for you."

Souji lifted an eyebrow slightly. "I don't golf, Yosuke."

Yosuke and Chie both rolled their eyes at that. "Come on, don't you watch any movies? A golf club makes a handy weapon in a pinch."

"I guess there's no talking you out of this," Souji said, sighing. "All right. But no crazy risks, got it?"

"Heh, I knew you'd come around." Yosuke looked at Chie. "Whatever you do, don't let go of that rope." He and Souji exchanged nods, and they carefully pushed into the TV.

Chie stared, rooted to the spot. "What are you– wait!"

---

This time, knowing what was coming, Souji and Yosuke were able to land on their feet. Souji immediately dropped into a crouch, softening the impact a little; beside him, Yosuke had enough sense to do the same. Straightening, Souji looked around, getting his bearings. It was the same place, all right.

"You were right, Yosuke," he said. "This is where we landed yesterday."

"So they really are connected," Yosuke said. "Which means that bear thing should be around here somewhere. . . . Hey, over there."

Souji had only heard the squeaky footsteps once before, but the sound was unmistakable. Sure enough, the garishly-colored mascot-esque bear was visible through the omnipresent fog. His eyes, wide under normal circumstances, managed to grow even wider when he saw Souji and Yosuke.

"Y-You guys? Why'd you come back here?" His expression darkened. "Wait, I get it. You're the ones throwing people in here!"

What.

"What the hell did you just say!?" Yosuke demanded.

"I said you must be the ones throwing people in here!" the bear repeated. "This world keeps getting more messed up because of it." He glared at Yosuke. "This is the second time you guys came, and I don't think anyone forced you in." His voice dropped to a growl. "That means you must be the ones doing it!"

Souji set the golf club aside. "I don't know how to convince you, but we haven't been throwing people in," he said. "We came here because a couple of people have been found dead on our side, and we think this world might have something to do with it."

"From the sound of it, it just might have been the announcer and Saki-senpai," Yosuke mused, his anger momentarily forgotten. "The timing is about right."

Souji nodded slowly, his mind racing. It fit, all right, but that only deepened the mystery. Certainly, anyone could see the Midnight Channel if the conditions were met, but as they'd seen only a select few could actually enter the world behind the TV. Souji was the only one they knew who had that power.

Obviously I'm not the only one, but there can't be very many, he thought. We'd have heard at least rumors by now otherwise.

"Well? Can you prove you aren't the ones?" the bear said.

"We don't have to prove anything," Yosuke retorted, ire rising again. "If anything, you're the most suspicious thing here! I think it's time you showed your face!" He roughly grabbed the bear around what passed for his head and yanked, before stumbling back in sheer astonishment. "What . . . what the hell!?"

Souji could only stare. Where they would have expected either a person wearing the costume or (more disgustingly) the creature's innards, there was . . . nothing. Dark, empty space.

The bear didn't seem more than mildly annoyed, though. He felt around until he reached his head, then flipped it back on. "Look, there's just me and Shadows here," he said.

"This place may look like a TV studio, but I doubt the Shadows are filming the Midnight Channel here," Souji murmured. "Whatever the Shadows are."

That drew a blank look from the bear. "TV studio? Filmed? I don't get it."

"Never mind," Yosuke said. "Just what are the Shadows, anyway? Are they monsters or something?":

Apparently that put the bear on firmer ground, because he nodded. "Whenever it gets foggy on your side, the fog lifts here. The Shadows get really violent then; I have to hide whenever it happens."

And with that, several pieces clicked into place. Mayumi Yamano and Saki Konishi had disappeared because they'd fallen –or more likely been pushed– into the TV world. The cause of death was impossible to determine because they had been killed by the Shadows, which probably didn't work like anything they were familiar with. Timing of death was explained by the Shadows' increased violence when the fog lifted.

It still left a lot unexplained, but at least it was progress.

"All right," the bear said at last. "Maybe you aren't the ones throwing people in. I'll believe you if," he gave them a rather comical glare, "you find out who's really behind this. If you don't. . . ." He paused dramatically. "I'm not going to let you out of here."

Well. Isn't that just what we need.

"Ha!" Yosuke scoffed. "We don't need your help this time! We came prepared. I made sure to have a life . . . line. . . ." He trailed off, staring at the cleanly-severed rope.

Souji covered his face with one hand. It must have snapped before we hit bottom. Chie must be worried sick. Which, of course, left them with the choice of helping the bear or ending up as Shadow bait.

"Look, bear, you'd better let us out when we're done here!" Yosuke snapped.

"Calm down, Yosuke," Souji said. "He's just asking us to do what we were planning to do anyway."

Without warning, an image flashed through his mind. Or rather, a memory, of blue velvet and an old man with a long nose. It was the dream he'd had on the way to Inaba, he suddenly realized. A dream that he now knew was no dream at all.

"It seems you will encounter a misfortune at your destination, and a great mystery will be imposed upon you." Igor's words echoed in his mind. Was this what he'd meant?

Souji turned to the bear. "All right. I promise I'll help you out here."

The bear's face lit up. "Thanks! You're the greatest!"

Yosuke sighed. He clearly didn't like it, but he just as clearly knew there was little choice. "All right, you've got my word, too. My name's Yosuke Hanamura, and he's Souji Seta. So, you got a name?"

"Teddie," the bear said, smiling.

Teddie? Teddie!? How cliche can you get!?

"Figures," Yosuke said with a groan, voicing Souji's thoughts.

"Okay," Souji said, "now that introductions are out of the way, we need to move. Or Chie will beat us to death." He smirked at Yosuke's expression. "That announcer and Saki-senpai were both thrown in here. Teddie, do you know anything about it?"

Teddie shook his head. "Sorry, I don't know who they are. Oh, but I can show you the place the last person came in!"

Yosuke swallowed at that. Souji didn't blame him; he wasn't looking forward to seeing where Saki-senpai had died, either. He was more certain than ever that the freakish hotel room they'd seen was directly connected to Mayumi Yamano; from that, it wasn't exactly a stretch to anticipate something similar where Saki Konishi had appeared.

"Before I forget, you'd better put these on," Teddie said. "They'll help you see through the fog." He handed each of them a pair of glasses.

Souji almost quipped that his eyesight was fine, but something about the way Teddie had spoken gave him pause. Shrugging, he slid the slim glasses onto his face.

The change was instantaneous and dramatic. With those glasses on, the fog appeared to simply vanish, giving him a crystal-clear view of his surroundings. If he wasn't mistaken, it also counteracted the fatigue and chill he'd experienced during the last trip.

"This is incredible," Yosuke breathed. "Gotta give props to this one, Teddie. Okay, lead on."

"All right." Teddie paused. "There's just one thing. I can't really fight, so you guys will have to defend yourselves against any Shadows."

Yosuke's good humor seemed to evaporate. "What!? You're just going to sit back and watch while we try and get ourselves killed!?" He glared at the bear. "Is this really all you're good for?"

Teddie shook his head vigorously. "Uh-uh! I can provide moral support from the rear, but there's no way I can fight. I've got no muscles."

Or anything else, judging by the view they'd gotten when Yosuke pulled his head off. By the same token, since that left unanswered just how Teddie was able to even move, it didn't prove by itself that the cartoon bear was weak. Deciding a small test was in order, Souji stepped forward and tapped Teddie on the forehead.

Teddie promptly fell over on his back. "Gaaah!"

Yosuke put a hand to his forehead, groaning. "Is this all we have?"

"No use complaining, Yosuke," Souji said, helping Teddie to his feet. "Come on, let's go."

---

Teddie at least had the good sense not to chatter as they walked. Yosuke wasn't in the mood, and Souji was taking a very close look at their surroundings. With the glasses allowing him to see through the fog, it was both easier and decidedly eerier.

A feeling compounded when they reached their destination. Souji hadn't seen much of Inaba save for the School Zone and Junes, but he recognized the area.

"The shopping district?" he said, perplexed.

Yosuke appeared equally confused. "Why would they recreate this of all places?"

"I dunno," Teddie said, shrugging. "This is reality for the one who's here."

Whatever that means. Souji thought he had an inkling, though. It was only a suspicion, so he didn't voice it, but it was the only explanation that fit, in his mind. Saki's parents, he recalled, ran a liquor store in the shopping district. It was only logical, then, that Saki's world would be a reproduction of that same area.

In the meantime, he wished he'd brought something better suited for combat. Assuming Teddie was right about the danger posed by the Shadows (an easy assumption to make), a golf club was unlikely to be much of a defense.

Note to self: bring that katana next time.

"Hey, Teddie," Yosuke said. "You're starting to fall behind." His eyes narrowed. "You're not thinking of running off, are you?"

Teddie was indeed lagging rather behind, three meters away and slowly drifting farther back. He stopped in his tracks at Yosuke's pointed query, waving his hands hastily. "No, no, nothing like that! I just, uh, just don't want to get in the way if you have to fight, that's all! Hahaha. . . ."

Souji didn't believe him. From the scowl on his face, neither did Yosuke. It was not, however, worth pursuing, not at the moment anyway, so they walked on for a few minutes more, eventually stopping at a facsimile of the Konishi liquor store.

So this is where she fell. He saw nothing out of the ordinary (well, out of the ordinary for the TV world), but that, he knew, meant little. It wasn't foggy on the outside, so it was likely the Shadows were simply in a relatively placid mood.

"I wish Junes would go under!"

Souji and Yosuke both jumped at the voice. It sounded female, but not one either of them recognized.

"What the hell!?" Yosuke blurted.

"It's all because of that store!" A different voice, but still not one they knew.

"You hear Konishi's daughter is working there?"

"It must be really hard on him, having his daughter working for the enemy!"

Yosuke had gone deathly pale. "The enemy?" he repeated. "Junes? But, wait, this is crazy! What the hell is going on here!?"

Souji's hand tightened on the golf club. There was no way the sound of random human voices was a good sign, certainly not in this insane place. His gray eyes flickered about, searching for more tangible threats. He knew deep in his bones that something was about to happen.

Teddie let out a frightened yell. "T-The Shadows! They're coming!"

Souji whirled, bringing his golf club up in almost a parody of a sword stance. The door to the ersatz Konishi liquor store had vanished, replaced by a black-and-red vortex he found eerily familiar. With an odd sucking sound, a pair of dark, amorphous shapes, presumably Shadows, emerged. They writhed for a moment, taking the shape of red-and-white spheres with grotesque human-looking mouths.

Yosuke stumbled back, yelling, but Souji barely noticed. His head was pounding, the same pain he'd felt that first night he saw the Midnight Channel. Gritting his teeth, he put a hand to his forehead, the pain becoming almost unbearable. Then the voice started again.

"I am thou. Thou art I. The time has come. Open thine eyes, and call forth what is within!"

The pain was gone, almost like flipping a switch. Souji gazed down at his right hand, at the Tarot card that had mysteriously appeared. He turned it over, and saw a humanoid silhouette, with the symbol of the Fool Arcana in one corner. Suddenly, he knew what he had to do.

"Per . . . so . . . na."

The card erupted with what looked like blue flame, but Souji felt no heat. Only a rush of power, that intensified when he crushed the card in his fist. A yell tore from his throat, and he felt himself grinning. Behind him, a humanoid shape took form, bandaged with only the eyes visible, and carrying a large double-edged sword.

Souji flung his arm out, and the shape charged, slicing viciously into the first Shadow and stunning the second with a bolt of lightning. He followed its path, lunging with greater strength than he had ever possessed, and brought the gold club down hard on the stunned Shadow, reducing it to a black mist.

As quickly as it had begun, it was over, and Souji was breathing heavily, fighting to stay upright. What . . . what just happened?

"Whoa, that was incredible!" Yosuke gushed. "You took them out like it was nothing! What was that you said, 'Persona'? You think I could do that, too?"

Souji wasn't sure how to respond to that. Teddie interrupted before he could think of a reply. "Pipe down, Yosuke, you're troubling Sensei."

"Sensei"? What?

"I just did what came naturally," Souji said, then shook his head. "No, that's not quite right. I heard a voice, that same voice from the first time I saw the Midnight Channel, and I just knew. I knew what to do, right then."

Yosuke shook his head in amazement. "Well, whatever. You saved all our hides with that one." With obvious reluctance, he looked at the vortex that was their destination. "Guess we'd better get this over with."

---

Souji had never been inside a liquor store, so he had no idea what to expect save for bottles of various alcoholic beverages. There were plenty of those, but he rather thought they would normally be more organized, instead of scattered about.

"Looks like it's been closed for a while," he murmured.

Yosuke was looking ever more apprehensive. "I don't like this," he muttered. "I don't like this one bit. . . ."

Neither did Souji. It wasn't as bizarre as the hotel room, but that somehow made it more unnerving. He walked up to the counter and sorted through the few papers in sight. A few receipts, a couple of order forms, and what looked like some kind of invoice. Nothing out of the ordinary as far as he could tell.

"Saki! How many times do I have to tell you!?"

The voices again. Souji tensed, expecting more Shadows. Though he'd never heard the voice before, it was probably Saki Konishi's father.

"This store has been in our family for decades! Why are you working at Junes after what they've done? Is it for the money? Or is it that boy?"

Yosuke visibly flinched at the last accusation, going white as a sheet. He staggered to the counter, breathing heavily. "That . . . that's not. . . ." His hand brushed against a photo. "This is. . . ." He picked it up. "This is the group photo we took when Saki-senpai was hired. But it's . . . it's torn in half."

"I never had a chance to tell him."

Souji winced. That voice was Saki herself, and the tone did not bode well.

"Who cares about Junes, anyway!? All they do is drain the money from the shopping district. If I didn't need the money, I wouldn't waste my time there. And 'Hana-chan'?" A derisive snort. "I never had a chance to tell him. Tell him that he was getting on my nerves."

Yosuke made a choking sound. "No . . . no, that can't be. Saki-senpai, she would never, she would never say something like that!"

"Ha ha ha! Oh, woe is me! What a joke!"

The voice sounded almost like a parody of Yosuke's. With a deep sense of foreboding, Souji looked for the source of the sound, shifting his grip on the club. It took little effort; stepping out of the darkness, still wreathed in wavering shadow, was a doppelganger of Yosuke. Telling them apart was almost impossible at first glance, save for the duplicate's manic grin. Its eyes were gold instead of Yosuke's brown.

"Oh, poor Saki-senpai!" it said mock-sorrowfully. "Eh, who cares! At least it's something new! Something different in this boring backwoods."

"T-Two Yosukes!?" Teddie stammered.

"What the hell are you talking about!?" Yosuke snapped. "And why the hell do you look like me!?"

The duplicate laughed again. "Oh, come on, you know what I'm talking about. City boy, dropped into the middle of nowhere. Nothing to do, nowhere to go, and now all of a sudden, something happens. Finally, something to break up the monotony."

Yosuke's fists clenched. "What!? This isn't just a game to me!"

"Yeah, right!" The duplicate –no, the Shadow– leered at him. "You've been sitting here bored out of your mind, and now's your chance! You get to play hero, just like you always wanted!"

"The hell you say!" Yosuke shot back. "You don't know a damn thing about me!"

Yet more harsh laughter, this time tinged with derision. "You are so wrong it hurts. See, I am you, and you're me. It's all the same."

What little color remaining in Yosuke's face disappeared. "W-What!? No, no way. No way in hell."

The Shadow cocked its head. "No way what?"

"No way in hell are you me!" Yosuke snarled.

The Shadow looked positively jubilant. "Hahaha, don't say I didn't warn you! Now things are going to get really exciting!"

A wave of pure darkness erupted from the Shadow, buffeting Souji and Teddie and knocking Yosuke clear off his feet. Souji threw one arm up to shield his face; the darkness was like some kind of black wind, stinging where it touched.

When it faded, the Shadow had taken a new form. Dark green in color, it looked like some perverse blending of human and frog, at least that was the closest Souji could come to a description. And it was glaring at him.

"I am a Shadow, the true self," it said. "I'm going to take out everything that bores me! Starting with you." It pointed a finger at Souji menacingly.

I did it once, I can do it again. He slid into a fighting stance once more, his club held in a low guard.

"Sensei, listen close!" Teddie said. "This thing is stronger, but it still has a weak point like those Shadows you defeated before! Find it!"

Good advice. Souji concentrated, summoning the card from before. "Persona! Come forth, Izanagi!"

The result was just what he had been hoping for. Izanagi appeared again, driving a bolt of lightning into Yosuke's Shadow just as it had the minor one outside. With a cry of pain and fury, the Shadow toppled over; unwilling to give it time to recover, Souji followed up with a second lighting bolt, before charging in and striking it with an overhead blow.

He should have been expecting a counterattack. Hissing with barely-controlled rage, the Shadow unleashed a gust of wind. Souji grunted in pain as it struck him, sending him head over heels to crash into the counter. Winded, he took a brief moment to regain his breath.

I should have realized I'd have a weakness, same as those Shadows! he berated himself. I'm lucky that didn't snap my spine.

"What, no more?" The Shadow actually sounded disappointed. "Damn, that was too–"

"Izanagi!"

Another lightning bolt crashed down, knocking the Shadow back. Two more followed up, and then Souji was in close again, dodging an attempted kick and bringing the club down viciously on its head. It struck back with one fist, but Souji rolled with the punch; it still hurt, but not as much as it might have.

"Damn you, you bastard!" the Shadow roared. "I'm not going to lose to a pathetic bug like you!"

Think again. One more shot should do it! Souji gritted his teeth and concentrated. "Now, Izanagi!"

One last lightning bolt struck the Shadow dead center. "Damn you to hell!"it screamed, legs buckling. It sank to the floor, another wave of darkness billowing out. The wave quickly dissipated, revealing the Shadow in its original form.

Souji ignored it, moving to the real Yosuke's side. "Yosuke, are you all right?" he asked anxiously.

"Ow, my head." Yosuke allowed Souji to help him up. "What the hell was all that?" He then caught sight of his Shadow, which had also gotten to its feet. "No, you're not. . . ."

"That Shadow came from you, Yosuke," Teddie said gently. "You have to accept it, or it'll go berserk again."

Seeing his friend's hesitation, Souji laid a hand on his shoulder. "It's all right, Yosuke," he said quietly. "We all have our demons inside. You're still yourself."

"Myself." Yosuke sighed. "It really hurts to face yourself." He slowly walked to where his Shadow stood, silent and unmoving. "I knew it all along. You're part of me, a part that I tried to keep buried. I was just running from myself. No more." He met his other self's gaze. "I'm not lying to myself anymore."

The Shadow slowly nodded, and disappeared in a sparkle of light. Hovering in its place was a Tarot card, with the symbol of the Magician arcana. After a moment, it, too, vanished.

"Jiraiya," Yosuke whispered. His shoulders sagged, and he almost collapsed.

"Yosuke!" Souji said, at his side in an instant.

"I'm okay," Yosuke said. "Just . . . took more out of my than I thought. I'll be all right."

Teddie was looking at the space where the Shadow had stood. "We'd better get you out of here, Yosuke," he said. "This place isn't meant for humans." He rubbed his chin, which given that he was a cartoon bear mascot looked very strange. "Shadows were originally born from humans. When a human comes here, their Shadows eventually show themselves, just like with Yosuke. And when the fog lifts, or it's rejected, the Shadow goes berserk and kills the host."

Yosuke drew a deep, shuddering breath. "So, if this had gone on longer, if the fog had lifted, I'd have been in danger?"

"I think so," Teddie said. "It's a good thing Sensei was here. I'm not sure how it would have turned out otherwise."

"Yeah?" Yosuke looked at Souji. "Guess I owe you another one, partner."

Souji smiled. "Glad I could help," he said quietly. "Teddie, are we clear?"

The bear sniffed for a few seconds. "I don't smell anything, and I don't hear any more voices. We're probably done here."

---

It was fortunate the central "hub" they'd landed in was a short distance away. Yosuke was almost ready to pass out, and even Souji was exhausted from his battles with the Shadows. The glasses helped, to be sure, but they didn't make combat any less tiring.

I want to sleep for a week.

"Say, Teddie," Yosuke said. "The shopping district, and that freaky hotel room we saw before. Did they exist because of the people who came here?" He rubbed his temples. "What I'm trying to ask is, when that announcer and Saki-senpai were dropped in here, did that somehow create those areas? You said they're reality for the people here."

Teddie shrugged helplessly. "I don't know. It's never happened before. I have sensed people a couple of times before, but they left when the fog lifted."

"Mayumi Yamano and Saki-senpai," Souji murmured. "It makes a little too much sense."

"Yeah," Yosuke said. "They were here, lost and alone, and their Shadows must have come out. No one could rescue them, so they," he swallowed, "died. Their Shadows killed them, went berserk when the fog lifted." He looked like he wanted to punch something, but lacked both a target and the needed energy. "Dammit!"

"Yosuke." Teddie looked sympathetic. "They were safe before the fog lifted. No Shadows attacked them then." He coughed lightly, a gesture that should have looked comical, but somehow wasn't. "What I'm trying to say is, if we can find anyone else who gets thrown in here, we might be able to save them!"

Yosuke's bleak expression eased, just a bit. "Seriously?"

Souji nodded sharply, another piece falling into place. "He's right, Yosuke. Weather here is basically the opposite of our world. If we keep an eye on the weather, and make sure we find any victims before the next foggy day, I think we can pull it off."

Some color had returned to Yosuke's face, though he still looked tired. "Yeah. Anyway, we need to find whoever's doing this and make him stop. This whole thing is seriously twisted."

That was putting it mildly. They'd found out the cause of death, but there was still no clue as to how the culprit, whoever it was, had stumbled on the TV world in the first place. Much less decided to use it for murder. It was something only the truly deranged could have come up with.

"Hey, can I ask you something?" Teddie said. When Souji and Yosuke looked at him, he scratched his head. "If Shadows were born from humans, what was I born from?"

Yosuke facepalmed. "How should we know? You're the one who knows about this freaky place."

Teddie looked glum. "I know some things, mostly about this world. But I don't really know anything about myself."

Still another puzzle. Teddie wasn't hostile, true, but he wasn't human, either. Well. That was a mystery for another time. Just then all Souji wanted to do was crawl into bed.

"Um, will you guys come back here?" Teddie sounded anxious.

Souji smiled. "Of course. We did make a promise, and we want to find whoever's behind this as much as you do. Right, Yosuke?"

"Yeah," Yosuke agreed. "We'll be back, Teddie. Count on it." His mouth quirked. "Besides, you said you wouldn't let us out otherwise."

Teddie had the good grace to look embarrassed. "R-Right, I'll let you out. Just one thing, you need to come in from the same place every time."

Souji raised an eyebrow. "The same place? You mean like the TV in Junes?"

"I dunno about that; if it's the same place, yeah." Teddie waved a hand at their surroundings. "If you, don't you won't come in here. Then I might not be able to find you in time, and you'll be doomed." The last word came out in a breathy, over-dramatic tone.

Sheesh, this bear should take acting lessons. "We'll remember that. For now, though, we really need to get home." And probably get beaten senseless by Chie, he didn't add.

Teddie smiled. "Got it. One exit, coming right up!" He tapped his foot, and the familiar stack of old TVs appeared in a puff of smoke.

Souji hadn't noticed before, probably because they'd been in such a hurry, but the real world was actually visible on the screens. He leaned closer, hoping for a better look. The view wasn't the best, but he thought he could see the Junes electronics department, though Chie wasn't visible from that angle.

"Okay." Yosuke leaned in beside him. "First we make sure there aren't any customers or employees there. . . ."

There was a sudden impact; Teddie was apparently less concerned about attracting attention. As he fell through, Souji could hear Yosuke's startled protest, followed by a yelp of dismay. Then the world turned gray-white around him.

---

He was actually starting to get used to the transition. After perhaps a minute in that gray-white nothingness, Souji found himself again standing in Junes. Beside him, an exhausted Yosuke almost fell over, but was able to straighten without too much difficulty.

"You! You guys came baaaack!"

As expected, Chie Satonaka was glaring furiously at them, eyes red and face streaked with tears. There was, unfortunately, nothing they could say to mollify her, and Souji knew it. He braced himself for the coming storm.

She hurled what was left of the rope into Yosuke's stomach, knocking him over with a pained grunt. "You damned idiots! Do you have any idea how worried I was!?" She gave Yosuke an extra smack for good measure. "I hate you both!" she snapped, and dashed away.

Wincing, Yosuke forced himself upright. "We . . . kinda deserved that, didn't we?"

"I think so," Souji agreed with a grimace. "It wasn't entirely our fault, but just going in was crazy, and we did take longer than she had any reason to expect."

"Guess you're right." Yosuke stretched, wincing again. "Damn, I'm gonna feel that tomorrow. Dunno about you, partner, but I'm gonna go home and sleep it off."

Souji rubbed his arm; he suspected he'd pulled something when he was hit by that blast of wind. "Me, too," he said. "Oh, before you go, can I have your cell number? It would make things easier."

Yosuke managed a tired smile. "Yeah, good point." He drew out his phone, and the pair exchanged numbers. "That should be it. See you tomorrow, Souji."

"Later."

Souji didn't leave right away. After a quick call home, reassuring his cousin, he made his way to the Junes grocery department. If he was going to be late anyway, he figured, he could at least make sure they had something good to eat.

Let's see, Nanako likes seafood, and Uncle Dojima said we were low on coffee. . . . Souji enjoyed a good cup of coffee himself, though he practically drowned it in milk and sugar. It was one of the few things that gave him a sense of home.

It was still raining when stepped out onto the street fifteen minutes later. Adjusting the small shopping bag hanging from his shoulder, he set off at a leisurely walk, letting the pattering rain ease the mental aches. The physical ones would have to wait.

Maybe it was the bright color on a drab background that drew his eye; the first thing he saw when he reached the Samegawa flood plain was Yukiko Amagi, sitting in the nearby gazebo. Instead of the red sweater over her school uniform, she was dressed in a pink flower-pattern kimono.

Her head turned at the sound of his lightly splashing footsteps, and her dark eyes widened slightly. "Oh, Souji-kun!" she said, smiling in greeting. "I thought you would be home by now."

"I could say the same about you," Souji said, sitting a respectful distance from her.

Her smile turned a bit self-conscious. "Oh, are you surprised to see me dressed like this? I've been helping out at the inn, and my parents sent me out on an errand."

"I thought it was something like that," Souji said. He gestured to his shopping back. "I was at Junes, grabbing a few things for dinner tonight."

"You're really responsible," Yukiko said, a note of respect in her voice.

Souji shrugged uncomfortably. "I just don't want to feel like a freeloader. Uncle Ryotaro is doing us a big favor by letting me stay, so I figure I should do something to help out in return. Especially given how busy he is right now."

Yukiko nodded at that. "I understand. Are you settling in all right?"

He looked out at the gently falling rain. "I like it here," he said quietly. "It's only been a couple of days, but I've never felt anything like the sense of peace I get here, even with those weird murder cases." His gray eyes defocused for a moment. "It's a nice change."

"I'm glad to hear it," Yukiko said. "Are you and Chie getting along?"

Souji covered a wince, recalling Chie's explosion less than an hour before. "She can be a handful," he allowed, "but it's working out pretty well."

Yukiko chuckled softly. "Yes, she's always been like that. We've known each other for a long time, and she's always looked out for me. We used to skip class together from time to time."

Souji's lip twitched. "I can imagine that. Easily."

"I'm sure." Yukiko sighed. "I'd better get going. We've been really busy lately; the inn can't function without me just now." She picked up the red umbrella that was leaning against the bench next to her. "I'll see you later," she said, waving cheerfully.

It was about time for him to get home anyway. He still needed to make dinner.

---

Evening

---

Nanako was visibly relieved to see him, especially since her father was working late again. They made dinner together (or rather, Souji did most of it, with Nanako helping where she could), and sat down to eat in front of the TV.

"Dad's late again," the young girl sighed.

Probably wouldn't be home at all, Souji suspected. The Yamano case remained unsolved; another murder on top of it, of the one who discovered the body no less, would probably double his uncle's workload. And, he was grimly certain, it would be for nothing, since the police had no way of knowing about the TV world and would be unlikely (to put it mildly) to believe it if told.

There was a familiar chime, and the local news anchor appeared. "Next we have an update to our ongoing coverage of the bizarre murders in rural Inaba. At around 7:00 AM this morning, local high school student Saki Konishi was found dead in Inaba's residential area."

"That's probably what your Dad was called in for," Souji murmured. "I heard about it at a special assembly at school this afternoon."

"She went to your school?" Nanako said.

"Yeah," Souji nodded. "Yosuke's taking it pretty hard."

The report was still going. "Since Ms Konishi was the one who found Mayumi Yamano's body, police are operating under the assumption that the deaths are somehow connected."

Makes sense. Even if we didn't know they were thrown into that other world, two bodies ending up like that isn't likely to be a coincidence.

"The body went unnoticed until this morning because of heavy fog blanketing the area."

Nanako sighed again. "So Dad won't be coming home tonight."

Souji offered a smile. "It's okay, Nanako-chan. I'll be here."

Her expression was stoic as she nodded. "I'll be okay. Um, could you help out a little tonight?" As Souji had noticed before, his young cousin was surprisingly mature for her age. "It's kind hard to do alone right now."

"Of course," Souji said. "Least I can do."

The TV was now showing a sturdy, old-fashioned looking building. Every few seconds, men and women in equally old-fashioned clothing passed through the camera's field of view. Souji leaned forward; he had a feeling he knew what it was.

"Amagi inn, upstream of the Samegawa, is the town's oldest historical landmark. Vacationers are known to travel considerable distances to visit their open-air, radium-rich hot springs. Even foreign tourists have stayed there on occasion."

Souji took a bite of fish, wondering where they were going with this.

"After Ms Yamano's death and the investigation, the manager has stepped aside, leaving her daughter Yukiko to fill her shoes." Souji felt a brief jolt as Yukiko appeared on the screen, wearing the same kimono from their afternoon chat. "In other words, she's a manager while still in high school." The reporter grinned. "Now that has a nice ring to it! Let's see if I can get in a quick interview. Excuse me!"

Reporters. Souji could feel nothing but sympathy for Yukiko as she was accosted (he couldn't think of a better word) by the reporter. She looked more bemused than anything else, though Souji suspected it was partly because of fatigue.

"Hm? Um, are you speaking to me?"

Just leave her alone, Souji thought in disgust. She's under enough stress without a reporter getting in her face.

"We've heard that you're the new manager," the reporter said. "Is it true that you're still in high school?"

Apparently nonplussed, Yukiko shook her head. "I'm just temporarily filling in for my mother. She needs to get some rest."

That explained why she'd been leaving school in such a hurry. Souji felt his respect for her go up a notch. The fact that she could do all that without collapsing showed that Yukiko had a strong core.

"Someday, then. . . ." The reporter actually whistled. "Man, that kimono really suits you! You must get a lot of compliments from male guests."

And sleazy reporters, Souji added mentally, fighting an urge to put his fist through the TV. It wouldn't break the screen, of course, but it would likely give Nanako a bit of a fright, not to mention he had no desire to reveal that ability to just anyone.

"Huh? No, um. . . ."

Souji shook his head as the reporter went on and on. Yukiko was handling it surprisingly well for someone who was already being run ragged. He, by contrast, wanted to take his heirloom sword and gut the reporter with it.

"This is boring," Nanako said.

And stupid, Souji agreed. "You said there are some chores to take care of?"

She nodded. "Yeah, the dishes and some laundry, I think."

"Okay, let's get started."

---

Tired though he was, Souji wasn't going to neglect checking the Midnight Channel. Twice it had given advance knowledge, and he highly doubted it was a coincidence. There was a connection, he was sure of it. He flipped on his smaller TV just in time for the weather report.

"In other related news, meteorologists are predicting high levels of fog this year. The Inaba reason has been experiencing unusually heavy fog in recent years, and the cause of this climate change is still unknown. We advise residents of the area to exercise caution."

So it wasn't normal for the area. Well, that wasn't really a surprise; nothing else that had been happening lately was normal. As the clock struck midnight, Souji turned off the TV.

Almost instantly, the screen lit with a grainy picture. It was only a silhouette, as it had been before Saki Konishi disappeared, but it was definitely a human figure. Female, if he was seeing properly, with long hair, dressed in a kimono. It was too blurry to tell more than that.

What if I touched it? He reached out a hand, brushing his fingers against the screen. Instantly the screen rippled, and the blurry image vanished.

So much for that, not that he'd really thought there was much chance of success. He considered calling Yosuke, but discarded the idea; after the day they'd had, it was unlikely Yosuke was even awake. They could discuss it in the morning.

One thing was clear. The mystery, whatever it was, had only just begun.

---

Author's note: Guess it's not a flash in the pan after all. Would've been up a bit earlier, but my life went nuts for a week straight, so the finish was somewhat delayed. I do hope it didn't suffer for it. Various and sundry insanities permitting, I should be able to get the next one up at least a little faster. In the meantime, I will carefully consider any suggestions for improvement. ~DS