Back in his living room, Marcus was sitting in his favorite chair, brooding at the smartphone positioned on his lap. He had spent the rest of his afternoon preparing for the week ahead and after setting affairs in order for the next day, had finally decided to settle in his apartment. But despite his best efforts, and even a book to keep him company, a feeling of unease lingered in the back of his mind ever since he had reported back to Mitsuru earlier in the day. His gaze shifted from his smartphone to staring blankly at the opposite wall, his mind trying to sort out his thoughts on what to do about the matter at hand.

I can't keep going on like this. If I don't take care of this, I'm gonna lose my mind. But what if it's nothing? No…it is something…to me. If this means I'm selfish, so be it. I need to be at peace with myself and my decisions to accept other people and their decisions.

Making up his mind, Marcus dialed up a number and put it on the speaker setting as he placed it on the table in front of him. After two long rings, a voice went through the phone:

"Marcus, this is a surprise. I thought you would be taking advantage of your day off."

"Don't worry Akihiko, this isn't taking away from anything too important. I'm having a quiet day for the most part," Marcus replied, shifting a little in his chair.

"Sounds nice. Sometimes it's good to just sit back and take a breath; put things in perspective. So, what can I do for you?" Akihiko said with a note of curiosity in his voice.

"Well…there's something I wanted to ask you. I hope you don't take it the wrong way, but…I want your opinion." Marcus was getting slightly nervous, the uneasy feeling creeping into his head again.

"Alright, if it's anything I can answer, I'm happy to help you out. What's this question of yours?" Akihiko asked, picking up Marcus' tone and sounding more serious.

Marcus took a deep breath, steeling his nerves. "…Do you think Mitsuru hates me?"

There was silence, and Marcus was scared that he had crossed some kind of line.

"…Can you tell me how you got that impression?" Akihiko finally said, complete seriousness in his voice now.

"It's been with me since I joined you guys," Marcus explained, relief evident in his voice since he was glad to finally be talking to somebody about the topic. "She seems to always be looking down on me, as though I'm some sort of disappointment. Like the meeting this afternoon, she acted as though not finding anything at the warehouse was my fault."

"Don't take that personally. She's been working all of us harder since the break-in," Akihiko responded, taking a reassuring tone.

"Yeah, but it's more than that," Marcus desperately tried to explain, "It's not just what I do or say. I feel like…she resents me for who I am. Please be honest with me; why do you think Mitsuru is treating me like this?"

Again, there was silence. Now Marcus was past his fear, and was hoping that he would finally begin to understand what was going on.

"…While I can't speak for Mitsuru personally, I think I can explain her position," Akihiko finally replied, a thoughtful note in his voice. "This does confirm some observations I've made in the past few months. While it may be subtle, Mitsuru's patterns have been changing gradually."

"Really? So this isn't just me being paranoid?" Marcus was beyond grateful; he was finally getting closure he had been longing after for months.

"No, you're not at fault here. You have to understand though. Mitsuru had a very rigid upbringing; I've known her longer than anybody else, and she still has trouble opening up to people, including me. She was raised to believe she is superior to others, and that it's her responsibility to have authority over everything." Akihiko sounded as though he were reciting an old story, one he didn't like to tell.

"Wow, I had no idea…I imagined she had some type of tough childhood, but nothing like that." Marcus was surprised; he was now feeling sympathetic towards the person he had been intimidated by for almost a year.

"That's not all of it. Her father and grandfather were at odds with each other for a long time, and this conflict only made Mitsuru even more insecure. She had two different ideals forced on her, and she didn't know what to do or who to believe."

"So what changed?" Marcus was very curious to hear about Mitsuru's history, since it seemed relevant to his issue currently.

"It was a former member of SEES, someone just like you actually," Akihiko replied with a note of wistfulness in his voice. "His name was Makoto Yuki. He had a rough past and was pretty reclusive, like you were when you joined us. He helped all of us, Mitsuru especially, accept each other and work as a team to face any obstacle. In the end, he gave his life to give us a chance to make the world a better place."

"Wow, he sounds amazing. I find it hard to believe that I could compare to someone like that," Marcus marveled, thinking over the story he had just heard.

"Heh, it's not that far of a stretch. He helped Mitsuru see past her family name, and work towards building a life for herself, rather than the wishes of her family. He brought out the best in us, even when we couldn't see it in ourselves."

"I think I understand Mitsuru's story better now. But I'm still not sure what her view of me is," Marcus said slowly, trying to see the bigger picture.

"Well, you're a special case," amusement seemed to tinge Akihiko's voice as he chuckled. "Usually we run background checks on people and test their capabilities before we invite them to be members of the Shadow Operatives. You came from a completely ordinary background, had no special connection to the Kirijo Group, and you were thrown into…an impossible situation. Yet you showed such aptitude, such potential, that Mitsuru decided to recruit you on the spot. It was a completely spontaneous decision, and not like Mitsuru at all. Her choice puzzled everyone, but not anyone more than herself I think. She has a hard time trusting people, and yet she put faith in you the moment she met you."

"Really? She believes in me that much? But she seems so detached from most everything, especially me…" Marcus couldn't believe what he was hearing; Mitsuru, choosing to put faith in him?

"See, for Mitsuru, putting faith in someone means trusting them to get the job done. If she wants you to lead the investigation effort into this theft, that means she believes you can accomplish the task. Don't let her tough personality put you down. On the inside, she's a very kind and compassionate person."

"That's good to hear. Which reminds me…when she told me about the break-in, she didn't just ask me for my help; she begged for it." Marcus thought that had been a strange situation, but it seemed to make more sense with Akihiko's explanation.

"Now THAT confirms my suspicions; she has never begged anyone for anything in her entire life. You have more influence than you realize. I imagine Mitsuru would be willing to compromise almost anything for you if you asked her. That kind of power is dangerous; be careful with it." Akihiko had taken a serious tone, and there was almost the hint of a threat in his voice.

"I promise I won't abuse this situation to my advantage. You know I'm not like that," Marcus reassured, completely serious himself in response to Akihiko's remark.

"I do know that, which is why I trust you on this matter as well. If it was anyone else, I probably would have to…it doesn't matter now. Thanks for confiding in me on this. I can't imagine what it must have been like carrying those doubts around all this time." Akihiko sounded more relaxed, as though he had resolved a stressful ordeal.

"It wasn't too bad. Thanks for listening to me. I really needed to get that off my chest."

"Sure thing. If there is anything else bothering you, let me know. I have to go now. Talk to you later." With that, Akihiko hung up.

Marcus picked up his phone with a look of wonder on his face.

So she doesn't hate me after all. She trusts me, and implicitly by the sound of it. Who would have thought…perhaps things aren't as bad as I believed,Marcus thought, turning to his small kitchen. I wonder what else fate has in store for me…


"Welcome back. We have looked forward to your return with great interest."

Marcus blinked, and found himself once more in the Velvet Room. Everything appeared the same as it had been on his last visit, except there was now a deck of cards in front of the man who called himself Igor. Margaret was standing behind Igor, holding some type of volume in her arms. Both of them were smiling, as though Marcus was an old friend who had come to pay them a visit.

"It feels good to visit this place again," Marcus said shifting slightly in the high-backed blue chair he was currently sitting in. "How did I end up here? One moment I'm dozing in my bedroom, the next I find myself in this chair…"

"As a guest of the Velvet Room, you are welcome to visit here whenever you wish," Igor explained, inclining his head in acknowledgment. "In addition, we residents may summon you to provide guidance, or information."

"I understand. Thank you for telling me," Marcus replied, nodding his head in return. "So what is the purpose of this meeting?"

"Why, to help determine the nature of your journey," Igor responded, indicating the deck of cards before him. "Tell me, do you believe in fortune telling?"

"As far as I'm concerned, fortunes are what we make them to be," Marcus said, looking at Igor with a serious face. "While I accept there are forces outside of our control, in the end, we are the masters of our fate."

"Ah, most intriguing," Igor mused, regarding Marcus with a curious gaze. "Not many have such a clear understanding of how the universe works. This will make your fortune more interesting. Shall we begin?"

"By all means," Marcus said, looking on as the cards from the deck arranged themselves on the table in front of him.

"Your first card is…" at Igor's words, the card on the far left side flipped over. "…the Moon in the upright position. This indicates there will be a task you must pursue alone, and there will only be yourself to rely upon."

That sounds ominous, Marcus thought, gazing at the cards before him.

"The card for beyond that future is…" and the card right behind the first one turned over. "…the Magician in the upright position. Fascinating; it appears that if you succeed in your ordeal, you will wield great power, one that none have ever had before."

Huh, I guess that will make the risk worth the reward in that case, Marcus reasoned, intrigued by what he saw. "Is there any more that can be revealed about my future?"

"As curious as ever I see," Igor chuckled, giving Marcus an amused look. "I think we may be able to learn a little more."

As if on command, the card on the far right flipped over.

"Ah, the Ace of Cups. This shows the start of a relationship, one with great potential to it, if you were to pursue on nurturing this relationship."

Wow, a relationship. That would definitely be something I would look forward to, Marcus marveled, thinking of the possibilities.

"I believe that is enough of your fortune for now," Igor declared, waving his hand and making the tarot cards disappear. "As you progress through your journey, more will be revealed. I will have Margaret show you out today. Until we meet again, farewell."

"If you will follow me," Margaret said, walking around the table and indicating the elevator door set on the opposite side of the Velvet Room.

Standing up, Marcus nodded at Igor, then stood up and followed Margaret into the elevator, which was the same deep blue as the reception room they had left.

"So do you spend all of your time in the Velvet Room?" Marcus asked as the elevator door closed behind them.

"No, not all of it, although my master has had me take care of more duties since my sister left," Margaret replied, hardly moving as the elevator began moving down.

"Your sister wouldn't happen to have golden eyes as well, would she?" Marcus inquired, looking at Margaret with a curious glance.

"As a matter of fact, she does," a mysterious smile appeared on Margaret's face, one he recognized instantly. "Her name is Elizabeth, and you two have already met if I'm not mistaken."

"We have, although it was a little…odd for a first encounter," Marcus commented, returning Margaret's smile with one of his own.

"She does have a…unique personality," Margaret laughed, her eyes twinkling in humor. "She can be quite the handful, but also quite genuine. Bear that in mind if you come across her again."

"I most certainly will, thanks," Marcus said, feeling lighter than he had in a long time.

"Well, this is your stop. See you later," Margaret replied, the doors slowly opening as Marcus' view faded once more into the darkness of sleep.


As if waking from a dream, Marcus slowly regained consciousness in the real world. He was in his bed, in the same position as he had been in when he had visited the Velvet Room. The moonlight shined through the window behind his bed, and illuminated the features in his room, including who was looking at him from the end of his bed.

"Hey, nice to meet you. It's good to see you in person." The person who spoke was a young boy, appearing to be around 10 years of age, and dressed in a one-piece pajama with black and white stripes. He had light brown hair, and light blue eyes that seemed to almost glow in the moonlight.

"…You're not really here, are you?" Marcus said slowly, noticing that the boy did not cast a shadow in the light he was standing in.

"Well, depends on what you mean by 'here'," the boy replied, smiling slightly at Marcus' comment. "Physically, you're right; I'm not in this room. But inside your mind, I very much exist. Don't worry about it too much."

"…Who are you?" Marcus asked finally, looking at the boy in curiosity, not feeling any fear at all for this mysterious presence.

"Well, that's an interesting question," the boy said thoughtfully, "and quite the long story to answer properly. However, you can call me Pharos."

"Why are you here?" Marcus was puzzled; despite never seeing this boy before, there was something familiar about him…

"I'm not really sure," Pharos responded, frowning slightly. "I used to be tied to this world through a bond established long ago. When the bond was broken, I simply…wasn't there anymore. Now, a new bond was created, so here I am once again. How I am tied to it this time, I'm not positive."

"Bond? I don't have any bond to anything…" Marcus felt something tickle at the back of his mind, like a memory trying to come to the surface of his subconscious.

"Well, you do, and it's quite the strong one," Pharos said, giving Marcus a scrutinizing look. "Perhaps you weren't fully aware what you were getting into, but the deed is done now. What will come of this bond remains to be seen. I imagine this bond will become clearer with time."

"Hmm, there seems to be a lot happening around me right now," Marcus murmured, looking down at his hands. "I didn't want this. I didn't ask for any of this to happen."

"Most people don't look for change in their lives willingly," Pharos said, giving Marcus a sympathetic look. "What they do in response to the change determines who they are."

"You're right, thanks Pharos. I was just contemplating recent events," Marcus replied, glancing at the boy across from him.

"Don't mention it," Pharos responded, smiling again at Marcus. "I'm here to provide council at turning points in your life. As long as the bond is maintained, I will be able to visit when needed. Now I must be going. I imagine I will be seeing you again soon. Goodnight…"

With that final remark, a shadow crossed the moonlight, and Pharos faded into the darkness, his eyes gleaming before fading as well.

Huh, that was a strange encounter. Quite the interesting kid, he seemed wiser than he appeared to be. And there was something else…something he said…well, I'm sure I'll figure it out sooner or later, Marcus thought, turning over onto his side and falling asleep once more.