Persona 7
Section II
The First Day
~ Morning 8/27 MON
Condition: Tired
Lee missed EJ when he tried to meet him for breakfast, so he went on to his eight o'clock class. He didn't know what he was thinking when he decided to schedule his College Algebra class at eight o'clock in the morning. He'd know better next semester. He had to hurry too because his class was in the General Education Building, which was a nice walk from his dorm. During this nice walk, he thought back to yesterday and his so-called dream. If he hadn't passed out, he would've done a run-through of his schedule to figure exactly where all his classes were. He couldn't have just passed out though. He normally didn't pass out, even if he was dead tired. However, the alternative to thinking he had passed out was that his sister Lola had pulled him and his roommate into the mirror in their dorm room. The alternative sounded crazy, but it also felt true.
Lee reached his morning class and sat a few rows from the front. He had never attended a class this large. He didn't count the number of classmates he had, but he ball parked that it was well over 40. He saw his professor come into the room as well as a couple teaching assistants. The TAs each had a stack of packets in their arms. The professor announced that his TAs would be passing out the class' syllabus. Once everyone in the class had a syllabus, the professor explained he would go over it, and then they would jump right into his lecture. Lee was still unusually tired, giving him more evidence that last night's dream wasn't a dream, so the real question was: Read the syllabus and then sleep, or Listen to the professor and take notes?
He decided to listen to the professor and take notes. By the time his professor wrapped up the hour-long class, Lee felt like his professor had dropped some knowledge on him and felt like he understood it. He got homework on his first day, but he figured it wouldn't take too long to do it. He planned to put it off until later. Meanwhile, he had some time to kill before his second and last class of the day. He didn't have that class until the afternoon, and since he pretty much knew where that class was, close by his dorm, he decided to explore the campus. His mom had told him and Ling that it was large campus. Ling agreed going so far as to say it was overwhelming, but Lee didn't think it was large or overwhelming. He disagreed telling his sister and his mom it felt rather homey to him.
He walked toward the center of campus where a lot of the action was. The university called it Turner Mall named after Nat Turner who led a slave rebellion during August 1831. Lee's dad had told him and Ling how surprised he had been when he learned for whom it was named, but he admired the university for honoring a man who fought back against the injustice at the time.
Turner Mall housed the Student Success Center, which he learned provided tutoring services and jobs for those who wanted to tutor. They also helped you find a job on campus or get you into volunteer work. Turner Mall housed the Student Union as well, which he learned provided a couple eateries. An improv group was stationed there. After going through Turner Mall, Lee walked down to the Owens Sports Complex, which included the Tunney Gym and the Arellanes Field. He could work out at the gym and play some intramural sports on the field.
~ Afternoon 8/27 MON
Condition: Tired
When his Psychology class started in the Psychology building, he was seated near the front and ready to go, but he was more tired if that was possible. His professor entered the class with her TAs in tow. They distributed the syllabi, and the real question was: Read the syllabus and sleep, or Listen to the professor and take notes?
This time Lee went with the former. When the class was done, he felt braver for having the nerve to sleep during class on the first day as close to the professor as he was. He also felt his condition had improved. He knew he'd have to do some reading and studying for this class later, falling behind this early in the game wouldn't fly.
{How's it going so far?] Lee texted Ling.
{So far so good} Ling replied. {I'm about to start my second class of the day, and then I have a third one later on.}
{I wouldn't want to interrupt.} Lee told her. {Text me when you're done for the day as soon as you get out of your third class.}
{Gotcha.} She replied. {:)}
After coming out of his class on his way back to the dorm, someone slid right in front of him, crossing her arms.
"I thought that might be you," Tess said.
Lee recognized her from the...dream...memory...?
"Looks like we have a class together Lee," Tess said. "Guess what happened last night wasn't a dream. We should study together sometime, but right now we should sit and talk."
"It didn't seem quite real," Lee said, "but if you remember it too maybe it's more than just a dream."
"Are you done for the day?" Tess asked.
"I am," Lee said. "You?"
"I'm done with classes," Tess said, "but eventually I'm meeting a couple friends for dinner across campus. They live so far from me. I'm in Sandthorne. I was on my way there. You?"
"That's where I'm staying," Lee said. "EJ's my roommate."
"Oh," Tess said. "You two didn't talk about our shared memory?"
"We had class," Lee said. "Plus, it was too crazy to believe. If all that stuff happened to us for real, that means we're in danger and so are my sisters."
"I understand," Tess said. "I didn't want to believe it either, but as soon as I saw you, coupled with a few other things, I knew it couldn't be a coincidence."
"Did you talk to Axle about it?" Lee asked her.
"I don't know him," Tess said. "I met him along with the rest of you last night. He's not my roommate either. Coed roommates aren't allowed in our dorm."
"What floor do you stay on?" Lee asked.
"I'm on the seventh floor on the left side room 704," Tess told him.
"I'm on the right side room 725," Lee said with a short laugh.
"This can't all be a coincidence," Tess said.
"Let's head back to the dorm," Lee said. "Walk and talk." Tess nodded.
The two of them started walking in the direction of their dorm.
"Julia told us my sister would be able to answer some of our questions," Lee said. "I don't know much, so it's probably best we meet with her when we can. She's going to text me when she gets out of her last class."
"That's a good idea," Tess said. "Give me your phone, so I can give you my number." Lee gave her his phone after he put in his password. She gave him her number. "I'll be out, but as soon as you come up with a time to meet let me know. What should we do in the meantime? Should we try to find Axle?"
"Maybe we don't have to find him," Lee said. "We were brought together last night. We seem to be finding each other just fine. Maybe you'll run into him while you're at dinner, maybe EJ already knows him, or maybe he'll just turn up."
"You make a good point," Tess said.
They entered the dorm and waited for one of the three elevators to arrive after they called for one. There were other students with them. They waited for their own elevator.
"Some crazy stuff happened before EJ and I arrived in the Red Velvet Room," Lee said when they were alone on an elevator headed for their floor. "We had to fight for our lives. Did the same thing happen to you? Do you remember what happened to you before you ended up meeting with us?"
"I remember," Tess said. "I didn't have to fight for my life, but it was strange. My roommate hadn't arrived yet, so I chose which side of the room I wanted and started to unpack. Someone grabbed me from behind soon after that. Whoever this person was covered my mouth and pulled me into the mirror. We fell backwards, and somehow we were separated. Then, I passed through that private jet and ended up seated in The Red Velvet Room."
"I'm sorry that happened," Lee said, wondering if Lola had taken her.
"I didn't have time to be afraid," Tess said, "but after we were separated I felt like I didn't need to be. Someone or something occupied the space as we fell, and it put me at ease until I met the rest of you."
"You think we should avoid the mirrors?" Lee asked, wondering if Ling had saved her.
The elevator doors opened, and the two of them stepped into the hall that separated the two sides. Lee noticed that the seventh floor lounge door was closed. He thought maybe it might be a good place for the group to meet later.
"Actually," Tess said, as they stood across from each other on their respective sides of the hall, "I think we're safe. I think because we accepted Florence's help the mirrors can't be used against, but maybe that's just what I want to believe."
"Believe it," Lee said. "It's better than the alternative. That's just something else we can ask my sister about." Tess nodded in agreement.
"I'll stay on guard until then," Tess said.
"I'm Lee Clarke by the way," Lee said. He properly introduced himself walking backward toward his room. "In case you don't quite trust me, you can look me up."
Tess smiled to herself before she turned from her door to face him.
"I trusted you the minute I heard you speak about your sisters," Tess said. "I'm Tess Bailey." She took a few steps toward him after he stopped in the middle of the hall on his side of the floor. "You seem like a sweet guy. You're good-looking too. What made me trust you though is when you spoke in The Red Velvet Room. You put me at ease." She went back for her door and unlocked it, continuing to speak to Lee. "Talking with you and walking with you today I felt comfortable. My gut tells me you won't steer me wrong, and my gut has never failed me."
"I'll try not to," Lee said.
"And I believe you," Tess said, giving him her attention once more. "Tell EJ I said hi. I look forward to meeting him too." She went into her room and shut and locked the door behind her.
Lee turned around and headed for his room. He unlocked his door and went inside, leaving his door ajar.
Right after Lee placed his backpack on the back of his desk chair, Lee saw EJ's head come from behind his desk.
"Hey," EJ said. He sounded a little nervous, but Lee noticed that he didn't have his hood covering his head.
"Hey," Lee said. "What's up?" He plopped down on his bed.
"Wondering if you wouldn't mind going with me somewhere in a few," EJ said.
"That's cool," Lee said. "I don't have anything going on. I got some time."
"You don't want to know where?" EJ asked.
"I trust you," Lee said. "Where can you take me, freshmen aren't allowed to have cars. Besides, we need to talk."
"You trust me?" EJ questioned. "No one's ever told me that."
"More people probably trust you than you realize," Lee said. "As for me, you had my back last night. I've no reason not to trust you. So, where we going?"
"I want to check out the Fall Festival," EJ told him. "It's where they showcase a lot of different groups, clubs, and organizations students can join. I also wanted to talk to you about last night. Remember what I said about doing things my own way, well I looked into The Red Velvet Room and found some information." Lee sat up when he heard those words.
"You're good man," Lee said and smiled. "I'm ready if you're ready."
~ Evening 8/27 MON
Condition: Good
Lee returned to Turner Mall with EJ that now had multiple booths and stands along its walkway. Not only were there various groups and organizations students could join but also the places around campus that would be useful to students in need of support, including the Multiple Cultures Center, Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Asexual (LGBTA) Resource Center, and Mental Health Resource Center. He even saw several representatives from the various fraternities and sororities. He thought he might like to pledge for a fraternity. Might even see if can talk EJ into joining with him.
Lee saw a several groups and clubs he might be interested in joining: the Diversity Education & Effect Peer Group (DEEP), the International Foods Club, the Texas Hold 'Em Club, and the Outdoors Adventure Group.
EJ collected information on a few too: St. Cyr Scribe (the university paper), the English Club, the Christians in College Group, and the Education Reformation Organization (ERO).
"You might think this is weird," EJ began as they walked along the rest of Turner Mall, "but I knew what happened to us wasn't a dream as soon as I saw you when I woke up. After I checked my jacket and found the tarot card, I had all the proof I needed."
"I don't think it's weird," Lee said. "Why do you, and why didn't you say anything to me when you woke me up?"
"Because when I woke up," EJ explained, "part of me wanted it to be real. It's crazy and I don't want your sisters to be in trouble, but the whole idea of getting drawn into a mirror, having a unique power, fighting a part of my inner self, and enjoying some good cake with some strange women in a strange place called The Red Velvet Room was fascinating. If it was real, I wanted to know more and why it happened to us. But it sounds crazy."
"You didn't want to take the chance of me thinking you were crazy if everything that happened was a dream," Lee said.
"That's it," EJ said.
"I don't believe it was just a dream," Lee said. "I met Tess. She doesn't believe it either. After my sister Ling gets out of her last class, we're going to meet and find out what she knows. Julia said Ling would know more about this situation."
"Florence said Ling might be in trouble," EJ said.
"Lola managed to grab me because she had access to a mirror," Lee said," and she took me off guard when she thought I was alone. Ling has been around people all day. Plus, she probably hasn't been near any mirrors considering she hadn't been taken sooner. For now, I'd say she's ok, but that's why I want to meet with her as soon as possible."
"That's what Julia meant when she spoke about Lola's actions," EJ said.
"Could be that way," Lee said. He didn't mean to come off as serious as he had.
"I can't tell if you're the worrying type," EJ said, "but you know if you want Ling to stay with us, or you need me to help you guard her dorm just say the word."
"Let's hear what she has to say first," Lee said and smiled. "I'm not much of a worrier, especially when it comes to my sister, she rarely needs to call on me, but if it comes down to all that though I'm glad I won't have to stand guard alone. Lola has always been able to handle herself." Lee wasn't sure what to think when it came to Lola or her actions.
"Did you run into Axle too?" EJ inquired, changing the subject.
"No," Lee said. "You?" EJ shook his head. "Neither did Tess. She said hi by the way. Hopefully, one of us will find him before I hear back from Ling. Maybe she'll know him. What did you learn about The Red Velvet Room?"
"About The Red Velvet," EJ said, "nothing, but I found something. It's just going to require more digging. A Japanese woman named Maya Amano wrote a book called Persona: Two Worlds. It's fiction, but as a writer I know that much of fiction comes from reality. It comes from the truth. When I searched The Red Velvet Room, her book came up and mentioned The Velvet Room. That might not sound like much, but after reading and chatting on a few message boards about the book the Velvet Room sounds suspiciously similar to The Red Velvet Room. I wager she might have changed some details for the book. I couldn't download a version of it, so I ordered a copy and had it sent to me since our campus library nor the surrounding libraries had one. Thank God it wasn't too expensive, and they had some copies translated into English."
"You did all this today?" Lee asked.
"Yeah," EJ said. "I had a lot of free time. I'm not rolling in money so I didn't express deliver it, but it should be here in about three days. I also sent her an e-mail. She might read it and think I'm crazy, but if I'm right and she's had some experience with her own Persona she might be able to help in some way. On the off chance my e-mail doesn't reach her, I plan on trying some other ways to get a hold of her."
"She'll be able to explain all this?" Lee asked.
"Possibly," EJ said. "I think what I'd like to know most is if we can trust Florence and Julia. They work in service of someone else and offer us their help, but they aren't able to give us much information. Sounds off."
"You won't hear an argument from me," Lee said, "but until we get some clear answers I'll accept their help as long as both my sisters are in danger."
"I figured that'd be your train of thought," EJ said. "You concentrate on your sisters, and trust me to concentrate on The Red Velvet Room and its occupants."
"Then we're good to go," Lee said. He smiled. "I'm getting hungry. You want head back to the dorm and get dinner? Talk about something other than business, like any parties that are happening or all the hot girls and guys around campus?"
"You really are going to be trouble," EJ said with a brief laugh, "aren't you?"
"Now that we're probably going to be fighting for our lives on a regular basis," Lee said, "I'm really going to live it up."
"Are you bisexual?" EJ asked hesitantly, not wanting to pry or make Lee uncomfortable.
"Yeah," Lee answered grinning, "I'm lucky. I haven't been deprived of half the world's attractive people."
"You're too much," EJ said, hanging his head.
"Just enough," Lee said, nudging him with his shoulder.
"I don't know which stresses me out more," EJ said, "the fighting for our lives or the living it up." He sighed. Lee laughed and clapped him on the back.
"Don't stress," Lee said. "We're going to have a great year."
"I'll take your word for it," EJ said. "Hey, I can't make it to dinner. Sorry. I have a meeting with my Minority Assessment Program advisor. Something I got to do to stay on track and keep my scholarship."
" You don't have to apologize," Lee said, holding onto EJ's shoulders. "I gotcha. We'll meet up later. Here take my phone." EJ took it. A little surprised. "Give me your number. I'll hit you up after I talk to my sister." EJ gave Lee his number and returned Lee's phone to him.
"Until later," EJ said, holding up his fist. He didn't sound as nervous as he had before.
Lee held up his fist, and the two fist bumped before they parted ways.
Lee headed back to the dorm. He received a text from Ling.
{I'm out of class, but I'm headed to dinner with my friends.} Ling told him. {After I'm done, I'll head that way.}
{And Lola?} Lee questioned. Ling didn't seem worried. He wasn't either. They needed to broach the subject though. Might as well do it now.
{She won't be a problem.} She replied. {Not now anyway. Eat. We'll discuss the rest later.}
{That's all I wanted to hear.} Lee told her. He slipped his phone in his back pocket and continued on his way back to the dorm.
~ Night 8/27 MON
Condition: Good
By the time Lee got back, after taking the scenic route, he was starving. He walked into the dorm and turned left to head into the dining area: James Baldwin Bistro. He met the greeter, handed her his meal plan card, which she swiped, and then got himself a tray. He checked out the different stations; the grille, the salad bar, the home-style buffet, the pizza plaza, and the dessert trays before he decided on what he wanted to eat.
First, Lee went to the salad bar and loaded up on veggies, preparing himself a salad feast. Next, he went to the grille and waited for the guy working it to turn around. Lee was one of the few people in the bistro, so he didn't have to wait in a long line.
"What are you having?" The guy asked. When he turned around, he and Lee immediately recognized the other.
"It's you," Axle said and grinned broadly. He pointed at Lee with his spatula.
"Axle," Lee said. "Yeah, it's me, Lee."
"Tell me what you want," Axle said. "After I get your order done, we got to sit down and talk. I can get someone to cover for me."
"I'll take three grilled chicken breasts," Lee said. "You work here?"
"It's one of the highest paying Work-Study jobs on campus," Axle said, placing the chicken on the grille. "The workers get discounted meals, a few of my friends work here too, and I live just upstairs. I work here. This is a great gig."
"Sounds like a great one," Lee said. "I might be looking for a job soon. I'll have to keep this place in mind."
Axle placed Lee's chicken on a plate and handed it to him. He gestured for one of his coworkers to come take over, and then after Lee got some water and some 1UP they went and sat at a table.
"If you got to work," Lee said before he dug into his food, "we can talk after you get off."
"The rush won't hit for another hour," Axle said, "so we got some time. And after seeing you, I wouldn't have been able to get anything done. You didn't freak out."
"Neither did you," Lee said.
"I won't lie," Axle said, getting in close to Lee, "I thought I smoked some bad weed last night. I woke up, and I was like I got to get a new dealer. But then, I had time to think about it throughout the day. I've never had problems with my dealer, he's a good friend, so I knew it was real."
Lee swallowed some of his food and had to laugh.
"It's real all right," Lee said. "Because of my sisters, it stayed on my mind, but then everything started to come together. EJ's my roommate, Tess lives on the same floor as us, and the three of us all remembered that shared memory. You make four, and you live here too. What floor?"
"You've met everybody," Axle said, nodding his head. "That means your sisters are in trouble, and those two women want to help us. Oh, I live on the seventh floor in room 727."
"No shit," Lee said. "EJ and I stay in 725. Tess stays in 704 on the other side of the hall. You stay across from us at the end of the hall. Tess was right. None of this can be a coincidence."
"What now?" Axle laughed. Lee's phone rang.
"Waiting on a call from my sister," Lee told him. "Hold on." He answered his phone.
"I'm on my way," Ling said.
"We can't meet yet," Lee said. "I ran into Axle, who's at work. He doesn't get off until-?" He waited for Axle to reply.
"About eight," Axle said.
"He doesn't get off until about eight," Lee said, "and the others are busy, waiting to hear from me."
"That works out perfectly," Ling said. "I've got plenty homework to do. How about this: we'll meet at midnight at the pool. You've probably got work you should do too. By midnight, everybody should be ready to go."
"Meet at midnight?" Lee asked Axle.
"I can make that," Axle said. "I won't be sleeping. I almost never sleep."
"I'll check in with the others," Lee told Ling, "but I'm pretty sure that'll work. If anything changes, I'll get back to you."
"See you then," Ling said. They ended their call.
"You might as well take my number," Axle said. "Something tells me we'll need to stay in contact." He told Lee his phone number. "I got to get back to work. I don't want to get fired. My manager will rant and rave if I'm gone too long. Stick around. I'll come back over by the time you finish."
"I'll be here," Lee said. Homework can wait. He could catch up on reading later.
By the time Lee had finished his dinner, had put his tray on the conveyor belt for the dishwashing room, and sat back down at the table, Axle rejoined him.
"The reason I wanted you to stick around was because I wanted to tell you about how I ended up in The Red Velvet Room," Axle said. "I wanted to know if the same thing happened to you."
"I got pulled into the mirror in my room," Lee said. "EJ tried to stop it from happening, but he just got pulled along with me. We had to fight for our lives. EJ had to face himself." He paused for a moment, thinking he wanted to ask EJ about that experience. What had that meant for EJ, and what would it mean for the rest of them? "We gained the power of Persona. Afterward, my sister Ling guided us to The Red Velvet Room."
"I knew college was going to be a wild ride," Axle said, leaning back in his chair, "but I never would've imagined this." He leaned over the table. "I didn't have to fight for my life, and I don't think I gained any kind of power, but I did get dragged into the mirror in my room."
"Did you see who dragged you into the mirror?" Lee asked.
"No," Axle said. "My roommate left for a party. It was late. I would've gone with him, but I was smoking my pipe, high as a kite, wanting to enjoy some time by myself before school started." This made Lee smile. "I was playing a video game, not paying attention, when someone hit me in the head. I fell back in my chair, and someone dragged me off. I was coming in and out. Didn't even know what was going on. Thought I took a good hit of the pipe and I was soaring higher." This made Lee laugh. "Right after they got me through the mirror, someone else broke us up. I got thrown into another mirror, I saw a private jet, and then I was sitting with the rest of you in The Red Velvet Room."
"Florence told us this was about choices," Lee said, becoming serious. "Do you want to get involved with this, with us? You and Tess haven't had to fight the creatures EJ and I fought. It's dangerous. You two don't have to do this."
"Me and Tess are already involved," Axle said and laughed. "We already chose. No reason to back out now. We're going to save your sisters, and I want to see this power of Persona. I'd be an idiot to back out of something like this."
"Axle!" A shrill voice rang out.
"Oh crap," Axle glanced over his shoulder. "That's my boss. Hey, we'll meet at midnight. I don't think I'll be able to get away again."
"I'm Lee Clarke in case you want to look into me after you get off work," Lee told him. Axle just smiled.
"Axle Reed," Axle said and laughed. "I don't need to look into you. We're in the same boat."
"Can't make this shit up," Lee said. Axle laughed and nodded
"Axle," his boss' voice rang out again.
"Adios mi amigo," Axle said. With a wink, he slipped off.
Lee got up from the table and headed out of the dining area toward his room. He decided to take the stairs for exercise after his meal. While he climbed the stairs, he sent out a group text to Ling, EJ, Tess, and Axle, after he remembered the closed door on the seventh floor.
{At midnight, we'll all meet in the seventh floor lounge. Then, we'll go from there.} After all, they had much they needed to discuss.
{I look forward to it.} Tess replied.
{Can't wait!} Axle replied.
{This is going to be interesting...} EJ replied.
{Prepare yourselves. This is where it all begins.} Ling told them.
Nobody replied after Ling. Lee didn't think anything else needed to be said either. When the time came, the others would meet Ling, and they'd all get some answers. He reached the seventh floor and stopped as he passed the seventh floor lounge. As he looked inside the lounge, with its tables, chairs, beanbags, and couches, he had a feeling he would be spending a lot of time there. He went back to his room to wait.
The Seventh Floor Lounge
~ Late Night 8/27 MON
Condition: Good
Lee didn't do much of anything that was productive. He could've taken a nap or sat down to do some reading, but his mind was on his sister Lola. She came back into his life, and then she tried to kill him. He hadn't had time to process that until now. He wondered if Ling could explain that too. EJ came back to the room to get his book bag before he went down to do his homework in the dorm's computer lab, which was located in the basement. When midnight rolled around, Lee walked for the lounge.
Lee saw Axle in the lounge from the doorway sprawled out on a beanbag, waiting for the others to arrive. When Axle saw Lee, he got up and walked for the door. Lee watched Tess come from out of her room, locking the door behind her. Lee and Axle met her in front of the elevators. That's when Lee noticed the large mirror on the wall across from the elevators. Then, two of the elevators arrived on the floor. Lee, Tess, and Axle turned toward the elevators, and they watched EJ and Ling step off of them. EJ and Ling joined them.
"We're all here," Lee said. Everybody glanced at each other. Axle shook everyone's hands while Ling gave everybody a short hug. Tess greeted the others with a nod while EJ did so with a short wave.
Lee ushered the others inside the room before going inside himself and closing the door behind him.
EJ sat in a chair at a table, a little bit away from everyone else, before he took out a notebook and pen and pulled his chair over, using his leg as a makeshift desk.
Tess took a seat on the back of one of the couches, leaning on her thighs and holding her hands in front of her.
Axle kicked his beanbag closer to everyone before he sprawled out on it again and clasped his hands behind his head.
Lee and Ling stood beside each other.
Lee stood with his hands in his front pockets except for this thumbs.
His sister Ling stood beside him with one hand on her hip and the other hanging at her side.
They had just seen each other yesterday at dinner with their parents. In such a short time, they were together again faced with business that appeared out of their scope. Her complexion was darker like their dad's, darker than his own complexion. She was thick, thicker than Lola and Tess. She had their mom's fierce dark brown eyes, sharp nose, and rounded face. She had their dad's gentle, jovial, comforting presence. It made her popular almost anywhere she went, that and her sense of style. Her jet-black hair in an edgy haircut was neck-length. She wore a short-sleeved, cuffed maroon and black loose dress, a thin black belt, a brown leather bracelet and some brown leather ankle boots with a mid heel.
"I have a feeling you already know every one," Lee said, "so everyone this is my sister Ling."
"It's good to see everyone in person," Ling said, "for some of you for the second time."
"I can put a face to the name and voice," EJ said. "Thanks for your help during the fight."
"No problem," Ling said, smiling like everything was good. Ling never really saw problems. To her, most of the time, problems were just challenges she'd yet to overcome. Even though this was something he and her usually had in common, Lee foresaw some problems. They needed to be addressed.
"We've met before?" Axle questioned. "I've got a bad memory because of all the pot I've smoked, but I'm sure I'd remember you."
"You saved me," Tess said. She gave Axle and EJ a quick glance before she refocused on Ling. "You saved all of us in one way or another."
"You're a smart cookie," Ling said, gesturing with her finger toward Tess. "I made sure you weren't killed."
"Who would try to kill us?" Axle asked. "I don't really have many enemies. Shouldn't have any, now that I'm here."
"I can't answer that question yet," Ling said.
Tess was the most surprised by her response.
"Florence said you could give us answers," EJ said.
"What can you tell us?" Lee asked.
"First," Ling said, "I want to apologize." She inhaled, and then she exhaled. "I can answer your questions, but there is a lot going on. I won't be able to give you all the information you might want because I'm trying to figure things out myself. The more you know the more danger you might be in, and on top of that if you know the right information at the wrong time it could have dire consequences, for you but also the world."
"Can you tell us how you got involved with this?" EJ asked. "Nobody tried to kill me, except myself. Was that supposed to happen?" Axle and Tess looked at him because they didn't know what he meant and that didn't make sense.
"Did you choose us for this?" Tess asked. "Are you really in danger? Don't you two have another sister too, where is she?" EJ and Axle looked at her because if Ling was supposed to be in danger why was she so calm.
"Slow down you guys," Axle said. "It's a lot to take in, I mean it's blowing my mind, but let's take baby steps."
"I got it," Ling said and smirked. "EJ, I can't. The answer to that question will get us killed. As for your second question, it was and it wasn't. You were supposed to be taken, but because you were roommates with Lee and tried to help him you were taken the same time as him."
"Our sister Lola took me and tried to kill me," Lee said. "She's in danger, but it might be a different danger than what we're in."
Tess, EJ, and Axle couldn't believe what he said.
"I'm going to get to that," Ling told Lee before she continued. "In order to protect you from the incoming threat to your life and because I wasn't there to intervene, you were taken to your Soul Station."
"Where I met myself..." EJ said.
"You tried to kill yourself," Ling said matter-of-factly, "but you were testing yourself. If you hadn't passed, you would've died, but you did pass and gained the power to protect yourself in the future as a result. You proved you were strong enough to survive and press on."
"You want to live," Lee said, looking EJ in the eye.
"I didn't choose you Tess," Ling said. "You all were chosen because of a certain set of circumstances. What happens next depends on all of you. Lee and I are in danger because our sister Lola is on the other side of this. I'm in more danger than all of you because I know more, but because I'm unaware of how much Lola knows about me that might be irrelevant."
"Lola left home a while back," Lee said. "We don't know where she is."
"Or even if she's in this world," Ling added. There was a short silence as they all thought on what was said. "What about you Axle, any questions?"
"The Mirror World?" Axle questioned. "Will the people who tried to snatch us be back? Should I start breaking every mirror I see?"
"You don't have to break any mirrors," Ling said and chuckled. "When you all agreed to Florence and Julia's help, they sealed off all access to you from The Mirror World. I don't think they did it, but that's my theory."
Lee wondered if it was more than a theory. That it was something else Ling couldn't tell them.
"In fact," Ling said, "I bet the mirror in the hall will serve as an entrance to The Red Velvet Room. We'll have to ask Florence when we see her tonight. Your entrance to The Mirror World is the pool also known as The Pool of Lost Hope."
"Sounds ominous," EJ commented.
"Only on this side," Ling said. "It reflects our world."
Could some Ling's answers and comments be clues to something else? That question lingered on Lee's mind.
"We're going through tonight," Tess said. "Is that entrance always open?"
"I thought I should give you all a mini-tour," Ling said," and no, the entrance becomes available at midnight and remains open until 1 a.m. Once you go through, you can come out anytime, but from midnight to 1 is your window of opportunity to enter the Mirror World."
"Got it," Tess said.
"Your phones won't work on the other side," Ling added, "but you can use them to keep track of the time. Time moves the same on both sides."
"That answers my question," EJ said. "Thanks."
"And you Lee?" Ling asked him, turning to face him.
"You've pretty much touched on any questions I had," Lee said. "I already know we're going to save Lola. I trust you can watch your back, but I'm going to watch it too. All I'm wondering is: should we all look forward to a Soul Station, what exactly is it, and did you visit your own?"
"I haven't visited my own," Ling said, "and neither have you. Every Soul Station is different. It manifests in The Mirror World when a soul is in conflict with itself and outside forces or reality. This was true for EJ, which allowed him to obtain the power of Persona. For you, your soul was more in conflict with outside forces than yourself, which allowed you to bypass a Soul Station and your power to come to your aid. For me, well, my power is different. It isn't tied to The Chaos Card, which is why I was able to assist Tess and Axle and communicate with you and EJ. To answer your first question, yes, you should all look forward to a Soul Station. That will be your test."
"I've gone through mine," EJ said, his mind working while he wrote. "Tess and Axle will have to go through theirs. Are you saying that Lee will have to go through one as well?"
"Aren't you insightful," Ling said, turning toward him with smile. "We'll see."
"She didn't answer the question," Axle said.
"That means she can't," Tess said.
"She did in a way," EJ said.
"Should we be afraid of the Soul Station?" Tess asked.
"It can be intense from what I've seen," Ling said.
"You have to anchor yourself," EJ said. He finished writing and gazed out one of the windows as he spoke. "When I was alone and afraid, I anchored myself in God. The Bible appeared. It allowed me to hang on until Lee arrived and talked some sense into me." He let himself smile briefly before he turned toward the group. "In order to resolve your conflict, you have to recognize your issues, accept them, and then put them in their place, whatever that might mean for you. That's my two cents."
"I don't think I could've said it any better," Ling said. "I know I couldn't have, considering I didn't have the Soul Station experience."
Lee and EJ's eyes met. EJ nodded, as if to say, 'you helped get me through it'. Lee nodded in return, as if to say, 'anytime'.
"We're going to face ourselves," Tess said, picking at her nails for a moment. "This sounds like it's going to be the most difficult test I've ever had to take."
"I'm a non-confrontational kind of guy," Axle said. "Anything I've ever had to face, I've put behind me. Mine will probably be a breeze."
"You'll face your Shadow," Ling said. "Every creature or monster you encounter on the other side they're called Shadows. Weak ones will attack. Yours will be strong. Stronger ones will come. You can't underestimate any of them."
They all understood.
"It's almost one," Lee said after checking the time on his phone.
"If we're going," Axle said, "let's go."
"Wait," Ling said before they got up to leave. "We all received a card from that woman, correct? Do you still have them? I'd like to see them."
The woman... Lee thought. The multiple times he'd seen her came to mind.
"Do you know who she is?" Lee asked.
EJ, Tess, Axle, and Lee noticed Ling go completely still. She breathed. She didn't answer for a moment. When she did answer, she didn't look at Lee either.
"She's important Lee," Ling said. "Pay attention to her. All of you." Suddenly, her whole demeanor changed back. Lee saw EJ write something down. "So, show me those cards. Here's mine." She pulled hers from her pocket, The Hierophant.
EJ pulled his from his jacket pocket, The Hermit.
Tess pulled hers from underneath her hat, The Temperance.
Lee pulled his from his back pocket, The Fortune.
Axle pulled his from his cargo pocket, The Lovers.
"These are awesome," Axle said. "I appreciate the artist design of each one of them."
"Do they mean something?" Tess asked. "Other than they were invitations, do they mean something?"
Ling glanced at all of the cards before she placed hers back in her pocket. The others followed suit and put their cards away.
"They're tied to your power," Ling said. "They represent your Persona and your soul. For the four of you, it represents The Chaos Card. They represent the Arcana by which all is revealed. The better you know yourself the more powerful you'll become, and knowing yourself, knowing your Arcanum, will lead to an expansion and the ties across multiple Arcana. Possibly."
"Can anyone truly know themselves?" EJ asked.
"Better than anyone else," Ling said and smiled.
"She makes a good point," Axle said.
"It's about connections," Lee said. The three of us will always be one, Lola had said among him, Ling, and herself when they were kids. This is what he recalled after having listened to Ling. Lola had said those words many more times over the years after that first time. The last time she said it was the last time he and Ling had seen her.
"You learn about yourself," Tess said, "you know yourself, and you can learn more about yourself because of others."
They were all quiet.
"If you all want to back out," Lee said, "you still can. You've got the choice."
"You do too Lee," Ling said, "even we do."
Lee raised an eyebrow. He didn't expect for her to say that. They did have a choice, but Lola.
"We need to reach Lola," Lee said.
"I'm staying with you," Ling said. Their eyes met for a quick second before Ling addressed the others.
"How about it?" Ling asked. "You on board?" She was all smiles.
EJ got up with his book bag and left the room. Everybody watched him walk out and close the door behind him.
"Was that his answer?" Axle questioned, standing. "I'm sticking around."
"What about after Lola?" Tess asked, swinging her legs around and standing from the back of the couch.
"Spoilers," Ling said.
"I'm in at least until then," Tess said, a smile spreading across her face. "After we reach Lola, we'll pick this topic up again. You've got me curious. I get it's for our own safety, but you couldn't be any more cryptic. That's frustrating."
"When I can give you more," Ling said, "I will." Tess nodded her understanding.
"Are we ready to go?" EJ asked, reopening the lounge door. He returned with his book bag on his back.
"So you're going to be with us?" Ling asked him.
"He always was," Lee said.
"I try to be a man of my word," EJ said.
"I got that," Lee said, as went on over and clapped EJ on the back.
"Why'd you leave?" Tess asked.
"Seems like we're going on an adventure," EJ said. "I figured I'd empty out my book bag and bring it with us. We might need it for something."
"That will come in handy," Ling said, "especially after the mini-tour." She walked out into the hallway and called up an elevator.
"I'm psyched," Axle said. He slipped out right behind Ling.
Lee wrapped an arm around Tess' shoulders, and she wrapped an arm around his waist. They walked out together.
"I know this probably isn't smart," Tess said, "but I can't help wanting to go deeper down this rabbit hole."
EJ closed the lounge door before he went and stood between Lee and Ling.
"My nerves are shot," EJ said. "I can no longer be afraid. After thinking about every dangerous scenario possible, my fear gauge blew up. I'm good."
A hearty laugh burst out of Axle, Lee and Ling laughed, and Tess let out a chuckle. When the center elevator arrived, they all got on it.
This probably wasn't smart, and this was dangerous. Lee thought about what he should say: We should all be afraid, or I'm going to watch out for all of us.
"I'm going to watch out for all of us," Lee said. "Let's not worry, and let's try to have some fun." He smiled, seeing himself and the others in the mirror across from the elevator. The elevator doors closed, and they headed down for the pool.
~!~
Ling lead them to the pool's gate and held it open for them to all walk toward the pool's edge. They all looked down into the rippling water.
"We'll get some supplies on me," Ling said. "I'll tell you how you can get money, so you won't have to use your own. That reminds me. I'll have to talk about weapons again. You'll need to know some additional information there too. We'll do a short visit with Florence and Julia. After that, The Mirror Road."
Ling went for the railing, and then she went down into the pool. The fact she remained dry during her continued descent wasn't lost on anybody.
"No need to hold your breath," Ling said, "just keep it moving."
"Here we go," Axle said, going in after her.
"You're way too excited about this," Tess said, shaking her head after him.
"The Pool of Lost Hope," EJ said, the next to go.
"The Mirror Road," Lee said, remembering it well before he brought up the rear.
They went down into the pool. Lee ended up climbing up stairs onto a platform in the orange sky. Lee saw a red pilot cabin's door on one side of the platform that looked familiar. On the other side, he saw a yellow door. Clouds were all around. The many mirrors were all around too. Before him was The Mirror Road. EJ was there, taking it all in, looking around, and then searching? Axle, Tess, and Ling were gone.
"I don't know what happened," EJ said. "They were right in front of me, and then they weren't."
"Axle!" Lee shouted in one direction after cuffing his hands around his mouth. "Tess!" He shouted in another direction. "Ling!" He called out to her, hoping she would at least answer. She had spoken to him before when it seemed impossible. He hoped she could do it again.
"It's started Lee," Ling told him. She was nowhere in sight and didn't sound too bothered by this turn of events. "You two, you're going to have to come get us."
