Chapter 5

-Sunday, August 11th, 2013—

My fingers dance across my keyboard, opening tab after tab on information regarding lucid dreaming. Almost none of the minor details seem to match up with my previous few experiences, but the key points are basically the same. I'm aware of the dream, but can't control it like most lucid dreamers can, aside from having some kind of hammerspace for my weapons.

"So I can go into that dream world now too?" Emile asks, assisting me in my afternoon research.

"I assume so," I reply, pulling up another website. "My Persona is what let me in last night, so I'm guessing yours can do the same thing."

"Speaking of Personas, how do you get yours to shut up?"

"I don't."

"'Course not."

After a few more minutes of scouring the internet gathering as much as we can, Emile speaks up.

"Are you sure that it's even considered a lucid dream? I mean, we can't control the events."

"Yeah, but it was still affected by our minds like a dream should be. Both nightmares had our previous memories shape the world, and, taking a shot in the dark here, what we wanted most was what we saw and what we got. So we are controlling what happens, just not directly."

"But…isn't that just a regular dream?"

"It would be, but it's the fact that we're aware of the dream that makes me think it's lucid."

"Okay, then technically it's just a really vivid dream, right?"

"B-…ugh, I don't even know anymore."

"Well, isn't that helpful," he responds in a sarcastic tone.

"You think I have all the answers right off the bat? I've had my Persona for less than a week. Besides, I'm not concerned about what kind of dream it is; what I wanna know is how Shadows got into our dreams."

"What makes you think they weren't there already?"

I look at Emile with a confused expression. "What're you talking about?"

"Check this out," he says, holding his smartphone screen in my direction. "According to this, everyone has a Shadow. It's like all your hidden thoughts packed away into some kinda dark…thing."

"So…was I killing bad thoughts?"

Emile shrugs, and then shakes his head. "I don't think so. Says here that a Shadow will try to get you to accept it as a part of yourself, not outright attack you. Those must've been a different kind of Shadow. The one that possessed me might be one of those, though. I don't know."

"See, that's the problem," I say, leaning back in my seat with a groan. "We don't know. We just don't know enough about this stuff, and I don't think anyone on the internet knows anything either outside of speculation and theories."

"Yeah…you're right," Emile says, placing his phone in his pocket. "I'm going to get some food."

"Text me the link to that site you just found," I call out to him as he exits my room.

As he walks out of the room, I turn my attention back to my computer monitor to look over the research I had gathered. In bullet points going down the document, it describes the concept of lucid dreaming and how one goes about getting into the habit of these dreams. I jot down a quick set of points regarding Shadows, specifically the manipulative nature of the more powerful ones.

Y'know what worries me?

(Hmm?)

Apparently eating cheese isn't as important as I thought. It's only a minor stimulant in a series of practices you have to go through to get yourself to start lucid dreaming. It's an extensive process.

(So you think those Shadows forced you in.)

…yeah. Maybe. How did you know what's what I was thinking?

(I've told you, kid. We're the same person.)

Then…does that mean Personas and Shadows are similar things?

(I wouldn't be surprised at all if that were the case.)

Pounding footsteps call my attention to my bedroom door.

"News. Channel 11. Now," Emile commands.

"Whoa, okay, okay, chill, man," I say, picking up my remote and flipping my TV to the requested channel.

"…-and a memorial will be scheduled at a later date."

I flash a look of confusion before reading the ticker at the bottom of the page.

It reads "Comatose Radio Host Passes Away".

"Didn't you tell me that she was related to this?!" Emile stammers out.

"Well, yeah, I think so. She was told to try lucid dreaming, and-…"

"You know what this means, right?" Emile forces out with an incredibly distressed look on his face. "If you hadn't saved me last night, I could've ended up dead."

{~}

With Emile now in his mom's car on the way home and Aunt Joanne off at work, I have a moment to think to myself and gather my thoughts. Somehow, Shadows are influencing people to disconnect from their bodies and stay in a dream world that's modeled after their inner thoughts. Persona users can consciously go to this dream world, but besides that, Emile and I are completely in the dark, so much so that we don't even know what the dreams we're having are classified as.

"I just don't know enough…" I say to myself. "And who else would-…"

I throw open the drawer of my nightstand, ignoring the black case and instead pulling out the leather bound book. I toss it in a cinch bag and hightail it to the outlet mall.

{~}

"Welcome to the Velvet Room…you took much longer to return than I had anticipated."

"Sorry about that," I apologize to Igor. "Here's that book you asked for."

I retrieve the book from my bag and place it on the bar counter and push it towards Igor. His smile grows as he picks it up and examines it. He blows an obscene amount of dust off the cover directly into my face, causing me to enter a coughing fit.

"I must thank you for returning this to us," he says. "It will play a role in both of our destinies."

"What exactly is it, anyways?" I ask after collecting myself, motioning towards the locked book.

Igor places it on the countertop and slides it over to Margaret, who places it with her own book. With the two books side-by-side, I realize Margaret's has a slight blue tint to it as opposed to the other book's red.

"That will become clear in due time," Igor encourages. "Now is too soon to be delving into its purpose, but do know that it's no mere object. Now then, you had another purpose for coming here, did you not?"

"Yeah…I had a few more questions."

"I will answer them as best I can."

"Do you know anything about an alternate world within dreams? Not in the conventional sense, but I mean like a world that connects everyone's dreams together?"

"That is a hard question to answer," Igor admits. "Many mysteries surround the realm of the subconscious, but what I can tell you is that the subconscious is where the Persona resides."

"Yeah, I know that part, but my Persona took us to another world when I slept, and I found my friend in there, and now he has a Persona."

Igor's eyes close in thought. "Hmm…such is the fate of a Wild Card. However, that is certainly most peculiar…was there anything unusual about this world?"

"It was a warped reality that Emile's mind created, and it was filled with Shadows."

"Ah, yes…Shadows; the manifestation of the dark recesses of one's psyche."

"So you know about them?"

"Why, of course I do!" he says with a chuckle. "To understand Personas is to understand Shadows. You see, a Persona is a tamed Shadow, one that has been accepted by whom it reflects. Previous guests of mine had a series of encounters with the Shadows of their comrades and faced many hardships due to this. I believe your future does not hold such trials, but Shadows with equally vicious intentions await you. They can take a multitude of forms and can be quite mischievous."

"Is…is killing Shadows a bad thing?"

"Not in the slightest. In fact, you'd be doing the universe quite the favor in eliminating as many as possible. I would recommend purposefully seeking out these evil entities as they could lead you to the answers you seek."

"That still doesn't explain what the dream world is."

Igor smiles again, giving me the impression that he's hiding something. "That is not something I can explain. The truth must be grasped by the hands of those who seek it, not handed to them by those who know more. You can only truly grow in strength in this way."

"So, you're not going to tell me anything?"

"Only this," Igor says. "I will provide assistance to your journey when the time comes."

{~}

(Well, that was a waste of time.)

Tell me about it. He rubs me the wrong way.

(Anyone with a nose that big is worthy of suspicion.)

After meeting with Igor, I decide to head back home. Instead of running back, however, I decide to take it slow and walk, as the weather was nice and cool; a slight breeze among a warm sun. It has already begun to set, casting a slight orange glow upon the afternoon landscape. The lawns of neighbors are being doused by sprinklers, casting their spray across the bright green lawns before reverting back to their original positions and repeating the process. I purposefully walk into the path of one to feel the light mist dance around my face.

I spot a familiar figure ahead of me, crouching down by the flowers, wearing her blonde hair in a high ponytail and her apron covered in dirt.

"Hey, Maria," I say to her as I walk up the sidewalk.

My greeting catches her by surprise and her head whips up to look at me, causing thin strands of hair to fall in front of her glistening forehead.

"O-oh! H-hi, Tyson…" she stammers, rising to her feet and brushing dirt off of her pants.

"I didn't know you were into gardening," I say, nodding towards the flowerbed around the tree she was kneeling by. Red and yellow pansies are organized in an intricate pattern around the tree, but some empty spots remain that she was clearly working on filling out.

"Hmm? Oh, y-yeah…it's, uh…it gives me an excuse to get out of the house, really…"

"Your brothers driving you nuts?"

She smiles and nods, but avoids eye contact and doesn't respond.

"Do they always mess with you like they do in the car?" I ask, trying to keep the conversation from getting weird.

Her smile fades slightly. "Yeah, they do. It's not just them, though…my whole family is like that. They never really take me seriously. That's why I like coming out here to work on my flowers. None of them like getting dirty or sweaty like this, so it gives me something to do to get away from them." She notices the look of concern on my face and quickly stammers out another response. "I-I mean, I love my family and all, but-…"

"I know what you mean," I tell her.

She looks at me, slightly shocked. "You do?"

I technically don't know how she feels, but I try my best to look at it from her perspective.

"Yeah, I do. They drive you crazy, but they're still your family and you appreciate what they do for you."

Her sweet innocent smile returns to her face as she nods and brushes the stray hair out of her face and behind her ear.

"When I tell people that, they usually shrug it off and tell me I'm being ridiculous just like my parents do. I'm glad someone understands."

SMASH

Thou art I,
And I am thou.

Thou hast established a new bond,
One that brings freedom ever closer.

Thou shalt be blessed when thou choosest
to make a Persona of the High Priestess Arcana…

"Well, uh…I'll leave you to your flowers. See you tomorrow," I say to her as I turn to leave.

"Y-yeah…see ya."

{~}

-Monday, August 12th, 2013—

Due to the events of the previous day, Emile had decided to skip school, and really, I'm not surprised. I had considered it as well, but I thought that if I dropped out of the routine of schoolwork that it'd be even harder to pick it back up again. The same would be said for Emile, only I've noticed he doesn't really work in the first place. Of course, by the time US History came around, I had long regretted my decision.

"Tyson?"

My attention is called to the front of the classroom by the teacher, Mr. Sanders.

"I asked you a question."

Realizing I must've spaced out, I apologize and ask him to repeat the question.

"When did the Boston Tea Party occur?"

"Oh, u-uh…1773?"

"Yes, exactly. A group of patriots had gotten fed up with the unfair laws imposed by the British, specifically the Tea Act, and had decided to retaliate by dumping imported tea out into the harbor. Naturally, the British Parliament didn't take kindly to that and implemented the Coercive Acts in 1774 to punish the colonists."

Pleased with how I managed to pull that answer out of my ass, I once again space out as Mr. Sanders continues rambling on.

As the day comes to a close, I knock on the door to Coach Crane's office to turn in my form, fully prepared for the worst. The door swings open and the hulking brute of a man glares down at me.

"What do you want?"

"I-I have the sign-up form for you, sir."

He glares at me a little longer before snatching the form from my outstretched arm. He looks it over before responding to me.

"I hope you know that the only reason I'm putting you on this team is because we're short on members, shortstack. So don't disappoint me."

"I won't."

(You sure?)

Nope.

"Good," Coach Crane responds in the most passive-aggressive way possible. "Meetings are on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Bring thirty dollars for the uniforms tomorrow." He then proceeds to shut the door in my face. Reassuring that he can't see me, I raise a middle finger to the door before turning to head home.

{~}

-tyson! wanna come 2 the mall again w/ me & emile 2mrw?-

How does Ally physically manage to type like this?

I type up a response to the peppy sophomore, telling her that I unfortunately have to turn down the offer due to it overlapping with track practice.

-awww, ok :( wednesday then?-

-Yeah, Wednesday sounds good.-

I put down my phone to grab a snack out of the pantry, picking out a fudge-covered granola bar. My aunt walks in just as I close the door.

"Hungry, huh?" she asks with a smile.

"Maybe a little," I admit.

"I'll order some pizza."

My phone vibrates on the counter as another message comes in.

-ok! ill tell emile-

"Oh, by the way," I tell Aunt Joanne. "Before I forget, I need $30 for a track uniform tomorrow."

She looks at me with a mix of surprise and worry. "Track? When did you sign up for track?"

"…did I not tell you?"

"No, I don't think you did."

"…huh. Thought I had. Anyway, yeah, I need-…"

"Yeah, yeah, I heard you," she says as she digs through her purse. "How are you getting home after practices?"

"I can walk or get a ride. Don't worry about that."

She pulls out $15 and hands it to me. "Do you think you could pay the rest? I don't get paid until Friday and I need to ration what I have."

"Well, yeah, I guess so…I don't have much cash either though."

"I'm sorry, Tyson," she says with genuine empathy. "Hey, maybe you should look into getting a part-time job? People post requests for help all the time at the billboard in the mall."

…that's actually not a bad idea.

I nod in reply. "I'll do that tomorrow."

{~}

-Tuesday, August 13th, 2013—

The look on Emile's face immediately sends a shiver of panic down my spine.

"…Emile? Are you alright?"

He tries to pull me away from my locker and behind the nearby vending machine to keep us away from the crowd. He clearly doesn't want anyone hearing whatever it is he wants to tell me, but the suddenness of his action makes me resistant and I pull away.

"Dude, what?! What's wrong?!"

Emile looks me in the eye and tells me, "I went back in."

This time, I'm the one who forces him to the wall.

"…you did what?"

"I went back into the dream world last night. That fake school you got me out of? It's still there. And it's filled with monsters."

(Dumbass.)

"You expected it to not be?! Why would you go in alone? I had a hard enough time saving you by myself!"

"I wanted to see what it was all about! C'mon man, why are you freaking out? I thought me getting in some practice with my Persona would be a good thing."

"Not when you've got nobody to back you up. Look, from here on out, we don't go in without each other, alright? It's way too risky. I don't want you dying on me and I highly doubt you want me to die, either."

Much to Emile's dismay, he sighs and agrees, and we shake hands to seal the deal. I take a minute to think before responding.

"What, uh…what can your Persona do, anyways?"

Emile scoffs. "He's a total shitwrecker. Plows through anything with a huge sword and takes Fire spells like a champ-…"

"Agi."

"…huh?"

"Agi. The fire spells? They're called Agi."

"O-oh, right, I knew that. It's gonna take some time for me to get used to all this new lingo. It's almost like a second language."

"Yeah, no kidding. Hey, I'll see you later; I gotta go to track."

"Alright. Later, man."

{~}

"Alright, you whelps," Coach Crane yells out after having every track member stand side-by-side. "I dunno if you kept up with last year's track team's performance, but it was a big ol' pile of donkey shit! That's why I'm in charge now! I'm not about to have Central kick our ass at yet another sport. That doesn't fly in my book. So you better pull this off! Understood?!"

"Yes, sir!" the line collectively calls back. …well, save for me. I'm still trying to process how this guy is allowed to treat us like Marines.

"Alright! You have five minutes to do your stretches before we move on to laps. Time starts now!"

I start off doing the basic stretches I learned from playing other sports, like touching my toes and whatnot, but some of the more complicated ones I wait for the other members to do so I can copy them. Clearly, I'm the odd one out; I have no idea what I'm doing.

"Time's up!"

Oh, hell no, that was not five minutes.

"Line up, three laps! Go!"

The team as a whole begins to swiftly jog down the track. I pay close attention to everyone else, keeping an eye on and imitating their breathing patterns and making sure I don't pass out from a heat stroke or something.

(You know you could easily outshine all of these guys.)

I'd rather stay under the radar for now.

(Since when have you wanted to lay low?)

Put a sock in it.

"Nice day, isn't it?"

I turn to my left and see Mike's running beside me, keeping a brisk pace.

The team captain's singling me out on the first day…

(So much for laying low.)

"Yeah, but it's a little too hot for me," I admit.

"Eh, we've had better days," he agrees. "At least it's been raining a lot. It's nice to have a little buffer now and again."

After a short moment of silence, Mike speaks up again going into our second lap.

"What'cha think of Crane?"

Looking back to make sure he's not behind us, I respond.

"He seems like a huge dick."

Mike laughs. "He is. He drove the swim team nuts last year. He says he wanted to coach the track team because they were doing poorly, but I've heard he got kicked off swim because the members signed a petition to get rid of him."

"So on a scale from 1 to 10, how boned are we?"

Mike laughs again, this time with more genuineness. "Don't worry. Since I'm captain, I'm technically supposed to lead the team and he knows that. I'm just not going to argue against opening workouts. He may be strict, but he knows how to train us."

Upon finishing our final lap, we take a water break and turn in the money for track uniforms. Meanwhile, I spot one of the members tending to a relatively overweight kid breathing heavily on the ground while Crane screams at him for being weak.

I'll bet'cha his mom forced him to be here.

"What're the uniforms gonna look like?" I ask Mike. "Still black?"

"Actually, I was going to ask you about that," he responded. "What do you think we should do?"

I'm slightly taken aback by the question, and it must've shown because Mike immediately reacts, chuckling slightly.

"See, Tyson, I'm in need of a co-captain. If the team is going to be nearly as big as it was last year, I'm not going to be able to handle all of these members by myself. And with the way you raced me the other day, that shows to me you've got what it takes. Now, nothing's official, but you're the only candidate as of now, so I'd really like to hear your opinion."

(Makin' it to the big leagues already. They grow up so fast.)

"Well, sticking with black would make sense, but with the heat this season…maybe we should go with gold this time," I suggest.

"Gold, huh?" Mike ponders on my response for a moment. "This school hasn't done gold track uniforms since…well, since Coach Crane was a student…"

"Then he'd have no opposition to it," I add. "I think that guy over there would be real grateful to not be sweating any more than he has to," I joke as I motion toward the heavy guy. He's still struggling to get up.

Mike laughs. "Alright, I see your point. I'll run it by the coach later. Thanks, man." As Mike begins to walk away, he hesitates and instead turns back to me. "Y'know, I'm glad I have someone on the team I can rely on this early in the season. It means a lot," he says with a grin on his face.

SMASH

Thou art I,
And I am thou.

Thou hast strengthened thy bond
To the Second Rank.

Thou shalt be blessed when thou choosest
to make a Persona of the Hierophant Arcana…

{~}

After running a few more drills with the coach, practice ends and I head over to the outlet mall to check up on that bulletin board Aunt Joanne mentioned. Small scraps of paper with perforated tabs are messily pinned up to the board, each of them describing part-time jobs for students my age. While I was worried that the jobs would get in the way of school, a lot of them say that they're volunteer jobs that I'd only get paid for on the days that I show up. Unfortunately, they all involve skills I don't currently have, like being an assistant to a local bike mechanic.

I'd give that a shot, but I don't think I'm diligent enough to try something I have no idea how to do…

As I'm about to give up my search, my phone vibrates in my pocket, signifying I've gotten a text message.

-hey dude, i got an idea- says Emile.

-What's up?-

-go in the dream world tonight, i wanna test something-

"What…?" I audibly mumble to myself as I turn to leave the mall.

-What do you want to test?-

-i wanna see if we have to be near each other to go to the dream world or if we can meet up from other houses-

-Oh. Alright, sure.-

{~}

This mysterious world has started to feel familiar to me, though I'm not entirely sure if I like that. The blue mist rolls past my ankles, clouding my feet and the ground below me. The clock tower still stands tall, looming over the vast emptiness and casting a feeling of dread. Some people have told me an interesting fact – that scientists designed a room in which there is literally no sound whatsoever, and the dead silence makes the inhabitants go nuts. That's how this silent and empty world feels.

I glance around and notice that Emile wasn't kidding – the fake school entrance is still there, and the black tendrils look as though they will never let it go. I hesitate as I walk towards the door, my curiosity begging me to walk inside once again.

"Guess this proves my theory."

I jump in fright and spin around to the source of the voice. The familiar brown-haired boy laughs at my reaction.

"Dude, seriously, don't you ever do that again," I say as I smack Emile upside the head.

"Oh, come on!" he teases, rubbing the back of his skull. "It's all in good fun."

"This isn't exactly a place that puts me in a joking mood."

Emile looks around for a minute before quietly agreeing with me. He points up to the clock tower door and asks, "Where do you think that goes?"

"Honestly, I don't think I want to know. Look, can we just leave now?"

"Bro, you need to seriously lighten up. You've got this shitwrecking monster under your belt and you don't even wanna take it for a spin."

(Excuse me, "monster"?)

"…are you telling me you brought me in here just so we could fight?"

"Pretty much," Emile responds in honesty.

"Oh my god…" I groan as I throw my face in my hands.

"Look, if we're gonna save the people that get trapped here, we're not going to do a very good job if we're out of practice with our Personas. So let's get this show on the road!"

I snap my head up out of my palms as I hear the sharp chick-chick of a handgun.

"J-Jesus, dude!" I stammer as I take multiple large steps back from the gun-slinging teen. "Where did you get that?!"

Emile examines the gun as if he didn't even notice he had brandished it. "I dunno. I just sorta had it when I came in here last. But check this out!" He points the gun into the abyss and begins firing it. I quickly put my fingers to my ears to prevent the volume from hurting, but somehow, the gun's not making much sound, even without a silencer. As I begin to ask Emile what he's having me look at, I realize he's firing off way more bullets than that magazine size should reasonably allow.

"Unlimited ammo…?"

"Yup!" Emile says as he spins the pistol on his finger. "Badass, right?"

I sigh as I summon my bronze sword. "Let's get this over with."

Emile jumps for joy as the both of us walk into the haunted school.

{~}

"HYAAAH!" I scream as I jump into the air, slicing upward through the face of the tiara Shadow. Another one comes barreling towards me, ready to ram into my side, but luckily Emile's got my back – two bullets stop it in its tracks.

"Piece of cake, right?" he says.

"It is easier to deal with these things when I have a partner, yeah. They're easy to beat now, but I was having trouble on my own. How long should we stay in here, anyway?"

"Until we get tired, I guess."

"Tired? We're already sleeping."

"O-oh, right. Well, when I was in here last night, I noticed that I still felt physically tired after taking too many hits, and when I used my Persona a lot, I started to feel mentally drained."

Thinking back on it, I experienced something similar when I came in here to rescue Emile.

"Right. So I guess that's as good a time as any to leave."

Emile and I continue through the mess of hallways, taking out the occasional Shadow. As we turn a corner, the two of us come up on a small red treasure chest. I look at Emile to see if he has an explanation, but he just shrugs. I kick it open and find a ring adorned with a fire symbol on it inside. Out of sheer curiosity, I put the ring on and I can feel a surge of power.

"12 o' clock!" Emile calls out.

I quickly turn around to find three of the tongue Shadows rushing after us.

"Persona!" I scream as I crush the card in front of me. Ixion snaps his fingers, causing one Shadow to instantly explode in a flurry of red and black sludge.

(Looks like that ring makes Agi skills stronger.)

Fantastic.

Emile spins his pistol on his finger and fires it upward at the card that appears above his head. His Persona, Capaneus, brings his blade above his head and slams it down onto the next Shadow with incredible force, knocking it to the ground. The next Shadow rushes me, but I attack first with a leaping horizontal slice, catching it off guard and forcing it to the bloody tile floor, as well.

"They're all down! Let's get 'em!" Emile cries out.

I nod as the two of us rush to the fallen Shadows.

"Bring it, bitches!" Emile taunts as both of us jump on the Shadows, causing a cloud of smoke to appear around us all, giving us a chance to let loose on their defenseless forms.

(Shuffle Time.)

The cards begin to spin before me again. This time, I see a card with a blue cup and another one with a gold coin; however, the third one depicts a blue lady in a white shirt. I immediately assume that it must be another Persona. With perfect timing, I manage to grab the card with the girl on it. I take note that even Emile can't see Shuffle Time and that only I can.

Must be a Wild Card thing.

As we come up to another group of Shadows, Emile takes the initiative and summons Capaneus, who holds his sword in the air, bringing forth a torrent of glowing green winds around one of the tongue Shadows and pushing it back to the wall.

"Yours has Garu skills?!"

"Yeah, but he's not too great at 'em!"

I jump and swing at another one, but I miss and land face-first on the ground, giving the Shadow an opportunity to lick me, sending a shock through my entire nervous system.

Shit, that hurts!

I hear the sound of bullets and tearing flesh as the Shadow above me disintegrates. Emile helps me up, patting my back and telling me to walk it off.

"I've got a better idea," I tell him.

A blank card appears in front of me, which then spins and disappears when I snap my finger. I then bring a glowing card to the palm of my hand in the same way I summon Ixion, but when I crush the card, the Persona that appears is nothing like Ixion at all. In his place is a pale blue-skinned woman draped in white wispy fabric and adorned with jewelry. She moves in a graceful dance-like motion as a field of energy surrounds me, physically reinvigorating me.

"Oh, what the hell?!" Emile states. "You get more than one Persona?! How is that fair?!"

"Never said it was," I retort. "Apsaras!" I say as I summon the Persona again, commanding her to heal Emile's wounds.

"And what was that? I feel awesome now!" Emile says as he stretches, testing out his renewed energy.

"A healing skill. Dia," I say, somehow recalling the name. "Let's finish up here. Using that move is starting to wear me out."

Taking out the next couple of Shadows quickly becomes a systematic process with minimal injuries. We come across a couple more treasure chests, picking up and storing the items in our Subspace (Emile came up with the name) for later use. In defeating a couple more large groups of Shadows, I attain a third Persona, this one being a small armored fairy girl with electric spells named Pixie, and I discover what the cards adorned with coins do – they actually earn me money. We eventually decide to head back out into the plaza and end our training session, having "leveled up" a few times.

"So, you're coming to hang out with me and Ally tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I'll meet up with you guys after school."

"Sounds good. See you tomorrow."

Emile slowly disappears into the fog as he returns to the real world, leaving me in the plaza with my thoughts and the overwhelming atmosphere. It's then that I notice a familiar door, propped up in thin air beside the clock tower. I chuckle slightly before opening the door with a loud creaking sound.

{~}

"Welcome to the Velvet Room…"

"Hey, Igor," I reply, taking my seat at the bar. "Tell me again how you know nothing about the Dream World?"

Igor only chuckles lightly, completely dodging the question. "I see now that you are in possession of multiple Personas! This is most excellent. I will allow my assistant, Margaret, to explain further."

The monotone blonde stands up from her seat and sits on the stool next to my own, bringing the leather-bound blue book with her.

"This," she says, with her hand lightly touching the cover. "Is known as the Persona Compendium. It allows you to register Personas you obtain and recall them at a later date, even if you used them in Persona Fusion."

"You mentioned Fusion when I was here last. How does that work?"

"If you have more than one Persona, my master will allow you to combine them into a singular Persona, one that is more powerful than what you would obtain through normal means. Not only may a fused Persona retain some of the skills of the ones used in Fusion, but it will also gain a boost in strength if its Arcana matches that of a Social Link you have attained."

I listen to her speech intently, taking in this new information. "So, if I fuse Apsaras and Ixion…"

"You would lose them in return for a new Persona," Margaret finishes. "But you may recall them from the Compendium…for a price."

(Shoving me in a book. Harsh.)

Igor chuckles in reaction to Ixion. "Ixion has no need to worry. He will not work in Fusion with either of the Personas that you currently hold. Besides, if Ixion were to be utilized in Fusion, he would still retain the ability to communicate with you as he is the Persona that reflects you."

"Oh, fantastic," I say in a sarcastic tone.

"Feel free to come to me at any time to use the Compendium. I will gladly offer my services," says Margaret.

"Well," I say as I rub my hands together. "Let's give this Fusion thing a go!"

Making sure all three of my Personas are registered in the Compendium, I summon the cards of Pixie and Apsaras, which float into the two empty points of the incomplete pentagram created by Igor. He scans his hands across the surface of the design, causing it to glow and the cards to burst into blue flames. He begins to shake as he lifts his two hands into the air, causing the two small pillars of flame to rise as well. As they reach their peak, they crash inward to the center of the pentagram, exploding in a flash of brilliant light. A woman in a skintight black jumpsuit and fur coat appears from the light, flicking her white fuzzy tail from side to side. Her fingers end in sharp claws and the lower half of her face somewhat resembles a black cat.

(O-oh my…)

Down, boy.

Thanks to my Magician Social Link with Emile, this new Persona, Nekomata, immediately gains some power, leveling up and attaining a new skill that can throw enemies into a blind rage called Provoke, and it even retained the skill Patra, which cures me and Emile from ailments. She transforms into another card, which floats down to me and disappears into my mind. Using the money I obtained from inside the fake school and from Coin Arcana cards in Shuffle Time, I recall both Pixie and Apsaras, bringing my total Persona count to four.

"Be aware that you can only hold up to six Personas at present," Igor tells me. "If you attain another, you must let one go free. Make a habit of recording Personas in the Compendium to prevent any unnecessary complications."

"Well, if that's all I can do today, then I guess I'll just be going now," I say as I stand up to leave.

"One moment, if you will," Igor says in a somewhat hushed tone.

"What is it?"

"I must warn you…difficult trials have been foretold in your near future," the old man admits. "Ones that test the very fabric of your being. Tread lightly, for your actions may alter the course of your destiny. Hold tight to the bonds you forge from here on out, as they will be the key to successfully completing your journey. Remember these words, and do not forget them."

"B-but what does-…"

"In time, their meaning will become apparent. I hope to see you again soon."

{~}

(Can't sleep?)

No.

I've been tossing and turning in my bed, attempting to sleep for nearly a half hour. My room is dark, save for the moonlight creeping through my blinds, casting a dim light of an eerily similar color to that of the Dream World across my bedroom floor. Igor's words pound at my brain with the strength of a hammer, scrambling my thoughts and making it hard to rest.

Difficult trials…?

(I can't figure out why he's being so cryptic. It sure as hell ain't helping you.)

He probably has a reason for it…but yeah, it's getting on my nerves, too.

I roll over in my bed again, noticing the framed picture on my nightstand. It depicts a small child on the lap of a beautiful woman, both of them smiling and happy. Something about the expression on their faces brings be solace, and I once again feel calm. A smile creeps onto my face as fond memories come rushing back to me. I roll over in my bed one more time, finally enjoying the warm embrace of sleep.