Chapter one: Another typical Day...
Beep! Beep! Beep! Rick groaned at the sound of his phone's alarm and rolled over, picking up the source of the offending sound from his side table, and pushing the end button to turn off the alarm. He could feel his girlfriend shift behind him. It was another day of work. Same thing, new day. He sighed and swung his legs off the bed side, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Morning hun, he said to the waking girl behind him.
"Good morning," was her reply. Her voice sounded sleepy, and it seemed that she didn't even want to get out of bed yet. "Did you sleep well?"
He nodded in reply as he hopped off the bed and stretched, already ready to get the day over with. He made his way to the bathroom and stripped from his boxers, turning on the shower, feeling the water until it was the right temperature. It was all second nature to him by now. Strange dreams every night, go through a boring day at work, coming home and playing games, messing around on the computer, and spending time with Traci. It wasn't a bad life, but he wished that he could have something new.
After a few minutes he finished his shower and made his way to the bathroom sink, running his fingers over the small amount of scruff that ran along his face. He felt his chin and sighed, wishing he could just grow facial hair properly. He decided the hair was short enough to go through work without complaints and looked at himself for a few seconds. His piercing blue eyes stared back at him as he ran his hand over his short brown crew cut, hoping it would grow back out a bit more soon.
Once he was satisfied that he was presentable, he dressed himself and kissed Traci on the forehead. "I'll be back soon hun," he whispered to her, hearing her whimper in reply. He chuckled and gave the girl another peck, before grabbing his jacket and keys, leaving to go to work.
Work went the same as usual. Serving the customers. Watching his co-workers dilly dally while he did a good chunk of work. He never really cared much about it any more, but after working the same job for two years, the redundancy numbs you to the feeling of annoyance. He sighed, and looked over at the clock on the wall, a smile creeping over his face. It was nine o'clock, which meant his shift was over for the day. He finished his clean up, and clocked out, glad to have left only fifteen minutes late, rather than his usual half an hour. He waved good bye to everyone, before walking out the door and making his way to the gas station.
After some time speaking with the gas station attendant, he cursed. It was 11:50PM and he knew that Traci would be upset with him. He quickly said his good byes and hopped in his car, speeding onto the road. He glanced at the clock in his car, noticing it was now 11:59PM. He sighed and looked down. Suddenly the car died and he cursed aloud, slamming his hands onto the steering wheel. At least this time he had an excuse.
He managed to guide the car off the road, despite the lack of power steering and put it in park. After calming himself, he reached for the phone and noticed that it two was dead. "What the hell?" he whispered, pressing the power button a few times before tossing it back onto the seat beside him. He opened the door to his car and frowned, noticing that the area had suddenly gone dead. He looked around for some sign of headlights, and listened for any cars. He was only answered with silence. "It's never this quiet. What is going on!" he yelled, his frustration getting the better of him. He looked up and groaned, noticing for the first time that the sky had turned an eerie pale green color. The moon was blood red, as was the still clouds.
A chill ran down his spine and he continued looking around. He had lived in Central Ohio for quite some time and had seen many different patterns in the weather, but he had never seen anything quite like this. He tried calling out, hoping someone might hear, and to his surprise he heard a voice.
"This will be the first night of many," a voice said from behind him.
"What?" he asked, turning around, surprised to find himself inside a velvet colored room. He noticed a swaying movement from what appeared to be a porthole and wondered if he was on a boat.
"Welcome to the Velvet Room young one. My name is Igor. I will guide you along on a great journey. Though the journey itself is not yours, you will play a key part in it." The man had a large grin, balding hair at the top of his head, and an abnormally long pointy nose.
"Sheesh. Either I fell asleep at the wheel or Steve slipped something in that waffle I ate earlier," Rick muttered.
"It is nothing of the sort," Igor replied. "You have awoken to your inner potential and gained a power that few can obtain alone. The power of Persona."
"Persona?" Rick repeated. He looked down for a moment and pondered. After some thought he decided to just play along. "Alright. So what exactly happened out there? Where I was at I mean."
"At the dawn of a new day, of the twelfth year of the new millennium, the clock will start ticking. Worlds that were never meant to join have begun to do just that," Igor replied. To Rick the man seemed to speak in riddles, which confused him further. "The world that is now joining with yours is a world influenced by the deepest, darkest depths of the human soul. It is a world where Shadows are born, and from this day forward, that very world will continue to appear at midnight. And each time it appears, it will last for a little longer."
Rick sat there, absorbing the information Igor fed him. "So this world. Is like an Astral World?" he asked, trying to get a grasp on the situation. He still had his doubts, but something inside him told him that this room was real, and what Igor was telling him was no lie. "And what happens if these worlds completely merge?"
"At first nothing. But if it continues to go unattended, the world as you know it will come to an absolute end. In order to prevent this you need to find the one with the potential. Normally the one chosen by fate is easy to find, but in this instance, he is shielded from me." Igor spoke calmly, but for the first time since the beginning of their meeting, Igor seemed slightly troubled.
"So you know that this chosen person is a he?" Rick asked, being careful not to miss any details.
"No I do not, though normally it is a he," Igor spoke. "Though I have to say. There is something quite unique about you."
"Unique?" he asked, blinking curiously. "Unique how? How do I find the one with the potential? How do I fight against this supposed threat?"
Igor's smile returned. "Time will answer all of your questions. Until next time."
"Hey wait!" Rick called out, reaching out to igor, only to touch his car. He cursed and ran his hand along his golden Grand am, sighing in frustration. "Maybe it was a dream after all," he whispered. However the still air and red moon told him otherwise. "So I am still in this Astral World after all."