Act 2: The Devil
-August 18, 2010: Wednesday: Lunchtime-
As soon as the bell for lunch period had rang, every student who had been waiting to leave their class immediately departed to the lunchroom. Julie had began to grab her lunch and walk to the lunchroom as well until she was stopped by a familiar face: Ashley. A welcoming smile surfaced on Julie's face as she approached her new friend.
JULIE: Hello Ashley.
ASHLEY: Hi, Julie. Are you going to the lunchroom?
Julie nods.
JULIE: Of course.
ASHLEY: Well, you don't have to. How about we go to the roof and talk? Don't worry, the teachers won't mind.
JULIE: Okay then.
The two then walked out of the door and into the hallway, laughing and conversing along the way.
-Rooftop-
The scenery from the roof of the school was divine. From above, Julie could see the school grounds. A statue of the man who found the school stood tall and proud in all of its glory. The fragrance of rose bushes wafted through the air for their scent to be noticed by wandering noses. The sky itself was crystal blue, with not a cloud to tarnish its majesty. It was indeed a beautiful day and Julie found herself actually liking the idea of eating on the roof with Ashley. The two sat on the vents, opening their lunch boxes: Ashley had bowl ramen with tempura and egg on top, while Julie had a beef bowl with some tofu around the edge to give some nutrition.
JULIE: This was a good idea!
ASHLEY: Yeah! I eat out here a lot during lunch, except for days where there's bad weather. Clayton and Ian normally eat out here with me and we talk about some things, but I guess they're kind of busy.
Ashley then nonchalantly grabbed her chopsticks, grabbing one of the dumplings and taking a bite out of it.
ASHLEY: It's better that way though. Since he ruined my skates, I've been on the edge a little to kill him.
JULIE: Goodness! I hope you don't mean literally?
That question caused Ashley to chuckle.
ASHLEY: *chuckles* Of course not! Despite how he is, he is my friend. I'm not really going to kill him. Although I hold no qualms in beating the hell out of him.
JULIE: That I can see.
The two laughed and conversed for most of the five minutes spent. However, after they finished laughing, that was when Julie learned that she was going to be in for a raging rollercoaster ride as Ashley opened her mouth to say this.
ASHLEY: By the way, have you seen the news about that CEO named Nathan Copeland?
Julie looked at Ashley and noticed that her entire attitude had changed. She seemed to be serious about this, evident by the smile turning into a frown and the unnerving gaze her eyes gave Julie. It seemed like this type of news left Ashley unnerved and the longer it took for Julie the answer didn't seem to soothe it one bit.
JULIE: Yes. He was mauled by some animal last night.
ASHLEY: Yeah. Apparently, this is the first case where a victim actually died from an attack. The previous two victims survived it and suffered harsh wounds, but something about them later always caught my attention.
A heavy silence fell upon them. Julie took a few glances over her shoulders to see if anyone was eavesdropping. Fortunately, no one seemed to be in the vicinity. When she turned back to Ashley, she continued.
ASHLEY: Every victim who was attacked began to show signs of pure fear. Almost as if they're scared of everything around them.
JULIE: You're right. I think I heard some of our classmates addressing it with a name. What was it called again? ... Fear Malady?
Ashley nods.
ASHLEY: Yeah. Psychologists and doctors say that it's caused from the attacks of those animals, but there has to be something deeper into it. I can understand one attack scaring someone like that, but a second one? And what's crazier is that I've heard from people who knew the victims personally. They said it wasn't the attacks they were afraid of but they seemed to be scared of everything. Eventually, they were sent to a mental hospital because it was so bad!
JULIE: I can imagine. If you're attacked by some unknown creature, you tend to lose some sanity.
Ashley shook her head by that comment, hinting that her theory regarding the attacks went much deeper than Julie's.
ASHLEY: No. It's not that. What I've also learned is that before each victim was attacked, there was some kind of conflict going on with them.
Now this caught Julie's interest. She leaned forward to listen in on the information.
JULIE: Like what?
ASHLEY: Well, you probably heard of Copeland's bankruptcy when he was sued by his employees and lost the court case. The previous two victims seemed to be undergoing other conflicts as well. I think that girl, Blaine, was tested positive for HIV.
JULIE: What?! B-But how?
Ashley shrugged her shoulders.
ASHLEY: Hell if I know. A lot of people labeled her as a "whore" but Ian said that he met her once before. He said she was a really nice person. She even went to this school and some of our teachers said that she was an achieving and promising student. It's odd to think that someone would even start this kind of rumor about her.
JULIE: It is indeed.
Another heavy silence fell upon them. The conversation had took a different turn the moment Ashley acknowledged the case. However, Julie couldn't say that it wasn't a good idea that she did. It gave her a lot to think about regarding what was going on in this town. That was when she remembered the words that Philemon had told her when they met. She recalled his words as clear as day.
PHILEMON: ~Still, you will be guided into a new life, but you will be chosen to fight against an evil force that prevails your way. However, you will not be alone, for you will have allies that will be with you along the way. But please be reminded of this old saying... "Only when we are no longer afraid do we begin to live."~
Was this what he meant? Reminiscing Philemon's words only confused Julie even more. What is the meaning for all this happening? It was clear that stupidity was read on Julie's face as she felt the sensation twinging in her brain.
Seeing that the silence was too much to bear with, Julie decided to turn the subject around.
JULIE: Oh that reminds me! Ashley...
Ashley turned to Julie with a curious look on her face that replaced the solemn gaze she radiated earlier.
ASHLEY: Yeah?
JULIE: I didn't know you liked Japanese food.
ASHLEY: Huh?
JULIE: Your lunch.
Julie pointed to Ashley's lunchbox, causing the former to look at her food and back up at her.
ASHLEY: Oh yeah! Well, my mom is a chef and she is very cultured when it comes to cooking. Quite often does she make these dishes for me, but it seems that Japanese dishes catches her fancy the most.
JULIE: Really? What about your dad?
ASHLEY: Well, my dad owns a dojo in this city and he's taught me kung fu ever since I was little as a means of self-defense. I still practice it today but I'm also taking figure skating lessons.
Before Julie's question of interest could be mouthed out, a familiar voice was heard.
CLAYTON'S VOICE: And what a relief that is!
The sound of Clayton's voice caught the two girls by surprise as they turned their backs to see Clayton walking before them with a wide grin on his face. Ian was beside him, greeting the two girls with a smile.
ASHLEY: Oh hey guys. What're you doing out here?
JULIE: As long as it's been, we thought you two were in the lunchroom.
The moment Julie said that, the two looked at each other with unnerved looks and back at the two.
CLAYTON: Well...
Question marks floated above their heads, taking note of their grimacing faces and the sounds of their stomachs roaring in hunger.
ASHLEY: Let me guess, you two didn't make it to lunch, did you?
And with that, they nodded their heads.
IAN: Yes, in large part to Clayton.
Surprised, Clayton turned to his friend with an utter expression of astonishment, something that made Ashley giggle a little.
CLAYTON: Wha-?! Why are you blaming me?!
As that question came out, Ian turned to his friend with a serious look on his face.
IAN: Unless you have forgotten, allow me to refresh your memory. If you hadn't tried to skip in line while the teacher was looking, we would've gotten our lunch. I keep telling you that Ms. Cartwright has watchful eyes!
CLAYTON: Oh come on! As if you didn't anything wrong! Your fangirls were slowing us down if you weren't so nice to them!
IAN: That's out of my control and I'm nice to them because it's sweet to know that they're putting in effort for me to recognize them. Although I will admit that it does get tiresome.
Sighs came out of both their mouths as they looked at the two, taking their eyes onto the girls and their lunches. The moment their eyes caught a gaze at the juiciness of the meat and aromatic scent, their hunger grew stronger and their appetite uneased. So hard was it to contain their hungry expressions that the recognition on the girls' faces were followed by them pulling back their meals.
ASHLEY: Uh, no. If you're that hungry, you shouldn't have been skipping in line when the teacher is looking dead at you.
JULIE: And letting fangirls halt your process.
However, the restriction of access only proved to be a failure as the boys began to show signs of bargaining. However, Clayton's was stronger as he fell to knees with his hands connecting by linking their fingers from across each other while Ian simply walked towards them with an earnest expression.
CLAYTON: Please! I'm starving to death here! I don't have any money to buy concessions, please!
ASHLEY: No!
IAN: Come on, Ash. We really need something to eat. How about just a bite or two? I promise.
Turning to Ian, Clayton looked at the girls and nodded in agreement, bringing himself from the ground and gently smacking Ian's shoulder.
CLAYTON: Right, Ian! Just a bite or two!
However, skepticism read the girls' faces. Could they really trust them to only have a bite of their food? For one, Julie was hungry herself and didn't eat breakfast this morning, so she needed this meal. However, she couldn't just leave them starving to death. She turned to Ashley, tapping her shoulder to catch her attention.
JULIE: Maybe a bite or two wouldn't hurt.
Saying that caused Ashley to respond in shock.
ASHLEY: Wha-?! Are you serious?! I'm hungry myself!
JULIE: I know, but we can't deny them food. It's important to eat after all. Plus, they helped me once before, so why not repay them?
Ashley would protest, but thinking on Julie's words actually began to change her mind. Of course, she couldn't remember a time where Clayton had actually helped her but she did remember the times where Ian had helped her out and couldn't just leave him in the dark. On the other hand, Clayton and Ian were surprised to hear Julie say that.
CLAYTON: Really, Julie?
IAN: Th-Thank you.
Julie turned back to them and smiled.
JULIE: You're welcome. Anyway, I guess you can have a little bit.
Once she said that, the two began to lighten up in their faces. Eventually, Ashley shook her head, but relented to the idea, turning her head back to the two after looking down at her food.
ASHLEY: Just two bites! No more than that!
The two bowed their heads.
IAN: Of course.
CLAYTON: Yeah! Now gimme!
And like that, the girls gave their meals to them. Ashley gave her box to Clayton while Julie gave Ian hers. As soon as the boys caught grasp of the meal, their appetite couldn't be contained and after one bite of the deliciousness and delicacy of the meat that savored through their taste buds, it seemed all restrictions were lifted. With just one bite, the two mauled the food down like cannibals, the sounds of the meat being crushed by their teeth resonating. And at that moment, they had forgotten completely about all else around them, including what Julie and Ashley said.
The moment they noticed the two going beyond the limit of what they were supposed to eat, they didn't hesitate to address them for it.
ASHLEY: H-Hey! We said two bites!
Suddenly, Ashley's voice broke the boys out of their mindless state. They turned to the girls to noticed the annoyed and angry looks on their faces. The answer didn't clear their confusion until they looked at the boxes and noticed how much they ate and hesitated to give the girls back their food.
As they feared, the moment they gazed down at their food, they were appalled. Julie only had remnants of tofu in small to medium-sized particles in her box with small slabs of meat that were clearly bitten off of judging from the teeth marks that Ian left while Ashley was fuming over an empty box that left not a trace of food inside. This ultimately infuriated her as she stood up along with Julie, eyes leering to the two as they wore fearful expressions.
ASHLEY: Didn't we say "two bites"?! What happened to "two bites"?!
JULIE: Seriously! How am I supposed to make a meal out of small, bitten pieces of tofu and meat?!
Ashley turned to Julie.
ASHLEY: Well at least you have a small percentage left!
She then turned to Clayton with a piercing leer. Out of all times he has seen her angry, this had to be the one where he really screwed up.
ASHLEY: Clayton practically vacuumed the entire box! There's nothing in here! Not even a bitten off egg!
She finished that sentence by throwing the box at Clayton, who cleverly dodged it. Then Julie turned to Ashley in reassurance.
JULIE: Don't worry. Didn't you say that this school sells concessions?
As she said that, Ashley's eyes lit up in hope as she turned back to her friend.
ASHLEY: Oh my God! Yes! I even have my wallet on me! Don't worry, we can make the concession stands before the lunch bell rings!
It seemed that once she said those words, a faint sound was heard. Eventually, the sound grew louder and the girls wore expressions of astonishment once they recognized the sound.
ASHLEY: Crap! That's the lunch bell! The concession stands are closed!
JULIE: Oh bloody hell!
The moment their distressed face wore off, the leers that were presented before the boys appeared again.
CLAYTON: Listen, we're really sorry! We were hungry!
Ashley responded by raising her voice.
ASHLEY: We were hungry too, you idiot! I didn't eat much for breakfast, so I was waiting to eat my meal!
JULIE: At least you ate something for breakfast. I was in such a rush to get to school that I didn't have the time to make breakfast.
The sound of their stomachs rumblings continued to torment them while pushing their anger towards the boys even further. Seeing their faces and hearing their stomachs roar, the two wore guilty faces. It wasn't their attempt to eat all of their food, but they were hungry. Still, it didn't excuse the fact that Julie and Ashley were probably hungry themselves and hearing their stomachs, they knew that they needed to do something right about it.
CLAYTON: We are really sorry about this! We didn't mean to eat all of your food.
ASHLEY: Well you did. Now we're gonna have to wait until school ends to eat again.
JULIE: And I was trying to be nice and you two took advantage of it.
IAN: No! Seriously, at our earnest, we apologize. We were so caught up in our own hunger that we failed to see yours.
That was when Ian struck on an idea.
IAN: Oh! I know! How about Clayton and I treat you after school? We'll pay.
The moment Ian said those words, the two quickly changed face. There was no second thought about this and the two knew that they were at an advantage.
-At Callisto Mall-
ASHLEY: Of all places and you two bring us to McRonald's?
A tone of irritation failed to go unnoticed in Ashley's voice, along with Julie's curious look. The four were inside of Callisto Mall, which was a popular site in their city. Though they live in the city, there were some surburban areas in this city. It just so happened that the group all lived in the suburbs, except for Ian.
The mall was pretty busy that day, so there were a lot of patrons running around the building. However, given the population of this city, it was no surprise for the mall to booked up. That was something that Julie was used to since she lived in London until she was five. She could remember the numerous amount of people she met and befriended until moving to Inaba. Living in a countryside such as Inaba was a great definition of a "small town".
CLAYTON: Well, what were you expecting? A five-star restaurant?
ASHLEY: Not really, especially in your budget.
Those words were of great offense to the 5'5" young male.
CLAYTON: Hey! I got a job!
ASHLEY: Don't you mean you had a job?
There was a short pause.
CLAYTON: ... O-Okay! So I got fired once?!
ASHLEY: Apparently for you, once counts as few.
CLAYTON: Grrr... You're lucky Ian decided this because you would be paying for your own damn food!
Clayton took his seat beside Ashley as Ian returned with a tray of burgers, fries, sodas and one plate of salad. He placed the tray on the table and took his seat.
IAN: And here's your food: one hamburger with no mayo, medium fries and medium Sprite for Julie; one veggie burger with a side of salad and sweet tea for Ashley; two chicken sandwiches with extra ketchup and onion, a large fry and a large vanilla shake for Carter; and a 16 piece nugget combo with medium fries and medium juice for me.
He looked around at the three with a generous smile on his face.
IAN: Alright. Enjoy.
As he said that, the four grabbed their meals and began eating. However, once Ian could take a bite of his food, the ringing of his phone was heard. Everyone turned to him as he reached into his pocket and examined the caller. An anxious expression wore his face.
IAN: It's father. Hang on.
With that said, he stood up from the chair and walked off to a good distance so the group wouldn't hear his conversation with his father. A sigh escaped Clayton's lips.
CLAYTON: *sighs* Again?
Curious by that question, Julie turned to Clayton, her gaze catching his attention without alert.
JULIE: Huh? What do you mean?
While at first confused by her question, he realized that Julie wasn't too familiar with all three of them. Ashley turned to her friend as well as Clayton answered her.
CLAYTON: Oh yeah. You don't know about Ian's family do you?
JULIE: His family?
CLAYTON: Well, how do I put it? Um... You see, Ian's father is very notorious.
JULIE: Oh really. For what?
CLAYTON: *sighs* Well it's not a secret, so I shouldn't be hesitant. You see, Ian's father is a notorious Italian gangster named Joseph Ricardo de Luca.
JULIE: A gangster?
Clayton nods.
ASHLEY: Yeah. He's very infamous too. The police have a hard time trying to convict him for any of his crimes and whenever someone testifies against him, they never show for court or they wound up missing.
The end of the sentence left shivers down Julie's spine.
JULIE: Really? That's amazing! So what did you mean by "again"?
Julie turned to Clayton with a curious look, though she could read the hesitance on his face. However, he pulled through to give her an answer.
CLAYTON: ... Sometimes, Ian is given the task of helping out with his father's business/Mafia. He's not involved with the gunfire or anything, at least that's what he told me, but with Ian being Joseph's only child and son, his father expects a lot out of him. As a matter of fact, his father is expecting him to take over the Mafia after he dies. Sometimes, Ian has to leave school early if something goes wrong. But from what I hear, most of the things that goes on isn't that bad. Plus, you've seen him for yourself. He's a really nice guy, has an advanced sense of vocabulary and is a skilled martial artist with good looks. He's practically the embodiment of perfection.
A chuckle complimented his statement, but not enough for Julie to notice something else. She could tell by the tone of his voice that while that statement was meant as a joke, there was some reflection of envy as well. She never recognized or noticed that tone until now, but what caught her was when she heard it as he addressed Ian. Was Clayton jealous of Ian?
ASHLEY: C'mon Clayton. He's not perfect. He's a human like all of us and I know there have been times where he made mistakes.
CLAYTON: Yeah. I know. I've been friends with him since we were four and I know how he is. But seriously, the dude's father has tons of money and is a notorious gangster. I'm sure he's probably living big.
ASHLEY: Is he now? Don't forget how a mafia works. There's death involved and you're practically a walking target for police and rival gangs. Don't you think there isn't one day where he is not forced to watch his back so nobody would shoot it? I know if I was in his shoes, I would lose my mind. That's too much pressure for someone his age!
CLAYTON: I know, dammit! It was just a joke! Besides, I've joked with Ian about this before and he's always agreed. It's not like I'm badmouthing him, he's my friend.
ASHLEY: I know he's your childhood friend, Clayton, but what I'm saying is that it's something to not make a common joke out of. Plus, I've always seen Ian and the moments I do, he looks exhausted. Don't forget that I was his friend before you.
Eventually, Ian's presence was slowly coming to view and Julie warned the two so they would cease their argument.
As Ian approached the table, he pushed back his chair, grabbing his to-go bag and placing his food inside while grabbing his backpack from the seat. He looked at the three with an apologetic look.
IAN: I'm sorry. Father just told me that there's going to be a cargo coming in and he wants me to check. Have a good day.
After giving their valedictions, Ian departed with a distressed look on his face that went noticed by Julie. She could tell that what Ashley proclaimed was true. Being the son of a gangster seemed hard for someone like Ian, especially given his character. Though Ian seems to be talking more, the times she had spent with him, she always noticed that he wouldn't say more than five words and the only times he did, it was either an apology or if he was asked something. He was a nice person, still, so it must've been twice as painful for him to endure it.
Shaking off the feeling, she resumed to her conversation with her friends.
-Unknown Area-
The sudden sensation of cold tile replaced the feeling of a firm mattress with velvet covers. An eerie sound of wind bared too much resonance for one's ears to adjust. Goosebumps from the cold winds eventually caused Julie open her eyes as she found herself inside a realm she held no familiarity with.
JULIE: Wh-What…? Where am I?
All around her was nothing. She found herself laying on a purple platform with a blackened sky above her and a strong, cold wind blowing furiously. Was this a dream?
Dressed in her night garments that consisted of a long-sleeved purple shirt with black shorts, the young Goth gathered her strength and got up from the ground, only to be pressured by the strong force of the wind. Still, she put one foot ahead of the other and continued the process of walking aimlessly into nowhere. It was better than just standing around like a duck.
However, she had to figure out where she was going and what was to be expected as she made it up there. This area felt out of place enough, so whatever was ahead of her would be triple the expectation of strange. However, she didn't know what it was. She could feel that she was not alone in this strange place, as if another presence walked amongst her. To finally prove this, a mysterious and masculine tone of voice was heard.
UNKNOWN VOICE: …Why do you walk these grounds? ….What is it that you wish to see?
The voice alarmed her, but more so in preparation rather than shock.
JULIE: Who's there?!
The voice continued, seemingly ignoring Julie's question as she turned in all directions to find the voice.
UNKNOWN VOICE: Are you not afraid, young lady? This is a dark place, filled with mysterious beings that may do you harm and yet you still traverse? Why do you resist fear?
Though she was listening to the voice, she continued in her trudge, completely in the dark of where she will go. Suddenly, she felt a raindrop touch her forehead and the process was followed by rainfall that completely drenched the young woman.
JULIE: Great.
Then suddenly, Julie found herself holding grasp onto the handle of an umbrella. No, rather a parasol. The parasol was colored black with violet flower petals blooming on the surface. The handle was violet itself, but glossed in its color as well. Truly, a beautiful and magnificent piece of work in hand. However, as beautiful it may be, she found herself at a loss of words when she saw it.
JULIE: What the-? Where did I…?
As if things couldn't be any stranger than they already were, Julie heard a low growl coming from behind her and turned around to see what it was. By doing so, she was welcomed by a pair of glowing, red demonic eyes and the undeniably radiant shine of sharp teeth that belonged to a carnivore. This was no ordinary animal.
A gasp escaped her lips as she backed away, the creature slowly following. The voice came once more.
UNKNOWN VOICE: If you wish to live and see another day, you must call upon the power of your Persona and eradicate this creature.
JULIE: What? Persona?
The name was all too unfamiliar to her. What did he mean by a "Persona"? Was this some kind of cruel joke being played on her?
Before she could even mouthed out the words, she found herself surrounded by a mysterious and blinding purple light that circled around her. The rushing wind blew past her as the light grew brighter, a deafening sound that accompanied the light's presence. What was going on?
JULIE: Per-…
Before she knew it, she found herself beginning to mouth out something, surprisingly staying calm under pressure. How was this happening?
JULIE: So-…
A strange sensation erupted throughout her entire body. If felt odd in more ways than one. It felt as though that something was… being released from her. More specifically, from her mind.
JULIE: Na!
Suddenly, the wind grew stronger and the light shined brighter. She hadn't noticed it, but the creature before her slowly backed away by the light. Behind her came out an unknown entity of great power. The figure bore some resemblance to Julie, evident by her long black hair that stood longer than Julie's but its face was covered by a metallic helmet with golden broaches that had sakura petals clipped onto it. The entity wore a skin-tight black suit with no sleeves and portions cut to reveal the hips and thighs. The figure had black cloths attached to white lace bands that extended from the wrist to the elbow and wore thigh-high black boots. The figure also wore a white belt with a white cloth skirt that extended to the ankle.
For some reason, Julie was unclear of what this entity was supposed to be but a name came in clear.
JULIE: Izanami…
Julie pointed to the creature off of impulse. Suddenly, the entity known as "Izanami" flew towards the creature in high speed. Before the creature could make a move, Izanami began to produce small green cyclone of wind from the palm of its hands that eventually shot straight at the beast. As soon it connected, a bloodcurdling shriek of pain erupted and the creature dissolved into black mass.
UNKNOWN VOICE: So… you can summon a Persona?
The voice came once more. As she heard its voice, she spoke back to it.
JULIE: Who are you? Why have you brought me here?
Suddenly, it chuckled at her questions and continued.
UNKNOWN VOICE: Time will tell my dear. But for now, I must depart. You have proven yourself an exceptional foe.
The grasp of consciousness slowly loosened as Julie's eyes weakened and her mind swirled around in circles. She found herself struggling to control her balance. Her mouth fell frozen, words failing to escape from her mouth. After a few stumbles, she fell to the ground.
-Velvet Room-
The moment her consciousness began to collect, she was welcomed by the sound of a delightful melody accompanied by the tunes of a piano that played melodically, not a key missed or tapped accidentally. As her eyes slowly opened, she found herself surrounded in blue and just by looking out the windows, she could see that she was on a train.
JULIE: What on earth…?
Her voice was low following the exhaustion. She sighed as she realized that it was all a dream, but she began to get the feeling that there was more to the dream as she looked before herself at the table in front.
MYSTERIOUS MAN: Welcome to the Velvet Room, young lady.
Before her sat an elderly man who sported a black suit with white gloves to complete the aristocrat appeal. The only other features that strode from this was how his facial features appeared. His eyes stuck from its sockets, he bore an incredulously long and pointy nose. The top of his head was bald, with streaks of white hair at his sides. Beside the man was a rather handsome young male who appeared to be around Julie's age. He bore smooth black hair and pale skin, but an abnormality of his appearance would be his golden eyes. He wore a blue short-sleeve shirt with navy blue slacks and black suede shoes. He also wore blue gloves and carried a compendium in his hands.
MYSTERIOUS MAN: My name is Igor and this young man is my assistant, Matthew. He will be assisting you in your journey.
Julie turned to Matthew and he bowed his head in acknowledgement.
MATTHEW: Pleased to meet you. I hope I be of great assistance to you.
IGOR: This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. I see you have already awakened to the power of your Persona and Izanami was a result.
Suddenly, a quote from Philemon echoed in her head once she met Igor. She ignored it at first but it continued to nag her until it piqued her curiosity.
JULIE: Excuse me, but... are you the one who Philemon was talking about?
IGOR: Philemon? My, I haven't heard that name in ages! Why of course! I used to be a servant of his, but now I operate inside the Velvet Room. I do wonder what he has been up to. But taken you've already met Philemon, I suggest he already told you of what would happen?
Julie nods.
JULIE: He said that something would happen and only I would stop it. He didn't go into details though.
IGOR: Well, it should be enough. Besides, I am only here to tell you that my assistant and I will assist you on your journey as you battle through Fiends.
Fiends? For some reason, the name was already familiar to her. Was it that creature that attacked her in her dream? Igor continued.
IGOR: It is time that you departed for there is nothing else that I can say. I bid you farewell.
Before Julie could muster any words, lethargy had erupted and she found herself trying to catch her balance, despite that she was already sitting. Eventually, her vision turned black and she returned back to her bedroom, still under the covers in her black pajamas and Gothic room.
-Amano Residence-
The sight of her darkly purple painted walls prompted the girl to breathe a sigh of relief that was accompanied by the sound of rainfall. However, she couldn't breathe just yet. Despite what seemed to be a collection of dreams were actually true events that Julie had took part in and could not ignore.
The messages from Philemon and Igor were real. Something was going to happen and she knew had to be attacks from those mysterious animals at night. But who was behind it all and why?
JULIE: Something still doesn't add up. If Philemon said that someone was behind it, then who is it?
Suddenly, an urge prompted Julie to get up from her bed and stare outside the window. There was nothing but rain as she looked, with some strikes of lightning that weren't close enough to produce the sound of thunder. For a second, Julie almost walked back inside until she caught glimpse of a silhouette standing in the middle of the street.
The moment she caught sight of the figure, she had to make sure that she wasn't asleep again. After a quick pinch on the arm that stung a little, she continued seeing the figure.
JULIE: Okay. So this is not a dream. But who is that?
The person appeared to be a male, probably around Julie's age. She couldn't identify who the figure was but he looked familiar. She could understand that she met him before, but… who was he?
After two minutes of staring the figure down, it suddenly vanished from sight as another flash lightning accompanied its disappearance. Julie jumped a little but quickly regained her composure. What was that thing?
A/N: Sorry, I kind of got into a rush when I was writing this chapter. So far, there are 27 views and one review, thanks to Shaman94 for making the review! I will continue with my Injustice story, but I love this story too. After watching some hours of RWBY, it reinspired me on my decision to give the characters battle outfits. Since Persona 5 is by far the only game where the characters are dressed for battle by default, why not do so for these characters? Review please!