PERSONA: PAPILLION HEARTS

Chapter 5: When My Father Was Here

"Welcome to the Velvet Room!" a familiar voice exclaimed excitedly.

I opened my eyes and blinked, finding myself surrounded by blue once again. I was in that strange elevator with all the doors… and that huge-nosed man and cute girl. The girl—Lacey, if I recalled correctly—was the one who had greeted me. The Velvet Room, as they called it… Then it wasn't just a weird dream? Or was it just a continuation of that really weird dream?

"It's so nice to see you again," Igor said, his warm smile still somewhat leery. "You became unconscious after awakening to your 'power'."

My… power? I tilted my head, not quite understanding what he meant. Then it hit me—did he mean that being I summoned from within myself? Akio had done the same thing, after all…

"I see that it was Jeanne d'Arc that heeded your calling," Igor mused. "That power is called a Persona. It is a manifestation of your psyche."

I frowned. "A… Persona?"

He nodded. "A Persona is a facet of your personality that surfaces as you react to external stimuli. You can think of it as a mask that protects you as you brave many hardships."

A mask… I couldn't help but recall the various facades I put up just to get through my life. How I pretended to be so happy and cheerful as Tsuki, when in reality I had a shallow husk of a personality. Yet he claimed that this… Persona… came from my personality. How could it, when I didn't have one?

I shook my head, wrapping one arm around myself. It made no sense.

"When you use your Persona ability, you must channel your inner strength," Igor continued. "The ability evolves as you develop your Social Links—your emotional ties with others."

…I had no inner strength. And I most definitely didn't have… emotional ties.

"The stronger your Social Links, the more powerful your Persona ability," Igor informed me. "Please remember that."

I would certainly remember that… Certainly remember how absurd this all was. How poorly suited I was for this power. If I had been chosen, they surely had chosen the worst possible person.

"Now, then… Time marches on in your world," Igor said. "I shouldn't keep you any longer."

Lacey, who had been standing dutifully by her master's side, holding that big book in her arms, pouted. "Aw, already?"

Igor gave her a gentle smile, before returning his attention to me. "Next time we meet, you will come here of your own accord."

Lacey perked up a bit at that.

"Until then… Farewell."

Lacey gave a big wave. "Bye bye! Don't stay away for too long, okay?"

The Velvet Room began to fade away.

Friday, April 15th, 2039, Waning Gibbous Moon.

The familiar smell of antiseptic burned inside my nose. I stirred, opening my eyes to find myself gazing up at a white ceiling. A sense of deja vu washed over me. I'd been here before… I lifted my hand, resting the back of it on my forehead as I turned to gaze out the window overlooking the sea.

I was in the hospital. Yet again.

I let out my breath and it came out in a sigh.

"Sonomi?"

The familiarity of that voice made me freeze. But I forced myself to look over.

It was my mother, Yukari Takeba.

Mom was in her mid to late forties, though she didn't really look it. There wasn't a single streak of gray in her light brown hair, which she wore down to her shoulders, with half of it pulled up in a half bun. Her eyes were the same warm shade of brown, filled with concern. She was dressed as immaculately as ever, in a white sweater dress, mousy brown thigh high socks, and pale beige ankle boots. A coat was draped over her chair—dusty rose, with a thick, fluffy collar of faux tan fur. She wore rose quartz earrings… and the promise ring Dad gave her all those years ago. It was set with a rose quartz, with tiny diamonds surrounding it, more being set in the actual gold band.

A wave of relief seemed to rush over her. "Thank goodness you're finally awake…"

The last time I'd see my mother, it was in the aftermath of my outburst on national television. She had been rather upset with me for reacting that way about rumors. I'd gotten so angry at her and had snapped back.

Rumors were just rumors, sure. But my entire life had been affected by people's words. Being fatherless in a world that stigmatized bastards… only through my work as an idol had I been able to rise above it all.

Mom managed a small smile. "How are you feeling?"

"…Fine," I answered curtly, looking away.

This time, the sigh was from her.

"Does anything hurt?"

Surprisingly… no. Even my chest, which I swear had been bleeding last night… There were no bandages—no sign of my old wounds opening back up. I was simply wearing a hospital gown, perfectly fine. But something had happened last night.

"…No."

Mom didn't respond right away. When I glanced back over at her, she was looking down at her hands, lips pursed in a hard line. She closed her eyes, as if she was steeling herself, and then looked back up at me.

"Sonomi-"

Before she could say anything further, the door to the room burst open, and in stormed a very annoyed sister of mine.

"I cannot believe you didn't tell me Sonomi landed in the hospital again!"

MJ followed her inside, closing the door behind him, looking rather exasperated. "Miya, you live three hours away. And you're due to have your baby any day now. It could wait till morning."

Miyako turned back around to face him, faster than she should have been able to with the size of her belly. "I. Don't. Care. I told you, if something happens to our baby sister, I want to know immediately."

I couldn't help but sit up in bed, honestly surprised by this sudden turn of events. "Nee-san?"

Miyako turned back around to face us, her irritation immediately fading away to be replaced by a gentle, relieved smile.

"Sonomi-chan! Oh, you look fine." She looked over at our mother. "She is fine, right, Mom?"

"It's nice to see you too." Mom gave a tired smile. "Yes, the doctors said she was only extremely exhausted and needed rest."

Miyako was my elder sister, younger twin to MJ by a few minutes. They were practically identical, save for gender. She had the same deep blue hair we all had, though hers was silky smooth, unlike mine, and pulled back into a neat bun, with a hair pin topped with sapphire blue flowers. Her eyes were also blue. Today, she was wearing a black maternity dress, black leggings, and black heelless boots. Her coat was navy blue and draped over her shoulders.

"I can answer myself," I mumbled under my breath.

Miyako let out a sigh of relief, resting her hand over her heart. "I'm so glad to hear that. I feared the worst…"

The worst, huh… What would that even be?

MJ looked over at our sister. "…Is Kenshin coming?"

"As soon as he can conclude business," Miyako answered. "We talked and decided that we may as well move me out, as I'm already here." She gave a gentle smile. "Our new house has been finalized, so it's just a matter of moving in furniture."

Kenshin Nanjo was Miyako's husband of three years. Recently, he had inherited the position of CEO of the Nanjo Group, a steadfast ally of the Kirijo Group. He was incredibly rich and as such, my sister wanted for nothing. They owned multiple houses and cars and… everything. I remember the scandal when they got engaged… The heir of the Nanjo Group marrying a bastard? So many people outside of his immediate family disapproved. But he didn't care and married her anyway. They met through work or something. I didn't know the full story.

MJ wrinkled his nose. "I told you, you don't have to move all the way out here-"

"And I told you that I'm going to be here for Sonomi if she needs me." Miyako glared at him.

MJ glared back. "You're pushing yourself too hard."

"I am perfectly fine, thank you very much, Minato!"

Mom let out a sigh. "Enough, you two. Now isn't the time."

"…Do I have to stay here?" I asked, before either of my siblings could say anything.

Mom gave a soft smile. "No, it should be okay to go home. I'll go let the doctors—and everyone—know you're awake." She then stood up.

"Everyone?" I asked, confused.

MJ shoved his hands into his pockets. "All the family friends are here. Plus the Narukamis, and Amamiya-san."

My eyes widened. "The prime minister is here?"

"No, his wife, Anne-san," Miyako said, giving our brother a withering look. "Though Ren-san is trying to free up some time for the… meeting we need to have."

"Meeting?"

Mom winced, pausing just in front of the door. "About… what happened last night."

Oh. So they… knew something. They knew… about Persona.

I watched Mom open the door and step out, closing it behind her. And then silence fell in the room.

MJ looked over at Miyako and for a moment their eyes met. Some sort of silent understanding seemed to exchange between them. Something they knew… that I did not. And then they returned their attention back to me.

"We'll be back soon, Sonomi-chan," Miyako told me. "I need to sit down… and MJ needs to update me more on recent events."

Part of me wanted to say she could sit in here. That she and MJ could just… talk here. I didn't… really want to be alone. But I knew better than even to make the suggestion. So I simply held my tongue and nodded. I watched them leave too. And I was alone once more.

Now that I was by myself, I looked down at my scar. It no longer glowed. It appeared absolutely normal. Like… nothing had ever occurred. I didn't… understand. What had happened to me?

Suddenly, there was a knock on my door. It swung open and in walked… Akio. He left the door slightly ajar. He carried a paper bag in one arm and a fountain drink in the other. On top of that paper bag sat a clear bag of cookies, tied with a red ribbon. He looked… absolutely fine, despite that monster knocking him aside like nothing.

"Got you some food, Sonomin," he said, so casually, like we hadn't undergone some terrifying, traumatizing experience together last night. "Since the food here is shit and all." He set the paper bag down on the bed next to me and put the drink on the side table. "Oh, and some ginger lemon cookies from Aunt Haru's bakery. Mom brought them for me, but-"

"Stop."

He looked up from the bag, holding a wrapped Big Bang burger in his hand. "What, do you not want your burger? Your mom said you like these."

My cheeks burned. "Just—just—what do you want from me?!"

He looked at me for a moment, his expression unchanging, before closing his eyes and letting out a breath. "…I don't want anything, Sonomi."

I glared at him. "Everyone wants something. That's how the world works."

His expression became unreadable as he set the wrapped burger down on the blanket. "Sometimes, Sonomi, people do things out of the kindness of their hearts. Do you even remember what kindness is like?"

I bristled, feeling more heat rise to my face. My scar itched. "Excuse me?"

He let out a sigh, reaching up to run his hand through his hair. "Look, I'm sorry. I've been an ass to you since we reuni—met. But you haven't exactly been a ray of fucking sunshine either."

I scowled at him. "Is this where you tell me I need to smile more?"

This time, he narrowed his eyes at me. "You really have some awful preconceptions of me, don't you?"

I looked away. "What does it matter? Everyone has them of me."

"Because you can be better than that."

My eyes widened… even as I avoided his gaze. My hand clenched into a fist, my scar giving a painful twinge. How… How dare he say that to me…

"…You want to know why I got expelled? I know you know. There's no way your brother didn't tell you."

I dared to glance back over at him. He had pulled up another chair—not the one my mother's coat was still draped over—and taken a seat. Not trusting my voice, I gave a curt nod.

"I used to go to Shujin Academy in Tokyo. I wasn't the smartest guy in my year, but I was still pretty popular. Everyone liked me—teachers, students. They even put up with my pranks and shit." He let out a tired laugh. "Suzu—my lil sis—was trying to pick what high school she wanted to go to. So one day after classes, I showed her around."

I couldn't help but watch him… wondering where this would go. His gaze flickered down to his hands, where they sat on his lap.

"I had to go to the bathroom, so I left her out in the hall for a little bit. For too long, 'cause when I came back out, some guys had gathered around her. Upperclassmen—second years. One of 'em, I recognized as the son of my dad's main rival in politics. And before my very eyes, he…" His hand clenched into a fist. "He grabbed her ass and tried to drag her close to him. I lost my shit."

My eyes widened. I… I had not expected that…

"I dragged him away from her and punched him. And I couldn't… stop punching him. Next thing I knew, Suzu was crying at me to stop and teachers were pulling me away from him and he was a bloody mess on the floor. Had to go to the hospital. I broke his nose, busted his arm, cracked a few ribs… He lost some teeth too. His parents pressed charges."

I just… stared.

"I've never been a violent guy… but seeing my little sister be sexually harassed just… pissed me off." He scowled. "And that bastard's old man twisted it into some political shit. Accused Dad of sicking me on his son on purpose. So my folks couldn't contest the charges much. It was caught on camera. They had undeniable proof that I beat their son's ass. So Shujin kicked me out."

"Akio…"

He ignored me. "So yeah, I have actual assault charges. My dad used his influence to keep me out of jail. I have to do community service and shit. I'm on probation. Got to be on my best behavior." He rolled his eyes, but finally looked back up at me. "I may be a lot of things, but I am not gross towards girls. My parents raised me better than that."

"I had no idea…"

He gave a shrug. "Mom and Dad found out that that guy was still creeping on Suzu, so they decided it'd be safer for her to get out of Tokyo. Especially after what… happened to Jin."

I frowned. "Jin?"

He nodded. "Jin Sakamoto, my best friend. He's attending Gekkoukan too, just in a different class."

I wondered what happened to him…

His gaze flickered to the floor. "I've… been so angry since then. At myself. At the world. At the rotten adults that make life hell for everyone. But it's no excuse to be an ass."

I bit my bottom lip, looking down at my hands. How… How could I stay angry with him after learning all of that?

"I've been powerless before. Never again."

I glanced back up, eyes wide. "Akio…"

"Heh." He cracked that lopsided smile of his. "You're calling me by my first name now."

"…I can go back to your last name if you'd like."

He laughed, shaking his head. "Nah, please continue. I like the way your voice sounds when you say my name."

My heart gave a nervous stutter at that, heat rising to my cheeks. I hastily looked away.

"…Shut up, Amamiya."

He just continued to grin at me. "Sooo… we good now?"

I puffed out my cheeks. "…Yes. And thank you… for coming after me."

He gave a shrug. "Look, I wasn't about to let you go out during creepy moon time by yourself. Which was really dumb, by the way."

I let out a sigh. "You don't have to remind me…"

He reached to pick the burger back up and held it out to me. "C'mon, you ready to eat or what?"

I accepted the burger, but my gaze flickered to the drink. "…Is that pink lemonade?"

He smiled at me. "Yeah, your mom told me that's your favorite. Besides rose milk boba tea, your guilty-"

"J-Just give me the drink, I'm thirsty!"

Everyone had gathered at the dorm. And I mean everyone.

Mom, MJ, and Miyako. Aunt Minako and Uncle Akihiko. Fuuka and Shinjiro. Junpei and Chidori. Mitsuru. Yu and Rise. Anne. They had Akio and I sit at the table in the dining room, as everyone gathered around. Anne worked on getting the video call set up on a laptop. I found myself sitting next to Akio, this foreboding sense of doom settling upon me. Were we in some kind of trouble?

My scar itched. Absentmindedly, I reached up to scratch it.

Akio leaned back in his chair, looking bored out of his mind. Whatever this was about, he certainly wasn't concerned over it.

"There we go," Anne said, taking a seat as the video call came to life. "Can you hear us, Ren?"

"Crystal clear." The familiar voice of the prime minister came through the laptop.

Akio rested his cheek in his hand. "So… am I grounded or what? Can you even ground me when you're like, halfway across the country?"

"This is no time to joke about this," Mom said sharply. "What happened at Asphodel…"

She trailed off, biting her lip.

Anne sighed. "Yukari is right, Akio. Ren and I are proud of you but… still. You could've been killed."

"It's not like I could call you," Akio said, exasperated. "Still, Mom, Dad—you've been acting so funny ever since it was decided I had to move out here."

"Akio, this isn't the time to joke," Ren reprimanded.

I glanced over to see that he was running a hand through his hair. Looking between him and his wife… it looked like Akio was a fairly even blend of them. Though he had his mom's pale blond hair color, he inherited the waviness from his dad. And he had his dad's eyes—such a dark shade of gray, they almost appeared black.

"I gave you the Evoker in case… you get tangled up with something." Ren sighed. "And believe me… we rather you not."

Mitsuru cleared her throat. "Indeed. Seeing the Dark Hour resurface like this…"

Shinjiro scowled, crossing his arms over his chest. "Fucking hell. I thought it was over when we closed down the dorm."

"We ought to explain more, though…" Fuuka spoke up, with a slight wince.

Mitsuru closed her eyes for a moment. "You are correct. I suppose… I'll start. It began forty years ago. My grandfather, the then CEO of the Kirijo Group, wanted to create a time manipulation device. To this end, he had Shadows gathered together. However… one Kirijo scientist realized that this experiment would have deadly consequences."

"My father," Mom said quietly. "Eiichiro Takeba."

My grandfather was involved in this? I was told that he died when Mom was very young but… nothing beyond that.

I placed a hand against my heart. My scar was aching again.

"What's the deal with the Shadows?" Akio asked. "I mean, they're nasty little bastards but ain't that what all Shadow nests are?"

Junpei just shook his head. "It's… complicated, but the head scientist at the time wanted Death to come to all of us. That's what the experiment was really about."

"As Aunt Mitsuru said, our grandfather realized that the goal of the experiment was wrong," MJ said. "So he tampered with it to stop it… at the cost of his life."

MJ and Miyako knew too? So why… why was I left in the dark?

"Death escaped and started to create chaos in the city. It reached the Moonlight Bridge where it caused an accident. A car accident to be exact." Minako took in a shuddering breath. "The crash instantly killed the parents in the front, but somehow… the three children in the back survived."

"Three…?" I asked faintly.

Minako bit her lip before nodding. "Yeah… it was our family. We were coming back late since we were visiting Grandpa." She let out a bitter laugh. "Little did we know… we would see him soon after."

I knew the story. I mean, how couldn't I? I only had one living grandparent—my mom's mother. My paternal grandparents had perished in a car accident when my dad and aunt were about six or seven. But they never told me where… I never knew it happened on Port Island's very own Moonlight Bridge. Or that it was caused by something called… Death.

"...What is… 'Death'?" I asked slowly.

Something… gnawed at me. My scar burned. I felt like I knew the answer already, yet…

The adults all winced… including Ren.

"Death is… a symbol of the end, you could say," Chidori said, her eyes distant.

"Death didn't mean to… physically kill everyone on this earth," Fuuka said. "But to bring… oblivion."

"In this case… Apathy Syndrome," Akihiko stated, folding his arms over his chest.

Apathy Syndrome… My scar began to ache again.

"So… you stopped it?" Akio asked, looking to his mother.

Anne let out an awkward laugh, twirling a lock of her hair. "Ah, no, this happened way before we became Persona-users. I was still traveling with Nana and Grandpa back then."

"We were both ten, then, Akio," Ren continued.

"Oh yeah… guess you're a little young to be fighting Shadows." Akio shrugged.

For some reason… some of my parents' friends winced. Shinjiro almost looked… guilty.

"What about you, Rise-san and Yu-san?" I asked.

The Narukamis shook their heads.

"We awakened a year after everything was said and done," Yu answered.

"But what… happened?"

"Right… sorry," Minako sighed. "But um… long story short, Death wound up being sealed in Minato the night we lost our parents. Grandpa wanted to take all three of us in but was only allowed to take in one. Minato and I told Grandpa to take Naoto. She was so young, then… It was hard for all of us but… if our baby sister could have some stability, so be it. Minato and I basically were shuffled around for the next decade until we came back to Port Island."

"Death was ripped into twelve other pieces. These formed powerful Shadows, which would attack during a full moon," Mitsuru stated. "Minako and Minato awakened during the first incident, when the Shadow attacked the dorm. Yukari was to take them and escape but… the Shadow found them."

"So we made it our goal to eliminate these Shadows. The incident with Death formed the Dark Hour and Tartarus so we as a group… SEES… vowed to get rid of it for good. We were told that killing the Shadows would eliminate the Dark Hour and Tartarus." Akihiko's face darkened as he scowled. "Damn that Ikutsuki… He played us like a fiddle."

Ikutsuki… why was that name familiar…? I frowned, trying to think harder and harder about it. But then my head began to ache and throb.

"Sonomi?"

I looked up at Mom, trying not to wince.

"...I'm fine. Just getting a small headache."

"A-Are you sure?"

"I'm fine, Mom," I snapped, looking away. "Just… continue with the story."

"But long story short… when we killed the parts of Death, it slowly pieced itself back together… and called Nyx, thus ushering in the 'Fall'," Minako said with a heavy frown. It was… a little bizarre to see her so serious. My aunt was usually so… cheerful. "We learned that the Fall would occur on January thirty-first, 2010."

…My birthday. My birthday was the anniversary of the Fall.

"So we decided to challenge the Fall. It was supposed to be impossible but we weren't going to lie down and wait for shit to happen," Junpei said with a scowl. "We fought Death, but in the end…"

"Minato had to seal Nyx away… at the cost of his life," Mom said softly. "He managed to cling on for about a month… because of a promise he made. And he died on the rooftop of Gekkoukan High."

The silence weighed down upon me.

But I…

My scar itched and burned. I found myself feeling more and more frustrated and irritated the more I heard… the truth. I couldn't help but scowl, folding my arms over my chest.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"Sonomi-chan, please try to understand…" Miyako said gently. "It's a burden to know about all of this… To have a Persona."

"It would've been nice to be told sooner!" I snapped out. "Maybe I would have been more prepared for the weird dreams, this so called Wild Card ability–"

"Sonomi!" Mom suddenly exclaimed.

"What?" I then stopped short; Mom's face had gone completely white.

"Y-You have the Wild Card?" Mitsuru asked faintly.

"...Yes." I narrowed my eyes. "Supposedly, according to the weird man in my dreams. I don't even know what it is."

Yu cleared his throat. "In most cases, one person possesses only one Persona. But rarely, there is a Persona-user who possesses the Wild Card—the ability to wield multiple Personas. There were five previous Wild Cards—Minako, Aigis, myself, Ren, and... your father, Minato."

…Oh.

"Huh…" Ren mused. "So there's finally another."

"You're finally not the baby anymore," Anne teased lightly.

Ren chuckled. "Took them long enough to choose someone else."

"Though, this has got me wondering…" Rise said, thoughtfully touching her chin. "Is the Wild Card hereditary? Two of Sonomi-chan's relatives are Wild Cards."

"Research has shown that potential can be inherited," Mitsuru stated slowly. "As seen with Minato and Miyako, Hotaru, and Akio-"

My eyes widened. "Hotaru has a Persona?!"

Minako smiled sheepishly. "She does… She has for a long time. But it's not—it's not quite like yours."

"Hotaru-chan's Persona is like mine and Rise's," Fuuka explained. "She has the ability to analyze the enemy. She has no combat abilities."

That… sounded so strange for Hotaru. If anyone was a fighter, surely it would be her. Honestly, it would make more sense for her to have this Wild Card instead of me. She was so… vibrant and full of life. Unlike me, who may as well be dead.

"Well, glad to know we're not the only ones blessed with suck," Akio said dryly. "So what now? This Dark Hour shit came back. Shouldn't we try to stop it? Like, this Death thing? Is it gonna come back to call Nyx or whatever?"

"It shouldn't even be possible…" Mom said quietly. "Not with the Great Seal…"

Mitsuru grimaced, closing her eyes. "Years ago, I founded an organization—the Shadow Operatives—to deal with supernatural phenomena such as Shadows. Outside of the events in Inaba and Tokyo, we have dealt with every situation and kept it from the general public. We have been monitoring the Great Seal and it still remains intact."

But she fiddled with her hair, shifting in her seat. Why did I get this nagging feeling that they weren't telling the entire truth…?

"A new tower appeared about ten years ago," Mitsuru continued. "The tower you encountered last night. It is… nearly identical to Tartarus, save for the strange flowers blooming on it. We have named it Asphodel. Ever since the appearance of the tower, there has been a disruption in the collective unconscious."

"...Collective unconscious?" I asked.

"The collective unconscious is… eternal," Mitsuru answered slowly and carefully. "It connects humanity together—whether we realize it or not. It is the collection of humanity's thoughts and desires, some hidden and some not. It is forever changing, transcending time and space. Some call it the Sea of Souls. Personas come from within the collective unconscious, as do Shadows. It can manifest in many forms. Tartarus was connected to it, as was the Midnight Channel, and the Metaverse."

"However…" Minako winced. "It started bleeding into the real world when Asphodel formed and the Dark Hour returned."

"And as time went on, the Midnight Channel resurfaced," Yu stated grimly. "As did the Metaverse."

"...Right." Akio's eyes narrowed. "That's what happened to me and Jin. We got yanked into the Metaverse." He pulled out his cell phone. "Still got that weird navigator app and everything."

Anne winced, glancing down at her hands.

"And we took care of it," Ren said firmly. "She confessed and is now behind bars. There have been no other cases since, so it most likely was an isolated incident."

I glanced over at Akio. He grit his teeth, his hand clenching into a fist under the table. What on earth happened?

"We are monitoring it as well," Mitsuru said. "Thus far, no Shadow selves have gathered in the TV World or the Metaverse. However… we cannot say the same about Port Island."

My eyes widened. "What?"

"The cases of Apathy Syndrome," Minako sighed. "As I said, the collective unconscious is bleeding into the real world. It creates pockets of distortion throughout Port Island, specifically. These pockets break reality, creating small little worlds, similar to Palaces—the areas found within the Metaverse—but… not quite. They operate under different rules, most likely due to the influence from the Dark Hour and Tartarus."

Akihiko nodded grimly. "The sudden surge of Apathy Syndrome cases… all the suicides… all the mysterious deaths. They can all be linked back to these Crypts, as we call them."

Mom grimaced, closing her eyes. "Because it's where people go to die."

I tilted my head. "What do you mean, go to die?"

Mitsuru sighed. "Our investigations have led to the conclusion that only those who long for death, or that have had a brush with death, can enter a Crypt. We believe that it is an expression of Erebus's will. Erebus… is the physical manifestation of humanity's grief and despair. Mankind's collective desire to perish. To call forth Nyx. The Great Seal is what blocks Erebus from summoning Nyx."

"Wait…"

The gravity of her words sunk in.

"So you're telling me… that the Great Seal is weakening?!"

All of the parents' eyes widened as I pushed back my chair and slammed my hands down onto the table, a surge of fury rushing through me. Even Akio looked up at me in surprise. My scar burned alongside my anger, pounding with fury.

"All of this—everything you've been through, my dad's sacrifice—is about to be pointless?!"

"Oh, Sonomi…" Mom's expression softened, but there was sorrow in her eyes. "It's not-"

"Everything he did—everything he gave up. Mom, MJ, Miyako… me." I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes, but I didn't want to cry. "It doesn't matter. None of it matters. Because—because we're all going to die anyway!"

I couldn't be in here anymore. I couldn't stand it.

I shook my head, even as words were spoken. I was too upset to make out anything anyone said. I pushed my chair back further. And I ran out of the dorm.

I ran and ran. I had no idea where my legs took me. I just needed to get away—far, far away. My legs burned and gave out and I ended up collapsing into a heap in front of… in front of my family's grave. I stared at it for a moment, wondering why on earth I had decided to come here… subconsciously or not.

I sat on my knees in the graveyard, in front of the tombstone. Names of deceased family members were engraved in the stone. Shigeru Arisato, my grandfather. Hisako Arisato, my grandmother. Minato Arisato, my dad. Of course there were family members before my grandparents, but I knew less and less about them.

Family had always been difficult for Arisatos to talk about.

There were fresh flowers and incense. I wondered who recently came here…

What did it matter? Did any of this matter, if the world was doomed to end?

And yet, as I sat there, my scar itching, I could feel the tears well up in my eyes once more, spilling down my cheeks. No sobs wracked my body. Only silence.

Why did I care? My life was shit. Honestly, it would be better if I died. All I did was exist, catering to those around me. Fitting myself into molds so people would like me, even if I didn't care if they did. And now that I acted like myself—however I was—I was a drama queen and a brat and a bitch. I supposed it was all true.

And yet, even as I stared at the tombstone, the tears would not stop.

To find out the truth about my dad's death all those years ago… only to learn that his sacrifice wouldn't matter in the end. That my family's suffering would be pointless. All the grief… the loneliness… the despair. Nothing matter in the end. Did it ever matter at all?

A sharp pain shot through my head and for a moment, my vision blurred. My scar gave a painful itch as I pressed my hand against my temple.

"…Are you all right?"

I stiffened at the sound of someone's voice. I reached up to wipe my eyes with my sleeve, before turning my gaze towards whoever had spoken.

A boy stood a few meters away from me, holding a bouquet of flowers that was clearly meant for whoever's grave he was here visiting. He appeared to be around my age—sixteen or so. He had auburn hair, slightly wavy, his bangs parted to the side and getting into his eyes, which were… were the same striking shade of electric blue as mine. In his arms was a bouquet of flowers.

"…I'm fine," I lied, forcing myself to stand up and brush the dirt off my skirt.

Something about this boy… I couldn't place it. But I felt… oddly at ease.

He tilted his head, not seeming convinced. "You know, it's okay to cry. There's nothing wrong with it. It just means that you have emotions."

I couldn't help but stare at him, my eyes widening in utter shock. I-

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a handkerchief, holding it out to me with a gentle smile. "Here, take it. You clearly need this more than I do."

My gaze flickered down to the handkerchief he held out to me. It was rather odd that he'd even offer it to me. I supposed it didn't matter… I accepted the handkerchief and used it to wipe the remaining tears from my eyes.

"…Thank you," I mumbled, before handing it back to him.

He practically beamed at my thanks, his smile brightening as he accepted the handkerchief back. "My name's Shion, by the way. You are…?"

He didn't… recognize me? That was odd…

"…Sonomi," I said after a moment, before looking down at the bouquet in his arms. "Are you here to visit someone?"

Shion winced. "Ah, not quite… You see, I… I'm an orphan, so I don't know who my actual family was. So I like to come here and lay a flower down to each grave that's been forgotten. I feel it's the least I can do… so they aren't completely alone."

Again, my eyes widened. I most definitely did not expect that kind of answer. He looked over at the Arisato family grave, stepping closer.

"This is your family's grave?" he asked. "Here, let me leave a flower too."

He took one of the flowers from his bouquet and knelt down to place it beside the fresh flowers.

"...Thanks," I muttered. "Though I'm not sure they're even aware of the sentiment."

I still remember the Obon after my mom sent me to live with my aunt and uncle. My aunt and uncle were both orphans… and both had lost a dear sibling. So the holiday was comforting to them, the belief that their deceased ancestors would return, if only temporarily.

I remember how Hotaru was sad about how she couldn't get to know any of her grandparents; Akihiko's parents had died when he was four. Minako had comforted her then by saying… the dead were always with you, watching over you. I still wasn't sure how that was supposed to be comforting.

But my dad had given up everything to protect the ones he left behind. He was literally the barrier between this Erebus and the world. He would never know Shion's act of kindness towards him.

Shion shrugged lightly. "I don't think it really matters if they're 'aware'. If you do an act of kindness to be acknowledged… I don't think it's true kindness."

I frowned. "...I wish there were more people with that kind of attitude."

"If only wishes could come true just like that…" Shion sighed, shaking his head. "But… I hope you're feeling better now, Sonomi-san."

"A little… thanks to you." I wiped a final tear from my eye. "I think I just… needed to get away from everything for a little while."

Shion cocked his head before giving a small nod. "I can understand that. All too well…"

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, it's nothing important." He shook his head, a rueful smile on his lips now. "But I'm glad you're feeling better, Sonomi-san."

I nodded, biting my lip. "I should probably go, though… I ran out on my family earlier. I guess… I should apologize to them for that."

Shion bit his lip as well. "Be grateful for the family you have left," he said finally, after a moment. "I hope to see you around, Sonomi-san."

"Thank you… Shion."

I gave one small wave before heading toward the exit. I had barely taken one step down the stairs of the shrine when I heard someone call out to me.

"Sonomin!"

I started at that and my foot slipped. But then Akio's hands grabbed onto my shoulders, steadying me.

My cheeks burned. "What are you doing here?"

"Jeez, such a warm greeting." Akio then let go of me, rubbing the back of his neck. "Listen… can we talk? It's about… what we were told 'bout Asphodel."

I immediately stiffened, but the heat in my cheeks didn't go away. "What about it?"

He crossed his arms over his chest, looking me over—but not in a disrespectful way. My eyes were bound to be puffy and bloodshot from crying, my face red. But instead of saying anything about it, he shook his head.

"Don't you wanna do something about it?" he asked. "We both have Personas. If the adults' hands are tied, ours aren't."

For a moment, my eyes widened, but I looked away, wrapping one arm around myself. "If these Shadow Operatives can't solve the problem, who says we can?"

"Because we have one thing that they don't."

I forced myself to look back up at him. "And that would be…?"

He cracked that lopsided smile of his. "We have you."

I felt my face heat up more as I glared at him. "I don't see how that's a good thing."

"Oh, but I do." Akio continued to grin. "So your dad died before you should've been born and that's always bothered you, yeah? And the other night, you were drawn to that tower. You were so fucking insistent about going there. Doesn't that seem awfully coincidental to you? I'd bet you that if we explore that place, you'll get some answers about yourself."

…Dammit, he had a good point.

"Plus," he continued, "your Persona did… something really fucking weird. Did you ever mention that to anyone?"

"…No."

Akio gave a shrug. "Well, if that's what you want." He shoved his hands into his pockets. "So… what do you think?"

I bit my bottom lip, glancing down at my feet. He had a very good point, of course. The mystery of my existence… could very well lay within Asphodel. Yet, the mere notion still felt so… far fetched. I… dared not hope that the answers to all my questions could lie in that mysterious tower. And yet… part of me wished…

My scar twinged. I reached up to place my hand over it.

"…Most days, I honestly feel like I'd be better off dead. That my family's lives would be so much better off without me. A few minutes ago, all I could think about was how much I wanted to die. What's the point of even trying to live, if everything my dad sacrificed ends up meaning nothing? If the world is going to end anyway?" My voice was quiet, yet somehow retained… emotion. "My life has been nothing but… tragedy. Some freak accident when I was little took my feelings away from me… and I've never been the same since. I tried so hard to find myself again, but in the end, I… failed."

Akio remained silent. I couldn't bring myself to look up at him.

"Everyone knows Tsuki, the cheerful, bubbly crybaby idol. But that's not me. Not really. The real me is… this." I gestured to myself. "This… this mess. Whatever I am."

Akio let out a breath. "Sonomi… everyone's a mess. Folks act like they've got themselves together, but they don't. It's what makes us human. And that's exactly what you are—human."

I looked up at him, eyes wide.

"There was a time I wished the same thing." His gaze flickered to the ground. "I felt so… helpless. Powerless. I couldn't protect what was important to me. Every day, I had to go to school and see the person who did that to me. The person who hurt my best friend."

His best friend…? That was Jin, right? What on earth happened to him?

"I wanted to die, but I was a damn coward who couldn't go through with it. But in the end, I'm glad I didn't." He met my gaze. "Want to know why?"

I nodded, not really trusting my voice.

"'Cause I never would've seen my parents and their friends bring that bitch to justice." He managed a smile. "Because I would've lost everyone I care about that way, too. I never would've been there to protect my sister, or to save you from that Shadow. For the longest time, I wondered why the hell I'd awakened to a Persona, but… I know why now. I'm meant to be here."

I… didn't know what to say. Akio continued to take me by utter surprise.

"So." He pulled his hand out of his pocket and held it out to me. "What do you say, Sonomin? Wanna kick some Shadow ass, investigate Asphodel, and find a way to save your dad's Great Seal?"

I looked down at his hand… and then back up at his face. I closed my eyes.

I knew what I had to do.

I opened my eyes and accepted his hand, giving it a shake.

"I'm in."