Prologue

Life to live and a Vampire.

within the core of the goddess possessed moon Minato Arisato floated, staring at the core of the primordial goddess of death itself. 'So, this is it, the end of my journey. I may not be able to remove humanity's self-destructive desires but at least I can seal NYX away. Even if it costs me my life...' I concentrate on the strength given to me through my bonds as I prepare to use the final skill I earned from Igor. Their voices support me as I cry "GREAT SEAL!" the world goes white; I close my eyes...

When I open my eyes, I see the velvet room. "Igor? Did I do it? Did I save everyone?" I ask tiredly. He smiles. "Indeed, you did my dear young man, however you have not spent your soul yet. I have taken you from the moment before you sealed NYX because there is something I must ask of you." I stare dumbstruck. "You stopped me from saving the world to ask me a favor. Please tell me it's important." I say numbly.

He smiles. "There is a location, a school to be specific. It is the home to a great many beings of supernatural origin. Monsters, Youkai beings of myth and legend. And what I require of you is very simple. I need you to attend as an incoming freshman." He said with his eerie smile. "Wait, you want me to what?" I say surprised.

"As I said, my dear young man. I need you to attend a school for monsters as a freshman." He said. "You stopped me saving the world to send me back to the beginning of my first year?" I say, shocked at the audacity he is displaying.

"it is much more than that, I am asking you to affect the future itself. If you refuse, something you may do if you wish, then there is another who may take your place. One who's fate hinges on your choice. He may do his part in fate, and do so admirably, but you will change the very threads of the future. Perhaps, might I say, those threads will help make your eternity as the seal, ever so shorter."

I stare at him, is he trying to blackmail me?! My thoughts must have shown on my face, because his ever-present smile fell to a strange frown. "I apologize for my rather heavy-handed way of putting things. Rest assured; this is merely an option. However, there are some individuals I believe you should meet before making your decision."

As he looks to the doorway to the right of the room, it opens, and a strange figure enters. Blue skin in a purple cloak, a spectral tail instead of legs, a scar across one of its blood red eyes. And it seemed to age both forward and in reverse, from child to adult to elder in seeming random order. "Hello Arisato-San." Came the deep yet ageless voice. "I am known as Clockwork, the ghost of time. And I am here to ask you personally to do me a favor."

I look at him, no emotion playing across my face. He continues, "Once upon a time, not yet to occur. A young man named Tskune Aono, a child of humanity, so very ordinary in every way, finds himself admitted to a school for monsters. He finds his new life unusual and filled with adventure. He participates in his own journey."

At this he gives me a clear look. "His answer is different than yours. He gets his happily ever after. But his journey, holds resonations that would change the future for the worse. Not immediately, obviously, but in his actions, there are a great many triggers. The end comes earlier than you might expect. But man perseveres."

He walks… floats across the room staring out the open doors of my velvet elevator. "Arisato-San. By taking his place, the future changes greatly. I cannot tell you how or why or even when it changes, for by so much as hinting such things to you they will never come to pass." I nod, for every self-fulfilling prophecy there must be a self-destroying one. He smiles and continues. "I'm happy you understand. You must understand though, this is not as simple as I may be painting it. If I send you to Youkai Academy there will be untellable changes to the timeline. Yet despite what some will say, I can see the good that will come from it.

I stare at the two of them for a moment, "This future, the one that happens if I do nothing. Can I know what happens?" Igor and Clockwork share a look. Clockwork then says, "some of it you may know, however only in the vaguest sense of it. If you accept our request, than some knowledge would be even more dangerous than ignorance." I nod, having expected as much.

Clockwork continues, "The invisible wall, between man and monster, would crumble. The walls between life and death would crack to the point of no return. Life's desire for death would overwhelm it's stalwart guardian." He looks me straight in the eye. I think he just described my own… second death(?) to me. "and the forces of good and evil, would find that they can no longer distinguish one another."

These statements are all extremely ominous, but the last one is what disturbed me the most. "how could I help if I already owe my soul to the seal? I die when I go back. I think I could keep my body and consciousness together for a while after, but not as long as this sounds like it would take." I say.

Igor's smile returns. "That is why this unique undertaking requires cooperation between the three of us. Clockwork, to bring you to the future, Myself, to anchor the fate of your soul to the very event that you have just put to motion, and yourself to accept this… second chance." My eyes widen.

"Indeed." Says clockwork, his childlike form staring out of the elevator. "a second chance, for one who has demonstrated their worthiness of one. A gift you never even imagined possible."

My mind reels at this idea. A second chance, but at what cost.

"No cost from you Arisato-San." Apparently that question was not in my head like I thought it was. "though you would spend the school year at the academy, there is nothing, and no one, saying you could not return to those you hold your deepest bonds with." My heart swelled at the time ghost's words.

"When will I be arriving?" I ask.

"Spring, 2019. You will be attending the first day of classes. Your friends will have aged already, so be warned of the dissonance that will cause when you meet them. And be warned of the old scars you may open by showing yourself to them." Says clockwork. 'When,' huh? I suppose he already knows that I won't be able to resist.

"How do I get there?" I ask.

"an old friend of ours will take you as soon as you are ready." Respond's Igor. Though I notice something is missing, or rather someone.

"Where's Elizabeth?" I ask, feeling somewhat upset that I haven't noticed her absence yet.

"I'm afraid clockwork here has manipulated time a bit. For Elizabeth, you have already been consigned to your eternity as the great seal for approximately 2 years. And she has begun her own journey," Says Igor. "she seeks an end to your imprisonment, and a future where you will be free. She took your compendium I'm afraid, so you will be starting your new journey with no persona beyond what you carry in your own soul now, at least until meet up with us again."

I nod, in my heart I can feel only a handful of the many who once answered my call. It seems the stress of fighting death itself caused me to lose all but the ones utmost connected to me.

"What do I do about the new uniform?" I ask.

" if you head to that room to my left, you will find yourself in a small dressing room. Your new uniform will be inside." Says Igor.

I nod and get changed.

I find a simple outfit, realize as I start to change, that I feel cleaner than I had shortly before. And checking proves it, no more blood in my hair, or dust on me. Thank you magic, or whatever this is. I put on the beige pants, tuck in the new white dress shirt, put on the new socks and shoes, and check the new jacket. It is a green that unfortunately clashes with my hair a bit, but on the plus side it seems to have a holster for my evoker sewn into it under my sleeve on the inside. Finally, I put on the tie and jacket, and look myself over in the mirror.

Not too shabby, even with the color clash.

I return to the main room of the velvet room and see something odd, even by my standards. A school bus is parked in the velvet room. And the driver was standing, smoking a cigar with Igor and clockwork. "Hey there, I'm Naru, I'll be your bus driver, I hope we get along." Says the strange man as he casually gets back in the bus. Suddenly I feel a surprising, but familiar sensation.

"Thou Art I... And I am thou... Thou Shalt have our Blessing When thou chooseth to create a Persona of the Hermit Arcana."

Unexpected, but I feel something in me stir in response. A new persona, named Nurarihyon, of the hermit arcana, of course.

He looks at me with a strange smirk, "I hope that helps you out kid, but don't go mentioning where you got it yeah?" I have the feeling he knows just a bit more than he probably should. I glance at Igor and clockwork, and they nod, so at least he can be trusted. Well, I suppose that much was obvious, I don't think I could have a social link with someone I had no ability to trust.

I gave Igor one last look, and in a moment I can't help but say, "thank you." But I get on the bus before he can reply.

I take a seat and find a book on the seat with me, The Bite-sized Monster Encyclopedia, sounds useful to me about now. As I parse it through, I feel the bus drive away from the velvet room… away from my journey and answer. Off to a new journey, and a new life.

In some ways, I think I'm more afraid now than when I fought NYX.