Makoto Yuki weaved along the crowd of coffins as he neared his dorm, taking care not to step in the ominously red puddles littering the sidewalk. A quick street crossing and a block later, he found himself at the surprisingly lavish accommodation that had been assigned to him.
Pushing past the heavy oak doors, he scanned the dark interior. No coffins to be seen. He shrugged, entering and making his way to the stairs.
"You again? Curious." A childlike voice called out behind him.
He turned to find a young boy in prison-like garments.
"...Do I know you?" Makoto asked, squinting.
There was definitely something familiar about the boy, but he couldn't really pin it down.
"Oh. I see... Perhaps in time you will recall our bond," the boy said, making no effort to hide his disappointment.
Makoto stood silently as he tried to remember anything about the kid. His face, his voice, it all made his brain itch with nostalgia.
"The contract has already been signed, so I'll just remind you: Time waits for no one. You cannot beg nor bargain with fate, all will be delivered to the same end."
The boy vanished without a trace after delivering that warning. Makoto blinked a few times and shrugged, not wanting to spend the energy needed to process what just happened.
"Hey, who's there!?" He heard a girl cry out.
He turned lazily towards the voice. Even through the darkness he could make out a brunette girl with a pink cardigan and a… holster?
"How can you be here at this hour!?" Her voice shook with fear. A pang of familiarity hit him once again.
She began to reach for her holster when a deeper, more composed voice called out.
"Takeba, wait!"
The lights flicked back on, blinding the trio for a moment. Once adjusted, his eyes could make out a fairly elegant redhead sporting an outfit that likely cost more than his life and a… holster? He cocked his head slightly as he took in the sight of the armed duo. Despite the odd situation he felt pretty confident he'd seen both of them before.
"My apologies for the rude welcome. Takeba, this is Makoto Yuki. There was a clerical error with his room assignment so he'll be staying at our dorm temporarily," the redhead explained.
"I am Mitsuru Kirijo, a third year at Gekkoukan High. Pleased to meet you. This is Yukari Takeba, she's a second year like you," she introduced.
Ah. A Kirijo. He'd probably seen her on the news at one point.
"...Hey," Yukari said, still a bit shaken.
This Takeba was another matter. He couldn't quite pin down where he could've met her. Maybe they passed each other during the commute?
He put his thoughts aside and just nodded, opting not to comment on the pistol on her thigh.
Awkward silence filled the lobby for a bit before Mitsuru intervened.
"Well, in any case, welcome to our dorm. Takeba, would you be so kind as to show Yuki to his room?" She asked, handing the brunette a key chain.
"Huh? Oh, ok." Yukari grabbed the keys and motioned over.
"It's up the stairs, come with me."
Makoto followed silently, taking in the environment. Despite its antiquated design the dorm was practically spotless. That same pang of familiarity welled up for a moment before vanishing.
"Your room's this one, right at the end of the hall. Easy to remember, huh?" Yukari said.
He nodded again. Yukari stayed quiet for a moment before looking at him again.
"Hey… On your way here, did you notice anything strange?" She asked.
Strange? He thought back to his walk over and couldn't pick out any particularly notable events.
"Nah."
"Oh, ok then. Uh, the shower's on the other end of the hall if you need it. School starts early so make sure you get some sleep soon." She said, handing him his room key.
"Alright."
With nothing to keep the conversation going, Yukari bowed politely before excusing herself. Makoto shrugged, opening his door and turning in for the night.
"It is a rare treat to have the same guest once again."
Makoto's eyes snapped open. His vision was filled with blue, everything from the carpet to the lighting to the… elevator attendant? Focusing front and center, he found a hunched old man with a leviathan of a snout.
"Fate has allowed you another chance. To say this is rare is an immense understatement," the old man said.
Makoto could only look on in confusion.
"It appears our guest has yet to recall his past venture." The attendant commented.
Igor nodded. "So it seems. Very well then, young man. I am Igor, and this is the velvet room, a place in between dream and reality."
"Cool." Makoto deadpanned, too tired to deal with this.
"Indeed. I am most happy to inform you that all services provided to you in the past are still readily available, and you won't be needing a new key," the attendant said.
"Oh my, how uncivilized of me, let me reintroduce myself. I am Elizabeth, your guide on this new journey."
Makoto raised an eyebrow. "Journey?"
"Things will become clear soon. For now, young man, return to the land of dreams."
Makoto awoke, a layer of sweat covering his neck. What a trippy dream.
He turned to face his alarm clock. Satisfied that he was up pretty much on time, he got dressed and readied himself for class.
A knock at the door distracted him from his routine.
"Hey, are you up yet? It's Yukari."
He rolled his eyes before continuing to style his hair just the way he liked it. Makoto struck some poses while the knocking became more frequent.
"C'mon, answer or I'm gonna get in trouble!"
Finally relenting, he opened the door and gave the brunette a nod.
"Hey, Mitsuru asked me to show you the way to our campus. Are you ready?" She asked.
"I know the commute," he said bluntly.
"Aw, don't be like that. Are you really gonna chance being late on your first day?"
He shrugged. "It's a monorail. Just goes up and down, not exactly easy to get lost."
"Just for today, please?" She insisted.
He moved to brush past her but quickly felt his body seize up with hesitation.
"...Fine."
The two had a largely silent commute, only interrupted briefly with attempts from Yukari to spark up conversation. She led him to the shoe lockers, eager to part ways.
"The faculty office is on the left. You can check the class roster in the main hall to see where you'll be going, but I'd recommend checking in at the office first," Yukari said.
Makoto nodded in response.
More awkward silence lingered for a moment before Yukari spoke up again.
"Hey, about what you saw last night? Can you, um… keep quiet about it?"
"What did I see?" He asked, genuinely confused.
"Perfect. I really appreciate it," she said.
With a casual wave she left.
"Huh."
Makoto shrugged and went to the faculty office as instructed. A chaotic scene greeted him as teachers and staff buzzed around, printing documents and answering ringing phones. He stood awkwardly at the entrance until a woman approached him.
"Oh, you must be the transfer student, no?"
He nodded.
"Let's see, Makoto Yuki, 2-F, oh, that's my class! And your parents…" Her face paled as she read his file.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, I was so busy I never had a chance to go over this ahead of time."
Makoto shrugged.
A bit relieved at his tame reaction, she continued. "I'm Ms. Toriumi, I'll be your homeroom teacher. I teach composition."
"Cool."
She looked a bit amused by his simple statement. "Cool? Well, I suppose composition does have its charm."
The teacher paused to look at her watch. "Anyways, the welcoming ceremony starts in 15 minutes, give me a moment and I'll walk you there."
Classes went by agonizingly slow. Makoto felt like he already knew practically everything covered in his lectures and he made it a point to snooze leisurely through the majority of them. His teachers had tried to catch him off guard by calling on him but he'd managed to answer everything correctly, further irritating them.
As soon as the bell rang Makoto grabbed his bag and stood up, making a beeline for the exit.
"Hey, wait just a moment Mister Yuki! The bell does not dismiss you, I dis-"
The door cut off his irate teacher as he made his way to the stairs. He'd almost made it all the way to the gates before a growl in his stomach had him make a 180 turn towards the school shop.
"One yakisoba pan." He said plainly, offering the lady at the counter a 500 yen coin.
"Ah, the transfer student. How are you liking it here so far?" She asked, smiling sweetly as she handed him the bread.
"It sucks."
Her smile died. "Oh. Well… try to make the best of it."
"Ok."
He took his bread and made for the gates again.
"Yo, if it ain't the ballsy transfer student! I've never seen Mr. Ekoda so worked up, man, that was something else!"
He turned to see a boy with a goatee and baseball cap smiling jovially at him.
Yet another pang of familiarity. It was becoming quite frustrating at this point. Makoto furrowed his brow before a lone word escaped his lips.
"Stupei."
"H-Huh!? Yo, what gives man!?" The boy reeled back.
Makoto cocked his head. "Isn't that your name?"
"The hell!? Nah, it's Junpei! Wait, did Yuka-tan tell you that?"
"Yukatan? The peninsula?" Makoto asked.
Junpei's anger vanished as he could only look on in confusion. "...What?"
"What?" Makoto repeated.
They looked at each other in silence until a familiar woman's voice broke them out of their stalemate.
"Oh, Yuki, Mr. Ekoda gave me this worksheet. He wants you to write an analysis on the poem we're studying as a punishment," they heard Yukari call out.
He wordlessly took the worksheet from her.
She sighed at his continued apathy. "Hey, I know he sucks but you can't be sleeping in class so openly. At least hide it well!"
"Noted," Makoto deadpanned.
"Yo, Yuka-tan, been meaning to ask, what's the deal with you two? People say you walked to school together. What's up with that? C'mon, give me the dirt!" Junpei teased.
Yukari sighed. "Jeez, are people starting rumors already? Look, we just happen to live in the same dorm, don't just jump to conclusions."
She turned to Makoto. "Hey… You didn't tell anyone about last night, right?"
The usually stoic teen let out a snicker.
"Huh, what's so funny?" She asked.
"L-Last night!?" Junpei's eyes widened.
"W-wait, no! I didn't mean that, don't get the wrong idea!"
Makoto only laughed harder at her panic.
"Yuki! Tell him!"
He took a moment to collect himself before nodding. "We just met."
"See! There's nothing going on between us, got it? I gotta go get something done for the archery team, but you better not start any more rumors!"
Junpei raised his hands defensively. "Alright, I get it."
With her gone he turned to Makoto. "Man, talk about paranoid. No one takes rumors seriously anyways."
"But hey, it's your first day and the whole class is already talkin' about ya! Believe it or not, Yuka-tan there's actually pretty popular. You da man!"
Makoto nodded. "Nice."
"Hell yeah it is, and speaking of nice, I'm gonna be the bigger man and forgive that 'Stupei' comment from earlier. Let's go hang, I'll show ya around town."
Makoto briefly looked at the worksheet in his hands before crumpling it up and tossing it in the trash.
"Ok."
A brief but enjoyable afternoon with his newfound acquaintance later, Makoto returned to the dorm. Junpei may be the loud and obnoxious type that typically grated against his nerves, but he couldn't help but find his antics pretty amusing.
"Oh, you're back. May I have a word with you, Yuki?"
Mitsuru's authoritative voice snapped him back to reality.
He shrugged. "Alright."
"Take a seat then," she said, motioning to the sofa across from her.
He complied, letting his school bag drop unceremoniously on the ground.
Mitsuru cringed at the loud noise before composing herself.
"It was brought to my attention by several of your teachers that your behavior in class has been less than exemplary."
She let out a sigh. "Sleeping in class, and not just once but throughout the entire day? I acknowledge that you must have been tired after arriving so late but this really is too much, don't you think?"
"I don't see the problem," he said dismissively.
"Our teachers are taking their time to provide you with an education. To not even pay attention is deeply disrespectful. Not to mention that come exam time your grades will suffer greatly."
Makoto suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. He could care less if others felt slighted by his napping, and frankly the material was already laughably easy. He'd probably still ace the exams if he ditched the entire semester. Still, he got the vibe that Mitsuru would keep lecturing him, and with that authoritative attitude she likely had some ability to make his life difficult.
"I do recognize that everyone has different priorities in life, but please make an honest effort in class moving forward," she urged.
Makoto nodded to satiate her. "Ok."
"Thank you, Yuki. You're free to go get some rest now if you wish. I know today may have been a bit stressful."
He grabbed his bag without a word and headed up.
Two days passed with a similar routine. Makoto would snooze through his lectures and Mitsuru would scold him. He was a bit annoyed but it beat having to actively try to listen to the endless yapping of his teachers. After that came the yapping of the Chairman about the importance of education. With any luck he'd be relocated to a different dorm soon enough and be given a healthy distance from them all.
He found himself wide awake this particular evening, idly playing with the odd blue key he found in his pants. He didn't recall what it opened but it was certainly his, that much he could remember.
A loud bang on the door roused him.
"Hey, sorry but I'm coming in!" He heard a voice call out.
Without further warning Yukari unlocked his door and burst in.
"We gotta go now! There's an emergency!" She shouted as she practically yanked him up from his bed.
Makoto shrugged and followed her down the staircase.
Yukari turned to him as they reached the lobby. "I'll explain it all later but for now we need to head to the back door and-"
A powerful slam emanated from the back door in question as the entire room shook from the force of the impact.
"Oh crap, it's here too!?" Yukari's panicked eyes darted around before locking on to the staircase.
"The roof, let's go!" She shouted, motioning him up the stairs.
The duo sprinted up several flights before reaching the roof and slamming the door shut. Yukari locked the hefty steel door and settled against it to catch her breath.
"There… We… We should be ok here."
The world seemed to have a grudge against the brunette, almost immediately proving her wrong. A sea of black hands emerged from the rooftop's ledge as an eerie blue mask poked its head up and stared blankly at the duo. More hands emerged, this time wielding thin needle-like blades.
"You're kidding me! This is what Sanada-senpai was fighting?"
Despite her trembling hands, Yukari managed to unholster the odd firearm on her thigh and put herself in front of Makoto.
"I'll… I'll protect us. Stay back." She ordered.
Makoto nodded. He felt oddly apathetic to the whole situation, as if squaring off against a hideous amalgamation of limbs and steel was rather mundane. He looked on curiously at Yukari as she shoved the barrel of her gun against her head and gently began to squeeze the trigger as the creature barreled towards them. He looked on even more curiously at Yukari after a lone swipe from the creature tossed her three meters to the right.
The brunette groaned in pain as the amalgam stalked closer to her. With little sense of urgency, Makoto knelt down to pick up her sidearm and instinctively jammed the barrel against his temple. His finger squeezed the trigger and his lips forcibly uttered the word: "Persona."
An odd crunchy feeling washed past his brain as blue light flashed across the rooftop.
Makoto gazed up towards the full moon above before issuing his command, "Come to me, Thanatos."
A massive human-like figure appeared above him, sporting a military officer's coat and an odd, almost bird-like metallic face. A cape of coffins floated around him, nearly blotting out the moonlight. At his hip was a blade that rivaled Makoto's own height.
Makoto pointed towards the mass of limbs now dangerously close to Yukari.
"Kill it."
With an ear piercing roar, Thanatos surged forward and savagely tore into the creature. His blade cleaved it clean in two while his free hand ripped and tore away at the 'flesh' of the creature. He panted with sick delight as the Shadow vaporized before him, paying no mind to the terrified stare of the young woman beneath him.
A few smaller creatures emerged from the oozy aftermath and after careful consideration, they opted to jump off the roof rather than stick around.
"Return." Makoto ordered. Thanatos disappeared, leaving the two of them alone.
"Here." He offered the gun back to Yukari.
She was in too much shock to do much but wordlessly accept it.
"I'm gonna go back to bed," Makoto said casually.
He'd almost made it to the door when he heard Yukari call out.
"Wait! What was that!? How are you so calm!?"
Makoto thought about it carefully. Why did this feel so ordinary? The more he contemplated the more he realized he'd rather just go to bed than dwell on this thought. He gave the brunette a shrug and went back to his room.