Yu Narukami was standing at the station again. It was just over a week after he returned from Inaba and he had to go to the station again. As it turned out, his parents had been planning to move somewhere for a long time, but only recently did their choice fall on Mitakihara. They had already moved most of their belongings to their new house, and the only things left was a couple of boxes that he was carrying with now. His parents wanted to help him, but unfortunately, they were in a hurry to catch their flight. Again. Business trip again.

He dismissed all further thoughts as the train arrived at the station, and he had to make his way quickly to his seat. Taking a seat by the window, he pulled out his phone and looked through his messages. Finding nothing new, Yu turned his gaze back to the window. He had a long drive ahead of him, and there was nothing else to do. He decided to close his eyes for a while, but in a strange way, he was overcome by a sudden drowsiness that he decided not to resist.

[Theme: The Poem for Everyone's Soul]

When Yu opened his eyes, he immediately recognized the place he was in. It was the same limousine with blue seats and trim. It was a place he had visited many times to create new Persona or get some advice. The only thing that stood out was the absence of Igor and Marie. However, he noticed Margaret, another resident of the Velvet Room.

– Welcome to the Velvet Room. – Margaret greeted him in a calm voice.

– Good to see you again, Margaret-san. – Yu said with a smile. – I think we're in a new danger and that's why I'm here again, isn't it?

Margaret chuckled a little.

– Yes, you're right. Something very unusual is happening in the city you are heading to. – Margaret's face became thoughtful. – Perhaps this danger will have the same threat as Izanami.

This alerted the Persona user. Seeing the surprise on her guest's face, Margaret continued.

– Are you ready to listen to what I have to tell you?

Yu nodded at her without hesitation.

– Well, let me ask you a question: have you noticed any news of missing young girls?

The question startled him, but he nodded affirmatively. There had been news of missing people, but he didn't understand how it was related to what he had to deal with.

– In many parts of the Earth, many girls from 14 to 18 years old disappear and no one knows what became of them. Many of them disappeared completely unexpectedly and their bodies were never found. – she tapped one of the pictograms on the table and a map of the world opened up in front of them. – I've been looking for information about this for a while, and what I found... you'd better take a look.

Yu's attention was quickly drawn to a huge dark spot within the border of China.

– This phenomenon has only recently become very noticeable, but it continues to grow and is steadily moving towards Japan.

– But what is the connection between missing people and disappearances?

– The fact is that after death, the soul enters into the Sea of Souls, where the soul comes from and where it returns to. Every soul has its own place in it. I went there and made sure that none of the dissapeared were in the Sea of Souls. Their deaths were confirmed, but they didn't where they should have been.

Yu was very shocked. All the girls who went missing...

– Did they become a part of this phenomenon? – Yu asked, trembling.

Margaret's silence only confirmed his fears.

«So the city I'm about to arrive in, will have the same disappearances as the rest of the world... But what is behind it all?»

Meanwhile, Margaret continued her speech.

– Also, in a strange way, there was a repeated tearing of the fabric of time. Something has repeatedly affecting time itself in this city, but what exactly it was, I can't report.

Yu was already used to the fact that the residents of the Velvet Room didn't give him all the information. He had gotten pretty good at finding the information he needed during his time in Inaba, so he had no doubt that he would be able find the answer to what was happening.

– Well, I won't keep you any longer. – Margaret deactivated the pictogram. – In reality, you will arrive at your destination. Do you still have your key with you?

He patted his pocket, which contained the key that allowed him access to the Velvet Room.

– Well, then we'll meet again. Until then, goodbye.

[Theme ends]

His mind went blank after those words and when Yu awoke, he was sitting in his seat in the train, hearing the warning that he had arrived at the station.

~Later~

After leaving the station, Yu had to turn to the GPS to find out the location of his new home. The new apartment was quite far away, but he was quite rested while sleeping, so he managed to get there from the station in an hour without any problems. When he stepped inside, it turned out that some of the furniture was already in place, except for some of the boxes that hadn't yet been taken out of the stored items. After putting down his bag and boxes, Yu flopped down on the couch, thinking about the rest of the evening.

A rumbling stomach quickly interrupted his inner thoughts, and only then Yu remembered that he had already missed lunch a long time ago. Narukami went to the kitchen and opened the fridge... but he didn't find anything.

«So I'll have to go out again. There's nothing I can do.»

[Theme: Your Affection -Original-]

After leaving the house, Yu went in search of shops. He continued to explore the urban landscapes, noting bookstores or cafes along the way. Ironically, he accidentally stumbled upon the Junes. He shouldn't have been surprised: the Junes shopping centers was gradually covering many cities in Japan and becoming quite popular. There was no doubt that he would be able to find the food he needed for diner.

After a while, he managed to pick up a big cart with food, enough to last him for a couple weeks. However, his attention turned to the two girls who were arguing about something.

– I'm telling you, it would be nice to give him a box of candy! He's little and he'll definitely love it! – said the girl with short blue hair.

– He's still small! He needs something else! – said pink-haired girl with two tails.

This debate reminded Yu of the day when he and his friends were going to make an omelet at his uncle's house. He clearly remembered well how Rise and Yukiko's conflict ended and decided to intervene.

– Excuse me, is there anything I can do to help? – that question made the girls stop and look at him. – You want to give someone a birthday present, don't you?

– Yes, we do! – the blue-haired girl was the first to break the silence. – Her little brother's birthday is coming up, and we can't think of anything to give him.

– I want to give him something nice, not something that will ruin his teeth! I'm sorry! We didn't want to talk so loudly.

– It's all right, really. – he calmed the girl down. – How old is he?

– Huh? Well, he will be four years old soon.

Yu didn't know very well what to give a child of that age. The only option that seemed right was...

– A plush toy. It may be too simple, but children of this age should like it.

– I told you, Sayaka! This was the best option from the start!

– Yeah, yeah, Madoka, I understand. Let's hurry to the toy store then. Thanks for your advice! – they waved goodbye and headed for the cash register.

After waving goodbye to them, Yu also remembered what he still needed to buy. Fortunately, he had enough cash after going to TV World. After walking out of the store, he almost ran into a group of schoolgirls who were entering the mall, discussing something cheerfully. Yu remembered Margaret's words about missing people, and his heart squeezed hard again.

«Someone is kidnapping people and using their souls for something. There won't even be a body left of them... I shouldn't put it off too long. I'll rest for today, and tomorrow...»

But his thoughts were interrupted when he bumped into someone. Looking in front of him, he found a girl about the same age as the ones he'd seen earlier in Junes. Even her uniform was the same.

– I'm sorry! Can I help you? – Yu said as he held out his hand to her.

The girl looked at him sternly with her violet eyes. But he didn't have time to get a better look at her as she stood up herself and shook off the dust.

– It's all right. That won't be necessary.

And with those words she ran off, leaving a puzzled Narukami standing there. Shaking his head, he continued on his way home. He still had many things to finish.