(Author's Note)

Hey everyone! So, probably not exactly what you guys were hoping for, but I need a bit more time on the current chapter and I've been done with this Interlude for a while now and I figured I should give you guys something to tie you over.

To start, sorry about how long things are taking. I've been having a bit of trouble working out things on the current chapter, but I think I'm past that now? Don't quote me on that, but I'm confident to say I'm at minimum past the halfway point on being done so HOPEFULLY it'll be a lot quicker to write the rest of this out. The other big thing that was keeping me from writing was my personal life. I'm out of college now, so trying to find work so I could afford to, well, live, has been a thing. I did just get hired for a part time job, so I'm not dead in the water anymore. Not in my field of study unfortunately, but I'm happy with it.

Anyways, let's not dwell on me shit. I want to give a big thanks to everyone who left a review or a comment on both FF dot net and AO3. You guys enjoying this story and interacting with it like you are is one of the main reasons I've been able to keep this story going as well as it has.

Anyways, with that said, let's get onto reviews!

To nexusknight2: The demon in the suit from the end of last chapter is not Raoul. I probably could've clarified a touch more in the moment, but it's actually Arsene.

To Leonard Church814: This is true facts.

To NightmareKnight1: My DND party hates me as well for this fact, yes. The woes of a DM, and a writer, I suppose.

To Phoenix Champion: Edelgard is truly not in a great spot rn, is she?

To MasterDarkElf: Ren has experienced enough to be able to make assumptions, but he's also seen enough to know nothing is every quite so simple.

To Sulphur99: Not what I was originally hoping to find, but I'm happy with it!

To Guest: "Sorry, I couldn't hear you over Concentrate + Myriad Truths!"

To BuqaDaPlaya: We don't need to go that far Kratos, but here you go anyways!

Thank you to everyone who left a review. They mean a lot and if you have the time, I'd greatly appreciate it if you left a review!

With all that out of the way, onto the story!


"Well, I think we found it…" Ren noted, stepping out before pausing as more details of the cells became clear. A string of worse tumbled out of the teacher's mouth, the meanings alien to Edelgard as she entered behind him.

As Edelgard looked out at the cells before her, memories flashed before her. Dark memories. Memories buried, but not forgotten. Never forgotten. How could she when it was those memories that made her the woman she was today.

A gasp escaped her lips involuntarily as the flash of memory passed, as if the air had been sucked out of her lungs mid breath a moment previous. Edelgard's eyes wandered across the various devices and vials, the strange yet familiar runes she understood more than she liked, and the dried blood that stained the floors of the various cells.

It was like reliving the nightmares from the outside, each moment more uncanny than the last. "T-this place…"

"Edelgard? Are you still with me?"

Edelgard swallowed and slowly looked over at the concerned expression adorning Ren's face. His face was pale, but was rapidly gaining color as he shifted his focus to herself. "Sensei? I-I…"

The imperial princess closed her eyes and took a deep breath in. She held her breath for a few seconds before releasing it, repeating the process a few times.

Practiced, this act was. Helped with the nightmares, hopefully helped with the waking one she now found herself a part of.

"Sorry, I was… Not prepared." Edelgard noted, shaking her head as she composed herself as best she could, her face remaining just as pale as before.

"Look, it's not my place to ask, nor is it the time, but… My door is open if you want to talk about it." Ren said, turning around to look at everything. "But still… what is all this stuff for?"

Ren walked over to one of the cells, his eyes darting over to various vials of what looked like blood. "Whatever it all is…" He muttered, glancing over to the runes littering the floor, all positioned in the silhouette of a circle. "It's nothing good."

As the thief investigated one of the nearer cells, Edelgard pushed onward. ' She has to be here…' Edelgard thought to herself, her hope dangling by a thread.

And then, a shade of red, brighter than the blood stains caught her eye at the end of the room, cascading down within the cell at the end. Edelgard let another soft gasp escape her as her eyes landed on the slumped and retrained form of Monica. The imperial princess immediately broke into a sprint, running to a stop just at the bars as Ren followed soon after.

"Is that her?" Ren asked, looking over at Edelgard.

"Yes. That's Monica." Edelgard replied, grasping one of the bars. Her face pinched slightly as her hand clenched. "What did they do to you?"

Ren walked over to the door, crouching down to look at the locking mechanism built into the cell. "Give me a minute, I'm not as used to these locks." The thief noted, taking his lockpicks out as he began picking the cell door.

Edelgard glanced over at Ren before tearing her gaze away to look behind them. "I'll keep an eye out. We don't want any surprises."

About 30 seconds passed as the sound of clinking metal filled the air, before finally a click was heard from the lock. "Got it."

The thief stood up, pulling the cell door open. Edelgard moved in, slipping past Ren in her rush to get to Monica's side.

Edelgard crouched down and placed two fingers on the underside of the girl's chin. Almost immediately there was a heartbeat, one stronger than expected, but no doubt still weak. "She has a pulse." Edelgard said with a sigh of relief. "Just asleep."

"Think you can wake her up?"

"I can try…" Edelgard replied, placing a hand gently on the unconscious girl's shoulder. "...Monica? Monica?"

The red head's eyelids squinted as a groan escaped her lips. Her eyes fluttered open, dull and almost lifeless. "Wha…? L-lady… Edelgard?"

"How are you, Monica?" Edelgard asked, holding eye contact with the girl.

"I… I'm dreaming again…" The girl said, chuckling bitterly as her head drooped down.

"You're not dreaming." Edelgard said, shaking her head.

"Aren't I? Why… How would she even be here?" Monica muttered, shoulders shaking lightly. "This is it then, the last of my hope?"

Edelgard felt her anger at this entire situation grow, forcing her to hold back the glare that wanted to be shown in order to properly get her point across.

"No. Monica, you're not dreaming." Edelgard said, lifting Monica's head with her other hand. "We're here to rescue you."

"...We?" Monica blinked, eyes turning to look over Edelgard's shoulder as they locked onto Ren. The girl's eyes widened as the thief walked up to her and smiled, crouching down to be eye level with the girl. "I don't…"

"Hi, Monica." Ren said with a nod. "We're here to rescue you."

"...It wasn't a lie…" The girl whispered, her voice easily heard in the silence between the three as tears formed in her eyes. "I… I did it…"

' Wait, what?' Edelgard blinked, looking over at Ren with a raised eyebrow. The thief's eyes were locked onto the girl, "What wasn't a lie?"

"I saw you, in my dreams… You said to hold onto my strength…" Monica said, eyes locked onto Ren's.

"I… Monica, this is the first time we've met." Ren said. His expression of confusion was perfect, but the problem was that it was a recognizable perfection. Edelgard practiced to do the very same, which is why his words were ringing as false to her. "Did you mistake me for someone else?"

"No." Monica said, the firmest her voice had been so far. "You… You're him…"

"I can see it… The man with the beautiful mask…" Monica continued, raising one of her hands to the thief's face. Ren froze as her words registered, eyes widened in some mess of shock, confusion and the smallest amount of fear. Edelgard watched as Monica's fingers found resistance that wasn't there, not even an inch away from Ren's face. Tears fell down her face as a smile broke out on the girl. "It feels like bone…"

Edelgard watched the two silently, eyes staring at the strange sight before her. Her eyes widened slightly as from Monica's fingers a ripple of red energy washed out over the thief's face, showing a glimpse of what looked like a domino mask. "What the…? Sensei?"

Ren closed his eyes and took in a breath, taking out his lockpicks as he placed his off hand on Monica's outstretched hand. "I'm going to try and unlock your restraints. Do you think you can walk?"

"Maybe. I might need help, but…" Monica said as Ren moved her hand away from his face.

Edelgard watched as the riples faded, leaving empty space where the strange mask had once been. "Hold on, Sensei, what is she-?"

"Edelgard." Ren began, turning to look at the girl. There was a look there, that almost looked pleading if it wasn't for how serious Ren looked in that one moment. "As I said earlier, now is not the time, nor the place for discussions like this."

"...Very well. But I have questions." Edelgard said.

"As do I." Ren replied in kind, the two staring at each other challengingly.

"...I'll keep an eye out while you free her." Edelgard said, turning around to walk out of the cell, her mind a storm of unanswered questions.

"Thank you." Ren said as she left the cell. "Hold still for a little bit while I get these off you."

"I understand…"

' I don't understand… What was… No… What are you, Sensei?'


"Tonight, I want to do an exchange. Neutral territory." Edelgard's voice echoed in her head as she found herself standing at the doors of the Black Eagles' classroom.

"A secret rendezvous in the middle of night? If I didn't know you better I'd be concerned, Lady Edelgard." Edelgard sighed as she turned to find Hubert standing a few feet behind her.

"Hubert." Edelgard said with a nod of acknowledgment. "I thought you might be asleep by now. I suppose that was a foolish thought."

"Quite. Care to explain this?" Hubert asked, crossing his arms.

"Ren Amamiya and I have come to an agreement. Information for information." Edelgard replied, placing a hand on her hip. "The deal was neutral ground, and just the two of us."

"That almost sounds like you're planning to do something concerning." Hubert noted, narrowing his eyes. "But no, you're actually planning to talk to him."

"I am."

"I believe that is a poor decision. The man is an enigma and is dangerous." Hubert said, letting his arms fall to his sides. He glanced to the side, up at the night sky with a stormy expression. "There are too many questions left unanswered, especially after the mission. He's good, but to actually survive against that woman…"

"I'm well aware of the risks, but we both know he's not a threat." Edelgard rebuked, narrowing her eyes in turn. "Did you know he didn't kill a single person during the mission? Not one."

"Interesting, but you can't be certain of that. People are not so cleanly cut, you of all people know that."

"Still, it's important. Information on him is scarce, and I have a chance to get some actual answers." Edelgard replied, getting a humm from Hubert in reply.

"True, but you could also be fed lies instead." Hubert noted, placing a hand to his chin. "Our Sensei is a mysterious person. I am of the mind that it's an intended aspect of his character."

"A lie will tell just as much of a story as a truth." Edelgard remarked, turning back to the doors behind her.

"What exactly is it you want to know? What exactly does HE want to know?" Hubert asked. "Do you know what it Is? You're treading dangerous ground, my lady."

Edelgard huffed, crossing her arms as she turned back to glare at Hubert. "Enough Hubert. You won't get me to change my mind over this."

"Unfortunately, I believe I won't have to." Hubert said, earning a wide eyed look from the Imperial Princess. "The Death Knight will strike tonight, and our dear teacher will breathe his last."

"What!? Why!?" Edelgard shouted in a whisper. "Who ordered him to move!? Why tonight!?"

"News travels fast, and there are many who are not happy with Sensei's… accomplishments." Hubert said with a shake of his head. "Your apparent meeting had nothing to do with it, this was planned well in advance. It is earlier than they planned, however. I assume the result of today's mission is the cause of that. I imagine the Death Knight is already dealing with him as we speak."

"Damn it, Hubert! How much involvement in this did you have!?"

"None, I myself was only recently informed."

"I had questions, questions that NEEDED to be answered, and now-"

"What question could have possibly been worth-?"

"Monica recognized him, Hubert." Edelgard said, stopping the raven haired student in his tracks. "She saw him in her dreams, and then… Then, she placed a hand to his face, and touched a mask of bone and not skin. There is something going on with Amamiya and I need to know what that is."

"Don't tell me…!" Hubert muttered, eyes widening a fraction in disbelief. "You can't possibly mean to go intervene."

"I believe I do." Edelgard said, turning around to run towards the student quarters, only to be stopped by Hubert's hand gripping her shoulder.

"Lady Edelgard, I can't allow you to put yourself in such danger. We are already on thin ice after our stunt with Monica." Hubert said, eyes narrowed once more. "This would not be good, and it is likely that the Death Knight has already dealt with him."

"And what if he hasn't? What if our Sensei survives? What do you think he'll believe?" Edelgard asked with narrowed eyes.

"You believe he'd assume you led him to a trap." Hubert stated.

"And Sensei is not someone I want against me." Edelgard said. "If he's somehow done enough to bring ire to those who slither, then it means it would be foolish to not try and understand him at least."

"It might also mean he's more dangerous than he'd let others believe." Hubert reiterated, narrowing his eyes.

"Hubert… Either help me, or stand aside."

"...I see I won't be changing your mind, Lady Edelgard. Very well, we will want to make haste then, assuming the worst has not-"

(Play Will Power - Persona 5)

There was a sudden explosion, as a giant pillar of fire suddenly came into view over the building's roof. Music blasted from the ether, seemingly from everywhere but with no specific point of origin. Hubert and Edelgard stumbled back with wide eyes as they looked up at the azure flames.

"By the damned…" Hubert muttered. "What is that?"

"...So, the worst?" Edelgard asked, looking at Hubert with a light glare as she took off towards the Student Quarters.

As she ran, she could hear the sounds of the various people living in the monastery begin to stir, increasing her haste as she ran. "Just what was that fire? And this music…?" Edelgard asked herself as she sprinted around a corner.

(Stop Music)

Edelgard slowed to a stop, seeing the unconscious form of Ren Amamiya hitting the ground. "Sensei!" Edelgard shouted, running over to him.

The teen was fully unconscious and was bleeding heavily. His body was littered with wounds, both from various cuts, bruises and burns. Edelgard blinked, staring at the small azure embers that licked his body for a few moments before fading. "What did you do, Sensei?"

"Well, survive, for one…" Hubert noted, walking up behind Edelgard. "But this…"

"Ren!?" Edelgard turned her head to the side, seeing Byleth bolt out of the café with wide eyes.

"Professor?"

"Edelgard? Hubert? What are you doing here? What happened to Ren?" Byleth asked, looking down at the thief.

"That's what I'd like to know as well. We were out when we heard the explosion, and ran to see what happened." Hubert noted, before raising an eyebrow at Byleth. "Considering you were in the café, how did we arrive at the scene before you?"

"I passed out writing the report for today's mission. The explosion woke me up, but the time it took to grab a sword was… more than I'd like." Byleth said, narrowing her eyes at Hubert.

"Let's not point fingers at each other right now." Edelgard said, looking down at the thief. "He needs medical attention."

"Give him to me, I'll take him to Manuela's clinic." Byleth said, crouching down to pick up Ren. "The guards will be here soon, you might want to get scarce. The less questions they have to ask, usually the better in my opinion."

"I… right." Edelgard said with a nod, watching as Byleth ran off with the thief in tow. The imperial princess gave a look to Hubert before the two made their way to the second floor dorms, hoping to get out of sight before anyone else made their presence known. "Damn it all… This couldn't have gone worse…"

"On the contrary, I could think of quite a few ways it could have." Hubert noted.

The two walked in silence, before finally splitting off as they arrived at their individual dorms. Edelgard closed her door behind her without a sound, allowing the frustration she was holding inside to surface on her face in some mixture of a sneer and a grimace.

"What was that then… A threat? A warning?" Edelgard asked herself quietly, glaring at her hands. "Was our rescue of Monica seen as that much like a step past our agreement, and in turn was this a slap on the wrist to get back in line?"

"The timing was too perfect, and no matter how I look at it, it leaves my position possibly compromised." Edelgard continued to rant to herself, sitting down on the edge of her bed. "But… No, I might still salvage this… They are his enemy now, and if I want his trust…"

"Just how much will I have to reveal to get it…?"