"First?" exclaims a feminine Shadow in a billowy white evening gown, "What does it mean by 'first'?"

"It's obvious, isn't it? First to die! Then comes second, then third, then fourth until we all end up like that!" says another, pointing to the corpse.

A fresh wave of hysteria grips the other Shadows, who begin gibbering and swooning with renewed fervor.

"What kind of a sick game is this?"

"I'm not going to die! There must be another way out!"

"We're certainly not staying here!"

You press your body back against a bookcase to avoid the exodus that follows, until only the Sleepwalkers and the two Shadows you'd been conversing with earlier remain. The skull-faced one sighs.

"Like lambs to the slaughter. In times like this, cooler heads prevail. Wouldn't you agree?" he says, turning to you.

"Sure," you manage to stammer. In all honesty, you're still trying to process what just happened. This Cloud's Enforcer is a kind of terror you haven't experienced before, but it's still an Enforcer. Thinking about it like that makes the situation somewhat easier to swallow.

"Am I the only one who thinks this is all entirely mental?" says Hayate, crouching low to the ground and clutching at his head. He turns towards you. "Listen, I know you guys have done this kinda thing before, but man, I'm not fuckin' cut out for this! Goddamn invisible murderbeasts and shit...how am I supposed to stay calm when I got a target on my back like this?"

CRACK!

"Knock it off!" you bark, your hand stinging from the collision with his face.

"Tetsuo!" cries Mariko.

"I don't know what the hell you expected when you decided to tag along, but you're gonna have to man up and deal with it now. It's not like you're the only one that thing's after. The rest of us are scared out of our wits, too."

Surprisingly, Hayate launches to his feet and sticks a finger into your chest, his expression wild.

"Listen, man, you don't get it! You don't understand the kind of situation I'm in right now. So I'm sorry if I can't fake a brave face right now."

"Then enlighten us, please. Maybe everyone else has the patience for your drama, but mine's running out."

"Tetsuo, that's enough!" says Mariko, grabbing your arm and pulling you away from Hayate insistently.

"No." Hayate heaves a deep sigh. "No, it's...it's whatever. I mean, if we manage to make it out of here alive, you were gonna find out anyways. The thing is, I'm about 99 percent certain this is Koharu's fault."

"Why Koharu-san?" asks Nisekao.

"Can you think of anyone else who's been having a more miserable time on this trip? And you guys saw her on her phone after we argued at the shrine, right? Like I was trying to say earlier, I bet 500 yen she was putting out a hit on me in the Book of Avalon."

"Frankly, I think pushing you off the mountain would have been a lot easier," you mutter.

"Man, that's not how she operates!" spits Hayate. "You don't know her. She's cold. Calculating. A real-life witch if ever there was one. Take it...take it from someone who..." His voice deteriorates into a slew of mumbling.

If you rolled your eyes any harder, they'd pop out of your sockets. "Come again?"

"We used to date, okay? That's why I know her better than any of you!"

A snort escapes your lips in spite of yourself.

"Ha ha ha, wait, what? Did she lose a bet?"

Mariko punches you in the arm.

"Oh, come on, Tetsuo, knock it off! Listen, Hayate, I completely understand why you're uncomfortable right now. But you have to understand that freaking out isn't going to make anything better! It might seem hard to believe - and trust me, I'm trying to convince myself, too - but we can do something about this. You just need to trust us." Hayate sends a skeptical glance your way. "Tetsuo too, even if he's not always the most patient person in the world."

"Hey, I'm trying my hardest, believe me," you say, attempting to straighten your face. "So if we're all on the same page then, let's get going. Koharu-san's Shadow is in here somewhere."

"So you got a plan or something? Or are you just gonna go wanderin' around in the dark until you bump into her?" says the blue-faced Shadow. The skull-faced Shadow shakes its head and heaves a sigh.

"I believe what my partner is trying to say is that we would like to accompany you, but we'd feel more comfortable with a more well-defined sense of purpose."

Truth be told, you hadn't thought that far ahead - right now, all you want to do is leave this room. At least then you wouldn't feel like you were being hunted. Fortunately, Mariko steps forward with a suggestion for you.

"Why don't we track down the butler? It ought to know the layout of mansion well enough, and might even give us an idea of where the Dreamweaver's holed up."

"And why would it sell her out? It just corralled us in here to be slaughtered!" protests Hayate.

"Well, there's nothing that says we couldn't try a little coercion," says Mariko with such confident smoothness that Hayate abandons the argument. And with that decided upon, the six of you vacate the room as swiftly as possible out into the hall.

To your relief, the candles out here are flickering healthily in their brackets, indicating safety for the time being. Judging from the reactions of your companions, they seem to be thinking the same thing - as long as the lights stay on, the Enforcer isn't nearby. However, as you scan the hall from end to end, you realize that you don't remember how you got here.

"Wh-Where to now?" asks Nisekao. Everyone glances towards Mariko, whom you've all mutely designated as the key decision-maker for the time being. Cradling her chin between her thumb and index finger, she delves into thought for a moment.

"On our way here, we passed by a lot of hallways, didn't we? But the butler only took us through the ones lit by candlelight. I think that if we follow those, we should at least end up somewhere safe if we don't run into it first."

Her suggestion quickly proves reasonable: as you wander the labyrinthine halls of the manor, you never encounter a situation where more than one passage is illuminated at once. Continuing to travel by this rule, you move onward until you come to a split in the corridor. To your right, the hallway is bathed in the yellow glow of candles. To your left, a short, darkened passage, and the soft, fading sound of footsteps coming from around the corner at its end.

"You hear that, right?" murmurs the blue-faced Shadow, "That's gotta be him! Let's grab him and make him tell us where the Lady is!"

It makes to barrel down the hallway, but the skull-faced Shadow grabs it by the collar and pulls it back.

"Hey, what the-"

"Are you certain that's wise? This seems like the ideal setup for a trap."

"Are you kiddin' me? Whose side are you on here, idiot?"

The skull-faced Shadow scoffs. "The one that would like to leave this place alive. Our success thus far has proven that the beast cannot enter the light. It would only follow that it would then try to employ any means necessary to draw us out of it."

"I dunno, I'm kinda with you," says Hayate, jerking a thumb towards the blue-faced Shadow. "How much longer do we wanna keep wandering passageways without making any progress? That friggin' butler's our only way outta this."

"Yeah! Besides, how do you make footsteps without feet? It's gotta be the butler!" adds the blue-faced Shadow.

Mariko frowns. "Personally, I think it feels too much like a trap, but I won't deny that the longer it takes to find the Dreamweaver, the lower chance we have of survival. I think we should leave the decision up to you, Tetsuo. What's your call?"

A muffled groan escapes your lips. You were kind of hoping she wouldn't do this. You're not eager to make yourself a target, but the idea of the butler slipping away makes you just as anxious.

"I think-" you begin, but a large hand pushing into your chest cuts you short.

"What, you think I'm gonna let him make a decision for me? Screw that, I ain't gettin' freaked out 'cause I'm scared of the dark," says the blue-faced Shadow, pushing past you and stalking off down the dim corridor. Almost all at once, the candles around you extinguish themselves, plunging the surroundings into moonlit darkness.

"Shit," says Hayate, and the lot of you break into a sprint after the blue-faced Shadow.

Almost at once, the sound of swishing sounds from behind you, somehow making itself heard above your panicked breathing and heavy footfalls. None of you dare waste an instant to indulge your morbid curiosity by looking back - instead, you urge your legs to churn faster, spurred on by the adrenaline coursing through your body. There comes the sound of deep, labored breathing almost right beside your ear, and you make one last effort to fling yourself around the corner.

Then, the lot of you tumble forward into a room bathed in light, thrusting yourselves forward like sprinters finishing a race. At once, you pull yourself up on your haunches to check on the others. The two Shadows lean against a nearby wall, clutching their chests for breath. Nisekao is doubled over in his chair hyperventilating, Hayate is facedown on the floor, and Mariko is pointing her gun into the gloom. For a split second, you catch a glimpse of a single, glowing red eye revolving madly beneath an orange mask, and then it vanishes back into the murk.

It doesn't take long for Hayate to recover.

"The hell was that?" he says, rounding on the blue-faced Shadow. "If you got a death wish, leave me out of it, all right?"

The Shadow draws itself up tall and brings its mask within inches of Hayate's face.

"Come again, shitstain? You were just on my side a minute ago. I know you're not trying to talk shit, right?"

Hayate falters, taking a step backwards. "I-I'm just sayin', you nearly got us all killed. Might not hurt to be a little more coop-urk!" The rest of Hayate's words die in his throat as the blue-faced Shadow handily lifts him off the floor by his suspenders.

Pressing its smooth face against Hayate's, it hisses, "Maybe you didn't hear me the first time. Maybe if I rattle that tiny brain of yours around a little, you might understand me better." With one arm still holding Hayate aloft, it cocks the other back behind its head and heaves it towards his skull.

With one swift motion, the skull-faced Shadow darts forward and plucks the elbow of its partner's blouse between two fingers. Amazingly, this yanks the blue-faced Shadow's arm backwards as if it had been lassoed. With a frustrated grunt, the blue-faced Shadow drops Hayate and rounds on the other.

"What do you think you're doin'!? Am I just supposed to sit here while this little worm gives me shit? I dunno about you, but I'm gettin' real fed up with this whole-" it rants, but gets cut short by a thin, gloved index finger placing itself on its mask's mouth slit.

"Shhh-shhh-shhh. Yes. Yes you are. Because for the time being, we are in no position to be making unnecessary enemies - as I've stated once already. For the sake of my sanity, behave yourself." Leaving its partner to fume silently, it turns back towards you. "Now then, what have we here?" it says, staring over your shoulder.

The four of you turn about, and for the first time, you have an opportunity to take stock of your surroundings.

It seems as though you've stumbled into some sort of study, judging from the dozens of tall bookcases lining the walls and stuffed to bursting with hundreds of well-worn books. None of them are the sort of literature you'd expect to find in a manor like this, however - they all appear to be volumes of manga (several of which you recognize). Two plush, red armchairs bookend a small, round table upon which a silver tray and a china tea set have been left out. And on a tall rolling ladder propped against the far wall, the butler Shadow from earlier wordlessly sets about brushing the dust from a set of doujins.

"Hey-" starts Hayate, but you set a firm hand on his shoulder and push past him before he can manage any further damage. Clearing your throat, you call out, "Excuse me."

With a subtle start as if it had only just noticed you, the Shadow places its feather duster down on the shelf and calls back, "Er, yes? Do you need something?"

"Could you come down here? We got a question."

A pause.

"Well, as you can see, I'm quite busy with my work for the Lady, and I'd like to return to it as quickly as possible..."

"He's givin' you the runaround," mutters Hayate.

"I'm sure the manga can wait. See, we would really like to meet the Lady of the manor. Like, now, if at all possible."

The butler huffs. "My apologies, but I'm afraid that's quite impossible. She is indisposed at the moment. Now, if you'll excuse me," It then turns its back to you, and continues dusting.

Bewildered, you turn to the others and mouth "What?" Hayate smugly shakes his head as if to say "I told you so," and strides up to the ladder. Grabbing the sides, he starts shaking it vigorously.

"Listen up, asshole, you either get down here and play along, or I bring you down - your choice! We're not about to sit here and dick around when your boss's little monster is tryin' to turn me inside out! Gyahh!"

With one giant heave, Hayate tips the ladder sideways, sending it and the butler toppling to the floor with a crash. Immediately, the lot of you surround the Shadow to prevent its escape. Flipping itself onto its rear, it stares up at you.

"R-Really now, what is this going to accomplish? I'm nothing but a servant; I have no control over the Lady's whims. I only do as I'm told."

"You let us worry about that," you say. "All we need from you is someone to take us to her. Preferably without running into her pet," you add for good measure.

The Shadow lets out a small groan. "Out of the question. I could never..." Its voice dies off as it gazes around at your stony faces. "Oh, all right, fine! It seems I have no choice in the matter then, do I? But please, before you force me to renege my employer's trust, might you afford a gentleman one last bit of dignity?"

"Sure, why not?" you sigh. "What is it?"

"Answer me this: which is more meaningful - the time spent to one's self, or the time spent on obligations to others?"

"Really? What's that got to do with anyth-oof!" grunts Hayate as Mariko's elbow digs into his ribs.

"I asked the young master," says the butler, indicating you with a nod.

"Uhh...I guess I'd have to say helping out someone else? I mean, that kinda has a lot to do with what other people think of you," you say. It's honestly not something you'd given much thought to before. The butler sighs in a way that makes you think you'd said something wrong.

"Hmm. I suppose a human would say such a thing, wouldn't you? So much time and effort spent trying to appease those around you. And yet, how can you begin to attend to the needs of others before attending to your own? A bit of a disappointing response," it says, casting its gaze about as if searching for an escape route. But before it can make a move, Mariko levels her handgun at its mask.

"...but you are only human, after all, heh heh...I only hope that you keep this in mind as you meet with the Lady. She has very little patience with visitors."

And with that, the butler gets to its feet and bends forward in a deep bow.

"Bifrons, at your service. All things considered, I do hope that you'll prove a capable master."

A cloud of smoke then envelops the area, clearing to reveal a shimmering blue card featuring a lantern design, much in the same way that Agathion did back in Cloud Two. The reverse side depicts a thin figure in a servant's suit wearing an animal's skull and bearing a candelabra - Bifrons.

"Whoa. So that's how it works, huh?" says Hayate, wide-eyed.

"What...what just happened?" demands the skull-faced Shadow. "How did you do that?"

"Sorry, but it'd be a hassle to explain right now. What matters is that we should be able to have Bifrons take us to the Dreamweaver now," you say. "Right?"

[That was the arrangement, I suppose,] sounds Bifrons' lyrical voice inside your mind. [But I feel as though I must warn you, it won't be simple.]

[Of course it won't, what fun would that be? Any reason why?]

Next to you, the blue-faced Shadow seems to be growing agitated again. "Seriously, what the hell's he doin'? Why's he just standin' there?"

"It's okay, just be patient," says Mariko.

[As you've most likely surmised, the manor's layout is...labyrinthine. Intentionally, of course. The only ones who are meant to know its layout are the Lady and her servants. She herself spends most all of her time in her personal chambers deep within the manor. With my aid, reaching them should be simple enough.]

[Somehow, I doubt that.]

Bifrons chuckles to itself. [Perceptive - gaining access will be the difficult part. The Lady has sealed them with powerful magic; one that can only be undone by destroying the idol that acts as the seal. It has been some time since I last attended to it, but I believe it is still being kept in the dungeons below.]

Quickly, you relay what Bifrons has told you to the others. Predictably, everyone save Mariko is less than enthused.

"Naturally," she mutters to herself. "A recluse would set up a safeguard...I wonder what the dungeon's like?"

"You're taking point, then? Awesome. Fine by me," says Hayate, looking as though he's trying awfully hard not to be violently ill.

"Long as I don't need to hold your hand," you say, taking off in the direction Bifrons indicates.

Under the Persona's directions and Nisekao's watchful eyes, you navigate yet another glut of moodily-lit corridors until you emerge once more into the entrance hall. Everything is as you left it, save for one obvious difference. A puddle of familiar bluish-black liquid pools in the very center of the floor, growing larger by the second as more of it drips from above with a steady plip, plip, plip. In the back of your mind, you already know what's up there, yet your eyes trace the path of the liquid anyways, all the way up to where the twisted body of a Shadow lies punctured atop the gently swaying chandelier.

"A-Again..." mutters Nisekao, pointing at the pool of Shadow fluid. Next to it, written in the Shadow's own "blood", is the word "SECOND".

"It's going through us...one by one," says Hayate, counting on his fingers as if trying to remember the number of Shadows present in the drawing room earlier. He quickly gives up and cradles his forehead in his hand. "Fuck. Fuck."

"Not if we get to her first. What now, Tetsuo?" says Mariko, patting Hayate on the back.

"The dungeons are through there," you say, indicating a pair of unassuming doors behind the reception counter. The skull-faced Shadow strides behind it and pulls the doors open. A blast of chill air rushes into your faces.

"Damn. It's pitch black down there. Ain't that just askin' for trouble?" says the blue-faced Shadow.

"H-Here," says Nisekao, rummaging around in his bag and pulling out a large, brickish flashlight almost the size of his head. "I brought it in case we were ever out after dark." Hayate smirks.

"Really? Man, you know we had a curfew, right? Unless maybe you had something else in mind?"

"Wh-What? N-No, it's just..."

"Jeez, enougha this shit. You guys never shut up, do you?" says the blue-faced Shadow. "Still, woulda been nice to pull that out a little sooner, eh?"

"S-Sorry. Didn't want to waste the batteries."

Nisekao presses the button on the handle, and it springs to life, casting a wide, bright glow down the stone stairs and into the abyssal blackness below.

"Here," he says, passing the flashlight to you. "I-I'm gonna have to wait here anyways."

Mariko frowns. "Not by yourself. I'll stay up here with you."

"Think either of you'll be okay if the Enforcer decides to come back? It won't be easy for us to come back up to help you," you say.

"We'll find somewhere to hide if that's the case. We can always radio you to let you know where we are – our earpieces should still be working at least."

"All right. Stay safe, then."

"Gotcha," says Mariko.

"M-Mariko-chan..." murmurs Nisekao.

"Don't worry about it, Nisekao. I'm just making sure nothing happens to you. You're important, remember?"

Behind you, the two Shadows and Hayate wait at the doors to the dungeon. "Ready?" calls the skull-faced Shadow.

"Yeah," you say, moving past the others and beckoning them to follow. The four of you then descend the timeworn stairs, letting the oppressive darkness wrap itself around you.