Chapter 1; The new one

...23/07/2009 Thursday; Night...

As the boat drifted away from Yakushima Island, the gentle waves lapped against its hull, filling the air with a constant, soothing sound.

On the ship’s deck, Yukari Takeba, Fuuka Yamagishi, Junpei Iori, and Aigis waited for the rest of the group.

Yukari, her light brown hair tied up in a ponytail and expressive eyes gazing out at the sea, leaned against the railing, lost in thought.

Next to her, Fuuka, a delicate-featured girl with short green hair and soft gray-brown eyes, seemed equally immersed in her own reflections.

Junpei, his inseparable cap and relaxed expression in place, sat nearby, throwing in casual remarks to break the silence.

At the center stood Aigis, her perfectly molded android figure still and observant, her serene blue eyes calmly monitoring the surroundings.

The deck door opened, and Minato entered, followed by Akihiko.

Junpei looked up at Minato, a hint of confusion on his face.

“Took you long enough.” Junpei remarked with a frown. “Is Mitsuru okay?”

“Yeah, she’s fine.” Akihiko replied, his calm tone reassuring. “She was just napping in her room. Nothing to worry about.”

Fuuka, ever sensitive and concerned for others, commented softly, “Kirijo-senpai hasn’t really rested during this trip. One moment she’s on the phone with her father, and the next, she’s taking care of us.”

Aigis stepped forward, her robotic voice clear and precise. “Mitsuru-san is an excellent person. After all, it’s her role as S.E.E.S leader.”

Yukari sighed, giving Aigis a gentle smile. “That’s not quite what we meant, Aigis.”

At that moment, the door opened once more, and Mitsuru stepped in, followed by President Shuji, an older man with a stern expression, exuding an air of authority.

Mitsuru looked at everyone, her eyes reflecting a hint of fatigue.

“I apologize for worrying all of you.” Mitsuru said, her voice sincere. “Even though we came to Yakushima for a break, I didn’t get much rest.”

Junpei, a wide grin on his face, tried to lighten the mood. “Don’t worry, senpai. We expected you’d nap somewhere.”

Fuuka, as gentle as always, added, “You’re doing your best, Kirijo-senpai. Sometimes, resting is good for the mind.”

President Shuji, observing the group’s lively conversation, clapped his hands with a friendly gesture and took a seat with a confident smile.

“Well, well.” he began, satisfied with what he saw. “I’m glad to see everyone is doing well. Now, how about we discuss what I discovered about the new user?”

Everyone nodded, curiosity piqued, as they settled around the sofas, ready to hear what the president had to share.

Minato, with his serene yet attentive gaze, was the first to break the silence.

“So, what did you find out, President?” he asked, watching Shuji, who now held a clipboard in his hands.

President Shuji adjusted his glasses, a familiar habit of his when he was about to share important information.

“Well.” he began, his voice firm, “Mitsuru’s family agents were sent to analyze the readings detected by the dormitory’s computer a few weeks ago. We thought it might be a Shadow becoming a threat. However…”

He turned a page on the clipboard and placed it on the table in the center of the room, revealing the analysis results.

“As you can see, the results were completely different from what we expected. It’s not a Shadow. In fact…”

Akihiko, ever attentive to details, picked up the clipboard to examine it more closely, a spark of interest in his eyes.

“A Persona user…” he murmured, absorbing the information. “And a strong one.”

President Shuji nodded, pleased by the reaction. “Exactly. And, to our advantage, he’s also a student at Gekkoukan. This will make it easier to reach out to him.”

Mitsuru, who had been quietly observing the conversation, glanced at the clipboard in Akihiko’s hands, standing beside her.

“This is good to know,” she said, her voice showing a mix of relief and curiosity. “Do we know his name?”

“Yes, we’ve identified him,” Shuji replied, reaching out to take the clipboard back from Akihiko.

As he turned a few pages to find the information, he finally paused.

“Thank you. Where is it… ah, here we are.” He pointed to the student record on the clipboard, displaying the name for all to see and his photo.

“Hiro Mikoshi. That’s his name.” Shuji announced with the tone of someone familiar with the student. “I admit I’ve seen him several times in the school corridors. An interesting fellow, to say the least.”

Mitsuru’s eyes widened slightly, her gaze fixated on the photo on Shuji’s clipboard.

Yukari, noticing the surprise on Mitsuru’s face, couldn’t help but ask, “Mitsuru-senpai, are you okay?”

Mitsuru brought a hand to her forehead, as if trying to process the information. “I know who he is. He’s been in my class since ninth grade.”

The group exchanged looks, surprised by this revelation.

Fuuka, ever attentive and concerned, turned to Mitsuru and asked in a gentle tone, “But, Kirijo-senpai, if you know him, have you noticed anything different about him?”

Mitsuru crossed her arms and leaned back on the sofa, her eyes fixed on a distant point. “No, he’s just another student at school. Though he’s very reserved, many students are intimidated by him… because of his gaze.”

Junpei, who had been silent until then, took a closer look at the photo and finally recognized the boy.

With a slightly tense tone, he added, “Oh, so that’s his name. I’ve seen him in the hallway a few times. His eyes give you chills just by looking at him.”

Mitsuru thought for a moment before continuing. “The times I spoke with him, he didn’t seem like a bad person. It’s probably because he’s so reserved. Even in class, he only talks to me about the Japanese lessons.”

President Shuji, observing the conversation and considering the best options, came to a conclusion.

“All right, since he’s a third-year student in the same class as Kirijo-san, communication will be easier. Let me handle this. I’ll convince him to move into the dormitory. For now, rest well. After all, it’s a long trip.”

With that declaration, President Shuji stood up and left the room, leaving the group to digest the new information.

As the others continued discussing what they had just learned, Mitsuru remained silent, her gaze fixed on the clipboard on the table, where Hiro’s image was still visible.

“Hiro Mikoshi…” Mitsuru thought, her silent words echoing in her mind. “I never expected you to be one of us, too.”

...23/07/2009 Thursday; Dark Hour...

The clock hand struck midnight.

Once again, without anyone realizing it, people in the streets had stopped, frozen in time, while a coffin formed around each of them.

Hiro was in his room at home, tossing and turning in bed, restless.

In a disturbing dream, he found himself on a desolate platform, holding a large war axe.

His gaze rose to the sky, now tinged with a disquieting green, where a massive black figure roared, staring at him with empty eyes.

A haunting voice echoed through the vastness of that nightmare.

"Loipón, poia eínai i apófasí sas? O proángelos tou diavólou."

Hiro awake, falling out of bed with a dull thud.

The impact reverberated through his bones, forcing a groan of pain from him.

“Ah... damn. What kind of dream was that?” he murmured, still dazed as he slowly got to his feet.

His eyes turned to the window. A green light seeped through the curtains, casting an eerie glow across the room.

Confused, he reached for his cell phone on the bedside table.

But when he tried to turn it on, the screen stayed dark.

The device seemed dead, despite being plugged into the charger.

“What? Why isn't it working? Turn on, you piece of shit!” he muttered irritably, pressing the button repeatedly, to no avail.

Frustrated, Hiro walked to the window and pulled the curtain back, revealing a sky glowing in a brilliant green, nothing like the usual deep blue of the early morning.

He blinked several times, trying to understand what he was seeing.

“The sky… it shouldn’t look like this…” he said, his voice thick with confusion.

Suddenly, the sound of something falling in the living room echoed through the house.

Hiro jumped and, without hesitation, grabbed a bat he kept behind his bedroom door.

His heart pounded as he moved slowly down the hall, senses alert.

“Who’s there? Show yourself!” His voice echoed in the silence, but there was no reply.

Cautiously, Hiro reached the living room. His eyes went to the clock on the wall, whose hands were frozen, showing exactly midnight.

He approached the clock, even more confused.

“I bought this clock last week. It’s not broken, and it can’t possibly be out of battery.” he said to himself, trying to rationalize what was happening.

Then, something in the distance caught his attention.

Through the window, Hiro saw a colossal tower that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.

He approached the window, haunted by what he was seeing.

“Wha… What the hell is that?” he exclaimed, his voice trembling with fear and disbelief.

The tower was made up of irregular blocks, stacked chaotically.

Its bizarre, distorted architecture defied all laws of physics, with parts of the structure seemingly floating or disconnected from the whole.

Giant clocks adorned the walls of the tower, ticking ominously in a countdown.

When the hands reached midnight once more, a bell rang, announcing the end of something unknown.

In the blink of an eye, the sky began to return to its usual color, and the clock on the wall resumed ticking, its hands marking the time as usual.

Hiro blinked several times, unable to believe how quickly the immense tower had vanished.

The phone in his hand vibrated, pulling him out of his thoughts.

He looked at the screen and saw that the device was perfectly fine, with 95% battery.

A promotional message had arrived:

“Come enjoy our weekend discount! Electric tools, from 23,000¥ down to just 10,000¥. Don’t miss out!”

Hiro dismissed the message with an exasperated sigh and looked back out the window, still searching for answers.

“What is happening here?” he murmured to himself, still immersed in confusion.

...??/??/2009 The Velvet Room...

A melancholic melody resonates in deep piano notes, echoing in a room that seems to rise infinitely, like an elevator that never reaches its destination.

The room is painted a deep indigo blue, giving everything an ethereal and mysterious aura.

A massive clock, with hands that turn endlessly, occupies one of the walls, reinforcing the feeling that time, here, is an illusion.

In the center of the room, an imposing armchair rests, where a peculiar figure is seated.

The man is short, his stature almost disproportionate to the grandeur of the room.

Beside him stands a woman with short, silver hair and golden eyes, dressed in a uniform resembling that of a flight attendant. She holds an enormous book with a metallic cover, featuring a large "V" in the middle.

The man sitting there has his eyes closed. His nose is long and pointed, almost caricature-like, and he wears a formal suit that fits his figure perfectly.

His hands are clasped, supporting his chin, and a mysterious smile, stretching from one corner of his mouth to the other, completes his expression.

He gazes intently at another chair, where a vague and empty figure is seated.

The presence of this figure, though undefined, is palpable in the heavy air of the room.

The man’s smile widens, as if he has been awaiting this encounter for a long time.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room. This place exists between dream and reality, between mind and matter." says the man, his voice deep and laden with wisdom that transcends time. "I'm Igor, the master of this place."

With a snap of his fingers, several tarot cards appear around Igor, floating in the air in a circular motion, as if obeying an invisible force.

The cards dance around the armchair, creating an even more enigmatic aura around him.

Igor continues, "In this room, every guest who signs our contract receives our assistance in reaching their destiny. But that does not mean you are here to make use of our services."

The cards, obeying a silent command, begin to land gently on the table before Igor, arranging themselves in the order of the Major Arcana.

From Arcana 0 to Arcana 22, they all align, except for the card 0, which hovers above the others.

Igor points to the card that remains in the air. "The Fool Arcana, the card that represents facing what destiny has to offer without fearing what awaits at the end of the abyss. Can you die? Yes. There may be something that cushions your fall and saves you. Observe the image."

On the card, the figure of a man walks carelessly toward a precipice, confident that destiny will save him.

Beside him, a dog bites his pant leg, trying to hold him back, as if begging him not to jump.

Igor turns his gaze to the indistinct figure. "The contract has already been signed for the Savior. He's already in the process of creating new bonds with his allies, becoming more powerful with each step."

Suddenly, Igor seems to hear something beyond normal perception.

His smile does not disappear, but his eyes close, as if he is absorbing a message from the universe itself.

When he opens them again, his pupils are filled with melancholy, animation, and a determination that shines in his deep gaze.

"Our time is running out." he says, with a softness that contrasts with the gravity of his words. "But allow me to ask one last question before you leave."

The room begins to dissolve around the figure, as if being sucked into an invisible force.

Igor extends his hand toward the figure, his smile widening even more, as the room slowly fades away.

"Would you believe me if I told you that the day has more than 24 hours?" Igor asks, his voice echoing as everything around fades into darkness.

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