Tokyo, 4:03 AM.
It started with a shimmer—subtle, then blinding.
Windows reflected people who weren't there. Streetlamps flickered, projecting shadows that moved the wrong way. In one part of Shibuya, a digital billboard showed the team's Phantom Thief outfits—in public, on loop—then glitched and returned to an ad for strawberry soda.
Ren stood outside Leblanc with Morgana in his arms, frozen."…Did you see that?"
Morgana, still rubbing sleep from his eyes, growled low."That wasn't a normal distortion. Something's bleeding through."
Elsewhere – Each Phantom Thief Feels It
Makoto, walking home from a late patrol shift, nearly screamed when her own reflection stepped out of the subway glass—only to vanish when someone else walked by.
Ann awoke to her bedroom mirror fogged from the inside, strange symbols drawn in steam.
Yusuke tried sketching that night—only to find his canvas already filled with a portrait of himself… crying.
Ryuji, drinking water in the dark, nearly dropped the glass when his reflection smiled at him first.
Futaba's monitor screens blinked with cryptic Velvet Room glyphs before resetting."Shit… we've hit a boundary," she muttered. "Something's wrong with the rules."
Morning Briefing – Leblanc
The team packed into the café, tension mounting.
Ren placed the third Fragment on the table. It pulsed faintly, resonating with something beyond. Tae Takemi stood near the door, coat still half-zipped, visibly rattled.
"This isn't just Mementos anymore," she said. "I saw someone... merge with their own reflection. They collapsed afterward, like their soul was tearing in two."
Makoto, her hands on her temples, whispered:"People are losing their sense of identity. If this keeps spreading—Tokyo won't just break. People will."
A Growing Threat – Newscast Excerpt
"—several Tokyo residents reported hallucinations and memory loss this morning. Authorities say it's due to stress, but sources claim victims spoke of 'mirrors swallowing them' and 'hearing voices from behind the glass.'…"
"One woman jumped into the Sumida River after claiming her shadow tried to choke her…"
Back in Mementos – Emergence of the Shattered Layer
The team returned to find a new entrance spiraling into existence. Veluria's voice rang out—closer, less distant now.
"The third seal has loosened. The final three await, but time has become fragile. You must move faster. The city itself is turning into a palace of fractured selves."
Morgana padded forward, ears twitching."This isn't just about distortion anymore. This is… evolution."
Next Steps – What Now?
The team stood on the precipice of the fourth descent—a twisted district within Mementos now mirroring real Tokyo streets. Except here, time stutters. Emotions twist space. And reflections sometimes... refuse to mirror back.
Ren looked at them all, eyes hardening—not just as a leader, but something more.
He could feel it.Whatever was coming next—it wasn't just going to test their power.
It was going to test who they believed they were.