Shibuya – Cracks in the Real
It started with the vending machine that screamed.
People gathered outside the station, staring at it—its screen looped a distorted voice murmuring "Wake up... punish the liar... wake up…".
Glass shimmered. A flicker passed through the crowd. A woman screamed as her shadow twitched independently and vanished into the ground.
Ren watched from a rooftop, his hand tight on the railing.
All across Tokyo, Persona echoes were waking up.
And not everyone was ready.
Evening – Leblanc
Sojiro had left early, muttering about strange headaches.
Ren sat in the café, warm lights keeping the shadows at bay. The soft knock at the door wasn't unexpected.
Makoto entered, hair damp from the rain, leather jacket zipped high.
She sat down without a word and looked him in the eyes.
"Tell me I'm not dreaming still. That I really… evolved."
He poured her a cup of coffee—her blend, the one she always preferred but never asked for.
Ren smiled. "You blazed through your trial like a knight of fire."
Makoto exhaled, trembling. "I was always afraid to break out of what people wanted me to be. Sister. Student council president. Judge."
Then she reached across the table, fingers sliding across his.
"But I want you to know what I chose to be tonight."
The kiss was slow, not rushed—not a stolen moment, but something built from years of tension, duty, and trust.
Night – The Clinic
Tae was waiting. She didn't even greet him.
She just turned, unlocked the back room, and led him into the space where she'd once run shady tests, now filled with surgical instruments and divine mirrors.
"Do you know what it's like," she whispered, "to fear your own mind?"
He didn't answer. He just stepped closer.
She pressed her forehead to his chest.
"But I also know what it's like now… to feel like I'm needed. That my hands can both harm and heal. And you saw that part of me and didn't flinch."
Her kiss was fiercer, edged in bittersweet fire.
The lights dimmed. Her Persona flickered behind her—Lilith Medea, silent and watching.
Late – Niijima Residence
Sae had left the courthouse early.
Ren found her in her apartment, sitting in a hoodie and sweatpants, hair unkempt, sipping wine.
"Do I terrify you now?" she asked without looking at him. "That Persona—Judicatrix Veil—it's not just righteous. It's merciless."
Ren stepped inside, slowly, unafraid.
"You're afraid of being consumed by justice. But you've never been cruel."
Her laugh was tired. "I've been tempted."
Silence fell… then she moved to him, drawing him close, whispering in a voice stripped of her courtroom armor:
"Then… let me feel something human again."
Morning – Shibuya Again
The city was changing.
More reports of "sleepwalkers," of people vanishing into mirrors.
The Thieves gathered at the new base—renovated from Leblanc's attic. Shadows flickered just outside their perception. People walking the streets had flickers of Personas behind them—unawakened, malformed, or twisted.
Makoto stood near Ren, eyes narrowing.
"It's spreading. People are being infected by pieces of the fragments."
Tae adjusted her gloves. "This isn't just cognition anymore. This is… soul resonance."
Sae entered last, her presence sharp. "We need to find the next gate. Before someone truly dangerous awakens."