Holding his breath, Ren looked at the card he had drawn. It was, of course, red. Labeled THE MAGICIAN, with the proper Arcana number printed at the top.
But instead of the traditional medieval illustration, there was a cute image of Morgana dressed in ceremonial magician's robes, standing before an altar with a wand raised above his head.
The strange part was the nine shimmering chains.
They bound the image upside down, stretching off the edges of the card as though anchored somewhere beyond it.
"What the hell…" Ren whispered.
He rotated the card in his hand.
The image did not rotate with it.
The chains shifted instead, tightening, refusing to allow Morgana to sit upright.
After a long moment, Ren set the card beside the deck. He stared at it for a few seconds, then sighed and lay back down.
---
Rattling chains.
Groaning wood.
A cold draft swept across his face.
Ren opened his eyes to find himself once again inside the prison from his dreams — the so-called Velvet Room.
"On your feet, inmate!"
"You are in the presence of our master."
His vision cleared. The two wardens stood before him — one glaring, tapping a baton against her palm; the other calmly flipping through a book.
Behind them sat Igor, rhythmically tapping his desk.
"Ah, Trickster. We meet again. Oh? It appears you have awakened your powers. Special ones, too."
"This is the keeper of souls?" Arsène muttered in Ren's mind.
"You mean Arsène?" Ren asked cautiously. He already harbored doubts about this place, but that title sharpened them.
"A Persona is a mask," Igor began smoothly, "a tool to overcome life's hardships. Now that you have awakened to your rebellion, your rehabilitation may begin."
'Tool?!' Arsène roared in fury. 'He speaks as if I cannot hear him!'
"Are you ever going to directly answer anything I say?" Ren muttered dryly.
BASH.
"Do not question our master!" Caroline snapped.
Igor chuckled.
"There are… rules I must follow, Trickster. Forces conspire to limit my guidance. One word too many, and I must leave…"
As he spoke, a butterfly fluttered through the room.
Gold.
Ethereal. Dainty.
Igor grimaced for a fraction of a second before regaining composure.
"Personas are the strength of heart. Grow your bonds. Strengthen your heart by connecting it with others. These must not be bonds of frivolity."
"There are plenty of people in this city who know more than you do!" Caroline added arrogantly. "So go meet them!"
"You have already formed a bond, have you not?" Justine asked gently.
"…The Magician," Ren muttered.
Igor spread his fingers grandly.
"Soon, your rehabilitation shall begin in earnest. I look forward to your results. I shall guide you."
Time froze.
"I am thou. Thou art I. Thou hast acquired a new bond. It shall become the wings of rebellion that breaketh thy chains of captivity. With the birth of the Fool Persona, thou hast obtained the blessing that leads to freedom and new power."
The gentle voice echoed in his mind.
Time resumed.
Igor smiled deeply.
"The next time we meet shall be when your rehabilitation truly begins."
RINGGGGGGGG.
A loud alarm blared throughout the prison.
"It is time to return, inmate," Justine stated.
"Go to sleep!" Caroline ordered.
Igor snapped his fingers.
Darkness swallowed Ren.
As his consciousness faded, he realized something unsettling.
The gentle voice that announced his bonds…
Sounded very similar to his wardens.
Then sleep claimed him and he forgot this entirely.
---
A sharp gasp cut through the room as Ren's eyes snapped open.
"You okay?" Morgana asked. "You looked like you were having a nightmare."
Ren sat up slowly.
"You've had a rough few days," Morgana continued. "Let's avoid the Metaverse today. You're still a teenager, you know?"
---
Train.
"So, the Shadow Self and the Persona," Ren muttered. "The theory comes from Carl Jung. But a lot of his work is dismissed as pseudoscience. How frustrating."
"It's weird how spotty the information is," Morgana replied. "You'd think Jung would be taken more seriously than the guy who said everyone secretly wants to sleep with their mothers."
Ryuji, who had been absorbed in his mobile game, froze.
"What?"
He looked between them.
"…You know what? Never mind. I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that."
He turned to Ren.
"Hey, you ever play Innocent Sin Online?"
"Yeah," Ren replied. "But I stopped."
"The loot boxes?"
"The loot boxes."
"Oof. Fair."
---
School passed without incident.
Mishima was still absent.
Once again, no one questioned it.
Ren couldn't shake the feeling that something was building. Something big.
"And tomorrow we have the volleyball rally," Kawakami announced as the bell rang. "Bring a change of clothes."
"I'll see you all tomorrow."
Ren texted the others that he was heading home early because he was drained. The sentiment was echoed by them.
He returned to Yongen-jaya.
---