Leviathan: A Persona 5 Goro Akechi x Amamiya Ren Original

8: How Truly Naive You Are

(Ren's P.O.V)

Watching Akechi run around in desperate panic was sickening. The Detective, broken from his inability to find his best friend laying on the ground beside him, was sprinting through the alleys, looking for the one comrade who'd kept him grounded for this long.

All I could bring myself to do was stare in annoyance. My stomach was turning as I watched the one thing I breathed for rush around in desperation -

If only you remembered how much I meant to you, once.

I couldn't help but allow my winding thoughts to start taking over my focus once again. 

It really is unfortunate that Maruki chose Ryuji over me - my support would have reached new heights that would have benefitted you immensely Akechi, should I have been the friend who stood beside you in this demented dream.

I wouldn't be the one causing you panic and fear. I'd never get caught in a trap as simple as this.

What is it about Skull anyway? Sure, he's your friend in this reality, but he will never overshadow the relationship you and I have together. The attraction and the connection only you and I could ever enjoy.

Back before things changed, you never once gave Ryuji the time of day. You only had eyes for me.

And I will stop at nothing to get that back.

I stood up slowly, feigning a sore back from having 'fallen out of the Metaverse'. In truth, all I'd done was simply change Akechi's cognition inside my labyrinth; a singular bait and switch tactic accented with smoke and mirrors.

The easiest of tricks; yet - as fun as it was to me, it had also become a deranged, deprived strategy of tortured proportions. The more I used it, the more I enjoyed it, and I often found myself seeking ways to make it more and more deadly.

Any Palace Ruler, had they still been harbouring their distorted desires at this present time, would be envious to see how skillful I'd become.

"Ryuji!? RYUJI!?" Akechi was starting to sound like a broken record. Sweating and panting, he dashed out of the last alley and made his way towards me. I observed his appearance, and although his skin was somewhat pale - his eye's weren't as terrified as I'd expected.

I see. So you are gaining control over your innocent fears. You're not as scared as you could be.

I've made a dent in your brainwashed mind - that's definitely an accomplishment.

"He has to be back in that room." Even the Detective's voice was more exhausted than fearful when he finally addressed me. Confusion and misunderstanding laced each word as he spoke.

"I just have to get back there. He's probably trapped."

Oh Goro.

How truly naive you are.

I tilted my head, accenting my unsure attitude with a fake frown.

"We don't even know where we were. How do we get back there?"I placed my hand to my forehead, further disguising my true intentions with more innocent uttering.

"I don't even...remember what happened. The lights went out, and all of a sudden - I was here. In the rain."

Akechi pursed his lips, then turned away in perplexing thought. If I wasn't the very enemy that was tormenting him but instead merely a human bystander, I would have chocked up his reaction to be merely anxiety over the current situation.

But I know you better than that, Crow.

And I know you're working hard to hide what you know about the Metaverse from me.