Persona 5: The Delinquent and his lover: Full Edition

Going Home

It's so dark here... I can't see anything... I don't know where to go... Where am I?

Akira looked around trying to find something in the darkness, any sliver of light that may guide him somewhere else. When he found nothing, he began walking aimlessly. In time, he saw something far away which appeared to be a bonfire. He ran towards it but as he approached the light he realized his legs became more and more sluggish. As he got close enough to feel the heat of the fire, he found himself unable to walk anymore. All of the sudden, the floor parted and two holes opened up, and from the holes two platforms emerged, the sounds of bricks dragging against bricks and clinging metal and crying and moaning echoed into the distance.

In the first platform, chained by her wrists and ankles, was Sae. She was bleeding from where she was bound, but she still pushed forward, trying desperately to reach the other platform.

She should stay still. What's she trying to do? I need to help her... but I can't move... Why can't I move?

Akira turned to the other platform. A girl wearing nothing but a ballroom mask was there. She wasn't chained, but instead she was surrounded by darkness. From the dark, several hands appeared and disappeared, grabbing at her naked body. The girl had voids where her eyes should be, and red streaks ran down her face, like she had cried her eyes away. One of the hands grabbed her by her face and forcefully removed the mask, and Akira finally recognized her.

"Makoto! Hold on just a little longer. I promise I'll save you" said Sae, struggling once again against her chains and opening up her wounds even more.

"It's useless, Sae-san. You're useless, just like her." Akira heard himself say. Only it wasn't himself. In front of him there was another Akira. His eyes were tinted yellow, he had a bleeding hole where his heart should be and he had a sadistic smile on his face. "She'll die soon," the other Akira continued, "and then, it'll be your turn."

What am I... what are you saying! Help them dammit! Do something! Stop this! Stop it stop it stop it stop it...

"Why!!!?" Screamed Sae. "Why did you do this to us? Why did you do this to her!!!? Why!!!? Why!!!? WHY!!!?"

The sound of Sae's screams were deafening. Akira wanted to scream as well, but instead, he heard himself laughing. The other Akira was laughing as hard as he could. The screams, the laughs, the chains, the moaning and crying, all gathered in a cacophony of sounds that made it impossible to think and went on and on and on and on...

"Stop it!" Akira said, waking up in his hospital bed. It took him a moment to realize where he was.

Great, that nightmare again. Come on Akira, keep it together! You're going home today. You'll see they're both fine with your own eyes and then these damn dreams will stop.

Now completely awake, he realized the reason he had woken up was that his phone was ringing. Sae had thankfully been able to get it to him, so he could at least talk to everyone even if no one could come and see him. He was surprised to see who was calling him.

"Yusuke? Is that really you? It's been ages!"

"It's only been a month. I went to an art retreat organized by my school for a month, to see if I could capture the elusive nature of inspiration, and then I come back and find that everything is turned upside down. Sakura-san has a very unexpected and very rude daughter, Ann is avoiding any kind of contact with Makoto and Ryuji, and you're currently in a hospital, wounded by gunshot, but apparently everyone has to pretend that you're not there so no one can come visit you. Akira, my friend, would you care to explain how everything has changed so much in only a month?"