Persona 3: Never To Leave

The Butterfly Effect

I stumbled out of my heated up car. I don’t know what’s happening, but someone just tell me what happened to my parents… And my sister…! I pulled the door open, unstrapping my sister out of her seatbelt and getting her out. Sure, I can do that… My face paled as I saw shards of glass stuck into the coffins, where okaa-san and otou-san were. They were gone. It felt like my heart and soul was ripped in two, and thrown in a dump like nothing. I checked my sister’s pulse. Oh god, yes. She’s still breathing, and her pulse isn’t going haywire or anything. I relaxed a tiny bit.

Her eyes fluttered open, revealing her ruby red irises. “Onii-san…! What happened to okaa-san and otou-san!?” I looked down at the concrete. My shoulders started shuddering. “Minako… they’re…” Minako’s eye started filling with tears that wouldn’t fall. They stayed in, teetering on the edge of her ducts. Finally she buried her face in my chest. I felt it slowly getting warm.

A huge roar interrupted us. I felt this impulse… that I wanted to get away. But…! Minako looked up too, her eyes red from crying. Her expression turned from sadness to shock. “Onii-san…! Let’s get out of here!” I pulled her along the sidewalk on the edge of the Moonlight Bridge. The shrill cries wouldn’t stop.  

I saw that black thing charge at me, and a white figure with blonde hair and piercing blue eyes chasing after it. The white figure seemed to have noticed us. Minako stood stock still. The black thing charged at me, and to be sure; I felt this oppressive aura coming off it. I pulled Minako behind me. Minako begged me to get out of the way, but I wasn’t going to just leave her.

I didn’t have time to react when my arm was sliced off. I gritted my teeth, cursing under my breath. Oh if they were still alive they’d probably shove a bar of soap in my mouth. The white figure fired a strange beam at me, coloured white. It exploded between the black monster and me, and a chain formed between the two of us; one connected to my heart, the other connected to the middle of the monster’s chest.

I felt the chain tugging away at my heart, begging to get away. So I pulled it closer. The monster was surprised. It wouldn’t hurt anyone else.

As if in reply, I heard a low noise, slowly vibrating. Almost like some twisted laugh.

I will lend you my powers, boy. Be ready.

I heard a low chuckling in my mind. For what?

Form this contract and accept responsibility for your actions.

… If it means Minako won’t die… I accept.

I heard the chuckling in my head again. The black monster in front disappeared in a red mist. The white figure collapsed. Now, to do something about my arm. And Minako. She gave me a huge hug when I sat down on the ground. “Onii-san…! You’re ok! That was so scary…” I rubbed her back with my one arm. “What are you going to do though?”

“One thing is for sure. I’ll protect you.” I gave her a smile. She continued hugging me, until she fell asleep. The green tinted world I had encountered fell away, and things turned back to normal. The police were called and the ambulances mobilised. The police asked me some questions, but I couldn’t really tell them the truth about what just happened. They’d think I’m nuts.

I wondered who was going to look after Minako and I as the nurses bandaged my stump of a left arm. The police took me and Minako to the police station. After a few hours, a woman with brown skin and curled black hair appeared. Glasses hung off the hem of her sweater. Who is this?

She went to the counter of the station, and I saw them go into the back, seemingly discussing something. After a few minutes, she reappeared. “So, what’s your name kid?”