Working With Phantoms

Below the Surface

August 19th

Sheila woke up and realized that whatever had occurred yesterday wasn't just the fleeting dream that left at dawn that she hoped it was. Then, after getting dressed and going down to the dining room to share breakfast with Kinaru, she got up and began to go to the Velvet Room.

"Sheila, dear, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing, really."

"Really? Is that stalker I heard of bothering you?"

"Um..."

Sheila sighed.

"I don't know how to put this, but, well, the stalker is me."

"Well, I know that, the person's been mimicking you."

"No, just, remember when I explained how my persona worked?"

"Um... wasn't it, like, you formed a contract with your shadow, and it became your persona?"

"Yep. Guess who's the stalker."

"Your... shadow?"

"Bingo."

"How's that possible? Didn't you say that one's shadow permanently stayed as their persona?"

"Well, I'm going to settle that."

"Can... can I come with? Pardon me for being nosy, but I've been... worried."

"Sure. It'll be weird to see two Sheilas at once, but just know that the shadow me has yellow eyes."

"Ok. Let's go. Is it... she in that weird Velvet Room place?"

"You bet."

Kinaru nodded and followed Sheila to the Velvet Room entrance, with them both entering. Sheila then looked around to see it surprisingly empty.

"Well? I'm back, and it's tomorrow."

"Ah, you kept your promise."

Shadow Sheila then rematerialized in front of Sheila.

"I see that you brought okāsan here, too."

"So, you're... her?"

"Yes. Basically put, Sheila has formed a contradiction within her contract to me or Nefertiti. Due to that, the shadow is able to fracture off while the persona remains functionality. Now, Sheila, care to tell us what exactly that contradiction is?"

Sheila sighed.

"I... I don't know."

"So, you wish for me to spell it out? Very well. Ever since you saw him awaken to his persona, you've gained a strange feeling for Yusuke. A feeling that you should get closer to him, or, as normal humans put it... a crush."

Sheila blushed and looked away. Kinaru then gasped.

"You... you have a crush on that boy? Why didn't you tell me?"

"That's not all. Sheila's refusal to tell anyone this, lest it upset her fans that she has garnered through her idol career, has sparked newer feelings... ones that hint towards never being free from a shocking source."

"Sheila, why didn't you tell me...? We're... we're a team!"

"I was ashamed... I'm not supposed to suddenly fall for some random artsy weirdo, all of my fans'll think I'm betraying them..."

"How selfish, and that's not all of it."

Shadow Sheila crossed her arms.

"You're just one idol in a long line of samey-same-same fools. You're a nothing, a nobody, a stereotypical rich white girl with good looks and a good job. You're nothing special at all. Is this what you truly feel, or am I somehow terribly mistaken?"