The Next Morning
Shoji leaned against his desk, chin resting in his palm, eyes glazed over as the homeroom teacher droned on. His gaze drifted to the window, sunlight pouring in, and for a second he imagined the blue light of the Velvet Room again—faint, flickering, just beyond the edge of sight.
Was it really just last night?
The fight with the shadow. The fox. The blue door.
Everything had changed, and yet… the world outside went on like nothing had happened.
"Hey! Akiyama!"
Shoji blinked. The teacher glared at him from the front of the room, arms crossed.
"If you're done daydreaming, maybe you can introduce yourself again for the present students?"
A few students chuckled. Shoji scratched the back of his head and stood up.
"I'm Shoji Akiyama. I transferred here a few days ago."
The teacher rolled her eyes. "Thanks for the riveting recap."
As he sat back down, he heard someone behind him whisper, "She's got a stick up her—" and then stop. Shoji turned slightly to see the guy smirking, hand raised like a mock greeting.
He looked a little scruffy, with messy dark brown hair and a bandage on his cheek—like he'd just gotten out of a fight. There was something sharp in his eyes, but not unfriendly.
"Name's Taiga," the guy said under his breath. "You look like you've seen a ghost."
Shoji gave a small shrug. "Maybe I have."
Taiga grinned. "Well, if you ever feel like talking about it, I know a few places ghosts like to hang out around town."
Shoji quirked a brow. "You believe in stuff like that?"
"Let's just say I've seen some weird crap too," Taiga replied, leaning back in his chair. "Minazuki isn't as boring as people think."
Shoji glanced out the window again.
Yeah. I'm starting to believe that.
After School – Vending Machines Behind Minazuki High
Shoji stood in front of the vending machine, staring blankly at the rows of drinks. His mind was still foggy with everything that had happened the night before. He barely heard the footsteps until a voice spoke up beside him.
"Dude. You've been staring at the melon soda for, like, a full minute."
Shoji glanced over. Taiga stood there, one hand in his pocket, the other holding a can of coffee.
"Didn't even notice," Shoji muttered, pressing the button at random.
A can clattered down. Lemon tea. He stared at it like he'd never seen it before.
Taiga cracked his coffee open. "You always this spaced out?"
"Not really," Shoji replied. "Just… adjusting."
"To the school?"
"To everything."
Taiga nodded slowly. "Yeah. I get that."
They walked over to the benches nearby and sat in silence for a moment, watching students trickle out of the school gates. The breeze carried the distant hum of cicadas.
"So, where'd you move from?" Taiga asked casually.
"Big city. Busier than here."
"That explains the headphones."
Shoji looked down at them, hanging around his neck. "They help me think."
"I just blast music to avoid thinking," Taiga joked, then added, "...but yeah. I get it."
A few seconds of silence passed before Shoji asked, "You get in fights a lot?"
Taiga looked down at the bandage on his cheek. "You noticed, huh?"
"Kinda hard not to."
"Yeah, well… let's just say there are some people around here who like to run their mouths," Taiga said with a shrug. "I'm not exactly popular with teachers either."
"You pick the fights?"
"Sometimes. Sometimes they come to me."
Shoji nodded. "Sounds rough."
"Eh. I've had worse," Taiga said. He looked over at Shoji. "You don't talk much, but you're not bad company."
Shoji smirked faintly. "Same to you."
They both took a sip of their drinks.
Taiga leaned back, hands behind his head. "You know, most people here are fake as hell. But you? You've got that 'real' vibe."
"I could say the same," Shoji said.
Taiga grinned. "Guess that makes us a couple of weirdos."
Shoji gave a small laugh, soft but genuine. "Yeah. I think I'm okay with that."
A Week Later – Evening, Back of the School
Shoji and Taiga had been hanging out more over the past week—grabbing food after school, walking home together, even exchanging music recommendations. For someone who claimed to hate crowds, Taiga was surprisingly easy to talk to.
"Okay, tell me this doesn't sound suspicious," Taiga said, pulling out his phone. A local forum post was open.
Shoji leaned over to read. The post was short but strange:
> "Saw a few students sneaking out near midnight again. Same spot behind the school. I tried to follow them but... they never came back. Creepy stuff. Anyone else noticed this?"
Taiga pocketed his phone and grinned. "Weird, right? People sneaking around at night, disappearing? That's straight out of a horror flick."
Shoji looked uneasy. "You think it's real?"
"I mean, I dunno. But we could check it out. Tonight."
Shoji hesitated. "You sure?"
"Come on. It's probably nothing. Worst case, we just spook ourselves and go home."
Shoji gave a reluctant nod. "Alright. Midnight?"
"Midnight."
Later That Night – Back of the School, 11:58 PM
The school grounds were quiet—too quiet. The faint hum of streetlights was the only sound. Shoji and Taiga crept along the edge of the building.
"Don't tell me you're actually scared," Taiga whispered, grinning.
"I'm not," Shoji replied flatly.
Taiga was about to joke again when a deep gong echoed in the air—the clock striking twelve.
Shoji froze. "That sound…"
Suddenly, a gust of dry wind swept past them. Taiga turned his head. "What the hell—?"
And then it appeared.
A massive concrete door, embedded in the back wall of the school like it had always been there.
"The hell is that?! That wasn't here before, right?" Taiga stepped closer, reaching out to touch it.
Shoji's eyes widened. He knew this door. The door.
"Taiga, wait—"
Before he could finish, the door pulsed with a strange energy—and with a flash of light, both boys were sucked inside.
Inside the Desert of Regret,
The searing wind and endless sand greeted them immediately. Strange doors dotted the dunes, and the sky above was an eerie shade of violet.
"This… is insane," Taiga muttered, his eyes scanning the barren landscape. "What even is this place?"
Before Shoji could answer, a familiar voice called out.
"Took you long enough," said Hakuo, padding into view from behind a boulder.
Taiga nearly jumped. "Is that a talking fox?!"
Shoji gave a short nod. "He helped me last time. His name is Hakuo."
"Wait, you've been here before?! " Taiga said in disbelief.
"Yeah, almost died too. I'm here thanks to Hakuo. " Shoji said.
"I don't know how to feel about this, excited, scared. Too much emotion right now. " Taiga flabbergasted.
Taiga looked around, his eyes wide with disbelief. "Where… where are we? This isn't a dream, is it?"
"No," Shoji said quietly. "This place is real… as real as it gets."
"This is the Desert of Regrets," Hakuo added, his ears twitching as he walked ahead on all fours. "A realm born from the weight of people's regrets. Those who carry heavy burdens... they're often drawn here."
Taiga clenched his fists. "Regrets? That sounds way too specific."
Shoji turned to him. "You'll understand soon."
"Don't just say cryptic stuff like that!" Taiga snapped. "Why am I here? What even is this desert supposed to be?!"
Hakuo paused and looked back at him. "You've been carrying something with you for a long time, haven't you?"
Taiga flinched. "That's none of your business."
"I didn't mean to pry," Hakuo said gently. "But this desert doesn't lie. It reflects the unresolved pain inside people. You wouldn't have been dragged in unless your heart resonated with it."
Taiga went silent.
"C'mon," Shoji said. "Let's walk. You'll see what he means."
The trio began walking across the sand. The wind howled softly, and in the distance, countless doors stood like abandoned monuments—silent, unmoving, forgotten. Some were cracked open, others sealed tight, and a few glowed faintly as if something inside waited.
Suddenly, Taiga froze.
"…Did you guys hear that?"
Shoji stopped and looked back. "Hear what?"
"It's… a voice." Taiga's expression shifted. "It sounded like—"
Another whisper, clearer now, drifted through the air:
"Nii-san..."
Taiga's eyes widened. "No. No, that can't be. I know that voice. It's... my brother."
He broke into a run, eyes locked on a door nearby—one that wasn't there a moment ago. It was smaller than the others, painted with worn blue and white stripes, the handle rusted and half-buried in sand.
"Taiga, wait!" Shoji called out.
Hakuo's fur bristled. "Damn it, a door's appeared for him already."
"A door?" Shoji asked, running after Taiga. "What kind of door?"
"A personal one," Hakuo said grimly. "The kind that holds the truth they've buried deep down."
They caught up to Taiga just as he reached for the handle.
"Don't open it yet!" Hakuo barked.
Taiga turned sharply. "Why? My brother's in there!"
"No. Something pretending to be your brother is in there," Hakuo said. "The desert twists memories and guilt into something dangerous. You have to be careful."
Shoji stepped forward. "Hakuo's right. I went through this, too. What's inside might hurt you more than help you."
But Taiga's hand didn't move from the handle. His voice trembled. "I just... I never got to say goodbye."
The door creaked open.
Darkness spilled out, swallowing them whole.
The darkness that seeped from the door felt heavier than night, swallowing color, warmth, and sound. Shoji and Hakuo stood behind Taiga as he stepped into the eerie blackness. Their surroundings shifted into a warped version of a hospital corridor—long, flickering lights overhead, with peeling paint and silence pressing down from every angle.
Taiga walked slowly, eyes scanning every corner, breaths shallow. Then—
"Nii-san…"
The voice came again, echoing from a room at the far end of the hall.
Taiga ran.
Shoji and Hakuo followed closely behind, boots and paws slapping against the cold floor.
Inside the room, a hospital bed sat under a dim light. A boy—young, fragile—lay on it. His face was familiar. Too familiar.
"Riku…" Taiga whispered.
The boy stirred and slowly sat up. His eyes were dull, sunken, hollow.
"You weren't there," the boy said flatly. "You left me alone, Taiga."
Taiga's breath caught.
"You promised you'd come back in time. But you didn't. I died waiting for you."
"I—" Taiga stepped forward. "I didn't mean to—I got caught in traffic, I—"
"No excuses," the voice snapped, but it had changed. It deepened, twisted. The boy's skin cracked like porcelain, revealing darkness underneath. "You failed me. That's all there is to it."
The illusion shattered.
In the boy's place now stood a shadow version of Taiga—same face, but his expression twisted with rage and sorrow. Chains wrapped around his arms, and behind him floated a massive black flame.
"You were always weak. You couldn't protect anyone. And now? You're just dragging more people into your regrets."
Taiga dropped to his knees, trembling. "No… stop…"
The shadow raised its arm, summoning dark tendrils from the walls. "Then I'll protect you the only way I know how—by burying you in guilt!"
"Taiga, get up!" Shoji yelled, drawing his weapon.
Hakuo summoned Anubis with a fierce cry, and the Persona struck the tendrils with a radiant pulse. "We can't fight it for long!"
Shoji rushed in, calling forth Charon to block an incoming strike. The two Personas clashed against the flailing shadow's power, but it was overwhelming.
Meanwhile, Taiga stared into the broken reflection of himself. His own voice echoed in his head.
"You weren't fast enough."
"You're always too late."
"He died because of you."
But—
Something inside cracked.
Taiga gritted his teeth, clenching his fists. "No… That's not true."
The voices paused.
"I didn't forget you. I didn't abandon you. I loved you with everything I had, Riku. I was just a kid—I didn't know how to face losing you."
The air stilled. A quiet hum echoed in the space.
"I still regret it. But I won't let that regret define me!"
A burning light surged around him.
"I hear your voice... But I won't be ruled by it anymore!"
Then—
"I am thou, thou art I…"
From the light emerged a majestic figure—half-samurai, half-guardian spirit. Its armor shimmered with golden flame, and it held a broken clock embedded in its shield.
"I am Tsugumi-no-Okami… The one who holds fast against time's cruelty."
With a mighty roar, Taiga stood, eyes blazing with resolve. "Let's go!"
Tsugumi-no-Okami struck the Shadow with a wave of cleansing fire. The corrupted form howled, unraveling into black dust. Silence fell.
Shoji sheathed his weapon, walking over to his friend. "That was your Persona."
Taiga turned to him, panting, but smiling. "Yeah. Guess I've got one too now."
Hakuo nodded with approval. "Not bad, human."