...09/09/2009 Wednesday; Afternoon...
The afternoon sun still faintly illuminated the smooth white walls of the Tatsumi Port Island hospital.
Silence dominated the corridors, broken only by the soft footsteps of nurses and the distant hum of hospital machines.
However, in the room where Chidori was, the tension was almost palpable.
Mitsuru and Akihiko stood there, watching the long-haired redhead who, indifferent to their presence, continued drawing in her sketchbook.
Each stroke seemed like an escape from her mind, completely ignoring Mitsuru's attempts to extract answers.
Sitting beside the bed, Mitsuru kept her eyes fixed on Chidori, her expression reflecting growing frustration.
"I'll ask one more time," Mitsuru began, her tone firmer. "Is Chidori your real name?"
Chidori didn't lift her eyes, her hand kept moving the pencil across the paper, creating yet another lifeless figure.
A low sound, something between a grunt and an impatient sigh, escaped her lips.
Mitsuru narrowed her eyes, trying to remain calm. "What kind of organization is Strega? Is there anyone else besides the three of you?"
Chidori's expression shifted, her forehead creasing in irritation as she glanced briefly at Mitsuru before returning to her drawing, ignoring the question completely.
Mitsuru let out a sigh, defeated. "It's no use… she won't say anything other than 'Medea' and asking us to return it."
Akihiko, arms crossed, pondered aloud with an analytical look. "She's been like this since Sunday… Would taking her sketchbook help?"
Before Mitsuru could respond, muffled sounds of hurried footsteps and anxious voices echoed from the hallway.
"Junpei, I already told you, President Shuji only allows two people at a time," Hiro's voice was filled with frustration.
"I know, but I need to see her!" Junpei responded urgently.
Suddenly, the hospital room door burst open.
Junpei rushed inside, followed by Hiro, who was trying to hold him back. Just behind them, Shinjiro stood observing the situation from a distance, his hands tucked into the pockets of his long coat.
"Chidori!" Junpei called out, running toward the bed, desperation clear on his face.
Chidori lifted her head in surprise, her eyes widening at the sight of Junpei.
For a moment, her usual cold demeanor cracked, revealing a flicker of emotion she quickly suppressed.
Hiro let out a weary sigh, walking up to Mitsuru and Akihiko. "Sorry… he wouldn't stop asking where Chidori was."
Mitsuru, crossing her arms, simply nodded. "It's fine. So far, she hasn't cooperated with any questions."
Junpei, unfazed by the tension in the room, stepped closer to Chidori. "So… you've calmed down a bit?"
Mitsuru shot him a serious look and interrupted, "She won't give us anything useful. Maybe it's time to take her sketchbook away."
Junpei turned to Mitsuru, shocked. "It doesn't have to be like this… I can talk to her."
Before Mitsuru could reply, her attention shifted to Shinjiro, who had remained silent, staring at Chidori with unusual intensity. "Aragaki, what are you doing here?"
Shinjiro kept his gaze fixed on Chidori, his voice low and grave. "Something about her bothers me… Has she shown any signs of weakness, chills, or pain?"
Akihiko chuckled, keeping a teasing tone. "Since when did you become a doctor, Shinji?"
But Shinjiro didn't answer.
He slowly approached the bed, his eyes carefully analyzing Chidori's face. Something was wrong.
She seemed distant, but her hands were trembling, and the way she scratched at her bandaged skin made it clear that something was happening.
"Medea…" Chidori murmured, her voice weaker than before as her nails dug into her own skin.
"What the—?" Akihiko stepped forward, alarmed.
"Chidori?" Junpei leaned over her, worry overflowing in his voice. "What's wrong?"
Shinjiro didn't hesitate. "Hiro! Hold her arms!" He rushed to the bed, trying to restrain Chidori.
Confused but not questioning, Hiro ran to the side of the bed and grabbed Chidori's wrists. "What's happening to her?!"
"It's her Persona!" Shinjiro shouted, searching his coat pocket for something.
The moment those words were spoken, an invisible force exploded from Chidori's direction, violently shoving both Shinjiro and Hiro against the door.
The hospital room door shattered from the impact, and both of them tumbled into the hallway, dazed.
Mitsuru shot up in alarm. "What was that?!"
Chidori's screams filled the room but were quickly cut off.
Her body began convulsing, as if something were strangling her, her eyes rolling back in agony.
"Chidori!" Junpei shouted, desperate.
A figure began materializing above Chidori, glowing red and growling in fury.
Chidori's Persona, Medea, had appeared… but something was wrong.
Instead of protecting her, it was strangling its own user.
Akihiko took a step back, shock evident on his face. "That's… her Persona?! Shinjiro, how do we stop it?!"
Shinjiro got back on his feet, shaking his head to clear his mind as he saw Medea choking Chidori.
Without hesitation, he pulled an inhibitor from inside his coat. "Shit! Get out of the way!"
Junpei quickly stepped aside, giving Shinjiro space as he rushed to the bed.
He yanked Chidori's hospital gown to the side, revealing her chest, and without hesitation, plunged the inhibitor into her with full force.
Medea roared in pure fury.
Without warning, she threw a punch toward Shinjiro. He reacted quickly, ducking at the last second, the blow passing dangerously close to his head.
Before Medea could react, Shinjiro surprised her with a direct punch to the face, a hit that left her dizzy.
Medea roared in frustration once more, but her form began to vanish, dissolving into the air in a bright red glow.
Chidori, finally freed, gasped, bringing her trembling hands to her neck, where the sensation of strangulation still lingered.
She coughed uncontrollably, her body desperately trying to regain its breath.
Junpei stepped closer, evident concern in his eyes, gently holding Chidori's shoulders. "Chidori, are you okay?"
Mitsuru, watching the scene closely, fixed her gaze on the syringe Shinjiro was holding, a sense of déjà vu running through her mind.
"That syringe..." she murmured, recognizing the object.
Hiro, struggling to get up after the impact, rubbed his aching head. "Shit... that hurt..."
Ignoring the commotion, Shinjiro turned to Junpei and started rummaging through the pockets of his coat.
"Find a doctor and give this to them. She'll need to take a dose of this every three days."
He placed a small paper bag in Junpei's hands, who nodded before running out of the room in search of help.
Shinjiro turned his attention back to Chidori, carefully laying her down and adjusting her hospital gown. "Her Persona went into a frenzy, but I managed to suppress it in time. It happens sometimes."
Mitsuru, still processing everything, approached Shinjiro, her voice serious and incisive. "Aragaki, what is that syringe? And what do you mean by 'it happens'?"
Hiro slowly stepped closer, still holding his head. "It's a Persona inhibitor that Shinjiro used to take."
"Used to?" Akihiko asked, his expression full of confusion.
Shinjiro, now calmer, shoved his hands into his coat pockets. "You saw what her Persona tried to do. Unlike us, the Strega don't have full control over their Personas. If they don't take these inhibitors, their Personas end up killing them."
The tension in the room increased. Akihiko, clearly irritated, stepped forward. "Explain this shit properly, Shinjiro! How do you know all this?"
Shinjiro shot a quick glance at Hiro, who simply nodded, as if granting permission.
Sighing, Shinjiro finally revealed the truth. "The Strega are artificial Persona users. Someone created their Personas, and to keep them under control, they have to take these inhibitors."
Mitsuru furrowed her brow, concern growing in her eyes. "And how did you get one of those?"
"I bought them from the Strega themselves," Shinjiro answered, his voice firm.
The revelation hung in the air like a heavy cloud.
Mitsuru and Akihiko felt a chill run down their spines.
It was as if a terrible truth had been unveiled before their eyes, something that changed the way they saw Shinjiro.
Mitsuru turned to Hiro, searching for answers. "You already knew?"
Hiro nodded with a serious expression. "Yes. But Shinjiro asked me to keep it a secret. Especially about the inhibitor's effects."
Now visibly uncomfortable, Shinjiro sighed and looked directly at Mitsuru and Akihiko. "If a Persona user like us takes this inhibitor... our Persona gets angry at us."
The pieces began to fall into place in Mitsuru's mind.
She clearly remembered when Shinjiro had vomited blood right after using Theurgy.
Painful memories mixed with the truth now unfolding.
"No..." Mitsuru whispered, incredulous. "You're saying... you were taking those inhibitors?"
"Yes, I use them," Shinjiro admitted without hesitation.
Akihiko, unable to contain the anger growing inside him, took a step back, his hands clenched into fists.
He moved to a corner of the room, breathing heavily.
"Why are you taking those inhibitors? Since when?!" Akihiko finally exploded, frustration taking over.
Shinjiro crossed his arms, his expression hard and resolute. "Since Kastor killed Ken's mother. I was running away from myself, trying to keep Kastor under control. So, I used the inhibitors... all this time."
Mitsuru stared at him, still trying to process the implications of it all. "And what happens if you keep using them for too long?"
Shinjiro let out a deep sigh and opened his coat.
He lifted his shirt, revealing his chest to Mitsuru and Akihiko.
The shock was immediate. Mitsuru covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes widening in horror, while Akihiko took a step back, unable to believe what he was seeing.
Shinjiro's chest was marked by a black circle in the center, with dark veins spreading like roots across his torso, like a disease slowly consuming him from the inside out.
"Holy shit..." Akihiko murmured, disbelief filling his voice.
Mitsuru, struggling to keep her composure, looked at Shinjiro. "Why did you only tell us now? The Kirijo Corporation's scientists might be able to do something."
Shinjiro lowered his shirt, closing his coat with a slow, resigned motion. "There's nothing they can do for me anymore. Now, I'm just... a walking corpse."
Akihiko, still processing it, shook his head. "What?"
Hiro let out a frustrated sigh and finally intervened. "Every time Shinjiro takes the inhibitor... Kastor eats away at his life force. Little by little, he's killing Shinjiro."
Akihiko stared at Shinjiro, his eyes wide and filled with restrained anger.
He clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
It was hard to believe. Shinjiro, the friend who had supported him when his sister died, had been slowly giving himself up to death, without ever sharing this pain until now.
"If you're dying..." Akihiko began, his voice low and trembling with frustration, "How much time do you have left?"
Shinjiro hesitated, averting his gaze. "Aki..."
"Answer the fucking question!" Akihiko exploded, his tone a mix of pain and fury.
Shinjiro closed his eyes, accepting the inevitable. "After I used Theurgy... I have a month, maybe two."
The response hit like a bomb.
Akihiko felt his entire body tremble, his mind rejecting Shinjiro's words.
It couldn't be true.
He couldn't accept it.
With adrenaline rushing through his veins, he moved on instinct, his fist clenching before striking Shinjiro's face with force.
The impact landed directly on Shinjiro's nose, the dry crack of bone echoing through the room, followed by the blood that quickly dripped down Shinjiro's face.
Hiro and Mitsuru reacted fast, grabbing Akihiko by the arms, preventing him from continuing the attack.
"Why?!" Akihiko shouted, his voice breaking with a mix of fury and pain. "Why are you killing yourself?! You could have told me!"
"Calm down dammit!" Hiro tried to soothe Akihiko, his arms holding him back as he struggled to break free.
Shinjiro raised a hand to his nose, wiping the blood away slowly, as if he were already used to that kind of pain.
"I did it because I wanted to run away from myself," he murmured, his voice hoarse. "I thought suppressing Kastor would help me forget everything I did. But in the end, it didn't do shit."
Akihiko finally broke free from Hiro and Mitsuru's grip, his eyes filled with tears of anger. "Running away from yourself? And you suppress your power for what? To escape? What kind of logic is that, Shinji?!"
Shinjiro closed his eyes, as if resisting a pain that Akihiko couldn't see.
"You think it's easy to accept that an innocent died because of you? That you can just move on? If I'm going to die, then let me die. But don't come at me with that crap that it wasn't my fault. Kastor is a part of me, so that means it's my fault too."
Akihiko's rage flared again. He lunged at Shinjiro, but this time, Hiro was faster.
With a swift move, Hiro grabbed Akihiko's arm and, with a quick sweep, took him down hard onto the floor.
"Stop it, Akihiko!" Hiro shouted, his voice firm. "Beating the crap out of Shinjiro won't change anything now!"
Still on the ground, Akihiko breathed heavily.
He looked at Hiro, then at Shinjiro, his anger dissolving into frustration.
"You're right..." he murmured, the pain in his voice more evident than ever.
Akihiko got up slowly, his eyes locking onto Shinjiro's. "Why have you always been like this? Throwing yourself away, sacrificing yourself..."
Shinjiro remained calm, his gaze distant. "I've already accepted my fate, Aki. But before I die, I'm going to accept the consequences of what I did. And now that Ken joined S.E.E.S, I'll look after him... until my last day."
Akihiko took a step forward, his voice more controlled, but still laden with emotion. "We made a promise... after Miki died. That we'd get stronger to do what we always wanted. And now? What do you want?"
Shinjiro wiped away the blood still trickling from his nose, not looking directly at Akihiko. "I... will keep fighting. If I can still do something, it's to help you all... one last time."
Mitsuru, who had been silent until then, felt a lump form in her throat. "Aragaki..." she murmured, surprised by Shinjiro's resolve.
Without another word, Shinjiro turned toward the door.
He took a few steps before pausing briefly and glancing over his shoulder. "I won't stop fighting. Not until you're all safe."
And without another word, Shinjiro walked out of the room, leaving behind Mitsuru, Akihiko, and Hiro with Chidori, who had been quietly observing everything.
Akihiko stood with his back to Hiro, the muscles in his arms still tense, his fist clenched—clear signs that his anger was still simmering.
But there was something deeper behind that rage—sadness, a sense of helplessness, of watching his friend's time slip away like sand between his fingers.
He turned slowly, his eyes meeting Hiro's with an intensity that blended confusion and pain.
"Why didn't you tell anyone about Shinjiro?" Akihiko's voice wavered slightly, though he tried to keep it steady.
Hiro held his gaze for a moment before sighing, shoving his hands into his pockets.
"He asked me not to tell anyone. Sorry if you don't trust me anymore." Hiro's voice was calm, but there was a weight in his words, as if he carried the guilt of keeping the secret.
Akihiko didn't respond right away. He ran a hand down his face, trying to process everything. "It's fine... you didn't lie or anything. You just kept Shinji's secret."
He took a deep breath, his frustration fading little by little. "I... need to process this. I'll see you at the dorm."
Without waiting for a reply, Akihiko turned toward the door and left the room, his footsteps echoing softly through the hospital corridors.
Junpei walked in just as Akihiko passed him, his face full of curiosity.
"Uh... is everything okay here? 'Cause Akihiko looked like he was about to punch a wall," Junpei asked, his eyes darting between Hiro and Mitsuru.
Mitsuru sighed, the tension still visible in her posture. "It was... a conversation with Aragaki. But don't worry about it." Her voice was controlled, but it was obvious that Shinjiro's situation still weighed on her mind.
Hiro looked at Chidori in the bed. "Are you still going to talk to Chidori?"
Mitsuru cast a glance at the girl. "She doesn't say much. I'll leave it for tomorrow."
Junpei, with sudden determination, pointed to himself. "Senpai, please, let me take care of this. I can talk to her."
Mitsuru looked at him for a moment, surprised. "Are you sure? She hasn't exactly been cooperative."
Junpei scratched his head, slightly embarrassed but still resolute. "Yeah. I used to talk to her before she... well, kidnapped me."
Hiro raised an eyebrow, recalling the story.
"Oh, right... you told us you used to meet with her. None of us knew Chidori was part of Strega. But next time, don't talk about the Dark Hour to anyone."
Junpei laughed awkwardly, looking sheepish. "I know... I won't forget Senpai's lecture anytime soon."
"Good. I hope you've learned your lesson," Mitsuru said, her gaze serious. "Make sure it doesn't happen again."
Hiro crossed his arms, analyzing the situation. "Alright, we'll leave Chidori to you. If she says anything important, let Mitsuru know."
Junpei nodded, his expression resolute.