Chapter Text
My, my, Trickster. You have returned.
Welcome to the Velvet Room.
Why, I wonder, has your presence once again graced our humble domain? You have, after all, completed our contract to the fullest extent, exceeding all expectations. Mine included.
Is it, perhaps, that something went unfulfilled in your time with the Phantom Thieves of Hearts?
Perhaps you have some unfinished business, a… portion of the contract left to complete. A pact; some fine print in the writing, it would seem.
A bond.
One remains, due to having departed at an inopportune moment. One which requires your presence to mend. One which would have gone unheeded had you not returned. A fate that has become intertwined with yours once more.
Yet your return has set more than one event in motion. You will see in due time what I mean.
Where you are heading, I sense a presence I have not felt in quite some time; a presence that I believed had forsaken all he had fought for in hopes of finding that which he had lost.
Be prepared, Trickster, for you will not have most of the power of the Fool, nor the ability to enter the greater expanse of the Metaverse. This journey will require very little of your power.
You must rely on Ars è ne, your unforged bond, a mysterious presence, and those around you in Inaba.
So, would you fulfill this lingering pact in the contract?
…
I expected nothing less.
Go then, Trickster, and complete the last, remaining clause in your contract.
We three eagerly wish to see how you will proceed.
Ren awoke with a jolt, the supposed dream breaking him from his restful sleep. It was a vision of an unfamiliar Velvet Room, and the unmistakable cackle of the room’s proprietor, Igor. Even as he reoriented himself in the real world, the vision disappeared into his subconscious, leaving Ren with just as many questions as he had when he first awoke in the Velvet Room just over one year ago.
Trying to bring the vision to the forefront of his mind caused Ren to lose it quicker. Bringing his hand to his head to wipe away the sweat and black hair that clung to his forehead, he searched his heart for Arsène to help answer his questions.
Yet, as before, he didn’t answer, leaving the former leader of the Phantom Thieves stumped.
With a sigh, he stretched his body, sniffing the air and half-expecting the smell of coffee mixed with curry to fully rouse him. But the air was void of the comforting scent. In his grogginess, it seemed Ren had forgotten one, important fact:
He wasn’t in his room above Leblanc, not anymore; he was in his old room, in his old house, in his old town. Back in Inaba.
A hollowness flowed through Ren before he chuckled.
Moving softly so he didn’t disturb Morgana, who slept by his legs, he reached for his phone. He brought up the numerous messages he had received after the rest of the Phantom Thieves dropped him off in Inaba.
Hey man! Next time we need to actually see Inaba, Ryuji’s message read, prompting a chuckle from the dark-haired teen.
We’ll miss you! I’ll let Shiho know you’re in town, you have her number, right?
Black eyes stared blankly at the message for a few seconds before Ren’s brain caught up with him. Ann did mention that Suzui lived here now. Wonder if she goes to Yasogami… and of course, I don’t have her number.
Ren sighed, blowing some of his frizzy black hair out of his face. They must have forgotten to exchange information the day before after the rest of the Phantom Thieves had hopped in the van back to Tokyo. Shrugging the matter off, he figured he could always just ask Ann for Suzui’s number.
But that would be for later. Right now, Ren was in a reminiscing mood.
Continuing down his list of people he saw Yusuke’s message, written as precisely as ever.
If ever I find myself in Inaba chasing inspiration, you will be the first I call. You will have a futon for me, yes?
Chuckling, Ren continued to Makoto’s farewell, a faint fondness entering his heart. It was a crush he had developed on the team-proclaimed “Queen” of the Phantom Thieves. Or that was what he had told himself, realizing more and more each day that maybe, just maybe, he should’ve proclaimed his feelings for her at Lala-chan’s bar.
It won’t be the same without you. I’ll make sure to keep in contact and tell you how university is, maybe give you some pointers… But seriously, take care of yourself. I’ll miss you.
Those last words tugged at Ren’s heartstrings. His thumb moved of its own accord, quickly exiting out of the text and leaving it on read. For now, he needed to forget about it, move on, restart his life back in Inaba. Then, if he went to a university in or near Tokyo, he could finally tell Makoto all that he had held back that one, rainy night in Shinjuku.
Desperately willing his mind to let the matter rest, for now, he scrolled to Futaba.
Dont get laz on ur gamin skillz! Well hav a rematch when u visit >:D
Bringing him out of his self-deprecation, Ren laughed at his adopted sister’s grammar, covering his mouth. Taking a peek at Morgana, the teenaged boy was relieved to see he was still sleeping. Judging by the way his glove-like white feet were moving, it seemed he was having a dream as well.
Moving on, Ren came to Haru.
It was a pleasure to see you off! I hope we get to fully see Inaba next time we visit. Remember to keep making coffee, we’ll have a tasting next time!
Ah, how could Ren forget about that challenge? He would have to find a job as a barista to make sure his skills were kept up to snuff. Briefly thinking about it, maybe he could make some for her. Shaking his head, the idea sent shivers down his spine.
“Maybe not,” he mumbled to himself.
Subconsciously, his thumb continued scrolling through the messages on his screen, coming to Akechi.
Akechi Goro.
Ren winced at the name but saw an unopened message that he must have missed. It was dated around the time the Phantom Thieves stole Shido’s heart.
Ren’s thumb hovered over the message icon for a moment, trembling as he internally battled with the desire to read it or to just throw it away. A few, tense moments passed in silence – contrary to the Trickster’s screaming mind – before he took a deep breath. Deciding it would be best to wait until later, he forwent opening the message, turning off his phone in the process, and throwing it on the bed.
“Mrrrroooowww,” came the familiar feline voice of Morgana yelping in pain. “What was that for, huh!? Knocking me out of my catnap like that.”
Ren chuckled. “With how loudly you snore, I don’t think that can be called a nap.”
“Hmph, yeah, yeah, and it was such a nice dream, too…” the cat mourned as Ren sat up from his lying position on his bed.
“Was there sushi?”
“Yeah,” Morgana replied dreamily.
“Some milk?”
Stars filled his eyes, “Uh-huh!”
“And Ann wearing a cat ear headband?”
“Of course… wait, hey! Lady Ann wasn’t there, I mean, she wasn’t in the cat ears!”
Laughing at his friend’s attempt to recover, Ren jabbed, “So, she wasn’t wearing anything?”
“Exactly… no, wait! Don’t tell her I said that! It was just sushi and milk! Sushi and milk!” Morgana again tried to defend himself, now more awake than he was seconds ago.
Standing from his bed, Ren stretched his arms, trying to calm down his laughter for Morgana’s sake.
“Whatever you say, Mona. Lips are sealed.” Facing the cat, the Trickster mimed locking his closed mouth with a key to punctuate his promise.
“You better,” Morgana mumbled, stretching himself. Changing the topic, he asked, “It’s your first day of school, right? Is that why you’re up so early?”
“Yes and no,” Ren grunted, standing up straight after touching his toes, turning serious. “I had a dream about the Velvet Room.”
The admission took Morgana by surprise, but only brought a soft reply from him.
“Oh. Was Master there?”
“He was, and two others. One of them was Lavenza, but the other was taller and I couldn’t recognize them in the fog.”
“There was fog there, too? What do you think it could mean?”
Pausing, Ren could only say, “I’m not sure. There was more to it, but I’ll tell you on the way to school. For now, we should probably get breakfast started before…”
A loud pounding on the door interrupted the teen before he could finish his statement, indicating how late it already was.
“Hey, Ren-Ren! We gotta get ready for school! Morgana, you’re coming too, I wanna see your cute, little face! Hurry up, or we’re gonna be late!”
The singsong voice finished speaking, sounding like a higher-pitched, feminine version of Ren’s, one he was all too familiar with. Though as obnoxious as always, the former-Phantom Thief couldn’t help but smile.
“Looks like my sister’s up,” Ren surmised before nodding his head towards the door to his room. “Come on, let’s go Morgana.”
“Aye, aye, Leader!” he replied excitedly, bounding after the frizzy-haired teen as he left his room.
Shiho awoke with a start, instantly shooting out of her bed.
The malicious eyes. The perverted grin. His cold, punishing hands.
It was all there again, and still too real.
Cold sweat dripped down the teenaged girl’s face as she desperately willed her mind to tell her that it was just a dream. A nightmare, nothing more. Once her command was heeded, her breathing began to slow down, reattuning itself to her slowly calming heart. Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes, showing the lingering effects that remained from Kamoshida’s once-tight reign of her life.
Even after a year of therapy – both physical and mental – he was still there.
He’ll probably always be there, Shiho thought dully, bringing her knees to her chest and wiping her black hair from her forehead, hazel eyes dimmed. But I… I told Ann I would be able to move forward. I told her I would be strong.
Thinking on one of her only true friends from Shujin Academy, a smile graced the troubled girl’s lips. Light returned to her eyes, seemingly brightening her dark room as well. Waking up slowly, the sweat on her skin also faded, her nightmare returning to the recesses of her mind.
She glanced around her room, only having moved to Inaba a few months ago. It was bigger than the room she had at her family’s apartment in Tokyo. But moving into a house would make anything seem bigger, especially in a country town. She laid back down on her full bed, and just watched as the morning sun’s light touched the wooden flooring and white walls that encompassed her own personal space. Besides reading a book at twilight, this was one of her favorite daily rituals, savoring every precious second.
Because the next day was never guaranteed. Shiho knew that all too well.
Before her spiraling thoughts returned her to the nightmare she had just escaped from, the dark-haired girl jumped out of bed, letting her toes gingerly touch the cold floor. A giggle permeated her lips as the chill crept up her legs. Like testing the temperature of the water, Shiho slowly let the soles of her feet touch the wooden floor.
A satisfied sigh was accompanied by a soft smile. Standing from her bed, Shiho checked her phone, seeing if she had received any messages overnight. One was from Ann, who had made a quick visit to Inaba yesterday on short notice.
Shiho! It was so good seeing you and I already miss you more than I can bear!
The words made the teenage girl’s heart melt a little and her smile widen ever so slightly.
Next time we’ll stay there longer, maybe go to those springs you talked about? What were they called again…?
Shiho could picture Ann trying to come up with the name, finger tapping at her chin and teeth biting the inside of her cheeks. It elicited a silent chuckle from the former volleyball player.
“The Amagi Inn, Ann,” she answered mirthfully, knowing that her friend couldn’t hear her, but pretending she had.
Well, whatever it’s called, we need to go visit it. We can go with Ren since he’s in Inaba now, too! And don’t worry about him being alone, he’ll have Morgana, maybe Ryuji, haha!
Mentioning the frizzy-haired boy Ann had come to know so well over the course of the last year reminded Shiho that she had told her that he had moved back to Inaba after his probation. He’d likely be attending Yasogami High School, too.
Tell him I say hi if you see him! I think that’s it? Anyway, we’ll talk later! Have a great first day of school, Shiho!
Her smile never leaving her lips, the teenage girl typed out a response to her friend’s text message. Even if she didn’t see Ren in her class, she figured she would reach out to him at some point. So, along with the usual reply to one of Ann’s messages, Shiho also asked for the mysterious boy’s number, knowing the teasing she would get from her friend.
But it would be nice to see a somewhat familiar face, she concluded. Perhaps that was worth the teasing.
For now, she needed to prepare for the day ahead. Braving the chilled wooden floors, she made her way to her bathroom, turning on a shower and basking in the warmth as her thoughts drifted towards her first day at Yasogami. She realized, much like Ren likely had a year ago, that starting a new year at a new school was as exciting as it was daunting.