A/N: Kicking off this new story, because after playing Persona 4, this idea wouldn't leave me alone. Hope you guys enjoy! I'll try to keep to a sort of regular updating schedule, but until my main fic finishes (hopefully sometime this summer), it might not be every week.

Technology-wise, it's 2021, five years from now, so the characters mostly have today's level of technology, with a few things added or made more commonplace.

Disclaimer: Persona 4, Nanako, Yu, the Velvet Room, and all associated characters and locations belong to their respective owners (not me). Gensouji High School, Kakugaya, and all OCs are mine, please ask for permission before using them. Thank you.

CHAPTER ONE

Dreamer

The voices called to her, voices in the fog, a multitude of them all calling her name. Voices that she recognized, voices that she knew by heart. Voices that had followed her into the darkness, into the silence and stillness that was an escape from the pain and fear.

"Nanako!"

"Nanako-chan, wake up!"

"Nana-chan…"

"Come on, Nanako-chan, get up!"

"Nanako!"

They passed by her, shadowed faces and figures, all of them calling her. Their voices overlapped, making her heart race, making her breathing quicken. She knew those voices, she knew those people—

One last figure appeared before her, clad all in a black, a dark hood pulled over her face. In the darkness beneath that hood, eyes shone, a bright orange that makes her skin go cold.

"Wake up."

The sound of her alarm, a harsh, grating noise, drew her out of sleep. Nanako Dojima opened her eyes, staring up at the ceiling of her bedroom, at the sunlight slanting in through her window. The alarm continued to beep beside her as she blinked the sleep out of her eyes, trying to think through the fog in her mind as she tried to remember why she was awake so early on the last day of spring break.

The last day…

"Oh, that's right…" she muttered to herself, feeling excitement and apprehension start to mingle somewhere in her stomach. "It's today…"

She rubbed at her eyes and contemplated getting up, then let out a sigh, her hand falling back to her side. Beside her, her alarm continued to beep.

2021/04/13 (Mon)

"Now Nanako, are you sure you have everything? You're not forgetting anything, are you? Laptop? Yu's address? Your phone?"

"It's all packed, Dad," said Nanako, giving her father a patient smile as he walked with her through the doors of Yasoinaba Station, dragging her suitcase along behind him. In her hands, she carried a heavy paper bag, full almost to bursting with treats and presents from Yu's friends in Inaba. "Don't worry about it."

"You know I can't help but worry," said Dojima, although he smiled fondly at her as he said it. His eyes moved from her to the platform behind her as they drew to a stop, waiting for the train. "I still think you're too young to go do something like this."

"I'm the same age as onii-chan was when he came to live here," Nanako pointed out, shifting the bag of gifts to one hand and tugging at the strap of her shoulder bag with the other.

"Well, that's different," said Dojima, rubbing at the back of his neck. "Coming to live in a little town like Inaba isn't the same as heading out to the city. And after all those kids got sick last winter…" He let out a heavy sigh, his eyes on the empty track. "Just—just be safe, alright."

"I will, Dad," Nanako said. "I promise."

"Don't stay out too late at night, don't talk to anyone who looks suspicious, and listen to your cousin, okay? Remember, you're there to study."

Nanako resisted the urge to sigh, turning her eyes toward the tracks. "Yes, Dad. I know."

"And if you ever get into any trouble, call me, alright? The city's not so far that I can't come and help you out."

"And onii-chan will be there, and if I can't reach you, I can always call Naoto or Chie, and the emergency number is 119," said Nanako, reciting the next part from memory. "Don't worry, Dad. I know. And you'll remember to keep the house clean and eat vegetables and not stay out drinking with the guys from the station, right?"

Dojima opened his mouth to respond to that, but before he could, the door to the platform opened again, admitting three girls dressed in the uniform of Yasogami High. Nanako's eyes widened as she saw them, and she quickly turned around to face them.

"Nanako!" one of the girls said. "Oh, good, you're still here! Ayaka was worried we were going to miss the train!"

"You guys, you came," Nanako said. "But what about school?"

"It's just the entrance ceremony," said Ayaka, placing an arm around Nanako's shoulder. "Like we were going to miss seeing you off, Little Miss Scholarship."

"You're not going to forget about us while you're living in the city, are you?" the third girl, Sakura, asked. "You'll still want to be friends when you come back?"

Nanako's eyes moved past Ayaka towards her father, but Dojima had already taken a few steps away from the girls, and was looking up at the sky with his jacket slung over his shoulder in a way that told Nanako he was trying very hard not to look like he was listening in on their conversation. She looked back at Sakura.

"Of course we'll still be friends, Sakura-chan," she said. "I'm only going away for a year."

"Yeah, but won't there be an opportunity to renew your scholarship when the year's done?" the first girl, Eriko, asked. "If that happens, you might not ever come back."

"Eriko, shush," said Ayaka. "If you get that scholarship for another year, you should definitely take it, Nanako. Don't worry about us!"

"Yeah, but…" Nanako's eyes drifted towards her father again. The other girls followed her gaze, a hush settling over their conversation. It was Ayaka who broke the silence, reaching for Nanako's hand.

"Dojima-san's just going to have to take care of himself," she said, squeezing Nanako's hand firmly and looking her in the eye. "You're going to go be awesome."

"Oooh, I wonder…" Sakura said, her eyes lighting up. "Now that your dad's not going to be looking over your shoulder, are you finally going to get a boyfriend?"

"Sakura-chan!" Nanako said, the heat rising to her face. Ayaka and Eriko broke out into giggles, Eriko covering her mouth with her hand in an attempt to stifle them. "I'm not going to the city for that!"

"So you say," said Eriko, removing her hand from her mouth for just long enough to give Nanako a sly smirk.

"I've heard private school boys are smart and sophisticated," Ayaka said, grinning. "Definitely not the kind you can find in a town like Inaba."

"Ayaka-chan!" Nanako said.

"What?" Ayaka asked. "Just saying."

"If you do find a boyfriend, make sure to bring him back here, okay?" Eriko asked. "We want to meet him."

"Yeah, you could get a room at the Amagi Inn," Sakura said, waggling her eyebrows suggestively. "Just the two of you."

Nanako felt like she was going to pass out, and could tell that her face would practically be glowing. She knew that her friends could see it too, knew that was half the reason why they were teasing her like this. "You guys are horrible," she said. "I'm just going to study."

"But you're also going to have a lot of fun," said Ayaka, smiling as she held up a paper gift bag. "And you're going to be making a lot of memories. So we got you this, to remember us by."

"It's a diary," said Sakura, as Nanako took the bag. "Write down everything cool that happens to you, okay? That way, you'll remember it so you can tell us about it when you get back."

"And we'll chat this weekend, okay?" Eriko said. "I wanna see your new school uniform, your new room and everything."

Nanako blinked in surprise, feeling a familiar tightness in her chest. Her eyes misted over as she held the bag with the diary in it in both hands, the small bag resting against the bigger one that had presents for her cousin. "I—of course, Eriko-chan, Sakura-chan, Ayaka-chan. We'll always be friends."

"Come on, don't cry now," said Ayaka, although she sniffed, placing one hand on Nanako's shoulder. "Go on. I think your train's coming."

As if on cue, Dojima lifted his head, looking back at the girls. "Nanako!" he called. "The train's almost here!"

"I'm going to miss you guys!" Nanako said, opening her arms and embracing her friends. They hugged her back, pressing in close against her for a second before pulling away.

"Nanako!" Dojima called again, more insistently.

"I'll be back for a bit in the summer," Nanako promised, looking around at the pained smiles on her friends' faces. "And I'll send you guys lots of pictures, and I'll make sure to tell you everything." Before Dojima could call for her again, she quickly turned, jogging back towards the platform. "And you guys will tell me everything too, okay?" she called as she ran, looking back over her shoulder. "About Yasogami and everything you guys do this year!"

She turned back towards her father just as they started assuring her that they would, drawing up beside him. Dojima was watching the train tracks, the sound of the approaching train growing closer. She felt the knot in her chest tighten, reminding her that there was one more parting she had to go through today.

As if he could sense her mood, Dojima looked back towards her, a smile on his face. "Ah, you'll be alright," he said, and she got the sense that he was saying it as much to himself as he was to her. "You're smart, and you're sensible. Just keep your head on your shoulders and things will be fine."

"Dad…" she began, feeling her throat close up.

"What?" Dojima asked. "You're not getting second thoughts now, are you? The train's almost here."

Nanako shook her head, pressing her lips tightly together. The train arrived with a rush of wind, a giant metallic serpent that was here to take her away from everything she had ever known. The doors yawned open in front of her, releasing a rush of cold air, and she took a deep breath, throwing her arms around her father.

"I'm going to miss you," she said.

Dojima blinked, taken aback, then raised his arms to settle around her, pulling her close. The warmth and smell of him was intensely familiar, and Nanako choked back a sob. "You'll do great," her father said, resting his chin on top of her head. "There's no doubt in my mind about that. Just be careful, alright?"

He pulled away from her, smiling down at her while she blinked up at him with tear-filled eyes, then carefully nudged her in the direction of the train. Nanako nodded, clearing her throat, and shifted her gifts to one hand, taking the handle of her suitcase with the other one. Taking a deep breath, she stepped forward, across the threshold and into the train. As if it had been waiting for her, the train lurched forward once she was inside, and she had to brace her hand against the wall so that she didn't fall over with the movement.

"Say hello to your cousin for me!" Dojima said, giving her a sad smile as the train moved away from the platform. "And take care!"

"I will!" Nanako shouted back, feeling herself lean forward. "You take care too!"

And then the train picked up speed and was gone.

Nanako stood at the door for a long moment, watching as the platform of Yasoinaba Station faded into the distance. Then, when she couldn't see the station anymore, she let out a long sigh, making her way over to the seat. She placed the gifts and her suitcase in the overhead rack, struggling a bit with the weight of her suitcase before she managed it, then dropped into a seat by the window, watching the scenery fly by. The train was almost empty this far out in the countryside, the only other passengers being a group of people that looked like they were bound for Okina, and an old woman that was walking back through the aisle towards a seat. She paused to give Nanako a smile as she passed by, taking in the bags and suitcase above her.

"Heading all the way to the city, dear?" she asked, as Nanako reached into her shoulder bag, taking out her phone and earbuds.

"Yes, ma'am," Nanako replied. "I'm starting school there tomorrow."

"Well, that's a big step," the old woman said, smiling. "Take care."

Nanako nodded in thanks, looking back over her shoulder and watching as the old woman shuffled away, settling into a seat by the window. Then, she turned back to the phone in her lap, attaching her earbuds to it and selecting some music. She slipped the phone into her pocket and the earbuds into her ear, leaning back into her seat to watch the scenery. Although she hadn't intended it, within a few moments she was asleep, lulled by the sound of the music and the motion of the train.

"In other news, the cause of the mysterious disease that killed twelve people in the Greater Tokyo Area last winter is still unknown, although experts believe that they are coming close to finding a solution. With us tonight is a representative of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases, who will discuss how the outbreak—popularly known as Shinjuku Syndrome because of the location of the first known case—is believed to have passed from victim to victim…"

The news droned on in the background as Yu dropped a piece of battered shrimp into a pan, the sizzling sound of frying drowning out the reporter's low, competent tones. He wiped sweat away from his forehead with his arm, his eyes drifting down towards the phone on the countertop as another message came in from Dojima, the second in the past thirty minutes. He tapped at his screen to accept the message, the sound of the news broadcast automatically dimming as Dojima's voice filled the air.

"Hey, Yu, it's me again. Sorry, I know you're probably busy getting ready. Just wanted to see if Nanako's arrived yet. Give me a call when you two are settled, and thanks again for looking after her, alright?"

The message broke off, the news broadcast returning to its previous volume. Yu lifted the tempura from the pan and laid them out on napkins to dry, letting out a little sigh as he glanced at the clock, his eyes sweeping over the small apartment as he did so. Nanako's train wouldn't be arriving for at least another thirty-five minutes, and Dojima knew that about as much as he did. Still, considering everything that had happened ten years ago, Yu wasn't surprised that he was acting this way.

But…thinking about it, he supposed it wouldn't do any harm to go down to the station anyway. Just in case the train came early. After all, it was a big station, and as far as he knew, Nanako had never come down to the city before. Yes, that would probably be a good thing to do.

Yu reached over and turned the stove off, washing his hands and wiping them on his apron. He told himself as he did that he definitely wasn't starting to think like his uncle.

The music lulled her to sleep, letting her sink back into the shadow of dreams. In that dream, the music changed in tone and quality, settling into a piano piece that seemed somehow both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. Nanako breathed deep, feeling herself relax back into her seat, feeling herself falling, falling, falling…

The world resolved around her, becoming a sea of blue. A room, she realized, floating in the sky. Or at least, it was in something that was floating in the sky, because she could see clouds through the glass windows that surrounded her, white clouds hanging in a sea of twilight.

Her mind cleared and she blinked, realizing that she was standing in front of a low table. The strangest man she had ever seen was sitting on a couch on the other side of that table, giving her a smile. He was a short man, balding at the top, and his nose was almost as long as his body. There were cards spread out on the table in front of him, face down. A young man in a blue suit was seated on the couch beside him, offering her a tentative smile of his own. His hair was white, his skin as pale as ivory. His eyes, as far as Nanako could see, were golden.

A…dream? she thought. It had to be. There was no way a room like this could actually be real, could it?

"Welcome," the man with the long nose said, "to the Velvet Room. My name is Igor. You have been selected to participate in a very special trial period of our services. We expect that the challenges you are about to face will hone your mind and heart in unexpected ways, and are looking forward to seeing the results."

She stared at him blankly, uncertain. One of her hands reached for the opposite arm, pinching the skin tightly, but the sudden burst of pain that coursed through her wasn't enough to wake her up. Both Igor and the man in the blue suit were looking up at her expectantly, knowing smiles on their faces. She didn't even know where to start.

"…Trial period?" she asked, after a while.

"You share a special connection with a previous guest," Igor said. "It is most intriguing. But you have not yet fully awakened to your destiny, or rather, to your history. Unfortunately, until you have, we will be unable to provide our full services. However, you will find our services adequate to the task at hand, should you choose to drift through the boundary between dreams and reality."

Nanako shook her head. She wasn't sure if it was the dream or the strangeness of it all, but she felt as though she were thinking through a fog, unable to make sense of all of this. The whole place, dream or not, had a surreal air to it that was straddling the line between feeling peaceful and comfortable and making her skin crawl. She had barely noticed that the men behind the table were moving, until the golden-eyed man held a black folder out towards Igor and Igor accepted it.

"This is the contract that all of our guests must sign," Igor said, laying out a pen beside it. "You should sign it if you wish to accept this trial offer."

Nanako approached the table warily, feeling the carpeted floor shift beneath her as she walked, a steady rocking motion as if they really were flying. The contract on the table was printed on expensive-looking, high-quality paper, and on it were only nine words.

I chooseth this fate of mine own free will.

She stared at the page, a part of her mind expecting to see more words. When there were none, she looked up at Igor. "That's it?" she asked. "That's all it says?"

"That is all that is needed," Igor said, again giving her that smile that told her that he knew something she didn't know. "The Velvet Room exists to support our guests in their endeavors, because it is our guests' choices that define our existence."

Nanako drew in a breath, picking up the pen. She was just about to lower it to the page when some instinct spoke up in the back of her mind, urging caution. Her eyes met Igor's again. "Why me?" she asked.

"Because you are a very special existence," Igor said. "One who has passed through the boundary of reality before. Do you remember?"

A shiver passed through her, her grip on the pen faltering. Darkness, swallowing her up. A cold, a numbness that erased the pain and fear. Orange eyes, nagging at her memory.

Her hand tightened its grip on the pen and she realized that she was breathing faster, her eyes wide. She took in slow, deep breaths to calm herself, looking back down at the contract. It seemed so small, so innocuous.

I chooseth this fate of mine own free will.

Her pen moved over the paper before she was fully aware of what she was doing, signing her name. When it was done, Igor scooped up the folder in both hands, closing it and carefully setting it aside.

"We will contact you at a later time to more fully explain our services," Igor said. "In the meantime, you should continue on as you normally do. Pay special attention to your connections with people, particularly those bonds that form inside of your heart. Have a good day."

The room faded before she could ask any more questions, disappearing into shadow. She fell into that shadow, into that darkness, into the space inside of her own mind.

"Now arriving: Shinjuku Station. Now arriving: Shinjuku Station."

The electronic sound of the announcer woke her up, and Nanako opened her eyes to see a confusion of sound and color. There were more people around her than she had ever seen in her life. Even the train was packed. She jumped up to her feet, managing somehow to free her suitcase and the bags of gifts from the top rack, and stepped off the train in the last second before the doors closed behind her, the train zipping off towards its next stop and leaving her alone in this riot of light and color.

It was overwhelming, and she felt the first touch of panic start to course through her. When she saw Yu standing a few feet away from the platform and waving at her to catch her attention, she breathed out an audible sigh of relief. Yu looked more or less the same as the last time she had seen him, when he had come to Inaba to visit over the winter holiday, and he was a comforting element of familiarity. He smiled at her as she approached, wordlessly taking her bag.

"How was your trip?" he asked, as they moved through the crowd, heading towards the escalator that would get them to street level.

"It was good," Nanako said. "I slept through most of it." The weird dream she had had on the train still nagged at her, but she put it out of her mind for now, not knowing what to make of it. "How have you been doing?" she said instead.

"I've been busy," Yu said, with a grimace. "There's a fraud case we're looking into. I can't really tell you too much about it, but it's wrapping up soon."

"That's good," Nanako said. "Chie says you have it lucky. Inaba's been pretty quiet lately."

"I can't say I would mind some peace and quiet right now, actually," Yu said with a sigh, as they stepped out of one of the station's exits and out into the city. Nanako's eyes widened as she took in the buildings that rose up on either side of her, gaping at the number of people that flooded the streets. Yu flashed her a smile, raising one hand towards the street and flagging down a passing taxicab.

"Welcome to Tokyo," he said.

The cab let them out in front of a tall apartment building, and Nanako followed Yu up the stairs, trying her best not to look like she was so obviously trying to see everything. It almost surprised her that Yu wasn't fazed by any of this at all, but then again, he wouldn't have been. He had grown up in this city, and she didn't even know the first place to start.

Not for the first time, she started to feel uneasy about her decision to come here. She had known Inaba like the back of her hand since she was old enough to walk to Junes by herself, but she had no idea how she was even going to get to school tomorrow. Thankfully, Yu seemed to sense her nervousness, because not long after opening the door to his apartment, he gave her two things, a map and a rail pass.

"You can take the train from Shibuya Station to Kakugaya, where the school is," he said, pointing out the two stations on the railway map. "The two stations are on the same line, so you don't need to make a transfer. I can show you how to get to the station later, if you're not too tired. I also made lunch."

Nanako gave him a tired smile, some of the unease dissipating. "You're the best, onii-chan," she said, taking off her shoes and following him into the apartment.

It was small, which she had expected, but Yu seemed to have cleaned the place up for her arrival, and as promised, lunch was waiting at the low table in front of the TV. It almost reminded her of home, and her smile brightened as she sat down on one of the cushions, placing the bag of gifts on the table beside her.

"These are gifts from everyone in Inaba," she said, handing the bag to Yu as he came to sit next to her. "Um…everyone sends their regards. Kanji and Naoto say the wedding's going to be next spring, and the Hanamuras' baby is so cute, even though Chie says he cries a lot. Yukiko…" Nanako paused uncertainly, watching her cousin. Yu was looking through the bag, taking out each gift carefully and setting it aside, but he paused at the mention of Yukiko. Nanako drew in a deep breath before going on. "Yukiko sends her regards too. She's still working hard at the inn."

"Good," Yu said, and his composure returned so quickly that she almost thought she had imagined the lapse. "I mean, it's good that Yukiko's working hard. I know the inn means a lot to her."

"Mm," Nanako said, feeling an awkward tension start to build in the air. "Um…and Rise's new movie just came out, although you probably already know all about that." She cleared her throat, wondering how to bring up a rumor that had been spread around her school, and had become a point of contention among Yu's friends, particularly the heiress of the Amagi Inn. "Uh…is it true that Rise sometimes stays here?"

"Sometimes," Yu said, "when she needs a break." To her surprise, he shrugged, continuing to look through the gifts. "Everyone does, or they used to. That's why I have the spare room in the first place. Naoto still comes by sometimes when she's on a case." He looked up, meeting her eyes. "I'm not dating Rise, Nanako."

Nanako felt the heat rise to her face. "Oh," she said. "Oh, good—uh, I mean, not that there's anything wrong with Rise, but everyone thought that you'd say something to them if you were, and it's just that the tabloids said—uh, sorry. I shouldn't be gossiping about this."

"No, it's alright," said Yu, waving his hand dismissively. "I get that question a lot. Let's eat, and then we can take your things to the room. It's small, so it might be a little cramped, but at least it's better than a dorm, right?"

He gave her a smile that barely seemed strained at all, picking up his chopsticks. She managed to return it, doing the same.

The rest of the day was spent setting up her room, with a quick break in the afternoon where Yu took her down to the station to show her the area. By nightfall, she was feeling exhausted, so she returned to her small room, lying down with her legs hanging off the edge of the bed and listening to the sound of the TV coming from the living room, the television turned on to one of the city's news channels.

"Eterna Corp., the makers of the popular online game Asgard Online, claim that the allegations of fraud are baseless, suggesting that…"

Whatever they were suggesting didn't seem all that important, because she heard Yu change the channel. Nanako stared up at the ceiling, kicking her feet backwards and forwards. It felt strange having a Western-style bed like this, after years of sleeping on a futon. She guessed that Yu's friends must have preferred it, especially Rise or Naoto, and if the spare room had been for them in the first place…

Nanako squeezed her eyes shut and opened them again, looking around the room. Yu was right—it was small, although there was enough room for all of her things. A desk stood against one wall for her to use, and she had a bookshelf and closet. They had gotten most of her things put away, and the Teddie doll that she had brought with her from Inaba sat on her desk along with the rabbit that Kanji had made for her, watching her. Next to it were the map and railway pass that Yu had gotten for her, and hanging from a hook by the door was her new school uniform, still in its plastic packaging.

She stood up, walking over to it. Gensouji High School's female uniform was a light gray blazer with a white undershirt, a violet tie and a black pleated skirt. She ran her fingers over the outside of the packaging, tracing the school's crest, which had been pressed onto the blazer's lower right pocket. A similar crest had been emblazoned onto the tie. Two violet stripes on the sleeve of the blazer marked the uniform as belonging to a second-year.

A private school uniform. Her uniform. Even standing here, staring at it with her school ID not two feet away from her, Nanako couldn't believe it. She had applied for the scholarship on her homeroom teacher's recommendation, but at the time, she never thought that she would actually get it.

Now, here she was, and she had no idea what to do.

"First day of school tomorrow…" she said to herself, testing out how she felt about it. Nervous, apprehensive, excited. The same things she had been feeling since the day she opened that letter to find out that she had been accepted. That same vaguely queasy feeling followed her as she climbed into bed, closing her eyes and trying to get some sort of sleep.