Disclaimer: A Certain Magical Index/ A Certain Scientific Railgun is created by Kazama Kamachi and Persona is owned by Atlus. I am not associated nor am I related to any of their works. I own nothing but the story. Please enjoy my unworthy piece...

"I don't really care. Is dying that scary to you?"

April 29th:

Ever since I moved here, I had this odd sense that I wasn't supposed to be here at all.

No I don't think there's little value to my life, it's just that I feel that I'm missing something important. Kinda like when you're presented a test asking you a question that you forgot to study up on and when you can't answer the question, it leaves an empty feeling afterwards. That nagging feeling always manages to bother me that I had forgotten something but I don't have any idea what that something is.

How odd considering I was okay with life here in [Academy City] and didn't feel the need to change that.

Academy city, in short, is a city filled with schools and institution of higher learning. The city has twenty three districts and eighty percent of the 2.3 million people living in the city are students. The purpose of [Academy City] is to develop one's knowledge in the art of science, but there is another thing it's more famous for, Espers.

Espers are people who emit AIM fields and went through the [Power Curricular Program]. They then gain an ability which could be telekinesis or pyromancy or whatever. There are six level ranks that each espers' ability is categorized ranging between Level 0, which is considered to be someone with potential but are no better than a normal person, to Level 5, which are the strongest of the strong which there are only seven. It's a hassle to explain the inner mechanics since each ability varies and the system is also complex. However despite living in this fantasy-like world, it doesn't interest me in the least.

I'm a level 0, no, rather that's a bit inaccurate. When I went to get scan to determine my level, the machine fluctuated into different number levels and the screen went blue, indicating some sort of error. The researchers figured it was a malfunction and had to reboot it. Once I went to get scanned again, it was the same result. No matter how many time I went to repeat the scans, the end result was a blue screen of death, simply put, an error message. The researcher theorized it might be due to an ability that I have or a glitch but no one knew what the true cause was. Therefore I was labeled as Level 0, [Invalid Entry], named after the numerous failed scans and a means of convenience.

After further testing, it seems my ability reduces damage cause by any anticipated external stimuli. For example, if you hit me with a golf club I wouldn't get a concussion or any severe damage but it only gives me the feeling like a slap to the face. Or if you light me on fire, I won't be burned but it would sting a bit, like a doctor's needle…

It still hurts but at least I won't be unconscious. I'm still counted as Level 0 since the scientist cannot understand how my ability works or define it. Thus my ability is still called, [Invalid Entry], a complete mystery but at the same time, nothing noteworthy to research. That's probably due to the seventh Level Five being similar in nature but his power seems to overshadow mine.

I don't partially care about that though. I'm not passionate about anything or feeling downcast either. Self-preservation is perhaps how one would define my lifestyle. Normally, students try to rank up but I don't really care about that. Life was peaceful and boring but I don't feel the need to change it. This lonely life which people are repulsed by is something I did not mind one bit. I can't say I'm happy but I'm not unhappy. In a way, I'm too apathetic since I do not find it scary to die or live.

However, that feeling was nagging at me. I feel out of place and that there was something missing. From time to time, there were images popping into my head, and sceneries that had taken shape. I was surrounded by people but their faces were blurred. A recent one was one where I was on a school roof, lying on a girl's lap. These images bothered me but usually I shrugged them off. Out of habit though, I would draw or paint these images in order to understand them but the meaning always escapes me and I forget about them anyways.

The images felt sort of like nostalgia. Only that these aren't really memories but just mental pictures appearing in my head. Perhaps it's a lonely esper wanting to communicate to me or it might just be some sort of prank. I don't care one way or the other in the end, so I suppose for me, it's a way for me to kill time…

I began painting near a vending machine in a park. I set up a portable art easel and brought out a painting set. I began to draw a reoccurring scene that plays in my mind. It was a city of dark green buildings with red ooze flowing out of the crevices and cracks. There was an eerie yellow moon and a tower that loomed over the city. The tower was like a mixture of cubism and a style similar to abstract art, but for some reason, looking at this tower made me feel exhausted. It felt like I actually walked though the tower and battled through hordes of monsters. Maybe I should stop reading light novels. I wonder why it made feel this way. That is until someone bumped into me and I splattered red paint on the artwork. To which, I only sighed.

"Ah! I'm sorry, I honestly didn't see you there!" a middle school student apologetically bowed in a frantic manner.

The girl had long black hair and blue eyes. With her, were more girls whom I assumed to be her friends. Friends was an interesting word for me for some reason.

"Saten-san you shouldn't be walking backwards," chided the one with flowers in her hair. She too bowed in apology for her friends behavior.

"I'm really sorry for our friend's carelessness," said the one in twin tails bowing as well in a respectable attitude.

"She didn't really mean to bump into you, honest," said the one with short brown hair.

"Its fine," I said monotonously," I was going to scrap this one as soon as I was finish."

"We're really sorry…"

"It's okay, I'm not angry…" I replied to the long black haired girl.

"Uh, really…?"

"Can't you tell by my face?" I tilted my head in confusion.

"No, we can't…" stated the short brown haired girl.

The group of middle school girls held befuddled expressions. Perhaps weirded out by my demeanor but i didn't really care. They looked over at my painting and each one had a different opinion.

"It looks sort of creepy," the long haired one said.

The one in a flower crown elbowed her.

"It's pretty interesting looking. Were you going for Vincent Van Gogh style or Picasso's?" asked the twin tails.

"I think it's amazing you can draw this, it's such a waste to throw it away…" said the one in flowers.

"Why do you want to throw it away?"

I turn to them and they were disturbed how emotionless and mechanical I was acting.

"There is no reason for me to keep this," I said.

"But didn't you put a lot of effort into this?" the brown haired girl asked and continued, "Why paint it if you're going to throw it away?"

"I paint it on a whim," I sighed, "There's no particular reason as to why I draw it in the first place. It's kind of like saying something without thinking or when you feel like hitting something for no reason…"

"So you did out of impulse?" said flowers.

I shrugged and started to pack my things.

"You're a bit strange…"

"I've been told that…" I said while putting everything away, "Well, then good day."

The group also bowed and left while I head in the opposite direction. I get the unnerving feeling I'll be seeing them a lot much to my dismay.

April 30th:

"What's up?"

The person walking up to me was Junpei Iori Level 2, [Pyrokinesis]. He felt familiar and I thought I had met him in the past but he denied meeting me before. Considering I was constantly moving all the time, I suppose it's not far off that I might have seen him in passing but I suppose it's not an issue. He was the second person to talk to me when I entered the class of Year 1 Class 7.

"Good morning, Iori-san…"

"There's no need to be formal dude," He said disapproving but smiled again, "Anyways I met the love of my life~! It feels like we're meant to be y'know~!"

"Geez, you're loud as always, Junpei…"

Yukari Takeba, Level 3, [Aero Hand]. She's also someone I had thought to have met in the past but she also said this was first time we've met in our first meeting. She was the first person I talked to when I was asking for directions to the faculty office.

"Good morning, Arisato-kun," she greeted.

"Good morning, Takeba-san…"

"Hey, hey, Yuka-tan, I met someone special~!"

"Are you sure it's not something short of a delusion?" asked the Class rep.

The class representative has a lighter shade of blue compare to my dark blue hair and has piercings. He's pretty much famous for being a pervert in Year 1 Class 7 in [A Certain High School]. He's also part of the Three Idiots—Delta Force. Junpei might actually end up joining their ranks if he isn't careful…

"Say what you want," Junpei smirked, "I'm on top of the world~!"

"Hey, Motoharu, I think he's serious…" he gasped.

Motoharu Tsuchimikado was another fellow member of the Delta Force. He had blonde hair and wore sunglasses accompanied with his Hawaiian shirt under his uniform's jacket. He has a sister complex to which he enormously accepts that fact with pride. He had a playful and carefree way of speaking but I get the strange feeling that he is hiding something darker. Well, it's none of my concern…

"Hah, I hope that girl doesn't meet Kami-yan, or its game over for you, Iori-chan~!"

"Kami-yan" was Touma Kamijou, a person stricken with bad luck due to his strange ability. He's nice, chivalrous, and helps anyone in need but he also attracts the opposite gender to his dismay.

All three of them are Level 0 but they seemed content and do not mind staying as such.

Junpei was praying that Kamijou-san doesn't meet someone named Chidori, who also sounds oddly familiar. Yukari only sighed at their stupidity. The Three idiots are bickering away while the class is simply enjoying the banter. It was a carefree day here, something I did not mind at all.

Komoe Tsukuyomi-sensei was our homeroom, she looked like a child but she's actually an adult. Her appearance is a complete mystery. She wishes to start class but the trio was fighting to which Seiri Fukiyose beat them all up. She acts more of a class rep. than the actual class rep.

I sighed and waited for the day to be over. Nothing changed when I entered high school from middle school. I'll eventually come and go for everything is but a fleeting moment...

May 13:

Days have passed but nothing noteworthy to report, just some thugs trying to mug me to which I only sighed. They even became more agitated when I didn't show any hint of emotions of fear, anger, or even concern, which disturb them as well. One of them threw a punch but due to [Invalid Entry], I just shrugged off the hit while the thug clutched his hand in pain. He commented that it felt like hitting a brick wall.

A strange person then intervened stating that they shouldn't pick on the weak and helpless. He started to lecture them in proper student conduct but the thugs decided to attack him. He defeated them all and approached me.

"Are you alright?" he asked loudly.

"Yes…"

"I can't hear you! C'mon put some spirit and guts into it!"

"Understood…"

"That's better!"

He also has taken an interest in me, saying I felt sort of similar to him. He then left without telling me his name but I became acquainted with him time to time again. I would see him yelling about justice and guts on the streets helping anyone in trouble. He was similar to Touma-san.

So another day had past.

June 17th:

This is when things started to go down hill for me...

I was out late at night going to get something to eat from the convenience store when I heard Touma-san's voice crying "Such misfortune!" out in the distance. I saw him running at high speed being chase by a girl in a Tokiwadai School uniform.

"Minato-san, out of the way!" he shouted.

Just then I got hit by something. I didn't know what hit me but it must have been electricity since the pain was intense and stunning. I fell over having memories going through my head. Voices of many people course through my mind and the cloudy images became vivid.

"…And so it begins…"

"You know, I've been thinking lately… Once you awaken to the power of Persona, you remember everything that happens during the Dark Hour… It's like trading away your innocence... In exchange for power, you can no longer look away from the things you don't want to see. So, I guess I'm stuck with you guys, huh?"

"Aki… Take care of him…"

"It's his choice. He's the only one who can decide how he's going to live his life… The same goes for all of us."

"One time, my father made a promise. He swore that he would atone for endangering our generation, even if it cost him his life… But, I…I wanted him to live… I… I became a persona-user to protect him…"

"Chidori… Chidori, I… I… This is so hard…But… It's not just my life anymore…"

"I'm sorry… I'm… afraid…"

I remember now.

The life I'm currently living now is Minato Arisato but I was once Makoto Yuuki and I'm supposed to be dead…

To be continued…

Author's Note: Hello, I'm the Cipher, and I thank you for reading this work. I'm probably going to write this as a five chapter one-shot since I'm reluctant to write this considering science isn't my forte. I wrote this on a whim so I'm not sure how good this is. I hoped you enjoyed this piece.