Persona

Chapter 2.3

Tartarus...

"Whoa... It's just as cool on the inside..." Junpei murmurs.

"But it sure is creepy..." Yukari says.

"This is only the entrance. The labyrinth lies beyond the doorway at the top of the stairs." Mitsuru-senpai says.

The doorway looks like an incomplete (or destroyed) clock. The gears were showing inside it. All of it looks like it's made of gold. It also has intricate designs embedded around it. Roman numerals 1-12 were used for this clock, though the number 6 is no longer there for it was where the entrance is. The clock is supported by poles on its sides. The stair case doesn't have any handle or railings, so it might be a little scary to go up there.

"First, we'll have you three get a feel for this place. Why don't you go have a look around?" Akihiko senpai suggested.

That got me and Yukari alarmed.

"What!? By ourselves!?" Yukari said.

"We're not asking you to go very far, and i'll be feeding you information from here." Mitsuru-senpai said.

"We're also going to appoint a leader to make any necessary decisions." Akihiko-senpai said.

"For real? ...One of us?" Junpei asked.

Akihiko-senpai nodded.

"Oh! Oh! Me me me! Pick me!" Junpei volunteered.

"......" Akihiko-senpai thought to himself. Then he decided "Amie, you're in charge." and clapped me on the back.

My eyeballs nearly fell from my sockets. I silently pleaded with Akihiko-senpai to take back his decision.

"Wha...? B-but she's a girl!" Junpei reasoned a bit grumpily.

"Well, she HAS fought them before... " Yukari defended me.

"Seriously?" Junpei asked incredulously.

"That's true, but there's another reason. You two..." Akihiko-senpai said and turned to Junpei and Yukari. "Can you summon your Persona without any difficulties, like she can?"

"Y-Yeah, of course I can!" Junpei replied.

"I think so." Yukari said.

"These are Shadows we're talking about here. Without your Persona, you're screwed." Akihiko-senpai said.

"I'm aware of that." Yukari said.

"Alright, let's head inside." Akihiko-senpai said, then hevturned to me saying "Are you ready, Amie?"

I was still a bit nervous so I told him "Um, not quite..."

"It all feels so sudden, doesn't it?" Yukari told me. "But hey, I'll be right there behind you. C'mon, let's go." she encouraged me.

I smiled at her still a bit uncertain, but we decided to go through the entrance...