Shapeshifter - Persona 5

2: My Resolve

I massage my neck and look away. "Um... Well, um, I was just... I transferred here, so-"

"Ah, you're new!" he says suddenly. "No wonder you don't know him," He says, oddly solemn for a moment. His face perks up just as abruptly. "C'mon, let's go before we end up late. This rain ain't too bad, and I even know a shortcut!"

He was a bit intimidating before, but... now he seems kinda nice. No, stop thinking about anything! It doesn't matter, I shouldn't talk to him anyway. Or anyone for that matter. I can't make friends here, I shouldn't, I don't deserve it. I'll have to leave when my probation ends, or they'll leave before that, or even worse, I'll-!

An ear-splitting sound sends me cowering, a sharp pain in my head nearly driving me to a scream.

...what the hell was that?!

My whole body trembles. I squeeze my hands into fists and dig my nails into my palms, praying they won't turn on a whim. While a random headache is strange, it's even weirder when I look over to the blond boy to see him just as pained... I... I didn't do that, right?

I really hope I'm overthinking this.

Thoughts race through my head. I've been blamed for many things, but never headaches... As I follow him, though, an odd feeling overcomes me. Like, everything feels... strange. The world feels painfully vivid, down to the puddle I walked through, splashing and falling slowly like I'm in some weird dream. Is this it? Is this what happens to people before they snap? It's gotta be...

Wait, maybe the other guy feels it too and I'm not insane? I should ask-

"Woah... WHAT?!"

Right in front of us is... a castle..?

"This... is the school, right?" I ask him, eyeing the sign that reads "Shujin Academy". It looked nothing like this yesterday... Maybe this is a back entrance? Yeah... maybe the school is just... really, really... old?

"I dunno... Let's check to be sure."

As much as I really don't think we should... this guy probably knows what he's doing.

===

This guy has no idea what he's doing.

"Are you... sure this is the school?" My voice trembles.

"Oh come on, it's probably just a prank!" He jeers, poking the armor of the literal knight that showed up out of nowhere. "See? He ain't doin' anything. Prolly just a student." He pauses to look them over. "But maaan, that armor looks so cool! Almost looks real! But uh, prank's over, so you can go now."

The knight stays oddly still.

This looks bad... I gotta run-!

Another one intercepts me as I try.

"...Dude, I think these guys are for real, we gotta run!"

You think!?

My eyes dart around for any way out, but the knights are too condensed for an easy way through. But there's gotta be something! I can't just die on my first day because I followed some stranger into a castle! If I could just shapeshift here, this would be easy! But what if this is a prank, and the school is watching? What if this guy is in on it?! What if they all knew?!

The blond cries out in pain, knocked down by a shield. My breathing rapidly accelerates.

"J-Just go, man!"

I swerve around one last time, then turn to the door. I seethe, but regretfully choose.

I'm not dying here!