The twins woke up to find themselves inside the velvet room . In the velvet room , there were Elizabeth and Theodore with a confused look on their faces , and Margaret who was pacing back and forth , very agitated and angry . In the last battle , the twins were pushed to their limit , and tapping into their inner potential released a newfound source of power that they didn't know they had , power that was a shock even to Margaret . However , at the climax of the fight , Margaret yelled at them to stop , telling them that if they were to call a certain Persona in that state , they would die .
" you're finally here ... about time ... " Margaret said impatiently as soon as she noticed the twins , then she furiously turned to her siblings " what is the nature behind that halo of light that enveloped them ? You said it appeared during your fight against them , too ?! Do you not know what it is ?! "
" on the first day of this year, they had awakened to a new power " Theodore replied worriedly " such power that we haven't seen before , but we could see that it was immense , far beyond anything we have ever seen "
" we told them we will study it and inform them of its properties , but our investigation is still ongoing "
" I see ... " Margaret's anger seemed to calm down a little , and she turned to the twins , who had been silently listening . She stared at them intently , as if she was looking into their soul . Finally she broke the silence and said " I have been researching power in its various shapes and forms , and I know of powers that you wouldn't believe exist . You can say that I am more experienced than my siblings in this field , so I can understand your situation better than they can "
" I... I see ... " between the twins , only Minato could respond " and was what you said true , about this power killing us if we use it ? "
" I admit that even I'm not sure of what this power can do , but when I saw it coursing through you , that was the first thing that I noticed . It may take me more time to understand it, but for now you need to keep in mind that the moment you decide to use this power , you're forfeiting your own life "
The twins couldn't bear to burden their friends with their own fate , and so when they were brought back to the real world , they pretended that Margaret had never said anything about the possibility of their death . It took so much of them to keep a poker face and act normally before their friends , and the two of them barely held on until each of them went to their rooms , before they both began crying silently .
" so ... does that mean ... we don't have a next year ... ? " Minako whispered under her sobs
" I ... I don't know ... " Minato wiped his eyes , but he was met with his sister's teary eyes " but if this power can help us defeat Nyx ... "
" what am I supposed to do ? Tell them that the only way to save the world is by sacrificing my own life ? " Minako sighed " what if I didn't want to ?! What if they didn't want me to ?! I feel selfish ... and I hate this ! ... "
" hey ... just sitting here will only make us feel more trapped " Minato comforted his sister , despite how terrified he was of that fate " if we stayed here in this state , it's only a matter of time before they find out "
" yeah ... I think I could use a little walk ... "
The twins left the dorm , and walked through the city of Iwatodai . The city was still covered in snow , giving the place around them a serene appearance , despite the undeniable tension in the public . The minds of the twins were occupied by what Margaret had told them , that their new power , what was possibly their one and only trump card , could possibly require sacrificing their own life to be used . Of course , the noble choice would be to sacrifice their life so humanity could live on , but that choice was actually more difficult than they had thought .
Minako thought of her life , about Shinjiro , about her friends in school . Minato thought of his ambitions , of what he wanted to do when he would get older . The two of them remembered the game they were working on , and so much more after it . The idea of giving up on all of that for victory was depressing , it made them lose the desire to do anything . Suddenly, the few weeks that stand between them and the final battle became years .
Their steps led them to shrine , a place that they had been frequenting a lot recently . Just yesterday , they were content and satisfied with their choice , as they celebrated the new year . The two of them were clinging onto the hope that , be it victory or oblivion , they would all face it together as a team . However , the thought that they would be left behind made them feel depressed , it made them feel distant from the world around them . None of them could say anything , as the looming thought of the futility of their situation silenced them .
Those thoughts were interrupted by the sound of pained coughing , it came from a man who was sitting on one of the wooden seats by the playground in front of the shrine . The man was familiar , he looked especially neglected that he didn't bother to button his shirt despite the cold wearher , and yet he seemed very pale and weak . Minako anxiously hurried toward him to give him her coat , but the man stared at her with a dazed expression , as if he couldn't understand why she cared about him . By then Minato had caught up with his sister , his eyes were staring at the man curiously.
" have we met before ?" Minato could see that the man was familiar , but he couldn't exactly say when did he meet him
" oh ! You're ... uh ... what was it ... ? " Minako seemed to remember " Mr.... Um ... Mr. Stripped Shirt , was it ? "
" oh ... I see ... " Minato remembered thanks to his sister " but his name is Akinari Kamiki "
" oh ... you were with that little girl ... ? " he tiredly replied , a hint of interest and nostalgia appeared in his face " she used to hang out in this place ... a girl brimming with life and joy ... she doesn't come to this shrine anymore ... I miss her ... "
" you mean Maiko ? " Minako replied " we used to play with her , too ! "
" she had some trouble with her family ... come to think of it , we never learned what happened to her ... " Minato thought " I suppose they moved ... "
" hehe ... of course ... those who reside in darkness yearn for a source of light , but those in the light always reject the darkness... " the man laughed bitterly " she was so ... alive ... you would feel alive just to look at her ... and then there's me ... my life is nothing but pain and suffering ... condemned to live with an illness that can't be cured ... I could only count my heartbeats until they end ! Cough ! Cough ! "
" you can't just stay here wearing nothing but a shirt ! " Minako gave him her coat " here , take this ! "
" no ... it doesn't matter , anyway... " the man sorrowfully said , as he pushed back the coat " whatever I do doesn't help my condition improve , it only delays the inevitable ... " his eyes wandered into the horizon , as the sun was shining brightly for a beautiful morning after the snowy night " this world has no place for a dying man like me ... my death will not change a thing ... just a needless block that fell away from a building because it had no place in it... "
" that's not true ! " Minako exclaimed , as she looked between the young man and Minato , who was silently staring at him
" yeah ... you can say that as much as you want ... you're just like them ... all of them ... all they can do is pity me and tell me to keep fighting ... as if they know what I'm living through ! " the man sighed " no ... I don't want them to know what I live through... nobody deserves to know what I live through ... I'd rather suffer and die alone , with nobody else understanding how I feel , like a forgotten mistake in the world that was left unnoticed , and silently cancelled "
" uh ... Minato ... say something ... " Minako looked at Minato pleadingly
" you know ... you're such a romantically descriptive person , even if your words are depressing " Minato said nonchalantly
" ... I think it's best if you stay quiet ! " Minako glared at him
" you have such a way with words , it's almost inspiring " Minato ignored his sister and continued " you should write a story... I'm sure you would be a successful writer "
" ooh ! Yes , definitely ! " Minako's face lit up as she realized where her brother was going with his words " how did you learn to be so poetic ?!"
" I ... I've never noticed ... " the man thought " I suppose this is what reading stories does to you "
" you read stories? " Minako tried to veer the subject away from the depressing subject of death " what stories do you read ? "
" well ... many ... " the man said with a dreamy look on his face " fantasy , science fiction, mystery and more ... they all have one thing in common... the protagonists succeed . I feel ... when I see them struggle and succeed ... I feel inspired... "
" that's amazing ! I do , too , actually ! " Minako eagerly nodded, then she turned to her brother, urging him to join the conversation by saying " right ? Right ? "
" yeah ... it feels like those heroes can do anything ... " Minato said with a sad look on his face
" You look like you understand ... " the man looked at Minato , and then Minako " you understand my view on stories... sometimes I wish I could be a part of their adventure ... uncovering forgotten treasures , exploring the world tree , solving difficult mysteries, finding true love ... I can almost live among them whenever I open the door of that book cover ... I can almost forget that suffocating white room ... I can almost forget the futility of my life ... " The man smiled bitterly " I thought that little girl was calling you by the name of fictional characters because she felt like it , but now that I look at you , you really do remind me of Cosmos and Null ... is this your story ? Am I a part of it ? I wish I could be ... I wish I could see it to the end ... "
" the end ... huh ... ? "
" ... but I never liked reading the end ... I feel so happy when I read the book ... when I reach the happy ending , I'm the happiest I can ever be ... but what comes after that ? What comes after the ending ? ... just an empty nothingness ... I just find myself back in that damn room , I just remember that there truly is no escape from my fate ... cough ! Cough ! " the man couldn't talk , as he had to stop and calm down . After regaining his paced breathing , he continued " have you ever stopped to think of who a book was written to ? Who was in the author's mind when he wrote that book ? "
" the author's mind ... ? "
" those in the author's mind , when they write their book , are the ones who will have the most entertaining time when reading that book . These books ... as many as they were ... I don't imagine they were written for someone like me ... a disposable flaccid walking corpse ... "
" don't say that! " Minako eagerly denied " how would you know what the author had in mind when they wrote their book ?! "
" yeah ... I suppose it's an unfair assumption ... but I can't help but feel like I'm an intruder ... "
" that's ... that's not true ... " Minako wasn't happy with the way Akinari felt toward the books he read
" then why don't you write your own book ? " Minato suggested " I said this before , but you would make a great writer . Besides , the book you write will definitely be dedicated to you , wouldn't it ? "
" my own book ... do I even have enough time left ? "
" I don't know ... but I think having something to live for will give you the necessary drive to keep moving... right , sis ? " Minato turned to his sister , waiting for her to agree
" yes ! Definitely ! " Minako eagerly nodded " when you're done , we'll read it ! You'd better finish it , okay ? "
" hehe ... thanks ... "
The young man made his way back to the hospital , thinking about what he would write . As for the twins , they sat where Akinari was , thinking about what he said . It may have been harsh , but the twins silently wished they could be in his place . A life full of suffering was a life easily sacrificed , but their life bloomed into something else . They had many friends who look forward to hang out with them , many things that interest and inspire them , many ambitions , goals and dreams for the future . However , as it stands , they had no choice but to give up on all of that . That was the noble choice , the ideal choice , but who exactly could make that choice if given the chance ?
Is this supposed to be the ending of their story ? Would they want to see it ?
Only four weeks stand between them and the promised day
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I'm sorry for dampening your life with this depressing part , but I feel like this is the perfect opportunity to narrate Akinari Kamiki , the dying young man's social link. It's still not over yet , but I'll save the continuation for later .
Until then , feel free to vote for this part and comment your opinions about it , and stay safe .