Chapter 2

“Just what the hell is this place?!” I said, sounding panicked as Flash and I walked through the extravagant golden halls of this strange castle. “This golden sheen is making my eyes hurt… Good thing I’m wearing my contacts.”

The walls are adorned with intricate golden filigree, casting a warm, radiant glow throughout the vast halls and chambers. Self-portraits of regal figures line the walls, each one capturing the essence of their subjects with a lifelike precision. The golden busts of revered leaders and legendary figures stand on marble pedestals, their gleaming surfaces reflecting the ambient light, creating an aura of timeless splendor. Luxurious tapestries, rich velvet draperies, and ornate furnishings complement the lavish décor, while the air is filled with a hint of exotic incense, adding to the ambiance of magnificence.

“Hey, doesn’t that look like that guy you just slugged?” I asked, spotting a resemblance between the portraits and the teen we were hiding from.

Flash looked at the portraits to see that it looked a lot like that Blueblood guy he sucker punched.

“What the hell?” Flash muttered. “When did that jackass get this put up? And why?”

“I know I’m new here, but is this really the school?” I asked, looking around. “This isn’t like any school I’ve ever been to.”

“This school has experienced its fair share of bizarre events,” Flash said before gesturing around him. “But nothing like this has ever happened.”

“Bizarre events?” I asked, confused.

Before Flash could explain, we found ourselves in some sort of main hall that had a massive chandelier hanging from the ceiling. In almost every corner was a bust of this Blueblood guy’s head and a portrait of him in some fancy getup.

“This is…just so weird,” I said, looking around. “It wasn’t like this at all when my brother brought me here to register.”

Suddenly, the area around us faded away for a brief moment and showed an image that looked like the actual school before reverting back.

“What the hell was that?!” I yelped.

Flash and I exchanged wary glances, both of us silently acknowledging that there was something deeply wrong with this place. The air seemed to hum with a strange energy, almost like a living entity pulsing through the castle.

“Maybe…maybe this is some kind of illusion,” Flash suggested, his voice barely above a whisper as he examined one of the portraits lining the walls. “But then how do we explain the physical changes? And that momentary glimpse of reality…”

“Who are you?!”

We both jumped and turned around to see yet another bizarre phenomenon. A fully armored medieval-looking knight marched up to us with a large shield and sword in hand. On his face was some kind of creepy mask that made it feel like he was staring holes into us.

“Geez you really freaked me out,” Flash said, calming down. “Who and what are you? One of Blueblood’s lackeys?” The teen asked. “Despite being an ass, that costume looks impressive.”

However, the knight said nothing.

“It’s a costume?” I spoke. “But it’s not even Halloween.”

BAM!

I was at a loss for words when the knight raised his shield and suddenly bashed Flash in his chest. I watched in complete disbelief as Flash buckled over and fell to his knees.

“Know your place, worm!” The knight barked.

“Holy shit! Flash!” I cried and knelt beside him.

The knight towered over Flash and me, his powerful frame radiating a palpable sense of danger. I frantically scanned the surroundings for any signs of escape or defense against this unexpected attacker. Yet all I could see were more knights emerging from the shadows, their weapons glinting in the moonlight and their faces obscured by intimidating masks. The air crackled with tension as they formed a tight circle around us, effectively trapping us in their midst.

My heart hammered in my chest as I braced myself for whatever horrors these knights had in store for us.

“Why are you doing this?! What do you want from us?!” I demanded, my voice trembling with fear.

But the knights remained silent, their stoic expressions giving no hint of their intentions. My mind raced with questions - who were these mysterious assailants? How had we stumbled upon them? And most importantly, how could we possibly survive this deadly encounter?

Before I could grasp onto any semblance of a plan, one of the knights stepped forward and delivered a brutal blow to my head with the butt of his sword. As darkness enveloped me, I knew that our fate was now in the hands of these merciless knights.

My head was pounding so hard, it felt like it was going to burst open. Stars filled my vision as a loud ringing filled my ears to the point where it just made my headache worse. From the ringing, I could hear the faint voice of someone calling out for me.

“Hey Rodney, wake up.”

The familiar face of Flash Sentry stood in front of me, his expression filled with concern. I tried to sit up, but my body was shaking and weak.

“Easy there, bro,” Flash said as he carefully helped me sit up. “You took quite the blow to the head.”

“Ugh…I can’t even think straight,” I groaned as my vision finally became clear.

I looked around to see we were in some cell. The cell looked like one of those cliché dungeon cells with a barred door and a wooden plank hanging from chains.

“I was really hoping what had happened was a dream,” I said, still processing everything. “Guess not.”

Flash looked at me with a grim expression, his usual cocky demeanor replaced with a sense of urgency. “We need to find a way out of here, Rodney. These knights…they’re not messing around.” His eyes darted to the barred door, assessing our chances of escape.

As I struggled to my feet, the memories of our encounter with the knights flooded back - their silent intimidation, the ruthless attacks, and the overwhelming sense of danger that had surrounded us. The oppressive atmosphere of the cell only served to heighten my anxiety, making it clear that our situation was dire.

“Yeah, we definitely can’t stay here,” I said, trying to push through the fog of pain in my head. “We need to come up with a plan before those knights come back.”

Flash nodded in agreement, his mind already racing with possibilities. “There must be a way out of here. We just need to keep our wits about us and stay one step ahead of these lunatics.”

Despite our new sense of urgency, we were quick to realize that our options were slim. There was nothing of use to us in this cell, and the bars looked impossibly thick to try to break down with sheer force. We both paced around the cell to see if we could find the slightest opening or even a tool to use but nothing of the sort was ever discovered.

“This can’t be happening…” I said as I held my head. “This just can’t be happening! It was just supposed to be a normal day at school! How the fuck did we get into this crazy-ass situation?!”

“Bro, chill out,” Flash said, tugging on the bars. “We’ll figure a way out of here.”

Flash’s attempt to reassure me did little to quell the rising panic within me. I was trapped in a mysterious castle dungeon with no clear means of escape, surrounded by enigmatic knights who seemed more like otherworldly beings than mere men in armor. The weight of the situation pressed down on me, threatening to crush my already fragile state of mind.

Just as I thought things couldn’t get any worse, a couple of guards appeared and stood in front of the cage.

“Oh shit…” I muttered fearfully.

“Hey! Let us out! We didn’t do nothing to nobody!” Flash yelled. “We have our rights! On what grounds are we even arrested for?!”

“My my, why must dogs like you bark so irritably loud?”

The voice sent chills up my spine as someone came up from behind the knights. We were both completely at a loss for words when the two knights in front of us stepped aside to reveal someone I only half expected to see. It was none other than that guy Blueblood dressed in a ridiculously shiny golden tuxedo with a diamond encrusted bow tie. He had his hair slicked back so far that his hair even glimmered from the amount of hair gel he probably caked on it. Sitting on his head was a golden crown with a variety of gems and diamonds encrusted on it. Draped over his shoulders was a white cape that fluttered behind him. What really got my attention, however, was the sinister yellow glow in his eyes as he looked down condescendingly at us.

“Okay…now I’ve officially lost it,” I said to myself. Meanwhile, Flash gazed at Blueblood with both anger and confusion.

“Blueblood!” Flash shouted at the blonde. “What the hell is going on here! and why are you dressed like that?!”

“How dare you speak to King Blueblood like that?!” One of the knights snarled, poking his sword through the bars and almost stabbed Flash had he not jumped out of the way.

“Ah…Flash Sentry,” Blueblood hummed. His voice sounded distorted in a creepy way. “And the new student. So, you’re the ones trespassing in my castle? Only my loyal subjects are allowed to freely roam my halls to bask in my glory.”

I stood frozen, trying to process the fact that we were apparently dealing with none other than Blueblood, the self-proclaimed king of this strange and foreboding castle. His regal appearance clashed starkly with the ominous atmosphere, sending shivers down my spine as I struggled to find my voice. Before I could gather my thoughts, Flash stepped forward boldly, his usual defiance shining through despite the dire circumstances.

“Listen here, Blueblood,” Flash began, his voice filled with a mix of anger and defiance. “We didn’t mean to trespass – we have no idea how we even ended up here! Just let us go, and we won’t cause any trouble.”

Blueblood chuckled darkly, a sly smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “Oh, but you see, it’s not quite that simple, dear Flash. You’ve stumbled into my domain, and now you must play by my rules.”

“Rules?! What fucking rules?!” Flash barked.

Blueblood scowled at Flash and nodded his head at one of the knights. The knight obeyed his silent order and unlocked the door so they could step inside. However, as soon as the knight walked in, he bashed Flash in his chest with his shield, knocking him back on the floor.

“F-Flash!” I yelled but two more knights stopped me by pinning me to the other side of the cell with their swords.

“You stay put, worm,” Blueblood said. “I’ll deal with you as soon as I put this mutt in his place.”

Blueblood turned his attention back to Flash, who was struggling to his feet after the blow he received. The self-proclaimed king’s eyes glinted with malice as he circled around Flash, a sadistic smile playing on his lips.

“You dare to challenge me, a royal bloodline that goes back centuries?” Blueblood sneered, his voice dripping with arrogance. “You are nothing but a mere peasant in my kingdom, and you shall learn your place.”

“Gah…!” Flash grunted as he glared up at Blueblood. “I may not know what the hell is going on with this crazy castle but at least I always knew you were an asshole…”

Flash’s defiance seemed to strike a nerve with Blueblood, his eyes narrowing into dangerous slits. In a sudden motion, he drew a gleaming sword from his side and pointed it menacingly at Flash, the blade glinting in the dim light of the dungeon.

“You insolent fool!” Blueblood spat; his voice laced with venom. “You will regret those words before this day is through!”

“I haven’t regretted anything since the day you ruined my fucking reputation!” Flash spat, only to start getting beaten mercilessly by the knights.

“No…” I said, unable to do anything as Flash was getting kicked and bashed in the head. “Please…please stop…!” Memories from an incident from years ago began to resurface as I started to hyperventilate. “Why…why now…?! Why again…?!”

How pathetic! A voice echoed in my head. Are you simply going to do nothing?

“What…?” I muttered under my breath.

Here, in his final moments, you would remain the coward and forsake him? The voice continued to speak within my mind. Nothing awaits the two of you but death unless you shed your fear and do something.

“But…I can’t do anything!” I tried to say.

Just like how you could not do a thing back then? I paused when the voice mentioned what happened that night. You just stood there and watched. And when you were next to stare death in the face, you once again stood by and did nothing! And now, you are in the midst of repeating this cycle! Are you going to remain the coward in your final moments?!

The memories of that night flooded into my head like a title wave. The image of staring into the barrel made me hyperventilate again as sweat dripped from my face. However, Flash’s screams of anguish returned my attention to him. He was being beaten mercilessly and was about to die if nothing was done. And once again, I’m just standing by, letting these knights hold me back.

“No…” I mumbled, gritting my teeth. “I should’ve done something then, and I should do something now.” I glared at Blueblood and clenched my fists. “I’m done being a coward!” I shouted as I struggled against the knight's grip. “Hey! Leave him alone, asshole!”

Blueblood turned to me with a cold glare. “What did you say?”

“You heard me! I don’t give two shits if you’re a fucking king! You don’t get to decide who lives and who dies! Period!” I shouted.

Very well…I have seen your resolve.

BA-BUMP!

Now…vow to me! The voice shouted as my head began to hurt like hell.

My body convulsed and writhed as the pain in my head intensified with each passing moment. Blueblood, growing impatient with my screams, turned his cold gaze towards me.

“Silence that worm!” he bellowed at his knights.

I fought against their strong grip, my screams echoing through the dark chamber. But the pain was becoming too much for me to bear, and I could feel myself weakening.

Suddenly, a strange mask appeared over my face, seemingly materializing out of thin air. I frantically clawed at it, trying to remove it from my skin.

To move forward from your cowardice you must cast off your fear, the voice echoed in my mind. Fear brings nothing but pain, pain that shall drag you into the shadows. You must become something more than what you are now, or you will continue to be a shadow of what you once were. A weak, pathetic, fearful little flea who will be controlled by the trauma of his past.

But the more I pulled, the tighter it seemed to hold on, inflicting even more agony upon me. With one final tug, the mask tore off pieces of my flesh, blood gushing from the wounds. The mask itself was a stark white color with fiery orange accents, covering most of my face except for a small portion that would have covered my mouth.

In shock and disbelief, I dropped the mask to the ground where it burst into bright blue flames. To my horror, these flames quickly engulfed my entire body.

I am Thou, Thou art I!! the voice laughed in my head. Thou who would stare death in the face for the sake of his comrades!! Call upon my name and claim your power!! Reveal the strength of thy will to fight, stand against the powerful on thy own, and never feel fear again!!

“COME!!” I suddenly shouted with unknown vigor. “HERCULE POIROT!!”

As if responding to my call, a being manifested beside me that stood many feet taller than I. It took the form of a man with bright skin, wearing a sharp black tuxedo and large bow tie. His jacket had long coattails that fluttered in the wind that whipped up and he wore sharp black dress shoes that pointed straight up on the toes. He wore white dress gloves and in his right hand was a cane with a big blue sapphire gem on the head of the cane. Finishing the being’s appearance was a very tall top hat that sat on his head, a very curly imperial style mustache that was made of black hairs, and a big monocle on his left eye. On his back, however, was a pair of large pure white angel wings that had unfurled to at least 6ft in width.

When the blue flames died down, I was suddenly wearing different clothing. I wore a grey trench coat, black slacks, white dress shirt, and a black tie that was tied around my neck but hung a bit loosely on my chest. I wore similar white dress gloves, and my shoes looked like black dress boots with some heel to them, and a buckle on top.

“What…is happening…?” Flash wondered in pure shock as I looked at him with an unintentional confident smile.

“I…I don’t know,” I said, looking over my body. “But I feel…stronger.”

“Quit gawking and kill them!” Blueblood shouted before shoving his last two knights toward me.

“If you wish to use my power, then just say so,” the being I summoned, Hurcule Poirot, said. “With my strength, you shall be unstoppable.”

I watched as the knights twitched violently before turning into slugs and reappearing as these creepy-looking floating jack-o-lanterns. They both glared at me and giggled menacingly as they flew right at me.

“O-Okay! Lend me your power! I want to keep us safe!” I said.

The jack-o-lanterns hurtled towards me with the force of a speeding train, their maniacal laughter piercing through the eerie darkness of the chamber. Hercule Poirot brandished his cane like a weapon, slicing through the pumpkins with ease as they dissolved into shadows beneath our feet. Blueblood's cocky demeanor quickly evaporated, replaced by raw fear as he stumbled backwards towards Flash.

“H-How is this happening…?” I managed to say as Hercule twirled his cane. “I feel…strange.”

“It is courage!” Hurcule said prominently. “You have managed to cast aside your cowardly self and have been reborn anew!”

More of those weird jack-o-lantern things appeared and powered up balls of flames to fire at me.

“But you must now learn to appropriately defend yourself with this newfound strength of yours,” Hercule said.

“How do I do that?” I asked.

Hercule snapped his fingers and a cane suddenly appeared in front of me. The cane then detached itself and became a sword.

“Everything you need to defend yourself is within you!” Hercule exclaimed, his voice echoing through the dungeon.

I took the sword in my hands, feeling its weight and balance. The sword seemed to shimmer with a holy glow, and I could hear the whispers of power within it.

The creatures lunged at me with their fiery balls, but I swung the sword with a newfound confidence and agility. The blade sliced through the shadows with ease, leaving behind chunks of darkness that dissipated into the air.

Blueblood and Flash, witnessing this display of power, were both struck by fear and awe. They couldn't believe their eyes as the jack-o-lanterns were obliterated one by one, leaving behind a puddle of shadow.

“Impossible!” Blueblood yelled.

I looked up at Hercule as he faded away and seemed to smile down at me before disappearing. That’s when Flash suddenly tackled Blueblood into the wall. He and I both ran out of the cell and Flash managed to slam the door shut with Blueblood in it.

“There! Have a taste of your own medicine!” Flash boasted.

“You insolent worm!” Blueblood barked as he grabbed the bars. “Guards! Come to me now! Free me and execute these cretins!”

“Shit, that’s our cue,” Flash said. “We gotta go!”

I nodded and we both made a break for it.

“I’LL HAVE BOTH YOUR HEADS! YOU HEAR ME?! YOU’LL BOTH BE SORRY!” Blueblood roared.

After running a fair distance away from the cell, Flash and I managed to stop so we could catch our breath.

“Holy…shit!” Flash wheezed. “That was nuts! What the hell were those pumpkin head monsters?! And you!” Flash looked at me. “That was incredible! How did you do that?! And why are your clothes different?!”

I took a deep breath, still processing the strange events myself. “I…don’t know exactly how, but I think…Hercule Poirot, the thing I summoned, has given me his strength and power. The sword…it feels like it’s a part of me. And as for the clothes, I don’t know either, but I feel…stronger, better.”

Flash looked at me, then back at the cell. “Alright, we need to make our move,” he said. “Let’s go back and get out of here.”

I was about to follow when my clothes returned to normal and the cane in my hand disappeared. I then felt very fatigued and staggered a bit before catching myself on the wall.

“Ugh…I suddenly feel so wiped,” I said.

“What happened?!” Flash asked, concern etched on his face. “Did you use all of your new power?”

“Maybe,” I replied, still trying to catch my breath. “I don’t know, but I need a moment to recover.”

Flash came to my side, ready to help if needed. We leaned against the wall, catching our breath together.

“We need to be careful,” Flash said, looking back at the cell. “We don’t know what we might encounter next."

“Agreed,” I nodded, still trying to shake off the fatigue.

We both continued walking the other way and started looking around the prison cells. The dungeon had rows of cells, and we could hear screams of agony and torcher in the distance. The interior of the dungeon looked like everything was made of bronze, and there was even a current of rushing water that split between our side of cells and the other.

“This place gives me the creeps…” I spoke. “And I’m still not convinced that we’re not dreaming.”

“Hey, look over there!” Flash said, pointing at something hanging over the rushing water.

I looked to see some people hanging in a cage looking like they’ve been beaten within an inch of their lives.

“Those poor souls,” I whispered, feeling a pang of sympathy for them. “What have they done to deserve this?”

Flash looked at me, concern in his eyes. “We can’t just leave them here. We need to do something.”

“Hey! Hey you two!”

A voice suddenly caught our attention that came from one of the cells at the end of the path.

“Yeah, you two! C’mere! Please!”

We both looked at each other and hesitantly approached the end of the hall. Upon arrival of the cell, we were not prepared for what was inside. The thing looked like some kind of mutant bipedal lizard with purple scales, emerald-green slitted eyes, and a light green underbelly. On its head were lime green spines that went down behind its head. It wore what looked to be described as black bandit robes and had a red neckerchief tied around its neck, and a simple black mask on its face.

“Uh…what the hell is this thing?” I wondered.

“Hey this thing has a name!” the lizard shouted. “And this thing would like to get out!”

“Woah…this is trippy!” Flash said. “A talking lizard kid!”

“I’m a dragon! not a Lizard!” I don’t do that tongue thing!” the Dragon shouted as he stuck his tongue at us.

“Heh, this kid’s funny,” Flash chuckled.

“Would you just get me outta here already?! The guards will be here any minute!” The dragon kid said.

“Coming from the alleged talking dragon, how do we know you won’t pull a fast one on us and jump us the minute we do?” Flash said. “For all we know, you could be one of them.”

“What choice do you have?” the dragon retorted back. “Besides I know how to get out of this palace, The two of you won’t last five minutes without my help.”

“Says who?” Flash retorted.

Suddenly, we heard the sounds of heavy footsteps marching our way followed by creepy growls and monstrous noises.

“Says them! Now let me out of here! The Shadows are coming!” The dragon said.

“Flash,” I said. “I say we listen to him.”

“You’re taking the talking dragon’s side, dude?” Flash asked me.

“Look, we don’t really have a lot of options at the moment,” I said. “If he knows how to get out of here, then I’m not one to argue.”

“Ugh…damnit, fine,” Flash groaned and pulled out the cell key. “You better not make us regret this.”

Flash unlocked the cell and the little dragon walked out with a triumphant smile.

“Finally! I’m free!” He chirped.

“Woohoo for you. Now, how do we get out of here, lizard boy?!” Flash barked.

“Are you always this obnoxious?” The dragon sighed. “And stop calling me a lizard! I have a name, you know. It’s Spike!”

Just then, a group of guards showed up and surrounded us. Before I knew it, the clothes I had on from before reappeared on me along with the strange mask on my face.

“Ah, so you’re a Persona user too?” Spike said to me.

“Persona? What the heck’s that?” I asked.

“And you’re a total rookie,” Spike added. “Fine. Just leave it to me.” Spike walked forward and pulled out something that looked like a card from his robes. “Pay close attention, rookie! This is how it’s done!” Spike tossed the card in the air before using his tail to hit it, making it shatter to pieces.

“Let’s go!! Harlequin!!” Spike shouted.

Out of nowhere, a dazzling burst of dancing lights illuminated the darkness, revealing the presence of a beguiling man dressed in a vibrant harlequin outfit. His playful appearance belied the power and energy radiating from within him. The guards halted in their tracks, stunned as their human forms exploded into black shadows and transformed into three fearsome jack-o-lanterns and two seductive incubi.

“Burn them to ash, Harlequin!” Spike commanded, his voice filled with both fear and excitement.

With a sly grin on its face, the Persona threw its dagger high into the air before expertly catching it by the blade. With a swift flick of its wrist, Harlequin multiplied the single blade into three, each one glinting dangerously in the dim light. With precise aim, the Persona threw all three daggers at once, striking each pumpkin head with lethal accuracy. As they exploded into shadow and dissipated, another dagger materialized in Harlequin's hand, this one adorned with an emerald-green flame that seemed to dance and flicker with a life of its own.

“Maragi!” Spike shouted.

Harlequin held the flaming dagger up to its mouth, inhaling deeply before unleashing a powerful torrent of green fire towards the remaining incubi. The flames consumed them instantly, leaving nothing but charred remains in their wake. With a triumphant grin, Harlequin twirled its dagger playfully before resuming its position beside Spike.

“Holy shit!” I yelled.

“Well, what’re you waiting for?!” Spike said as more guards came charging at us. “Call your Persona and give me a hand!”

“But how can I-?!” I was about to ask when I saw a dim light from the inside pocket of my coat. I reached in and pulled out a card like Spike’s that had the image of Hercule Poirot on it.

“Hurry! They’re almost on us!” Spike said as he pulled out a set of daggers from his robes. “I can’t fight all these guys on my own!”

With no other choice, I obliged by doing the only thing I could think of by tossing the card in the air and unsheathed my new sword from the cane.

“Hercule Poirot! I need you!” I called out and stabbed the card with my sword. The card shattered to pieces as Hercule manifested beside me once again. “It worked? Holy shit! It worked!”

“You ready?” Spike asked.

“Guess we’ll find out!” I said and readied my sword. “Watch my back, Hurcule!”

Spike and I stood side by side as the guards closed in on us. With a quick nod, we both charged forward, ready to take on whatever lay ahead.

The knights disintegrated into goop before materializing into the pumpkin heads from before and a couple of new creatures that looked like scrawny imps that had some weird, curved horn coming out of their crotches.

I was amazed at Spike’s fighting skills as he dodged and weaved out of the way from their attacks and slashed at them with his daggers. He even jumped in the air while doing a front flip before slicing one of the pumpkin heads in two.

“Your combat skills are not the only defense in this duel,” Hercule said. “You have the power of your soul! Use my power to pierce the darkest shadows with light!”

Even though I didn’t understand a word Hercule said, it somehow made sense to me. I pointed my vain sword at the little imps and focused as much as I could.

“Kouha!” I shouted.

Suddenly, a small spark of light erupted from Hurcule's hand, shooting straight towards one of the imps. The light pierced through it, making it scream in pain before it disintegrated into nothingness.

“Woah! How’d I do that?! What did I just say?!” I yelled and narrowly dodged a swipe from one of the remaining imps.

“Focus!” Spike lectured. “You’re literally fighting for your life right now! One wrong move, and it’s game over! You need to use your persona more effectively!”

“How?” I asked the dragon.

Spike sighed, "Listen, kid. We don’t have a lot of time, so I’ll explain it as fast as I can.” The little dragon said as he used his persona to dispatch a few of the shadow guards. “You see, your Persona is like an extension of your soul, and it can manifest its power in various ways. It’s not just about how strong or fast you can be; it’s about understanding your abilities and using them to your advantage. You need to learn to control your power, not just wield it.”

I contemplated his words as more monsters came at me. I jumped out of the way and raised my sword to slash at them. The pumpkin head screeched in pain as I jammed my sword right through its head and it disintegrated into dust. An imp held up its hand at me and fired a sinister-looking ball of magic. I barely had time to dodge, and the ball grazed my arm.

“Argh!” I cringed. “That hurt! I actually felt that!”

“Of course it hurt, rookie!” Spike said as he plunged his daggers in one of the imps and it disintegrated in a puff of black smoke. “You have to learn to protect yourself. You need to use your Persona’s powers to your advantage, not just your sword."

I looked up at Hurcule and quickly realized that this was for real. If I want to make it out of here alive with Flash, I need to learn how to adapt to this strange new power. Steeling my resolve, I gripped my sword and cane tightly and ran at the monsters with Hercule close behind me. He and I worked in tandem as I swung my sword and cane while my Persona moved gracefully as he struck our enemies with his cane and used the magic from before to erase them.

“You’re doing well, kid,” Spike said. “But you need to know your limits. Don’t underestimate your enemies or yourself. We’re getting closer to our goal, but we’re not out of the woods yet.”

Spike and I worked in tandem as we fought more pumpkin heads and imps. I was starting to reach my limit but thankfully Spike managed to finish off the rest of the monsters with his daggers and Persona. Once the last monster disintegrated into dust, Flash came out from his binding spot from behind a crate.

“Is it over?” Flash asked.

“Yeah…” I wheezed as Hercule disappeared. “I think so…” I stumbled a bit as my clothes returned to normal and I was suddenly breathing very heavily.

“Are you okay, rookie?" Spike asked, concern in his voice. “You looked like you were about to collapse.”

I managed a nod and took a few deep breaths. “I’m fine, just a bit…shaken, I guess. I never expected this to be so intense.” My voice still shook a little as I spoke, my entire body still trembling from the adrenaline of the battle. “That was the first fight I’ve ever been in. And it was with monsters, no less!”

“That was so fucking awesome, man!” Flash cheered. “You were like an entirely different person! I hardly recognized you, and we barely know each other!”

“Would you quit shouting like a dumbass?!” Spike spat. “We just got done fighting a whole squad of guards, do you want us to fight again so soon when your friend looks like he just ran ten miles? And on top of that, he’s not even in full control of his Persona!”

“Spike, was it?” I said to the little dragon kid. “What exactly is a persona? I imagine it’s those beings who show up beside you and I, right?”

“A Persona is a manifestation of one’s shadow” Spike began to explain.

“You lost me,” I said.

“Basically, it’s the rebel within you broken free,” Spike said. “You reject the ruler of this place, so you’ve awakened your true self.”

“My true self, huh?” I spoke.

“Uh, guys? Hate to break it to you, but we should get a move on. I hear more of those knights headed our way!” Flash warned.

“You’re right,” Spike nodded in agreement and quickly scanned the area, making sure we were indeed alone. “Let’s go.”

We ran through the corridors of the dungeon while avoiding any more guards along the way. As we passed by each cell, I saw kids about my age in miserable conditions, and I could hear their mumblings.

“Please…spare me.”

“I should’ve never crossed king Blueblood.”

“I swear I’ll be good! Don’t leave me in here!”

“The fuck is up with this place?” I said to myself, feeling a sense of pity for these people with a hint of anger towards Blueblood for making them suffer.

“Just ignore them,” Spike said nonchalantly, as if their suffering meant nothing to him.

But I couldn’t turn a blind eye when I saw Flash approaching one of the cells, calling out to two figures inside.

“Val! Sandal!” he shouted, his voice echoing off the damp walls.

Curiosity getting the better of me, I followed Flash and peered into the cell. Two teens sat huddled in the corner, one with green dreads and one with orange hair that obscured his eyes.

“Do you know them?” I asked Flash, trying to understand why he was so concerned about these strangers.

“My friends Valhallen and Sandalwood,” he replied, glancing back at the prisoners with a mix of sadness and hope. “We hang out and play music together.”

I watched as Flash desperately tried to elicit a response from his friends, but they remained silent, their spirits broken by their imprisonment. My heart ached for them, and my anger towards Blueblood only grew stronger. These were just innocent kids caught up in his twisted games.

“I’ll do it…” the kid called Val whimpered. “Just take the credit. I don’t want to be expelled.”

“I’m sorry…!” Sandal cried. “Please don’t tell the principal! They’ll tell my parents, and they’ll take away my strings!”

“It’s pointless trying to talk to them, it’s better if you just ignore them,” Spike chastised, causing Flash to grow angrier.

“I won’t ignore my friends!” Flash said, trying to pry the bars open while also trying to jam the cell key in the lock but it didn’t fit.

“You can’t help them because those aren’t your friends,” Spike said.

“What do you mean? They’re right there, aren’t they?” I asked.

“Those are just cognitive beings. They’re not real people and are just fakes that represent the real ones in the real world,” Spike said. “We can’t do anything for them now. If you really wanna help them, we need to keep moving!”

“But…” Flash stated but stopped when I placed a hand on his shoulder.

“We can worry about them later Flash” I say to Flash. “Let’s focus on getting out of here first.”

I could tell Flash didn't want to leave his friends behind. This crazy place was a goddamn clusterfuck of madness, and it somehow had something to do with that prick Blueblood. With a heavy sigh, Flash nodded, and we continued running through the corridors. After sneaking and avoiding any guards we could, we eventually made it to a large staircase that led to an upper level.

“This is it,” Spike said. “We can make it to the entrance of the castle!”

Flash and I nodded and followed Spike up the steps. I glanced behind me and couldn’t help but worry about the prisoners we were leaving behind. However, I had to remind myself that we had to get out of this crazy-ass place as soon as possible. We ran up the stairs until we reached a larger area that looked like some kind of foyer with large marble columns and chandeliers. We ran across towards another room on the other side, and Flash shut the door behind us as soon as we all entered.

“Finally! We made it!” Spike sighed with relief.

“Made it?! Made it where?!” Flash snapped. “This is nothing but a freaking closet!”

“You really are a novice.” Spike shook his as he casually moved towards a bookshelf before pushing it to the side revealing a hole in the wall. “No self-respecting thief uses the front door.”

“And I would guess that it’s less obvious,” I said.

“You’re sharp,” Spike nodded at me. “This is where we go our separate ways. I still need to do something here.”

“Thank you for helping us, Spike, we’d be goners if not for you,” I said.

“You’re right about that,” Spike quipped. “Now get outta here before more guards turn up.”

I nodded as Flash and I crawled through the hole. We squirmed our way through until reaching the outside. We found ourselves in the same place as we were before with the large drawbridge still down. Not wasting any time, we both booked it across the bridge and away from the castle. As we ran, the area around us started becoming a little warped as the sky became bright blue again and the sun appeared while shining its light down on us again. When I looked back, I noticed that the castle had turned back into the school, and we were now standing in front of the statue that sat in the courtyard.

“Is…is it over?” I asked. “Are we finally out?”

Flash nodded; his eyes wide with disbelief. “I think it’s over, man. We did it! We escaped that nightmare!”

Just as we were about to celebrate escaping that fever dream, a bell from the school rang. Flash visibly flinched as he frantically pulled back his left sleeve to look at the time on his wristwatch.

“Oh shit!” Flash yelped.

“What? What is it?” I asked.

“We missed half a day of class!” Flash cried. “Lunch just ended!”

“…shit,” I gulped.

Author's Note

The first awakening of the Trickster.

Side Note:
My apologies for deleting this chapter. I had to repost it due to a malfunction.

Hope you enjoyed!

~WurkyWilk has left the building…