Chapter 80; Take a deep breath

...10/09/2009 Thursday; Dark Hour...

Ken stood up with difficulty, his muscles tense and his breathing still unsteady. His hands instinctively reached for his spear, lying on the shattered asphalt. The street was silent.

He blinked a few times, trying to process the scene before him.

The Shadows were gone.

The only remaining sound was that of Cerberus tearing apart the rotten flesh of the last creature that had dared to move.

Ken let out a long sigh and ran a hand over his face, feeling the cold sweat trickling down his skin. His neck ached. Even after the battle had ended, the Shadow's grip still felt real, as if its ghostly fingers had left their mark on his throat.

He shook his head, pushing those thoughts away.

Taking a deep breath, he tried to steady his body.

His eyes fell on Koromaru, standing a few steps away, still watching him with bright, attentive eyes.

"Why are you here, boy?" Ken asked, his voice still laden with exhaustion. "Weren't you with Kirijo-senpai?"

Koromaru barked a few times, wagging his tail and making small, restless jumps.

The boy raised an eyebrow. The dog was trying to say something.

Koromaru stopped jumping and then shook his body in a peculiar way—not like someone shaking off water from their fur, but as if trying to regain balance.

Ken furrowed his brow.

"The ground shook?" he murmured, trying to decipher it. "Is that what you're saying?"

The confirming bark came as an immediate response.

But it didn't stop there.

Koromaru started running in circles, barking incessantly, alternating with low growls, desperately trying to make himself understood.

Ken tightened his grip on the spear, bringing a hand to his chin, his eyes narrowing.

He was trying to connect the dots.

And then, he had a flash of memory.

From just minutes ago.

He saw himself again in the dormitory, patrolling the empty halls. And then, that light.

That light falling from the sky.

He remembered stopping in front of the command room window, watching the luminous explosion that illuminated the other side of the city.

And then, the shockwave that made the entire dormitory tremble, as if an earthquake had struck.

Ken blinked a few times, snapping back to reality. His mind was still racing, piecing things together.

The light falling from the sky… The tremor… Koromaru's restless behavior…

And then, finally, it clicked.

He turned to the dog, his expression serious.

"You're saying… something appeared when that light fell from the sky?"

Koromaru barked in confirmation, his paws scraping against the asphalt as he jumped restlessly from side to side.

Ken felt a chill run down his spine.

He averted his gaze for a moment and saw Cerberus delivering the final blow to the remaining Shadow. The creature dissolved into black mist, its body twisting before disappearing completely.

The Persona then raised its heads and turned to Ken, its eyes glowing intensely. In a sudden movement, all three heads rubbed against him, like a wolf seeking comfort from its master.

A soft laugh escaped Ken's lips, a momentary relief amid the chaos.

"It's okay, you can go," he murmured, running a hand over the creature's heads in an affectionate gesture.

Cerberus took a few steps back and, with one final howl, dissolved into white light before vanishing.

Ken watched the glow fade, but his mind was already elsewhere.

The rest of the group.

Were they okay? What were they facing?

The thought made his chest tighten.

"Wait…" he murmured, frowning. When I spoke with Mikoshi-senpai… it sounded like he was fighting something.

Restlessness took hold of him.

They were in danger.

His foot began tapping rhythmically against the ground. Anxiety grew, spreading like poison through his veins.

He had to do something.

That was when a firm bark cut through his thoughts.

Ken looked up and found Koromaru watching him, his eyes sharp and full of expectation.

He understood without the dog needing to say anything else.

"Koro-chan… you came alone. The others are still fighting, aren't they?"

Koromaru barked affirmatively and turned toward the dormitory.

Ken took a deep breath and nodded.

"I see… they probably need help."

Without hesitation, he let out a low whistle, a command for Koromaru to follow him.

There was no time to waste.

He straightened his posture and began walking with determination toward the dormitory.

"I just need to talk to Yamagishi-senpai. I have to warn her."

Ken entered the dormitory, his footsteps echoing softly against the pristine floor. Everything was exactly as it had been before—organized, quiet, motionless.

The greenish glow of the Dark Hour seeped through the windows, casting pale reflections across the room.

Koromaru followed at his side, ears perked, alert to any movement.

But something felt… off.

A sense of unease stirred in his chest. A strange discomfort, as if something was out of place.

He rubbed his chest, trying to shake the feeling. What was missing?

Without an answer, he climbed the stairs to the third floor, each step intensifying the tension within him.

When he finally reached the girls' hallway, he walked up to Fuuka's door. Taking a deep breath, he knocked a few times.

"Yamagishi-senpai! I took care of the Shadows that appeared. It's safe to come out now, Koro-chan is here with me."

Silence responded.

Ken furrowed his brows and glanced at Koromaru, who, just like him, showed signs of confusion.

Worry started to build.

He knocked again, this time harder.

"Yamagishi-senpai, are you there?"

Seconds stretched into what felt like hours, but there was no answer.

Ken pressed his ear against the door, trying to catch any sound from inside. Nothing.

And then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw it.

A figure standing at the top of the stairs. Watching him.

His heart pounded as he stepped away from the door, alert—until he finally recognized who it was.

"Senpai?" Ken called out, confused.

She was there, dressed in her combat uniform, holding the Evoker in her hands.

But the moment she realized she'd been seen, her eyes widened.

"Oh, no…"

Before Ken could say anything, Fuuka spun on her heels and bolted up the stairs.

"Senpai, wait!"

He and Koromaru rushed after her, their footsteps reverberating down the hallway.

Ken's heart pounded against his chest, a mix of adrenaline and desperation.

Fuuka glanced back as she ran, seeing Ken getting closer. She knew she couldn't use her Persona because of the injury on her head, but… she had to help the others.

Reaching the fourth floor, she ran straight into the command room, shoving the door open.

Before Ken could reach her, the door slammed shut in his face.

The sharp sound of the lock turning echoed through the hallway.

"I'm sorry..." Fuuka murmured to herself, guilt creeping in at what she was doing.

"Senpai!" Ken shouted, desperate, gripping the handles and trying to force the door open.

Nothing.

He pressed his shoulder against the wood, pushed hard, but then he heard it.

On the other side, Fuuka was barricading the door with the couch.

The realization hit him like a blow.

"SENPAI! OPEN THE DOOR, PLEASE!"

Ken pounded against the wood with clenched fists, his voice rising with every word.

"YOU CAN'T USE THE EVOKER!"

He struck the door again. And again.

But it was useless.

On the other side, Fuuka didn't answer.

Only the sound of the Evoker being activated echoed.

Koromaru whimpered softly, his paws scratching at the wood.

Ken gritted his teeth, desperation consuming every part of him.

"YAMAGISHI-SENPAI!"