This can’t be happening…

“Alright, now who can tell me the proper phrase in English, anyone?”

Nope, got to be freaking dreaming right now.

“Oh, what about you Luke-kun?”

I stare at the desk I’m sitting at.

Luke Amawara.

This can’t be right!

“Luke-kun?”

I look up to see Ms. Sadayo Kawakami, our homeroom teacher at the not so prestigious Shujin Academy.

“… Right, the word phrase is Apple of their eye. It means someone that the person admires, or something.”

“Good job Amawara-kun. Now…” she continues with the lesson, but I can’t seem to focus right now.

Because I know Ms. Kawakami, and I know this school like the back of my hand.

It’s my favorite game’s main school, the place where the story starts and where the rest of the protagonists first begin their journeys.

This, it couldn’t be Persona 5… right?

I look over to where I see Ann Takamaki, the standout of the classroom with her blond hair and blue eyes.

Coincidence, it has to be.

I check the rest of the classroom, and notice another confidant. A rather smaller boy with a shy, even cowardly, personality constantly looking over his shoulder. His blue hair and bruises stick out to me, as if someone has been beating the poor kid for weeks without rest.

I take a look at his nametag.

Yuuki Mishima.

Damnit… but that still could be just some coincidence…

I can feel the lies I’m telling start to crack.

“Oh, well where have you been? It’s already midday. Never mind, just introduce yourself to the class.”

Turning my eyes up to the front of the class, I start to hear whispers among the rest of the classmates.

“Is that the kid on probation?”

“I heard that he assaulted someone.”

“Don’t look at him in the eye, he might target you next!”

The kid in question doesn’t seem to notice, or maybe he just isn’t showing it on his face. Either way, he gives a fast introduction and moves to his seat.

“Hey, I’m Ren Amamiya.”

Unlike the rest, still eyeing the new kid, I turned to look past the hallway windows.

The last nail in the coffin of my sanity.

Suguru Kamoshida, our school's Volleyball coach and the one who got us into nationals with his gifts, is grinning maliciously through the windows at Ren.

For a moment, I see the school shift, and in Kamoshida’s place is a perverted looking basterd with a crown on his perm hair with nothing but a king’s robe and a speedo on. My head hurts just looking at it.

The moment passes, and the school returns to normal.

Why, why is this happening?

He eyes me next, shifting his fake smile back into place as he continues down the hallway, out of the sight of the rest.

I shift my eyes to the rest of the class.

No one noticed, no one saw the change in Kamoshida. They were all too busy talking up Ren and his ‘crimes’.

Fear turns to anger in my head.

Can no one see him? Are they all trapped in the distortion as well?

I had to accept it as a wave of information rushed into my head.

I… was Luke Amawara.

My parents, one Japanese, and one half Japanese half Irish, died in an accident in the subways two years ago… one of the first of the psychotic breakdown incidents.

My… family knew Wakaba Ishiki; she was my mom’s sister, my aunt.

My dad was friends with a co-worker of hers… Sojiro Sakura.

I… lived in Sojiro’s house, with my cousin, a shut-in named Futaba Sakura.

We haven’t been able to get her to talk or leave her room for a while after she moved in.

Sojiro and I just weren’t that good at helping a girl open up.

I punched out that uncle of ours and almost got an assault charge when I found out how he was treating Futaba. Sojiro chewed me out for that, but I could tell he wanted to do the same.

Sojiro… told me about Ren, kind of off-handedly but I didn’t really pay attention.

I was still thinking about my parents and their unfair death at the time.

Now…

I’m here, but I don’t remember much else. All I know is that this is Persona 5’s world, Kamoshida has a Palace, I know Ren and the gang are the Phantom Thieves, and that I’m Luke Amawara.

I knew a part of the future, of the time where Ren was captured by the police and interrogated. How his friends sprung his release.

How Goro Akechi…

A deep fear took root in my mind, followed by a massive wave in anger.

GORO AKECHI!

Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

If… if what I knew was real, and this was the Persona 5 world, then…

Goro Akechi, the detective ‘prince’ was the one who caused the psychotic breakdowns, who killed my parents and my aunt. He was the one who… who…

I slammed my fist on my desk full force, breaking the wooden frame.

This pulled everyone’s eyes from Amamiya.

“Amawara-kun, just what are you doing?”

Ms. Kawakami was yelling at me, the whole class was judging me, even the new kid was looking at me strangely.

I couldn’t register any of it, but I apologized anyway and excused myself off-handedly. It almost didn’t matter though, as the kids started looking back at Ren as soon as my outburst was concluded.

This school, this place, it was all under that Palace’s distortion, and Kamoshida wanted to isolate Ren Amamiya. So, the students had only him in their thoughts.

I was a footnote to the ‘King’s decree’.

I walked down the hall, noticing another unmistakable presence as I did.

A delinquent-looking student with yellow-blonde hair and a bow-leg, eyed me for a bit as I walked past him to the restroom.

He was struggling with something, I could tell.

My past memories had me realize I was also on the track team as well, though I never really had much interest in the sport.

My parents liked to see me run, so I did.

So, I knew about Ryuji Sakamoto, and his beef with Kamoshida after he got the track team disbanded.

At the time I had even accepted It, because I didn’t want to think about my parent’s death.

Everything had this knife to it when I tried to remember them.

Even running.

“Hey Ryuji.”

Sakamoto looked up at me, his face a mix of whatever he was thinking about and a bit of a could-care-less attitude.

“You’re Amawara right? You need something?”

I stop in front of him.

After my pseudo-wakeup call, I get a good feeling for my height after looking at Sakamoto.

I am a tall basterd.

Easily a head over Ryuji, and if I had to guess, half a head over Ren.

It made me want to get to the bathroom sooner so I could finally take a look at myself.

First though…

“I… I’m sorry for not believing you about Kamoshida.”

His face turns a mix of relief and like he ate something sour at the same time.

“W-What? Amawara, you were the first to tell me I was full of shit!”

Damn past me, the hell were you even thinking?

No, it made sense though, the distortion was probably clouding my thoughts about Kamoshida. I would have believed him regardless of if I saw the proof, because he was the ‘king’ of Shujin.

Still, it didn’t matter, I had to fix this.

“Ryuji, I’m starting to notice some weird shit happening around the school, and it’s all centered around that perm wearing basterd.”

Ryuji freeze up at the mention of Kamoshida, like he saw something too.

Right… he and Ren would have already seen the Palace at this time.

“Anyway, I wasn’t thinking straight at the time, with… with my parents and all. I just wanted to blame someone, and I took it out on you. It wasn’t fair Sakamoto. So, I’m sorry about not believing you.”

Ryuji shakes his head.

“Nah man, I know… your parents died in that train accident, right?”

I nod.

Ryuji nods back, “I’m just glad someone else finally sees him for the trash he is.”

“Whose trash now?”

Ryuji and I turn to see who’s speaking, and my heart sinks a bit.

Kamoshida is walking with the principal, his smile fake as hell as he looks over at Ryuji.

“Sakamoto, you should be in class already, was my kind gesture in front of the school not enough for you?”

“Ryuji Sakamoto, I believe it would be in your best interest not to continue breaking the rules, return to your room at once.”

It was strange, even now I could feel this weird… want to listen to Mr. Kamoshida. I knew it for what it was though, and I dismissed it right away.

“I’ll talk to you later Ryuji, if that’s alright?”

He nods back at me, staring at Kamoshida as he walked back to his class.

“And you, what are you doing out of class Amawara? Don’t tell me your skipping class as well? We may have to give you some detention, eh Principal Kobayakawa?”

“Indeed, young man, unless you have a reason for being out of your class?”

I held up my hall pass for the bathroom.

“Just heading to take a piss sir, if that’s alright?”

I smile at Kamoshida, who breaks his smile for a second, only to reapply it as the principal turns his way.

“Seems everything is all set here then, let us continue our conversation Mr. Kamoshida.”

Kamoshida eyes me, “Don’t go associating with troublemakers Amawara, you don’t want that staining your record, do you?”

It was clear he wanted to hear fear in my voice, or see it on my face. He wanted me cowed.

“Ryuji just needed some advice Mr. Kamoshida. I know he’s done bad in the past, but shouldn’t we be ‘helping’ our students become better, or something? Ostracizing him just makes us look stupid and incompetent as students and teachers. Wouldn’t you agree, Mr. Kamoshida?”

The implied slight didn’t escape his notice, and Kamoshida gritted his teeth as the principal tugged his arm.

“Come now Mr. Kamoshida, let us leave the boy alone.”

I turn myself around, only for Kamoshida to place a hand on my shoulder, slapping it down like he’s encouraging me when he just wants an excuse to hit me. It hurts a bit, but not enough for me to show it on my face.

If a guy like Mishima can take it, so can I.

I wanted this basterd to pay, I wanted his abuse known and his heart to be sobbing with guilt over his crimes.

He eventually walked away with the principal, giving me a moment to rub the spot he tried to chop off with his ‘encouragement.’

“Why did past me think he was a good guy? As soon as you disagree with him, you’re on his shit list. Guy needs to get therapy or something.”

I walk towards the bathroom, passing another student with a prim haircut and a sense of responsibility just reeking off of her.

“Hey student council president.”

“Amawara-kun, what brings you out here?”

I hold up the pass, to which she nods.

“Don’t take too long now, studying is important for your future.”

I smile at her, “wouldn’t dream of it Niijima-san.”

The restroom beckons me around the corner and I walk into it.

I take a moment to check my features.

Redish hair, green eyes, long, almost down to my shoulder. My build is a bit defined at the top, but my legs feel hard as rock with their definition. Arms are decently shaped, not too much muscle but not lanky.

Big hands, among other things.

I wash my face with water, clearing my head with the brisk cold.

Okay, this is all real, and I am not hallucinating at all. That means that soon the world’s going to start changing around those guys. That also means that this place is going to be in an uproar soon.

So, what will I do?

Is it even necessary for me to do anything? If things continue as they do, then the Phantom Thieves will take care of it.

Are you okay with that?

My head hurt for a moment.

I take out my phone, and I see it.

The Metaverse navigation app.

I feel my hand punch in the information.

“Shujin Academy, Suguru Kamoshida, Castle.”

Result found. Preparing to navigate.

The school distorts around me, and I feel the tile floor beneath me switch into cobblestones.

The scene of the bathroom changes into a sex dungeon with pictures of Kamoshida plastered all over the place. Banners with his disgusting face are hanging over the walls.

God, this place is just… seedy.

I peer out into the hallway, noticing a few knights walking around. It’s clear that their patrolling, their contorted bodies with their masks over their helms marking them as Shadows.

They were the monsters of this realm, the beings who were warped by Kamoshida’s twisted desires for pleasure. They were in fact creatures of myth that were part of people’s cognition, but that changed when they were warped by this palace.

Now they were his knights, protecting his twisted distorted desires.

I walked around a statue, hiding in its shadow as it passed by.

What am I even doing here?

I had no Persona, no way to fight these demons with just myself.

But there was one here that could.

Maybe… maybe he can help me figure out why I know this stuff, why I know this place is a game world.

I make my way to another room, sitting inside as I feel a wave of normalcy return.

This place must be a safe room, something that isn’t entirely under Kamoshida’s control. As I sit on one of the chairs, my eyes dart to another corner.

What looks like a monster cat with a thieves get up eyes me suspiciously.

“You, you’re not a shadow or one of those copies, are you?”

The monster cat smirks at me, showing his fangs and teeth as he nodded.

“You’re a human right?”

There he is, the cat I was looking for.

“Morgana, right?”

The cat’s smirk falls from his face, a look of surprise replacing it.

“W-What, how could you know that?”

I laugh at his reaction.

“Well, it’s good to see you. You were just the person I was looking for.”

Morgana stops, a cold stare coloring his features. He places a sword on the table between us.

“Look here human, I don’t know exactly what’s going on, but if you try anything funny…” he tapped the blade with his finger to make a point.

I raise my hand up in surrender.

“I’m not looking to harm, hurt or fight you, Morgana. I just want to help.”

I place my hands on the table.

“I want to take this basterd down, and I know you found some people to help you steal the treasure.”

I placed a hand on my heart.

“I want in.”

He stared at me, surprise no longer there, just a calculating gaze as he sized me up.

“You don’t have a Persona, do you?”

I shake my head.

“Wouldn’t work then, can’t have dead weight for this job.”

I take a moment to calm myself.

“How do I get one?”