Persona: The Phantom Masquerade.

(Yo, real quick, for those familiar with Circe's appearance. Scrap that image out of your head. I spent a few hours reworking it and making her look more Greek and have references to Helios and Perse[an ocean nymph] cuz that's her parents.)

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Ren and Morgana retraced their steps, carefully following the path of dead flowers Tartuffe had made for them. Yet as they progressed, the flowers behind them slowly began to heal, their vibrant petals and stems covering the ground once more. By the time they reached the others, the floor was again overrun with flowers, as if their passage had never happened.

Just as they stepped out, Mementos trembled slightly, the vines behind them twisting and closing, sealing the path shut once more.

[What?] Futaba's voice came through, surprised and confused. [It's gone?]

Ren turned back, his gaze settling on the wall of vines now blocking the path. He moved closer, trying to peek through, but there was nothing. No signs of the path of flowers he had been able to see before.

"And just when I thought we understood this place…" Makoto sighed, stepping next to Ren. She peered through the vines, her brow furrowed. "What did you find? Did you reach the door?"

Ren nodded, catching them up quickly on the strange door and the reflection of water he had seen before they turned back. Yet, despite everything, they were left with more questions than answers.

"The whole place was a reflection?" Ann asked, scratching her head, her face thoughtful. "And how did the door look again?"

Shiho tilted her head, watching Ann as she drifted deeper into thought. 

"Do you recognize it?" She asked curiously.

"No? It sounds familiar, but… I might just be overthinking it." Ann replied with a sigh, shaking her head to clear her thoughts.

A brief silence settled over the group before Yusuke finally spoke. 

"Should we turn back then? I'm not quite sure what the usual procedure is for situations like this."

All eyes turned to Ren for guidance, but before he could answer, the familiar honking of a car interrupted them. The bright headlights of Jose's car pierced the dim surroundings as it approached, drifting slightly as it slid to a halt beside them.

Jose jumped out, running straight to the wall of thorns. He placed a hand on it, letting out a frustrated sigh before turning to the group with an awkward smile.

"Hey." He greeted them, rubbing the back of his neck. "Did uh… did someone go in?" He asked, chuckling nervously.

"I did," Ren answered honestly, stepping closer.

"Ah, well, I guess it's too late now." Jose muttered, giving the wall an annoyed kick. "At least you made it out okay."

Ren knelt down to meet Jose's eye level, offering a friendly smile. 

"Do you know what that place was?"

"Uh…" Jose hesitated, glancing around awkwardly before finally sighing. "I'm really not supposed to say…"

Ann knelt next to Ren, ruffling Jose's hair with a bright smile. "Ah, come on, Jose! We're friends, aren't we?" She teased, giving Ren a playful side-eye and a wink.

Jose blinked, his conflicted expression wavering before he sighed again. 

"I guess since we're friends, it's okay… I think that's my home?" he answered uncertainly.

"Home?" Ren repeated, narrowing his eyes.

"Well… it's hard to explain. It's just a feeling." Jose said, scratching his head. "But, it's closed off now, so I'll have to wait until it opens again to check it out." He shrugged, seeming both curious and frustrated at the same time.

Taking another glance at the thorns, Jose reached in and carefully plucked a small flower from the vines. He smiled, quickly turning the flower into juice. 

"At least there's this." He said, lifting the glass to his lips. But as soon as he took a sip, he coughed and spat it out in disgust.

"Ewww!" Jose sputtered, wiping his mouth as he stared at the glass in disbelief. "Why does it taste like that?"

Looking at the glass curiously, Ren asked.

"Hey… I've seen you do that with flowers before. Do you think I could try it out too? I'm kind of curious what they taste like."

Jose shook his head quickly, offering an apologetic smile. 

"Ah, sorry, but I think it would hurt you if you drank it at least as you are now."

"I see… that's fine then." Ren replied, shrugging lightly.

Jose, still grimacing from the taste, put a lid on the glass and tossed it into one of the bags in his car. Hopping back into the driver's seat, he gave a quick wave.

"Well, I'd like to catch up, but I'm going to see if I can chase it down." Before anyone could ask more questions, Jose's car sped off, the walls of Mementos parting to let him through before closing up behind him again.

Watching the car disappear, Ren turned to Ann with a playful grin.

 "We are friends, aren't we?" He asked, mimicking Ann's friendly tone from earlier. "I'm a bad influence, aren't I?"

Ann giggled, shaking her head as she heard him. 

"I don't know what you're talking about." She replied with a smirk, her laughter lightening the mood as they all prepared to move forward.

"Well… what's the plan now?" Ryuji asked. "Are we still trying out these things? We know they work…"

Joker pulled out his own evoker, studying it for a moment before letting out a sigh and nodding.

"As weird as this was, it's still early. Mona, Oracle, and I will be heading into Okumura's palace soon for our first look. So, I think we should keep training and experimenting with the evokers. What do you all think? We could spend another couple of hours down here and then return to the surface."

The Thieves exchanged glances, nodding in agreement, and with the decision made, they piled back into the Monabus. As they descended deeper into the depths of Mementos, the atmosphere grew heavier, more oppressive. They passed by one of the large doors that had previously blocked their path, but as they did, Joker noticed Fox and Raven looking uncomfortable, sweat beading on their brows as the pressure of the place weighed down on them.

"Queen, slow down," Ren requested, and she gently brought the Monabus to a stop. "I think we should part ways here."

"Do not worry for me. I can still continue." Yusuke insisted, though his clenched teeth and heavy breathing betrayed his discomfort.

"No, this place won't do for both of you," Ren said firmly. "We've been doing this longer, so we're used to it. You're both strong, but your bodies aren't acclimated yet. You need time to adjust to the pressure."

"Joker's right." Takemi said with a sigh. "It's better not to push ourselves too much. Or else we'll just be a burden."

"Joker, do you want me to watch over them?" Makoto asked.

"Yes. You, Fox, Oracle, and Raven can train in an area that's more suitable. The rest of us will continue deeper. Mona can lead the way for us if we get too far for Oracle. Here, take the wishing star. You should be able to use it if something goes wrong." Ren told her, and she accepted it with a nod.

"Won't you need it more than us? You are going deeper. We still don't know how to use the evokers properly." Makoto asked with some concern.

"No, we have Mona to run away with." Ren answered with a reassuring smile. 

'And the scalpel.' He thought, but he didn't say those words out loud. As much as he was hesitant to use it if it came to their lives, he wouldn't hesitate. And that should give them an opening to escape.

[Hmm… there are a few Mementos targets around here. I could guide them to fight those if you want.] Futaba suggested, and earning a nod from the group, they stepped out.

"Well, at least we can be productive." Takemi chuckled, looking up at the camouflaged spaceship before asking. "Is there any chance you could fit a few more people in there? Or are we walking?"

[Uh…. sorry, that'd be kinda cramped.] Futaba answered awkwardly, causing Takemi to chuckle once again.

"I was just messing with you." Then, as she turned to Makoto, she added. " Lead the way."

— — —

As they drove down further into Mementos, Ren took the wheel while the group rotated in and out of fights with Shadows. Occasionally, simply crashing into the enemies with the Monabus was enough to make them explode, scattering money and materials as they vanished.

"Yo, you know what I just realized?" Ryuji said, breaking the silence. "It's been a while, but we're back to just the OG Thieves. Usually, we end up splitting up. Must be a lucky day."

"Don't jinx us!" Ann immediately shouted from the front, shooting him a glare. "Ah, it's too late now."

"Come on, you can't actually believe in that stuff," Ryuji complained, though he paused to think. "Well, actually… could jinxes be real down here?"

"Oh, wait! Treasure!" Morgana's eyes gleamed as he suddenly picked up a scent. "I can smell it. Take a right!"

Following Morgana's directions, Ren steered the Monabus toward a massive room. Inside, they found a large chest waiting for them. Opening it revealed an intriguing array of items: a crimson whip, a necklace with a green gem, a small inky black feather, and a blue potion.

"Hm… this one is different from the last time." Ren muttered, examining the materials in the chest. "I wonder what they do."

"Man, if only Oracle were here. I bet she could analyze them." Ryuji said, picking up the blue potion and handing it to Shiho. "But this stuff's gotta be good, right? We're pretty deep in Mementos for it to be junk."

Ann grabbed the crimson whip, while Morgana snatched up the green necklace with a gleam in his eyes. Ren took the feather, but as he studied it, he couldn't discern much from it. With a shrug, he tucked it into his pouch.

Jumping back into the Monabus, they continued driving down to the next floor. Strangely, this level was completely devoid of Shadows. Even the oppressive atmosphere they had grown accustomed to was absent, leaving the space feeling oddly calm. After a few minutes of navigating the labyrinth, Ann spoke up.

"Hey, Joker. The director wanted to meet you. Do you want to come with me to the set sometime? They're still setting things up, but we should start filming soon. It'd be cool to have you there. Even though I'm just a side character, I'm getting along with the crew pretty well. The two main actresses are actually a lot like me, so we get along great." Ann said, her excitement clear.

"Yeah, just let me know the day, and I'll make time for it." Ren answered.

"Ooh, what else are you guys doing this weekend?" Ryuji asked, perking up. "I've got practice Saturday afternoon, but I'm free on Sunday."

"Oh, I can't do Sunday," Shiho chimed in. "I'm helping out at the temple. I promised I'd go, and well… I kinda owe it to the place."

"The temple?" Ryuji asked, curious. "Didn't think you were the type to hang out there."

"Well, it's complicated." Shiho replied with a small smile. "But I like spending time there."

"Is it the same one you took me to that one time? It was nice." Ann added, smiling at the memory.

"Want me to help? I don't got much else going on." Ryuji asked before the Monabus shook as Mona perked up again.

"Another chest! Man, this really is our lucky day!" He said, excitement filling his voice as Ren steered the Monabus toward another large room with a chest waiting in the center.

As they entered the room, Morgana shifted back to his normal form, bounding over to the chest with excitement.

"Oooh, there's something good inside. I can feel it!" Morgana exclaimed, sniffing the air as his tail twitched with anticipation.

"Wait!" Ren's voice cut through, causing Morgana to freeze just as he reached for the chest. "There's something wrong about this floor. All the Shadows were—" But before he could finish, the chest's lid exploded open, and a massive Shadow lunged out, attempting to grab Morgana.

Reacting quickly, Ren pulled out his gun, firing a shot directly at the Shadow's mask. The impact made it reel back just enough for Morgana to leap out of range and create some distance.

With its ambush foiled, the Shadow let out a piercing shriek, the oppressive atmosphere returning in full force as Mementos trembled beneath them.

"Shit! A trap?" Ryuji shouted, immediately going on guard. He glanced back at the entrance they had come through, eyes widening as countless Shadows burst from the floor. "But— how?"

"Mimics?" Ren muttered in frustration. "Whoever came up with those ought to get attacked by one. I knew something was off with this empty floor."

"We can't get out through there! The Shadows are blocking the way!" Morgana shouted, looking back at the exit, now swarming with enemies.

Ren glanced at the massive Shadow in front of them, then at the Shadows closing in behind. With a curse under his breath, he formulated a plan.

"King Frost!" Ren called, summoning the towering Persona behind him. The massive snowman in a king's outfit appeared with a gleeful shout.

"Hee-hoo!" King Frost exclaimed, slamming his scepter into the ground. A thin layer of ice rapidly spread across the floor, extending through the entrance and into the corridor where the Shadows were surging from. With a wave of his hand, King Frost sent a massive wall of ice crashing down, partially blocking the path and leaving only a small gap for one or two Shadows to slip through at a time.

Ren's idea was to limit how many enemies they had to face at once. Fully blocking the path would lead to the Shadows smashing through the ice quickly, but leaving an opening would ease the pressure, allowing them to deal with a few at a time. In addition, the frozen floor would slow them down enough to give them some room to think.

As Morgana darted back to safety, the chest exploded fully, revealing a colossal Shadow, Ganesha, standing on two legs and wielding an enormous sword.

With swift, powerful movements, Ganesha swung the blade, slicing through the air and forcing the entire team to dodge out of the way.

"Carmen!" Ann shouted, summoning her Persona. A blazing wave of fire crashed into Ganesha, making the massive Shadow howl in pain. But instead of retreating, Ganesha leaped forward, sword raised, charging straight toward Ann.

"Watch out!" Ryuji shouted, summoning Captain Kidd. His Persona charged forward, lightning crackling through the air as he crashed into Ganesha in an attempt to intercept the attack. But the giant continued, seemingly unfazed, barreling straight toward Ann with terrifying speed.

Time seemed to slow for a moment as Ganesha's sword loomed over Ann, ready to strike.

"Hee-hoo!" King Frost shouted, waving his scepter. The ground beneath the charging Ganesha froze instantly, and with a flick of his hand, King Frost built a slick ramp of ice. Ganesha, unable to keep his balance, slipped and crashed to the side, giving Ann just enough time to retreat with the opportunity Ren had created for her.

"Everyone, focus!" Ren called out, snapping the team's attention back into place. "We've done this before. Don't let being caught off guard make us panic. Skull, Siren, guard the door. Any Shadows that break through, you take care of them. Mona, Panther, let's work together and take down this Shadow, then we'll handle the ones at the entrance."

The Thieves froze for a brief moment, absorbing Ren's commands, before nodding with determination and taking their positions. Just as Skull and Siren reached the entrance, two Shadows burst through, their forms solidifying into a pair of crimson-armored angels—Powers.

Back with the main fight, Ren refocused on Ganesha. The massive elephant-like Shadow stood, roaring in fury as it brandished its sword once more. The ice from King Frost had only slowed it temporarily, and now it was angrier than ever.

"Rangda!" Ren shouted, summoning the crimson-skinned woman with wild, flowing hair and long, bladelike nails. She floated for a moment before snapping to attention, launching herself toward Ganesha with a wicked grin.

Weaving through the air, Rangda met Ganesha's sword head-on. As the blade touched her skin, Ganesha let out a deafening howl—the attack was reflected back at him. A massive slash appeared across his stomach, and Rangda seized the opportunity, relentlessly slashing him over and over. Even if the Shadow could resist, their goal was clear: overwhelm it.

"Take this! Zorro!" Morgana shouted, summoning his masked swordsman. Zorro slashed his sword through the air, sending a barrage of wind blades toward Ganesha. But as the wind touched Ganesha's skin, it was absorbed, healing the countless gashes Rangda had inflicted.

Crack.

Just as Ren was about to command Rangda again, a loud cracking noise stole his attention. He glanced over toward where Shiho and Ryuji were fighting. At the same moment, Ganesha roared, and Ren, along with Morgana and Ann, felt a sudden sluggishness take over them. Ganesha, now seemingly invigorated, sidestepped Rangda and charged at Ann once again.

This time, however, Ann was ready. 

"Carmen!" She called out, summoning her Persona. A towering wall of fire rose before her, and as Ganesha charged forward, she leaped to the side. The massive Shadow barreled through the fire, its skin getting burnt as it charged through the wall and then crashed into one of the walls with a thunderous impact.

Crack

The cracking sound echoed again, louder this time, and Ren's eyes widened as he realized the wall he had built was about to collapse, letting in all of the shadows from the outside. Ganesha, too, seemed to notice, and its focus shifted. Without hesitation, the hulking figure turned and began charging toward Shiho and Ryuji.

"Siren, Skull, retreat! Get as far away from that wall as you can!" Ren shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos.

Shiho had confused the two crimson angels, causing them to attack each other and giving Ryuji a chance to shoot them down with his shotgun, only for Kidd to charge at them to deal more damage.

Yet, hearing Ren's warning, both Ryuji and Shiho dodged out of the way just in time as Ganesha's enormous form smashed into the frozen wall King Frost had erected. The ice shattered into countless pieces, sending shards flying across the room and slicing the elephant-like shadow, yet it just seemed to invigorate it even more.

The barrier was gone, and Ganesha roared in triumph, the path now clear for the approaching Shadows.

"Damn it. Of course, this shadow is smart," Ren muttered, frustration boiling inside him as he instinctively reached for the Wishing Star—only to remember he had given it to Makoto. His hand then moved toward the evoker strapped at his side. Pulling it out, Ren raised the gun to his head, taking a deep breath as he saw the Shadows flooding in.

But no matter how much he wanted to fire it, something in him refused.

He couldn't bring himself to pull the trigger.

His hand trembled, the weight of the evoker growing unbearable. It was as if death itself was wrapping around him, suffocating his every thought. His body recoiled from the sensation, filling him with a nauseating dread. 

And with that dread came anger, anger at himself for hesitating, for freezing in the moment they needed him most.

In the back of his mind, he could almost hear Tartuffe sigh in disappointment.

"Joker!" Morgana's voice cut through the haze. In a blur of movement, Morgana leapt onto Ren, pushing him out of the way just as a blade of light slashed through the space where Ren had been standing. The impact sent a jolt through him, snapping him back to the present, the sound of battle all around them.

~A/N~

Cliffhanger? Dontchu worry! I am posting the next chap in the next few hours!