Persona: The Phantom Masquerade.

(I wasn't happy with the first version of the chap, so that's why I didn't post last night. I rewrote it, and now I am much happier with how it turned out. Hope you all enjoy.)

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It looked like school was going to be another dull day. But as he sat in class looking out the window, an announcement played over the intercom.

"Teachers, please excuse the following students for the day. If your name is called, head to the library." The announcement began, and a list of names followed, echoing through the classroom. 

Among them were Yuuki Mishima, Suzui Shiho, Ann Takamaki, Ren Amamiya, and Ryuji Sakamoto, as well as many of whom were on the volleyball team. This piqued Ren's interest, and he couldn't help but wonder what this was about as he got up, Ann and Mishima in tow.

"Do you think this is about Kamoshida?" Ann whispered, concern lacing her voice. Earning a nod from Ren.

Are we in trouble?" Mishima added, looking genuinely worried.

Ren shook his head, trying to ease their fears. 

"I doubt it," he said, leading the way into the library, now bustling with students.

Makoto was there, doing her best to maintain some semblance of order among the crowd. Catching Ren's eye, she quickly made her way over, her voice a hushed whisper. 

"The police are here interviewing students. Kamoshida was sent away by the principal yesterday morning, and no one knows why they're here, but it's probably about him judging by the students that were called over."

Ren couldn't help but smile reassuringly at Makoto, who seemed a bit on edge. She pulled him aside, a hint of awkwardness in her demeanor. 

"Hey, um, did my sister say anything weird to you?" she asked, a blush creeping onto her face, which made Ren chuckle.

"No, just asked what we were doing. Nothing to worry about." Ren assured her, watching her visibly relax.

"Alright–" Makoto started, only to be interrupted by more students entering the library, their faces etched with anxiety. "Sorry, I've got to handle this," she apologized before dashing off to guide the newcomers.

The Phantom Thieves huddled together at a desk, a bubble of calm in the storm of whispers filling the library. Before Ryuji could voice the question hanging on his lips, Ren quickly signaled for silence with a finger to his lips, a glance around the crowded room reminding them of the need for discretion.

"Have you guys prepared for the exams yet? If not, we can meet up at Leblanc to 'study.'" Ren asked casually. The group looked momentarily confused before they nodded their heads in acknowledgment.

"Sounds good." Ann responded with a nod, the group silently acknowledging the hidden meaning behind his words.

Thankfully, when they had met up before, they had discussed what would happen if Kamoshida turned himself in. So they knew what they would say to the police if they asked anything. Though this was a bit out of Ren's expectations, they were at least prepared for any questions they might ask.

"Are you guys studying?" A voice sounded behind them, and as they turned around, they saw the nervous Mishima. "Sorry for eavesdropping, but... I could use a distraction."

The group exchanged looks, sensing Mishima's unease. After a brief pause, Shiho offered a tentative invitation, 

"Uh- sure? You can join us."

As Mishima grabbed a book and sat down with the group, Ren couldn't help but notice just how nervous he looked. Well, as he looked around the room, pretty much everyone here looked nervous except for them. Though his eyes narrowed as he looked at the side glances Mishima was giving him. However, he decided to ignore it for now.

Time ticked by in the library, with students being called out one by one for their interviews. Finally, it was Ren's turn. He made his way to the student council room, where he was met with an unexpected sight: Makoto's sister, Sae Nijima, was there alongside some police officers.

"Ren Amamiya. Please, take a seat," Sae greeted him formally, opening a folder as he sat down.

"Oh, Miss Nijima. Nice to see you again," Ren responded, offering a polite smile despite the tension.

Sae quickly got down to business, flipping through her notes before looking up.

 "Have you had any recent interactions with Kamoshida?" she inquired."

Ren shook his head, his response firm.

"No, I haven't seen him since his suspension."

"Very well. When I talked to the other students, they mentioned that there was an incident between the two of you. Could you elaborate on it?" Sae continued, her tone professional but probing.

"When I first arrived at the school, I noticed that a lot of the students who were a part of the volleyball team acted strangely, and after talking to one of them, I decided to help them." ren answered.

"That student, was it Shiho Suzui?" Sae pressed on, taking notes as Ren confirmed.

"Yes. After I learned what was happening from her, I felt I had to do something," Ren explained, his resolve clear in his voice.

"And you chose to handle this yourself instead of going to the police?" Sae questioned with a skeptical turn.

"Given my past experiences with the police, yes. I thought it was the best course of action." Ren answered, placing some frustration in his voice.

Hearing this, Sae nodded her head as she spoke.

Sae acknowledged this, her interest piqued.

"Your case was for assault, correct? Your statement mentioned intervening to help a woman being harassed, a similar case to this one."

"Yes, I pushed him backward. That was the extent of my crime, though I am sure the official record might tell a different story." Ren confirmed, his tone steady.

Sae nodded her head in acknowledgment as she heard the answer.

The interview wrapped up surprisingly quickly, with only a handful of questions that skirted around the edges of Kamoshida's actions rather than diving into the heart of the matter. It left him with a nagging sense of unease as he made his way back to the classroom. It felt more like they were probing for something else entirely.

It also didn't make sense for Sae to interview the students personally for a case of an abusive teacher. For someone of her rank, she should be dealing with different types of cases. At first, he thought it was because she was worried for Makoto, but that didn't seem quite right either.

His thoughts were interrupted by the final bell, its chime signaling the close of another school day. The group gathered together before they headed towards Leblanc, their unofficial headquarters. They arrived to find it peppered with the usual patrons, the atmosphere a comforting blend of chatter and the aroma of fresh coffee.

Sojiro was currently standing behind the bar, looking at the tv with a concerned expression. And turning to see the group, he pointed at it.

"Hey, you should see this. The teacher that attacked you is all over the news right now." He said as he turned up the volume on the TV.

The group all turned their attention towards it and listened as the news broadcaster spoke.

[Suguru Kamoshida, a respected teacher at Shujin Academy and former Olympic medalist, stunned the police by walking into the station yesterday evening, intent on confessing to a series of heinous crimes. These allegations include abuse of power, assault, blackmail, sexual harassment, and rape. 

This revelation casts a long shadow over the President of the Ministry of Education, raising serious questions about the oversight of educators. As new elections draw closer, we should take this in mind when deciding on his reelection.]

The TV screen changed to show a picture of Kamoshida before proceeding.

[The police officers commented that he appeared to be in clear distress when he arrived. As the police tried to apprehend him, the former Olympic medal winner suffered from a mental shutdown, which resulted in his death a few hours later. The police are still trying to investigate the cause of it, though they believe his panic in trying to confess was partly related to it.

The strange phenomenon known as a mental shutdown has started to become more frequent…]

As Kamoshida's image flashed across the screen, the reporter continued.

[Upon his arrival at the station, Kamoshida appeared extremely distressed. In a tragic turn of events, he suffered a mental shutdown while in custody, leading to his unexpected death a few hours later. 

The strange phenomenon known as a mental shutdown, which is still under investigation, has sparked widespread concern due to its increasing frequency.]

The room fell silent, the weight of the news settling heavily on everyone's shoulders. The rest of the group all had shocked expressions, but Ren had a frown on his face. It didn't seem right. 

Though he wasn't yet an expert in the Metaverse, he should stayed alive as long as his shadow wasn't killed. Makoto had even seen him the day before, and if he had shown up at the school, then that was probably a sign that something had changed.

The group behind him was exchanging uncomfortable looks before Ren spoke up.

"Sojiro, we are going to be upstairs." Ren said, earning a nod from him as they all walked into his room.

Once settled in the relative privacy of Ren's room, the group's silence was a testament to the gravity of the situation. It was Shiho who broke the quiet, her voice tinged with frustration.

"So even after we spared him… he still ended up dying before he could face justice for what he did."

"Did we... could it somehow be our fault?" Ann's voice followed, laced with guilt and uncertainty.

The question hung in the air, heavy with implications. But Ren, who had been piecing together the fragments of the puzzle, shook his head with conviction.

"No, this isn't on us. Something weird has to be going on. There's something else at play here. Mental shutdowns have been occurring well before we even stumbled upon the existence of Palaces."

As Ren said this. Morgana climbed in through the slightly opened window.

"I agree, even with the collapse of the Palace, the shadow should have remained unharmed…"

As if on cue, Morgana made his entrance through a slightly ajar window, adding weight to Ren's theory. 

"Indeed, even if a Palace collapses, its shadow should remain intact..."

"What do you think?" Ren asked as he saw the cat jump into his bed and sit down.

Morgana closed his eyes for a second before saying.

"I'm not entirely sure what we're dealing with, but there's a place where we might find some answers." he finally said, his tail swishing through the air with a slight trace of excitement. "You are all free tomorrow, so that makes it the perfect opportunity for us to explore."

Ren's response came quickly, his voice carrying a resolve that seemed to anchor the group's spiraling thoughts.

"I agree." He said with determination, with his eyes full of curiosity.

"It's time to go to Mementos."