Persona - Mask of Origins

Nicholi waited and watched Zain walk up to his room and fall asleep.

Zain's dreams were covered in a dense fog. He wandered around in the fog until he heard a voice. "You're looking for your inner self aren't you?" Zain furiously looked around, "Who's there!?"

 

Toji soon returned with a black book.

"Here's what you've been looking for."

 

Nicholi nervously gripped the book and flipped through it. Stopping when he found the notes about himself and Zero's creation. "This will work...it has to." He hurried back to Toji's lab and set to his work.

Zain scowled into the fog and the voice launched an electrical bolt at him, "If you desire to know so much about who you are supposed to be, then why don't you look for it."

 

Toji went with him to make sure he wasn't disturbed.

 

Purple smoke came from the table where he quickly mixed things together and pale skin formed from the mixtures.

 

Toji waited for him to finish.

 

Nicholi furiously worked and started to laugh hysterically when a body now lay on the table, resembling Maria without any of the deformities Zero and Nicholi had. "She's perfect! Now all I need to do is find a piece of her, that her soul energy is attatched to and insert it into the body." Nicholi rumaged through a large bag he had carried with him of things that seemed to be his.

 

Toji watched, keeping his distance from him.

 

Nicholi's frantic movements stopped as he pulled out a locket and quickly pulled out a lock of her hair from the locket and mixed it with a liquid and slowly injected it into Maria's skin. He sighed in relief as color slowly moved into her skin. Nicholi fell down on the floor, exhausted and unconscious.

 

Toji helped him into a chair.

 

His head lolled to one side and what they'd thought were streams of blood from his eyes shifted. They were actually lines like gills on his face that breathed and widened when he slept.

Zain jerked awake, pain radiating through his body from the multiple shockwaves the dream man had delt him.

 

Toji looked unnerved as he looked at Nicholi.

 

A soft rustling came from behind Toji on the table as Maria sat up, "Do not worry about my dearest son. Nicholi will be fine and those marks...it's just something the Doctor gave him so his brain could get more oxygen. Isn't he wonderful?" Her eyes were a solid purple and her smile was bright and kind-hearted.

 

"He's a lot smarter than my father, that's for sure."

 

"Yes...though I do remember the lies the Doctor told me...at least that's what I believe they are, but the pain and torment I endured is not apart of those memories. Nicholi was created to be the most intelligent shadow and possibly human. Though...he certainly refuses to show his true emotions." She clutched the sheet to her body as she slid off the table and stood on shaky legs. "Would you be a dear and find me some clothes, Mr...."

 

"Just call me Toji. I don't know if you'll be able to wear these, but my girlfriend, Yuki, handed me these spare clothes." He said as he handed her the clothes and walked out so she could get changed.

 

Maria smiled at him and changed. The clothes were slightly tight, but she managed.

Zain rushed down the stairs and bumbed into Zero. "S-sorry!" Zero watched him curiously, "Simmer down, buddy. Why are you so hyped up? Uh...sorry if that's rude." Zain shook his head and slumped onto the couch.

 

"You have another nightmare, Zain?" Yuki asked.

 

Zain gasped for breath and looked at her with wide eyes, "You could say that. I..it felt so real, I could've sworn it was. That guy...he said I don't know who I really am.

 

"What do you mean? Who appeared in your dream?"