There is no chance, no destiny, no fate, that can shift and bind ones tainted heart, lusting for desire, not even the leader of the infamous Phantom Thieves group, Akira Kurusu. Having been through so much trauma in the past and changing countless h...
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Sleep doesn't help if it's the souls that's tired. It felt like forever since he last saw the light and Akira was slowly falling into insanity being isolated for so long. There was only the darkness and rattling of chains to accompany him in a silent struggle, losing hope of what freedom he had prior. All he could await is for the rest of his friends to save him. His life was in their hands and that feeling alone made his heart ache, he wished he could do something to help but it was now that he was the damsel in distress, needing of saving.
Akira could feel his lips crease into a slight smile, chuckling at his own thought of being the one to be saved. He's the leader of the Phantom Thieves and this is what his fate laid out for him to cross? Akira couldn't help but escape another faint chuckle that echoed the overly large room he was locked in. Akira simply just stared down at his chained wrists and sighed, this time feeling the aching of his heart that began from when he came to this place. He could only wish the best of luck to the rest of the Phantom Thieves, if they were even alive anymore. Where ever they were, Akira was putting all of his faith on them. After all, his life was on the balance and in their hands now.
[ Back To The Phantom Thieves ]
Heavy breathing could be heard all across the room, the monster that once laid in front of the Phantom Thieves was long gone, merely the fading of its shadow parts being carried away into the unknown.
"S-shit! That was one of the most difficult shadows to defeat..." Ryuji exclaimed, still trying to catch his breath like the rest of the Phantom Thieves. After summoning Persona after Persona, tactic after tactic, it seemed alright for the Phantom Thieves to take a break.
"It will likely only get more difficult, the more we explore this palace." Makoto said, a serious expression now plastered upon her face and it seemed like it wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. She narrowed her eyes around the room, searching for nearby enemies that would become a threat to them and it looked like they were safe.. for now. She stopped her exploring once her eyes spotted an odd looking double door just far right of where they were currently, "Hey guys, could that possibly be a safe room?" she questioned and Futaba instantly did her scanning. She swiftly replied with a nod and before the rest of the Phantom Thieves said anything, Makoto hurriedly led them to the safe room.
It was then at that moment did the group exclaim loud sighs of relief as their figures sat down upon dull and damaged fancy chairs. The vibrant cushioning of the chairs were nothing more than shreds, showcasing the woodwork frame inside the structure.
Haru exaggerated her fatigued state by sliding her arms across the table as if trying to reach the other side of the table. It looked like an extreme stretch but by the look of her face, it was obvious that she was too tired to continue on, "We've been running around the palace for a little longer than expected..." she stated, "Perhaps it would be a good idea to return back to the real world and come back another time." she suggested but only received the silence of the group. She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion and observed around the room, she could see the pained and tensed expressions of her teammates. It was most likely because they all wanted to hurry and save Akira before it was too late. She sighed to herself and shook her head in denial.
"I know how much all of you want to save Akira just as much as I do... but rushing into this and tiring us out will only take more time." She said and Ann nodded in agreement.
"Yeah... Haru's right. It won't do us any good if we rush into enemies with barely enough energy to protect ourselves." Ann revealed a slight smile to reassure the rest of the group, "Plus, we need to clear our heads before coming back here. That's what Akira would've done."
With the mentioning of their wonderful leader and his role that he provides in leading the group, it was as if the pressure had somehow been lifted from all of their shoulders, the Phantom Thieves could only reply with a smile back to Ann. Yusuke still looked undecided but knew what was the best course of action. The shuffling of chairs being scrapped upon the wooden floor echoed and with a singular phone in hand, Makoto tapped her screen, sending all of the Phantom Thieves back to the real world, to reality. The cold breeze brushed passed all of their faces and the group found themselves, smelling the strong scent of coffee beans being brewed from down below. They had arrived back at Leblanc, back to Akira's room at the attic. The shifting palette of earthly colours overpowered the Phantom Thieves eyes while they stood in the middle of Akira's room with tired expressions.
It was quiet. Too quiet and Futaba could feel her shoulder's fall as she was hoping to see a slight hint of the black haired timid boy, having a desire to give him some reassurance that their progress in the palace was going surprisingly well. Although he was no where to be seen and that alone made the Phantom Thieves's heart skip a loud beat as silence welcomed them back. Futaba along with the rest of the group rushed down the stairs, thinking that their leader would be accompanying Sojiro in his coffee brewing. The loud steps broke Sojiro out of his thoughts, a worried and slightly panicked expression could be seen upon his face, making the Phantom Thieves confirm more of their concerns.
"Sojiro, where is Akira?" Futaba questioned, a faint crack in her voice as she was trying her hardest to not break down in tears. She had to stay strong, for Akira. Sojiro was silent, his frown lowering by the second. He shifted his right palm to cover his face in distress, "I don't know." he said, "One second he was here in eye range and the next, he was gone. I tried going up to his room and he wasn't there either." Sojiro unraveled his hand that covered his face as he followed Makoto's direction to sit down and discuss the problem.
As he sat down, he could feel the wave of fear finally seep through his body. "Maybe he went out to clear his mind or something. Did he say anything to you before he left?" Makoto questioned but Sojiro shook his head in denial. "The only strange thing that I heard was loud thuds and some yelling from his room and when I went to check on him, he was no where to be seen." he explained, "So, I don't think he went out at all." After Sojiro finished the last words of his sentence, the Phantom Thieves could feel the heavy pressure weighing down their shoulders once again. They all thought to themselves, 'where could he have gone?'
"You don't think.." Ryuji mumbled, feeling his throat go dry, unable to finish his sentence.
"No. I refuse to believe that he is gone." Yusuke cut off Ryuji, "Perhaps we should discuss about this further tomorrow. With clear minds, we decide what to do about Akira's disappearance." the group hesitantly nodded.
Sojiro offered them some coffee before they parted ways until the next day and as they left, they could feel the bittersweet realisation taint their minds while they walked back home. Akira was no where to be seen, just where could he have gone?
