Now that we have finished with Pavia’s palace, I decide that it’s a good time to jump into the Metaverse and give Lucy a report about what went down, especially since some of that didn’t quite go like we expected. We have our first football game tomorrow, and a contest the next day, so today’s my best opportunity to get that done.

I give her a call, and then recap everything that happened. After I’m done, there’s quiet for a little while.

“Hmm… well, first of all, you all did an excellent job. Seriously, kudos to you,” Lucy tells me. “You’ve taken down your first palace, despite facing some pretty unique challenges. I expect great things to come from you in the future, Ashley. That said… I am disturbed by some parts of your account. Let me break it down for you in chronological order.

“First of all, the opening chamber. That is a rather unique challenge for a palace to have. I don’t think I’ve seen anything quite like that before. However, I have been in palaces which had the power to emotionally affect those who travelled through it, so it’s not out of the realm of possibility. As for why Ted didn’t have to go through it, your guess is as good as mine. Ted himself is kind of an exception in and of himself since I haven’t exactly met many other creatures like him. Your own ability to make it through the chamber was a stroke of good luck. Pavia seemed to only want to meet with people of a certain disposition, which you happened to match.”

This makes me frown, as it reminds me of what Anja said when she was driving me home on Tuesday. “Well, I only barely got through it,” I defend myself. “And if I hadn’t, I have no clue how we would’ve gotten through there.”

“I just said as much. I never said it was a bad thing.”

Oh. I feel a little silly now, so I just let her continue.

“Anyways. Your meeting with this ‘Luke’ fellow is when things start to get strange. His explanation of cognitive beings is accurate; it is likely that you’ll run into a least a few of those in each palace. Honestly, I feel kind of bad that I forgot to mention it. However, they almost never pose any sort of serious threat to a Persona user. But a cognitive being really shouldn’t have that level of knowledge of how a palace works on a technical level.

“After hearing your account of ‘Sarah,’ I think I know what’s going on, and it’s very troubling. I think that both ‘Luke’ and ‘Sarah’ were the same entity; an enemy of mine who is actually named Moloch.”

“Wait, what, slow down,” I stop her. “Moloch, as in the pagan god? The one that people sacrificed their children to or something? I’m pretty sure they’re mentioned somewhere in the Old Testament.”

“Well, maybe. It’s anyone’s guess if this thing was really around back in Ancient Judea, or if this is just a random demon who appropriated the name. Either way, it’s very troubling that he already has his sights on you.”

“An honest-to-God demon, huh? So how do you know those two people were him?”

“Moloch is a shapeshifter, and since you never saw both of them in the same place, he would’ve had no problem changing forms between the two days. Moloch’s typical modus operandi when he first meets someone is to take on a very sexually attractive form to put his target at ease. After meeting you on Tuesday, he must’ve figured out that, well, men don’t do it for you. Given our past run-ins, it wouldn’t be the first time he’s made that assumption and been wrong. So he changed to an attractive female form to get your attention, and well, it worked.”

Hey, look at that, Lucy and I have something in common.

“Wait. You keep referring to Moloch as ‘he,’ but he can also take the form of a woman. Does it matter what pronouns we use?”

“He appears as a male like 90% of the time I see him, so it’s a force of habit. And come on, he’s a demon. He’s not gonna be offended if I misgender him. And given that he’s an evil bastard, I honestly don’t really care anyway.”

“Alright. That’s what I figured.”

“There are a few other suspicious aspects of the story which make it a dead giveaway that you did truly meet Moloch. First of all, his choice of the names ‘Luke’ and ‘Sarah.’ ‘Luke’ is, well, a name that I used to go by, and ‘Sarah’ is the name of one of my close allies. I highly doubt that’s a coincidence.”

Huh. So it sounds like Lucy is trans too, then.

“So why would he give that away to me?” I question.

“Probably just his way of making fun of us, honestly. Another suspicious circumstance is what happened with Pavia’s shadow form. I know from personal experience that Moloch has the ability to… beef up shadows like that. It’s never a good time when he does that…

“Finally, let’s talk about the football stadium area you all visited. Given that the stadium did not match the rest of the palace whatsoever, I’m willing to bet that it was actually in The Shadow Realm.”

“Well, that sounds ominous. So what the hell is that?”

“Hmm, how do I explain this… how good are you at math, Ashley?”

“I’m extremely good at it.”

“Okay, maybe this metaphor will help. Think of the number zero. It is neither a positive or negative number, so in a way, it is like the bridge between the two. Now imagine that the reality you’re currently living in is the number zero.”

“Okay… so are there an infinite number of realities above and below ours, then? Like the number line?”

“I don’t think so. I imagine that they probably stop at some point, I just have no idea how to determine where.”

“Fair enough. Also, what is the difference between the ‘positive’ and ‘negative’ realities, in this metaphor?”

“Uh… I have my theories, but they require a certain prerequisite knowledge of both theoretical physics and deep philosophical theology. Let’s just… not get sidetracked for now, please.”

“Aw come on, now I’m just more curious. But fine, go on.”

“Anyways, the Metaverse is like the number one. It is greater than zero, so in a way it is like the bridge between zero and two. Two, on the other hand, is The Shadow Realm.”

“Uh, okay. So you’re saying that the Metaverse is a reality that is ‘higher’ than mine.”

“Essentially. Recall when you broke the seal in your church and awakened your Persona. That stained-glass window created a portal to the Shadow Realm, which is where the shadows came from.”

“Okay. That should be easy to remember.”

“The Shadow Realm is where Moloch comes from. I think that, if he really wanted to directly change Pavia’s shadow form, he would’ve had the easiest time doing it on his own turf, so he linked the shadow world to the palace. Except it probably wasn’t fully in the Shadow Realm; it was sort of a ‘one and a half’ that had the properties of both.”

“I guess that would explain why the place was so ominously empty. I remember Nova making a comment about that.”

“Yes, perhaps. That space was most likely a sort of a floating liminal area.”

“Alright. Well, I’m not entirely sure what to make of that, if I’m honest.”

“I’m sure that this won’t be your last experience with the Shadow Realm. That said, I would urge you to avoid going in there unless I tell you to. Moloch’s power level is increased there, so it’d be an easy place for him to corner you. And you don’t want to know what happens if he corners you.”

“Wait a minute… if he’s stronger there, why didn’t he just kill all of us in one go as soon as we stepped foot in there?”

“Well… it’s complicated. Moloch usually doesn’t directly try to kill people. He uses institutions to his advantage instead of acting directly. He likes to plant ‘seeds’ in the Shadow Realm that infect people automatically when left to their own accord. More on that later. I already knew that Moloch carries out extensive operations in Texas, and the information you’ve given me further confirms this.”

“Why the fuck is that guy here specifically, though?”

“Well, I have no clue why he was in Pavia’s palace, if that’s what you mean. It could’ve just been very bad luck that you happened to walk in while he was there.”

“No, I mean in the state of Texas in general. Like, is it just because it’s one of the largest states by population, so there are more targets?”

“He doesn’t just operate in Texas. I think that he is also involved somehow in activity in both coastal regions. My close ally has recently reported strange things happening on the west coast, though I still need to investigate this more thoroughly. In addition, I think I may be on the cusp of uncovering a dark secret in the northeastern US, which I’m convinced that Moloch is behind.”

“Wow, he really gets around,” I say snidely. “So does he have minions to do his bidding, too? Is that who the masked person was?”

“As far as I know, he just has the one. I usually just call her ‘The Dark Trooper.’ Yes, don’t be fooled by the voice, I’m pretty sure this person is a woman. She has been working for Moloch for about as long as I have been working against him. I don’t know much about her history. And yes, that gem you saw implanted into her gun is something like the pink one that you have. I would love to know how she got it. I suspected that she had found a fourth stone, but I have yet to see it, so I’m very glad that you reported this detail to me. Since it is green, we will name it the Emerald Stone.”

I’m trying to remember as much of this as I can, but it’s starting to get to the point where it’s beyond me. I wish I had something to take notes on.

“And finally, let’s talk about Moloch’s ‘seeds.’ Thanks to your work, I can now say without a shadow of a doubt that Moloch has planted an evil entity in the southern US. I call this entity ‘The Queen of Shadows,’ as it has taken the form of a woman the few times I’ve seen it. Her purpose is to take people in the region who have impure hearts and corrupt them to the level of being unrecognizable. The judge you fought was clearly not finished being corrupted, so it’s a good thing that you got to him when you did; you have saved your locality a lot of future trouble.”

“So, this Shadow Queen figure will corrupt anyone who already has a palace, and make them worse?” I ask, trying to wrap my head around the concept.

“It’s more like she’ll take people who are susceptible to forming palaces, and speed up the process,” she corrects. “At some point, you may want to scout your whole town and see if there are any other palaces around, other than the jungle one we discussed a while back.”

“Alright. I’ll try and get the others together to do that sometime.”

“Good. These ‘seeds’ are extremely difficult to find and destroy. And trust me, we want to destroy them; they are responsible for corrupting people that have committed many atrocities in the past. I wouldn’t be surprised if some historical events, like the rise of Nazi Germany, were caused by some other supernatural entity planting a seed that got way too powerful. I have defeated a few of them in my day, but she so far has eluded me. Keep on defeating villains in the region, and eventually, you will find her.”

Once again, I would’ve appreciated a more detailed process than that, but once again, I guess I’ll take her word for it for the time being. I’m getting tired of this conversation.

“I’m going to be honest,” I admit, “I think I’m more confused now than I was before you started trying to explain everything. Are you saying that there’s been a supernatural war happening in America for decades that nobody knows about?”

“Well… it’s not really a war, it’s more like a bunch of competing espionage schemes. It’s okay if you don’t get it; I understand that this is a lot to take it. How about you sleep on it tonight, and we can talk about it later?”

“Okay, sure. Actually, that reminds me of something interesting Anja told me.” I briefly tell her the story of the ‘Thieves in the Night’ group.

“Oh… heehee. Don’t worry, I know all about the Thieves. I used to be their leader.”

“Whoa, really?”

“Yep. Those were the days. Unfortunately, what your friend told you was true; most of the other members are dead or missing. There is only one other I know of who is still alive. But given the circumstances, I think it’s crucial I protect their identity, so that’s all I’ll say on the matter.”

“Do you think that my friends and I may be hunted down as well?” I question. “It’s only fair that my friends know what risk they are taking if they involve themselves with me. And I could probably convince my mom to let me keep a weapon of self-defense in my room…”

Lucy giggles at this. “Smart girl. But there is no need for that. The Thieves got wiped out mostly because Moloch caught us off guard; we were completely unaware of his shapeshifting abilities at the time. That will never happen again.”

“Can this Moloch enter the real world, by any chance?” I question her, not entirely convinced.

“No. If you have a Persona awakened already, he really can’t do anything to you at all except maybe make you have a bad dream, and even that would take such a great amount of effort for him that he won’t bother.”

“Okay. That is reassuring.”

“Anyways, I’ll let you process all of this crazy stuff. Keep in touch, Ashley.”

“Okay. Bye.”

“Talk to you later. God bless.”

Oh man, I just can’t wait for this. Soon enough, everything is going to change. My dad’s being all gloomy; my sister is biting her nails; my mom is wearing a smug expression. I feel pretty smug too- I’m remembering back to when I used my lightning powers to blow those winged things out of the sky. It happened here, in this very room, yesterday. Man, isn’t life weird?

The person I’m watching the closest, however, is Pavia himself. He’s just kinda… sitting there. Looking over a bunch of notes. Kind of taking a long time. He seems… I don’t know. Uncertain, maybe?

After a while of this, he says, “Mr. Mosely… may I have a word with your two kids?”

“Um, sure,” my dad says. Kat and I walk up to him.

“Now, answer me honestly,” he says to us in a low voice. “You have been living with your father for the past few years… correct?”

“Yep,” I reply.

“Do you two feel… reasonably well cared for? Is your father a fit parent?”

“Absolutely,” my sister says, trying to push herself over the stand to make herself look taller. What a dork. “We may not have too much at our home… but dad does the best he can. We’re happy together.”

Pavia looks at me.

“Uh, what she said,” I say.

“Very well. You may be seated.”

We both sit back down where we were. Mom is getting antsy at this point. We hear a clip-clop as she walks up to the front in her high heels. (I never understood why women wear those. They look painful as hell.) She starts speaking to Pavia in a low voice. Eventually, though, they’re talking loud enough that we can hear it.

“…Make something of their lives. You can’t do this. You don’t want this on your conscience.”

“Madame, please. This is my court. Please take a seat and await my…”

“No. I cannot believe that I am being disrespected like this. You’re finished, you hear me? Oh, you laugh now, but I think that the ACLU will be very interested in knowing why you’re denying a mother the right to properly care for her children. They will certainly be notified…”

“You do that, then.”

My mother is infuriated. She begins walking back to her table, ranting as she walks. “This is the end of your career, you hear me? You have no idea what powers that you’re messing with.”

“Miss Vasquez, be real. I’ve proudly served this town for years now. Who’s going to replace me? Jared Carson?”

“Damn you!” My mom shouts. It seems like she’s finally lost her temper; she’s totally dropped her whole professional shtick. As she gets back to her table, she grabs it and flips it over in a rage. Then, she just grabs her briefcase and walks straight out without another word.

My dad is pretty confused by all this. “Um… Sir… Justice Sir… Uh…?”

“Hmm… it seems as if my hunch about that woman was correct. I ought to report her for contempt of court… Anyways. Go take your children home, Mr. Mosely.”

My dad’s eyes go wide like saucers. “Wait… are you serious?”

“Yes, I am. Upon further review of my notes over the case, I began to suspect that I was not taking into account all aspects of parental fitness. I have decided that you will retain custody of both children for the time being.”

“Well, that’s… great. Uh, thank you very much, Justice.”

“Wait, Dad won?” Kat said, looking positively giddy. “Awh hell yeah!”

“Excuse me young lady!” My dad interjected. “Do not use that kind of language here. Do you want the Justice to change his mind?”

Pavia apparently didn’t hear anything. “My apologies if I misjudged you at first. You had better take care of those kids. I don’t want to see you in this room again, understand?”

“Understood, sir. Absolutely, judge sir. I will do my very best,” my dad says awkwardly, getting up from his seat.

“May… may God’s blessing be upon you,” Pavia says.

“I very much appreciate that,” my dad says.

As we head for the back of the court, I nudge Kat in the ribs.

“I told you he was going to win, idiot. You didn’t believe me.”

“Oh shut up! You had no way of knowing,” Kat argued back. “Hey Dad… do you think we can go to Sonic again to celebrate?”

My dad doesn’t respond immediately. He just laughs.

And man, is it a relief to see the last of this god damn courthouse. And you know what? I feel a really good feeling. I’m not really sure exactly how I’d describe it. It’s like… I did something really good, for myself. It’s like how it feels when I win a match on Pokémon Showdown, except like, times a hundred. It’s cool.