March

6 hours before the deadline

Suki could feel anxiety build up in her chest and tighten it shut as she fired another iron arrow at another empty can, going straight through and pinning it to the old gnarled tree in the backyard.

Although she hadn't had much skill skill in archery, she was surprisingly good. But she had no time to be proud of her new skill. She and her team would only have six hours before the deadline and she was shaking intensely.

This entire mission, her first mission, could go so many ways but one of those ways, the way that could kill them all or simply kill Isas. She had to get everything right.

She couldn't let anyone die. She just couldn't.

Suki took out her phone to check the time. It read '7:03.'

I think I should get going now... She thought.

She placed her phone back in her pant pocket and grabbed her things, only taking the most important, which was currently her phone, her long bow, and her new melee weapon which she was gifted to by Jumin, a short sword.

She grabbed what she had and strapped it to her person. She shot a quick text to the group chat Jumin created.

Kimi: yeah

Kimi: we all do..

Kimi: anyways, I'll be there in fifteen minutes, unless you wanna ride with me, Suk?

Suki exhaled deeply as she placed her phone back in her pocket and walked to the gate, preparing to leave.

"Suki! Wait!"

Suki turned to see Akiniko running to her. She stopped.

"Y-yes?" She asked.

"I just...wanted to catch you before you left...needed to tell ya something.." He said hesitantly.

"What is it?"

Akiniko hesitated again before throwing his arms around her and pulling her in for a tight hug.

"Just...be safe. I..." He stopped there.

Suki almost broke into tears as she nervously hugged him back, burying her face in his shoulder. "I-I will...I promise."

Akiniko breathed out heavily as he let go of Suki and turned back to go inside. Suki was left there, feeling a bit confused.

Does...does he know? Or does he assume I'm going to murder someone? If he does...how? And why?

Suki shook her head and sprinted off.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

5 hours and 30 minutes until deadline

Everyone came running to the waterfall. Kimi threw her bike down on the floor and sprinted towards the others. They all grouped together at the foot of the falls, panting heavily.

Suki took a big glup of air. "Is everything ready? Are you all prepared?"

"Yeah. Let's go!" Kimi said.

She was about to walk away when Jumin stopped her.

"Wait, here. Take this." He said, handing her an M9 firearm.

Kimi was taken aback. "W-where'd you-?!"

"I find it better not to ask questions." Jumin replied bluntly.

Kimi did not know what to do other than to quickly take the gun from Jumin.

He must be really serious about this... She thought anxiously.

"Okay, are we ready now?" Suki asked.

They both nodded.

"Alright. Let's storm this castle and get out Isas back."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Idiot! Can't you do anything right?!"

"Pathetic! Get up and be a man!"

"Isas...is that you?"

"No, no, no! PLEASE! I NEED HIM! HE'S THE ONLY FRIEND I'VE EVER HAD! HE'S THE ONLY ONE WHO CARES ABOUT ME! PLEASE!"

Isas woke up to the last voice that rang in his head as it seemed so real and close.

When his vision adjusted, he found that he was not in his room, nor was he in the hospital room. He was...in prison?!

He stood up urgently and raced to the bared window. He looked out it and realized...he wasn't even home.

He was in a castle. He was in his own castle.

"What the hell...." He breathed.

Isas maniacally banged on the bars, pulling at them, then punching them, hurting his hands.

"Damnit! HELP! SOMEONE PLEASE! HELP!" Isas shouted.

"My, my. You are quite the loud one, Isas..."

Isas whipped around in surprise at the other voice in the room. He was even more shocked to see that he was facing himself.

"What the hell?!" Isas exclaimed, stepping back.

Shadow Isas put out his arms, presenting him with what 'they' created. What 'they' made together.

Isas tilted his head in confusion, but then his eyes widened in realization. He knew what he was talking about. He knew who he was talking about. Isas stepped forward, fists tightened.

"I WILL NOT LET YOU TOUCH HIM!!" Isas yelled.

His shadow chuckled, a sinister smirk crossing his face. "I am afraid it is a bit too late for that, my prince~"

"Yo! PRINCE JACKASS! WE'RE HERE!" Jumin's voice shouted.

A small gasp escaped Isas' lips as he turned to the bared window and looked down. There, he stared in horror as his best friend and the girls entered the castle grounds.

"No...no...no, JUM-"

Isas was silenced by his shadow's arm pulling him backwards. His other arm wrapped tightly around his waist. Isas struggled in his arms as his shadow moved his lips close to his ear.

"There is nothing you can do now. We made a deal-him and I...he has to win to live...he must win to get you back." He hissed.

Isas growled, his shouting muffled by his evil counterpart's arm. He began to thrash around, backing him against the wall by the bared window. He slammed his doppelganger repeatedly into the wall, over and over again, creating cracks and breaks in the wall.

Isas shook his head, continuously ramming him into the wall. His shadow tried to fight back but before he could make any lasting moves, Isas smashed him into the wall, causing it to break and the two to fall through, plummeting to the ground.

The trio could hear their yelling. They looked up, eyes widened, and they scattered.

Isas was lucky enough to have his shadow break his fall, along with all the debris from the tower. Isas broke free from his shadow's grasp and stood, backing away from him.

"ISAS!" Jumin shouted, a smile crossing his face as tears spilled from gunmetal grey eyes.

Isas turned, a relieved sigh escaping his mouth as he ran to go hug his best friend, his family.

But something stopped him.

He felt something gross and large wrap around his waist and hold him back.

Isas looked back to see it was shadow's arm, which was now a large, blackened tentacle.

The shadow flung Isas out of the way and against another wall.

He then turned his attention to the trio, a twisted smile on his face, which began to twitch.

"I guess I have to do everything myself! No matter....I have no problem executing you all by MYSELF!"

Within seconds, his shadow's form morphed into something horrendous.

The being towered over them, surpassing the size of the entire castle. His body was covered in masks that seemed like they were screaming for help.

Jumin didn't hesitate. He didn't wait for Suki to give orders. He just ran. He wielded his father's sword as he charged towards the beast.

"GIVE ME MY ISAS!" Jumin cried.

Jumin's eyes widened as he let out the loudest battle cry his lungs could release, and sliced through one of tentacles off, which in the blink of an eye, grew back.

"What the-?!"

Jumin couldn't finish the thought for the tentacle grabbed Jumin and flung him through a large pillar and slammed onto the floor, a large bleeding gash forming on the side of his head.

"NOOOO!!!!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"NGH!"

Yu gripped the side of his head, feeling a stabbing pain on the side of his head, like it had been smashed on concrete.

His eyes then widened in fear from the feeling that came along with it.

"Jumin..." He breathed.

"Y-Yu?" Grey called, her face hot with tears.

Yu didn't say anything. He immediately grabbed his keys and stormed out the door.

Please God, gods, even demons, do not take him away from me...do not take my son away from me!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Time seemed to stop.

Everything just seemed to slowly stop as the realization hit them all like a bag of bricks.

Jumin was badly injured.

Jumin...was almost dead.

Kimi's gripped her heart as tears fell from her eyes and onto the floor.

"N-NOOO!!!" She shrieked.

"Oh my god..." Suki whispered as she ran to Jumin, summoning Hegemony and beginning to heal him.

Isas said nothing. He let the tears fall from his eyes as he dropped to his knees, sobbing.

"JUMINNNNN!!!" He shouted into the dark sky.

He buried his face in his hands and he continued to sob and break down.

Kimi....Kimi felt anger.

Kimi felt rage.

She gripped the bat tightly, gritting her teeth and began to run, shouting. The shadow sent a tentacle for her, but she quickly dodged it and went straight for the middle, beginning to swing the bat repeatedly into its chest.

"I HATE YOU! I DON'T CARE IF YOU'RE PART OF ISAS-I HATE YOU!!" Kimi shrieked.

Hearing her shrieking made Isas gripped his body in guilt and shame.

She should hate me...I killed Jumin...I killed my best friend...how could I kill my best friend...?

Isas turned at the sound of the young voice. It was him and Jumin when they were younger. When they were free. When they were alive.

"Yeah. 'Almost.' Not always. I'm still here. I'll always be here."

"You will eventually forget about me...you find me too...'boring.' "

"You're not boring. And I'm not gonna forget you Isas. You're my best friend. It doesn't matter what you do, or who you are-you're still gonna be my best friend. My Isas Chikako..."

Isas felt a smile creep across his face as the tears fell from his eyes. In his heart, he knew Jumin's words were true. That they were really. He knew that Jumin did not use his words lightly. He knew that they had to have impact.

Jumin cared about him. Jumin was his family. He risked his life for him! And...now, he was going to return the favor.

"So...you have finally come to a resolve." A voice rang.

Isas went wide eye as he felt something build up deep inside his pyshce. "Y-yes...yes I have."

The voice chuckled.

"Y-yes...I do....I do."

Isas looked forward, a determined glint in his eyes and smirk on his face.

"No more being controlled...no more being weak. Let us commence, "

From the ashes of his mind and the depths of his broken soul was .

Isas stepped into the line of fire beside Kimi.

"Leave it to me, Kiyoshi-San. This here...is my fight."

Kimi, face red with tears, nodded and stepped back, eventually running back to Suki and Jumin.

Isas looked up at his shadow, a tightness forming in his chest. He took one glance at the others and smiled before turning back to face his sickly self.

"It's time to end this. Once and for all!"

"Try me!"

Isas smirked as he jumped into the air, summoning Plutous and casting powerful lightning spells.

"Wow...Isas is powerful as fuck!" Kimi exclaimed.

Suki nodded, surprised at the sudden release of power.

"Mmnh....I-Isas..." The somewhat conscious boy groaned.

The girls looked down to see Jumin's eyes slightly open. Relief crossed their faces. He was alive! He turned his head slightly to all the blurry, flashing lights that blazed through the castle grounds.

"T-that...that Isas...?" Jumin asked weakly.

Suki nodded, hopeful tears in her eyes. "Y-yes...he's doing it for you, JuJu..."

Jumin smirked. "Heh...o-of course he is..."

Suki smiled sweetly as she pressed a kiss to his forehead. "Yes, now please sit still and let me heal you."

Jumin closed his eyes as he listened to Isas' battle with himself.

Isas fought valiantly. He could only use his persona, considering he had no weapons, but he used every ounce of strength to get rid of this thought- this false image of perfection, the thought that threatened him and his friends.

This was his fight. The fight he was winning.

"NO! NO NO NO NO! The beast cried.

Isas exhaled deeply. "I know.....Take him down, Plutous!"

With final strike, the tower shadow was defeated, letting out a loud screech of agony as it was annihilated, blown into inky bits, returning to his original state, lying face down on the floor.

Isas had won.

He was free.