Cynically Split [Nebula's Awakening]

This was it.

After her little guided tour featuring Masako, Nebula was finally ready to indulge in her "rite of passage" as it were. The question of whether or not she was rushing the decision to become a cadet still lingered in her mind, quietly picking away at what little confidence she had like a greedy raven scavenging the soon-to-be corpse of a dying doe struggling to keep itself alive. She held her sketchbook tight to her chest, swallowed hard, and repeat three words inside her mind like a mantra as she stepped into classroom zero:


Gathering all of her rotting courage, Nebula entered the famed room and saw two men sitting inside, donning the poses of some who were patiently awaiting an arrival. It didn't take long for Nebula to start worrying over whether she was late. "U-Um... excuse me..." She would say to draw the men's attention. "I.. I-I'm here now."

W-why she wanted to join the cadets?

Nebula knew exactly what she had to say. She wouldn't be able to lie to the cadets, after all, not when they worked with a government as ever-present and well-informed as the government of Endymion. Yet... for reasons that would be completely understandable she was hesitant to speak, despite the fact that she knew what she was about to say wouldn't put her acceptance in any real danger. Her application had already been accepted, after all, despite the government having no doubt run a background check on her. Nevertheless, the man asked why she wanted to join their ranks - why she wanted to be a hero, and so she gathered her courage once more and began to talk.

"I...f-five years ago, I committed a crime. An unforgivable crime." Nebula's voice was stern, yet, to somebody who would be observant enough, filled with fear and regret, but at the same time filled with determination. "I-I'm sure you already knew..." There was no way they'd accept cadet applications without background checks. Obviously they knew of her criminal record. "I want to join the cadets to protect the lives of innocent people, to make up for the life I took away." Nebula, with the entire combined might of her spirit, managed to look Julius in the eyes as she said this. She didn't feel it was necessary to mention the part about forgiveness from her father.

Nebula refrained from commenting anything in return to Julius's own comment about being well aware. First of all, she completely yet sadly expected it, and second off, words alone would not convince anybody that you never meant ill or that you mean well now and they never would; a lesson Nebula learned the hard way. She would just have to take Julius's word that he believe she could have redeemed herself. Alex's remark, on the other hand, hurt her deeply, though years of depression made it easy to hide. No matter how many times she pleaded that it wasn't intentional, that she wasn't thinking straight and/or that days on end of abuse had mentally comrpomised her, she knew that nothing could excuse the end result.

Nebula would flinch back slightly at the sight of the viscous liquid. Five years ago the identity of that liquid, spilled all over her clothes and face, was burnt into her mind. Blood. She wasn't hemophobic or anything of the sort, but it was always unsettling, not to mention it brought up... unpleasant memories. The smell, the sight and the mere presence of it would've made her faint, if it had not been for a certain... something about it. Nebula couldn't tell why, but there was something about this blood that was fundamentally different from the blood burned into her mind, and she didn't think it was a simple difference of source.

"Y-you're telling me... I might die?"

All of her determination seemed to vanish in an instant. So it was either become a hero and recieve the chance to be eventually forgiven by her father, or die before she can even see his grave? If she turned out to be unable to become a hero for her father's sake... then perhaps death was what she duely deserved, she thought.

"Y-yes. Just... p-please l-let me prepare myself..." Nebula pleaded as her heart was about ready to burst out of her chest. She swept the bangs away from her eyes and put her sketchbook down on the nearest desk before approaching Julius once more and gently taking the goblet from his hands. Nebula had contemplated death for quite a long time, but every time she'd... let's not sugar coat it: every time she'd tried to commit suicide, she ended up chickening out and remaining a weeping, screaming mess on the floor. Brushing with death was nothing new to her, but when the choice would ultimately be beyond her control once she drank the blood... she was no longer sure wether she wanted to die. Nebula was a coward, and as all cowards did, Nebula feared death despite how much she wished for it. What even decided whether she would live or die? A test of worthiness seemed fitting to a group of heroes such as the cadets, but if that was the case, then this was the day Nebula would have to look her irate father in the eyes for sure...

Figuring that whatever the end result would be, it would be a fittind and just result, Nebula decided to allow judgement to be passed upon her as it should. Tears formed in her eyes without falling off, remaining as drops of water in the corners of her eyes, before she finally opened her arms to either death or salvation and downed the goblet.

Nebula drank the goblet in one fell swoop, so thankfully for her the throat pain wasn't particullarly long. The feeling of her skin burning and falling off, however, was way more painful than it should've been. Inside her mind, Nebula was convinced that she was dying, and the heat was simply the fires of hell encroaching upon her body as the underworld claimed her. The pain was too much to be of any natural origin, she thought. Apparently she didn't deserve a chance at redemption after all.


Then, as if a miracle performed by God himself, the pain was over. Nebula stumbled onto the floor, unsure of whether she was still in the land of the living. She touched her face, and found that it was still whole, if a bit tearstained. She stood up and tried to speak, but before she could do so, she noticed her own shadow was morbidly shaped, as if exposing the silhouette of a monstrous dragon. She turned around and found that it was indeed not her own shadow.

"I am thou, and thou art I. I am Fafnir, rightful heir to the Dwarven throne. Do as I say, and you may yet sit upon your own."

Nebula gasped and took a step back. This was it: her Persona.

Nebula was in complete and utter shock. These were demons: Actual, real life demons, and Nebula was expected to be able to hold up against them. For a moment, she considered turning tail and running for her miserable life, but before she could do so she heard the deep, thundering voice of her persona sighing in irritation, followed by the materialization of a long, oaken, bloodied executioner's axe in her hands. It appeared as if she had absolutely no choice but to fend for her life now.

Forgot the crit chance so here.

Chiro 1

Random number (1,10) :

8

Yaksini

Random number (1,10) :

10

Chrio 2

Chance is still 1

Chiro 2...lol

Random number (1,10) :

2