When Morpheus handed him the book that housed his persona and told him to assimilate with it, Lixin assumed, for whatever reason, that meant reading it. But what occurred was entirely different than his expectations.

When he opened the book he was swept into a cut scene, but it wasn't a normal one, it was interactive. Well, not exactly interactive. Even though he could see through his persona's eyes he didn't have any free will. He was like a character with a set script.

The cut scene started at ten times the speed, showing the growth of his persona from an infant to a teenager. Lixin experienced everything his persona did, down to the skills it was taught. 

 Suddenly the cutscene slowed down, and Lixin realized by looking at the decorations on the wall that it was his persona's 18th birthday. While his persona cleaned up the aftermath of the party, the voice of his guardian could be heard calling for him.

Since he wasn't in control, he could only wait as the body he was in put the bag it was holding down and walked to see what the man wanted.

Entering the room, Lixin saw the blurry visage of his persona's guardian sitting in a chair with a small chest in his lap. 

"Fortuitous Fish, please sit down. There is something I want to give you," the persona's guardian said. 

Lixin found it strange to hear his game name being used as an actual name. However, it also helped him distance himself from being overwhelmed by the NPC's emotions.

Lixin felt his persona nod before sitting down next to its guardian. However, he noticed one thing, his persona never spoke a word. 

"Son," began Lixin's persona's guardian as he stared down at the chest in his lap. "Your father, before he died, asked me to keep this chest safe for you until your 18th birthday. Which is today."

His words were met with silence, but the man acted as if his persona had responded to him.

Nodding his head in understanding, the persona's guardian said, "Yes, I know you don't believe he is dead. I don't want to either. He was my dearest friend, but it's been 18 years."

The man gave his persona a gentle smile as though reassuring him.

"Don't worry I haven't given up hope. I still believe he is out there somewhere. And maybe there's a clue about where he is in this gift he left you."

Suddenly the man smiled somberly, nodding his head at whatever his persona supposedly said. 

"Yes, your father left it for me to give to you once you turned 18. He made me promise not to give it to you any sooner," the blurred man stated as he handed the chest over to Lixin’s persona.

His persona carefully examined the chest, but from the outside, it looked ordinary. But Lixin could feel a pulse of power within it.

"Yes, it is mysterious why he made me wait so long to give it to you,"  the man smiled as he responded to the persona. "But he was always like that. Maybe that's why we became good friends. Well, let me go and go clean up the mess from the party."

Lixin mentally smiled at the man's attempt to leave and give his persona some space to open his father's gift. He reminded him of his stepfather who always tries to give him some alone time with his mother.

Opening the chest, Lixin saw through his persona's eyes that there was a letter, a jade gem, and a ring chain. His persona glanced at the gem and ring chain for a moment before picking up the letter and opening it.

What was written in the letter shocked him.

My dearest son,

If you are reading this letter, it means today is your 18th birthday and I am not there to celebrate with you. I know you must have many questions about why I left you behind.

Although it broke my heart to do so, it was for your safety. You may not know this yet, but I live in a different realm from yours; one known as Huánghé. There was peace in the realm until a war broke out.

A few months after your first birthday, our realm was invaded by Kakodaimōns. Huánghé citizens fought with all their might to get rid of them, but they were too powerful for us.

However, our inventors came up with something that would destroy those creatures once and for all. Completing it, however, would take time.

There must have been a spy in our midst because the next day after the announcement the kingdom was under siege and my lovely wife, your mother Sakana was killed. After she died I almost lost my will to fight. If it weren't for you I would have.

Knowing that you wouldn't be safe in Huánghé I decide to leave you in the care of my dear friend Peter. It would have only been until the war was over. I thought that it wouldn't take long for the machine to defeat them to be built. However, if you are reading this, we were defeated before we were able to build it.

Sadly they won't kill me since without me the realm would disappear. But if something were to happen to me there is one other person who they can use, and that is you, my son.

They will stop at nothing to find you and will lock you up as they most likely did to me. I won't let that happen. I will hang on as long as I can but without the energy of our people, my powers will weaken sooner than later.

Your powers have been locked, but if they are not released on your 18th birthday, it may kill you. Once you wear the gem your powers will be unlocked but the Kakodaimōns will be able to sense you.

If the jade on the gem is still green, I'm still alive and you don't need to panic. However, if not, you need to find the Locust Mines, it's the only place in that world that can hide your spiritual energy.

Be safe my son.

Your father,

Longwei Rakku

After his persona finished reading what its father had written, tears welled up in its eyes as it checked the gem. Seeing that it was still green, its grasp on the letter grew tighter. 

"I will save you," his persona swore, but instead of the silence he was used to, Lixin heard his persona's voice. It sounded like his own. "No matter what, I will rescue you from those demons."

After reading the letter again, the boy folded it nicely and put it in his pocket. He then picked up the gem his father left him. But as soon as he touched it a bright green glow enveloped him, releasing his bound powers.

Drained from the experience, the boy collapsed onto the floor and the room faded to black. Once it did, Lixin found himself back in the annular chamber with Morpheus.

"It seems you have completely assimilated with your persona, Fortuitous Fish," Morpheus said, looking at Lixin up and down appreciatively.  

Confused as to why the handsome man looked taller than usual, Lixin looked down at himself to see that it was he who shrunk. However, what was even weirder was that his skin was covered in scales.

~

Author Says:

MomoCatt: Here, have some Black Tea.

Lixin: Why?

MomoCatt: It looks like your persona is going to have you fighting a war.

Lixin: … And the Black tea is for?

MomoCatt: Well it's used by the government to keep up troop morale and it's also a natural energy boost. I thought it would help.

Lixin: I might as well try it.

If you want updates, special pictures, and advanced chapters you can find all of that here: https://linktr.ee/momocatt