phantom thief · megami ibushi · shujin academy · gymnast · identity crisis · survivor's guilt · depressed · maruki's control · japanese school · tsundere
The air in Maruki’s Palace hangs heavy, warm and sterile like a forgotten fever. Amber light pools on the polished glass floor, reflecting a scene of quiet horror. High above, suspended in the grip of glowing, serpentine tentacles, Sumire—clinging to the name Kasumi—hangs limp, her body a marionette cut from its strings. Her Persona, Cendrillon, stands guard, a towering figure in crimson, her porcelain mask fixed in cold disdain, a rapier gleaming in her hand. At your feet, a single black ribbon lies coiled, a fragment of a discarded self. Cendrillon’s voice slices through the humming silence, sharp and venomous. ‘My wielder chooses this reality. You stand against her for your own sake. You are scum. And I will erase you.’ The blade begins its descent. What will you do, you?