There was a time when humanity controlled its own destiny.

A time when reality was stable, the laws of physics were absolute, and magic was nothing more than a product of imagination.

But all of that changed the day the cracks appeared.

No one knew how or why it happened. There were no prior warnings, no signs of what was to come. One morning, all across the planet, the sky split apart, and the world was never the same again.

The cracks—holes in reality itself—appeared without any discernible pattern. Some hovered over the oceans, massive and menacing, like wounds carved into the fabric of existence.

Others slashed across city skylines, casting shadows over towering buildings and crowded streets. Many more formed in dark, forgotten corners, opening portals to the unknown in basements, caves, and ruins long abandoned by mankind.

And from them, things emerged.

Impossible creatures, their bodies composed of living shadows or crystallized fire.

Structures that defied logic—floating buildings, twisting towers of stone that seemed to breathe.

Fragments of worlds that did not belong to Earth.

Terror spread like wildfire.

The fear of the unknown became the real enemy.

Species once thought extinct resurfaced from the depths of the oceans and other hidden biomes.

But humanity didn't just face invaders and unexplainable phenomena.

That catastrophe brought something else.

Something that would change the very essence of human existence.

The Arrival of the System.

It was a global, instantaneous event.

The moment the cracks appeared, every human received an invisible interface projected into their minds.

The System.

A strange fusion of science fiction and fantasy made real.

Stats, abilities, quests, and levels became the new normal.

Overnight, humans ceased to be mere humans.

But not everyone welcomed this change with open arms. Some saw it as a curse, a distortion of what it meant to be human. The fear of losing control over their own existence led to resistance, protests, and conflicts between those who embraced the System and those who rejected it. But in the end, adaptation was not a choice—it was a necessity.

Some awakened with the power to manipulate fire or ice with a simple gesture.

Others, with strength and speed beyond human limits, capable of shattering concrete with their bare fists.

The weak could now become strong.

The ordinary could rise to greatness.

But that also meant the powerful would only become more powerful.

Within days, governments collapsed.

The old structures of power crumbled beneath the weight of uncertainty.

Entire nations saw leadership change overnight, as those with superior abilities seized control—Venezuela and Cuba among them.

But humanity adapted.

Some saw the System as an opportunity.

Mercenaries, corporations, and factions emerged, reshaping society in a world where power was everything.

And so, amid the chaos, new civilizations were forged.

But that doesn't matter right now.

...

San Francisco: The Heart of Knowledge

Once a global hub of technology and innovation, San Francisco became one of the safest and most advanced cities in the post-crack world.

Tech megacorporations, once competing to release the next big advancement, now poured all their resources into understanding and manipulating the System.

Silicon Valley was no longer a place for startups and social media empires.

It had become a militarized research center, where scientists and strategists worked to unravel the secrets of the cracks and the System itself.

Backed by both the government and private sector, San Francisco was fortified.

Defense towers, energy barriers, patrols of high-level users, and private armies ensured the city didn't turn into another war zone.

It became a haven for researchers, scientists, and hunters.

But that didn't mean it was completely safe.

The cracks still appeared—some more unstable than others.

Terrorist attacks and criminal activities persisted, carried out by those who saw chaos as an opportunity to amass more power.

And above all…

Governments and corporations weren't the only ones interested in uncovering the mysteries of the System.

There were still secrets yet to be discovered. Truths that remained hidden.

And Dante Vittori was about to stumble upon one of them.

""""""""""

The sound of boiling water and the aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the kitchen of a spacious apartment in Noe Valley, one of the quieter, more elevated districts of San Francisco.

From the window, the city stretched out to the ocean.

A picturesque view of modernized skyscrapers and pristine streets, contrasting with the chaos that lurked beyond its borders.

At the dining table, a cup in his hands and sleep still heavy in his eyes, Dante Vittori absentmindedly scrolled through his System interface—a morning habit.

Levels, stats, active quests… everything seemed in order.

Nothing out of the ordinary.

—Tell me you made something other than coffee.

Dante looked up to see his cousin, Leonid Enzo Vittori, or just Leo for short, walking into the kitchen. His hair was still messy, and his face bore the unmistakable expression of someone completely disinterested in mornings.

At 14 years old, Leo was a bit shorter than Dante, his features slightly sharper—an inheritance from their mixed Italian and Russian lineage.

Yet his keen, analytical gaze made him seem far older than he actually was.

Or, as Dante put it, "a know-it-all brat and professional troublemaker."

Dante raised an eyebrow.

—Good morning to you too.

Leo ignored him and opened the fridge.

—There's nothing decent to eat.

—There's toast. —Dante gestured vaguely toward the counter.

Leo sighed, grabbing a slice of bread with resignation.

—One of these days, I'm going to force you to cook something decent.

—If you want gourmet food, learn to cook it yourself.

Leo didn't reply. He simply glared at him before dropping into the chair across from him.

For a moment, the only sound in the kitchen was that of coffee being stirred.

Then, without looking up, Dante slid his COMP across the table toward Leo.

Being able to turn any computer or phone into a COMP—as long as it was his own property—was a useful feature.

—Any changes?

Leo picked up the device and casually scrolled through the stored data, handling it with the ease of someone who had done this countless times before.

—Nothing major. —He ran a hand through his hair, flipping through the logs—. Fusion is still limited to basic combinations, cracked abilities are within normal parameters, and the demon auction is still locked.

Dante nodded.

Nothing surprising.

It had been two years since the cracks and the System appeared, and during that time, he and Leo had studied the SMT System in secret.

Leo, albeit reluctantly, had agreed to help him after discovering that his own archetype and class were more geared toward technological research than combat.

That made him the ideal person to help Dante understand his System.

But even with that trust, talking about his status as a reincarnated person was another matter entirely.

Leo set the COMP down on the table and yawned.

—You going out today?

Dante glanced out the window.

—Depends. Anything interesting happening?

Leo shook his head.

—Active cracks are under control. No anomaly reports.

Dante stretched in his chair.

—Then I guess it's going to be a quiet day.

But he was wrong.

A notification sound echoed in Dante's mind.

But it wasn't the usual quest alert.

The sensation was strange—intrusive. As if something had forced itself into his System without permission.

[Alert: Emergency Quest Detected]

Dante frowned. His COMP wasn't displaying any notifications.

Which meant…

The message had come directly from the Shin Megami Tensei System itself.

—That's new… —he murmured.

Leo, who had been absorbed in his own interface, looked up.

—What's wrong?

Dante motioned for him to wait and accessed the quest details, projecting them from his COMP in a holographic display visible to Leo.

[Emergency Quest]

[Objective: Investigate the anomaly at the South San Francisco crack.]

[Crack Status: Unstable.]

[Reward: Unlockable Feature (???) + EXP + System Data.]

[Restriction: Limited time before external intervention.]

Dante felt his breath hitch for a moment.

The SMT System had never assigned him a spontaneous quest before.

And that… was concerning.

—Guess today won't be so quiet after all.

""""""""""""

Dante and Leo moved quickly, taking backstreets and forgotten alleyways.

They couldn't afford to be detected.

If an investigation team arrived and found them in the wrong place at the wrong time, it would be difficult to explain.

By the time they reached the exact coordinates marked by the SMT System, a shiver ran down Dante's spine.

The crack wasn't like the others.

From a distance, it looked like a simple distortion in the air—a warped reflection suspended in empty space.

But as he got closer, Dante realized something was deeply wrong.

Normal cracks always emitted some kind of energy.

Heat waves, flickering lights, vibrations in the air.

Sometimes, you could even sense what was inside them because part of the internal climate leaked out. Like that crack in Hawaii that was spewing freezing winds similar to those of Canada.

But this one…

This one was completely silent.

Completely still.

Like a broken mirror embedded in the fabric of reality, floating in the air, motionless.

Leo pulled out a small scanning device—a custom modification he'd designed to gather data without relying on the System.

—The readings are weird. —He muttered—. It's not emitting energy, but it's not completely inert either. It's like…

Dante narrowed his eyes.

—Like it's waiting for something.

Leo nodded.

—Yeah… exactly.

Dante clenched his teeth. His COMP still wasn't responding.

All he had was the quest details and the nagging feeling that something was off.

[Connection detected: Distress signal received.]

[Source: ???]

[Establishing link...]

Dante's heart pounded in his chest.

Was it fear? Excitement? Even he wasn't sure.

Leo's eyes widened in surprise.

—Someone's trapped inside?

Before Dante could answer, a second message appeared.

[Source Identified: Persona System User]

[Status: Survival Mode Activated]

[Data Transmission: Partially Disrupted]

Dante took a step back.

—…No way.

Leo frowned.

—Do you know what this means?

Dante tightened his grip.

—It means whoever's stuck in there… is like me.

Leo took a few seconds to process that.

—Another thematic system user?

Dante slowly nodded.

The SMT System wasn't supposed to be connected to any other system in the world.

It had always been an anomaly. Something unique.

But now, it was receiving a distress call from another thematic system.

The Persona System.

Leo gave him a serious look.

—Dante… If you go in there, you might not make it back.

Dante looked at the crack, then at his COMP.

And made a decision.

—Then I'd better be careful.

And without hesitation, he stepped through.

""""""""""

Crossing the crack felt like pushing through a dense, ice-cold barrier.

—Great. Fantastic way to enter my first crack… —he thought sarcastically.

For a brief moment, his vision blurred.

The sound vanished.

The world fragmented.

And when his feet touched solid ground again… everything had changed.

The space inside the crack wasn't a chaotic void.

It wasn't some interdimensional tunnel.

It was a city.

Or rather… a distorted version of one.

The buildings were blurry, incomplete, as if they were half-finished sketches. Like mere shadows of their real selves.

The streets were covered in thick, gray fog, shifting unnaturally… almost as if it were alive.

The sky was a uniform void—no sun, no clouds, no stars.

Dante blinked.

—Oh, shit… Is this Silent Hill? Should I summon Jacky to cover me?

His attempt at humor didn't make the air feel any less oppressive.

Because at the center of it all…

There was someone.

A young man, around his age, with dark hair and tired eyes. Sweat dripped from his face, like he had just finished running a marathon.

Dante felt his breath catch.

He knew him.

But not from this life.

From his past life.

Adrián Velázquez.

The same friend who had introduced him to Shin Megami Tensei.

The same Adrián who had died without warning, just like he had.

It was almost surreal, seeing him with the exact same appearance and clothes he had worn at his own funeral.

The same Adrián who was now trapped in an interdimensional anomaly.

Dante gritted his teeth and stepped forward.

—Adrián!

The other young man looked up, his eyes widening in shock.

—…Dante?

For a second, neither of them said anything.

Then, Adrián let out a breathless, almost disbelieving laugh.

—This has to be a joke.

Dante didn't waste time on sentimental bullshit.

They had to get out before it was too late.

—What happened?

Adrián frowned, trying to recall.

—My quest. Something went wrong. I don't know what, but suddenly, everything turned blurry and I ended up here.

Dante didn't need more explanations.

—I'm getting you out.

Adrián smirked.

—Sounds good to me.

Dante extended his hand.

Adrián grabbed it without hesitation.

And at that moment…

The crack reacted.

The space trembled, as if an immense pressure had been released.

Something snapped.

Dante felt an invisible weight press down on his shoulders.

Adrián frowned, confused.

—…What was that?

Dante didn't answer. He wasn't sure.

But what neither of them noticed in that moment…

…was the formless shadow slipping silently out of the crack.

...

Dante and Adrián emerged from the crack without resistance.

The change in atmosphere was immediate.

The fresh air of San Francisco hit their faces, banishing the suffocating presence of that twisted space.

For a brief moment, the real world felt unreal.

Dante blinked a few times, adjusting to the sunlight, the distant sounds of the city, the complete absence of that eerie fog.

Leo, who had been monitoring the area, rushed over immediately.

—Dante! Did you make it?

Dante barely had time to respond before Leo froze in place, staring at Adrián.

—…Who the hell is this?

Adrián raised an eyebrow.

—Wow. Nice welcome.

Dante sighed.

—Explanations later. We need to move.

Leo blinked, then checked his device.

—Shit. The investigators are less than five minutes away.

Dante turned toward the crack.

It was no longer trembling.

It was slowly closing.

Everything seemed under control.

But for some reason, an uneasy feeling settled in his chest.

His brow furrowed as he tried to pinpoint it.

Like he had forgotten something important.

Like he had made a mistake.

—Something wrong? —Adrián asked, noticing his expression.

Dante shook his head.

—No. Let's go.

If he had forgotten something… then it couldn't have been that important.

…Right?