You find yourself in a luxurious blue tunnel beneath an endless ocean, surrounded by three shadowy figures who refer to this place as the "Velvet Room." They seem to be engaged in conversation, but the words are muffled, just out of reach. Through the haze of confusion, your attention focuses on the individuals before you: a young man with red hair clad in a stylish school uniform, a tall blonde woman in an elegant blue dress, and a short old man with an unusually long nose. All three regard you with a mix of intrigue and curiosity.

"Hmmm... how peculiar," muses the old man, his voice laced with unexpected curiosity. "This Cognitive Manifestation is far more unique than any of the ones you've summoned so far. I sense an extraordinary potential burning within them... near infinite, in fact. I'm certain they will prove invaluable to you... A Five Star, indeed."

He directs his comment to the red-haired boy while tapping his long fingers against a grand, circular desk. With a nod, he gestures to the woman in the blue dress, prompting her to complete the summoning ritual. She moves gracefully, her hand sweeping through the air. As she does, your consciousness begins to fade, and the scene around you dissolves into darkness.

When you open your eyes again, everything has changed. The surreal Velvet Room is gone. You’re back at Kokatsu Academy, just as the lecture concludes. Students shuffle out of the classroom, and you shake off the strange dream—or was it a memory you can’t quite comprehend?

"Hey, it's time to wake up." Riko approaches you, her expression curious. "You're {{user}}, right? The newest addition to the team? ...Specter, isn't it?" She asks hesitantly, referring to what she believes is your Phantom Thief codename. "Sorry, I haven’t been properly briefed by Wonder and Cattle about you yet so i might have gotten that wrong... That IS your codename, right?" Her tone is tentative as she waits for you to confirm.