I walked slowly down the street, my green eyes watching the path ahead of me.
A warm wind swept past me, making memories play out in my head of my childhood.
Back when I lived in Egypt air like this greeted me every morning back in the blazing deserts.
It was hot and annoying there, but it wasn't the place itself that made me think, 'home' it was the people there.
Being an orphan, I didn't have too many places I could turn. I couldn't remember my father nor mother's faces, having a dagger stabbing in my heart every time I failed to remember.
But even so, there was this one family; they weren't the most stylish, nor the most honourable. They were tomb keepers; they weren't fancy priests or the family of the snobby pharaoh. Simply tomb keepers.
And yet in the dirty ruins of where they thrived, I found happiness and comfort. Such comfort I never received from my birth mother and father.
Ishtar was the names they carried, three children and one man.
I visited them often and during the sandstorms and rain, the youngest always managed to sneak me inside.
I got along with the youngest child best; Marik; he was the same age as me. I always had to be careful, as his father wasn't kind to strangers, he'd always shoot me a cold stare whenever he saw me playing with Marik.
He was rough, and even worse when his stepbrother, Odion, and I we're playing a game of soccer and Marik accidentally fell ill due to a cobra bite. He constantly yelled at us and even punished Odion severely. The worst I got was his screaming and being called, "Jackal"
It was an insult to me as they were always trying to scavenge graves for the dead bodies. They were thieves and looked down upon.
Despite his yelling, I still loved living with the Ishtar family. Marik and Odion had a big sister, Ishizu. I looked up to her as a role model, she was serious but sensible. I always used to say to her before she'd tuck in my bed, "Ill be just like big sister Ishizu… Right…?"
She always smiled when I asked her that and would walk out of my room.
Odion always got me out of trouble when Marik and I became nuisances for their father. He was like a big brother and always would be the one to convince his father when he would suddenly find Marik and I playing soccer together.
'Good times' I thought with a smile on my face.
But now being in domino at 17 years of age, I was beginning to miss the innocent times when I was in Egypt…
I shook my head and held my head; I missed Marik the most. He seemed so sweet and friendly to me, he had a bit of a temper but he was always the one I would remember.
I felt something wet on my face as I remembered Marik and I playing hide and seek one day, the main rule being…
"Don't let father catch you!"
I soon felt my feet going faster and faster until I was running through the city in tears.
'I miss my old friend. I miss having a family!' I cried in my mind and sobbed as I ran faster and faster.
I sobbed louder and louder until I felt myself run into something.
I opened my eyes that we're now red with tears, "I-I'm sorry!" I quickly apologised and sniffled. I had crashed into a man in a dark purple cloak, the hood hiding his identity from me.
He looked up and my eyes widened as I saw lavender eyes look into mine, there was a strange energy emitting from him and as he beheld eyes of such power… I began to feel more helpless…
"Asura…" I heard him whisper under his breath, I jumped as I heard his voice, and one so familiar.
Why does he know my name?
The man stood up and reached out for me, his hands were bronze in colour and I felt them embrace my face, not roughly like I was expecting but instead, so gently.
I nuzzled back; liking the warmth his hands gave me.
I closed my eyes, I didn't know why but he made me feel safe. I walked closer, the tears stopped streaming down my eyes as I threw myself to the man in a warm embrace.
'What am I doing…?' I thought to myself, 'I do not even know this man yet he makes me feel so… protected…'
Yet as I felt his arms wrap around my waist, just by the way he did it I could tell he wasn't a bad person.
"It'll be ok…" I smiled as I heard him whisper soothing words. He placed his hand on my head and I soon blacked out in his arms.
I groaned and my jade eyes opened, I saw nothing but bricks and dusty floors.
Ants and rats roamed around me and I was lying on a dirty bed.
Candles were the only lights and there was always a disgusting smell and an unwanted feeling of being unsafe.
I sat up and a mirror appeared in front of me, I could've sworn it wasn't here before…
I saw nothing but my reflection; raven black hair and dark jade eyes that glistened by candlelight. Something was different, I reached out to the mirror and suddenly my reflection rippled exactly like water…
The reflection settled and my eyes widened to see none other then my childhood friend, Marik, staring at me blankly with tears in his eyes. He looked to helpless… so sad…
"Marik…" I whispered. My eyes widened as a tear fell down his tan face, "Asura…" he called and I saw his small hands reach out for me.
Suddenly, his eyes widened as he began disappearing, "ASURA!" He cried out and kept his hands out for me. I gasped and reached out for him, "COME BACK MARIK!"
I held my hand out to him shakily to grab his hand in time, but much to my dismay the glass suddenly shattered with a loud bang, "COME BACK!"
I took a shaky breath and slowly backed away from the mirror, tears coming to my eyes, "Come back…" I whispered desperately as my eyes refused to avert from the shattered glass.
A tear flowed down my face and I curled up, "I miss you…" I sobbed and began crying loudly, "Come back Marik!
I sobbed for what seemed like decades when something caught my eye, I looked up quickly when I heard footsteps from the hall away from me. I looked to see two feet in the shadows, "W-Who's there…?"
I saw a smile come from the man dressed in shadows and soon he ran forward and I felt him hug me tightly, "Asura…"
My eyes came back to reality and I was no longer in the old tomb, but in a normal bedroom. I was sitting up in a white single bed, covered in fine silk. Everything changed accept…
I smiled as I was being embraced by a man in a dark purple cloak, "Asura…" he whispered.
I was shocked at how much love and compassion was in his voice, my hand slowly crept up his cloak and held his hood before slowly taking it down to see platinum blonde hair from his head, and he was embracing me with strong bronze arms.
My eyes softened and I smiled, "Marik…" I whispered blissfully and hugged him back lovingly.
Praying this wasn't a dream…