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Disclaimer Think sensibly: If I did own Yu-Gi-Oh, would I be writing this fanfic? No. The ideas for the story are mine, however, so do not steal them, or you will face my wrath. Enough said.
Greetings, readers! Ah...It feels good to be writing again; I have not attempted to complete a story in so long! From time to time, I kept thinking about this idea...Now, finally, I will see it through! Well, enough for reminiscing, eh? You can overlook this senseless author's note and start reading, if you have not already...
I sincerely hope you like the story...And, if you do, please do not forget to review...XD
CC
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Prologue
Eternity
How long has it been since I first entered this black, empty, unfeeling void, this prison of haunting, hungry shadows? How much time has passed since my spirit was first suffocated by the cold and unforgiving darkness, by the stifling proximity of endless oblivion? The moments have melted and merged into a never-ending cycle of perpetual déjà vu; I no longer sense seconds, minutes, hours, days or years, nor do I perceive the fluctuations in space and time. Here, in this desolate blankness, there is only eternity, and it is undying, ceaseless, infinite, forever and ever and ever...
It is not possible to describe this abyss of anguish in words. No. One must experience the pain of nothingness for him or her self. For without wandering aimlessly in the chasm of the world that is between life and death, how can any mortal truly comprehend the agony of the Shadow Realm?
I know the pain of this kingdom of everlasting torment. Oh, how I know it so, so well. And each infinite instant of eternity, I wonder: Why have I been so brutally punished? What was the deplorable sin that I committed to deserve this suffering? Who so mercilessly sentenced me to this torture? I cannot understand my crime, nor can I fathom why I have been punished in the most horrible way of all.
My identity is no more; I cannot remember who I am.
There are memories of my former life, but they are fragmented and hazy, and they waver like a mirage on the burning desert sands. Like ethereal wraiths, like long-forgotten dreams, they silently mock and scorn my futile attempts to salvage whatever remains of my deadened past. Before long, they will fade away and disappear into the barrenness as though they never existed. Then I will lose all traces of my lingering sanity and completely surrender to my wretched fate.
Although the numbness has almost entirely consumed me, I feel that the end is near. I can hear the hollow, echoing whispers of the despairing apparitions drifting within my weakened psyche; I can hear their forlorn, sorrowful song of doom resounding throughout the shadows; I can hear them calling out to me, luring my spirit into the ghostly gloom. Soon, my very being will be ripped into shreds, and I will become a lost soul. There will be no hope for salvation, and the remnants of my heart will be crushed into dust.
Even in this miserable state of subsistence, however, a secret hope still flickers faintly in the impenetrable darkness, like a distant star melting into the endless summer skies. It is a golden flame, so beautiful, so close, yet so far away—a flame of sweet redemption, of deliverance from the burden of sensationless suspension and intolerable immortality, and it is mine and mine alone. Though I possess no recollection of myself or of my past, there is one lucid thought—one undoubted truth—that never fails to return me to conscious awareness. Each fluid moment, I reflect on the meaning of this precious yet vexing enigma; and somehow I know that it is the key to my liberation, my freedom.
To reach the afterlife, a mortal from the land of the living must release me from my prison. I know not how this can be achieved, for no phantom has ever escaped from this nightmare of interminable damnation. If only I could discover the answer, if only I could solve the riddle, then I might have a chance to be freed from the shackles that bind my essence. If only I could grasp the glimmering spark that so unforgivingly taunts me from afar, then, perhaps, I...
No, no! I cannot think such thoughts...The darkness sees all, hears all, and knows all. No matter what I do, I cannot hide or run from it. Always, always there, the obscurity swiftly and soundlessly engulfs any of my revelations, and callously attempts to fracture my already fragile soul.
Oh, harsh and vengeful gods! What am I considering? My saneness truly has been scattered into the depths of oblivion! I am but a fantasizing fool, an utter idiot, to cling to such idealistic illusions. Yet what can I do? I am nothing but a dying entity, a broken relic, a pathetic shadow of what I once was. With each perpetual instant, my defenses crumble, and my resistance to the temptation of the shadows weakens ever-so-slightly. Pitiful dreams and delusions are the only things that prevent me from plummeting into the final dimension of everlasting anguish and bloodless pain.
Gods, gods, oh cruel and wrathful gods, I curse you for all eternity! I will wander in the Shadow Realm forevermore. There is no hope for me now.
Never, never, never will I be free.
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Hmmm...I believe I will be evil and leave you with just the prologue for now. Heh heh heh...I hope you enjoyed it, nevertheless...It is told from Yami Yugi's perspective, obviously, and that is all I will tell you at the moment...XP
I will try to update whenever I can, though I have to warn you...It might not be too often...XD;;;
It is fairly late now, so I bid you farewell...Please tell me what you think of the story so far! All comments are welcome...
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Crystallis Chandalline
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