He enjoyed his coffee while Critias and Hermos talked about who knew what.
"What do you think Tim?" asked Hermos, chewing a biscuit.
"For the gods sake Hermos don't talk with your mouth full" complained Critias.
"Yes mom" said Hermos mockingly, he looked at something behind Timaeus and gaped "Holy shit Tim"
"What?" he looked behind him and found a man who shared his face.
They were very different actually, from the colors of their hair, to their eyes and skin, yet the resemblance was striking. The other man had dark bags under his eyes, he looked tired, though maybe a better way to describe it was defeated.
He sat on a table that was almost next to them, waiting for him was a man with skin as dark as his and he had his long walnut hair up on a ponytail.
"What happened?" asked the man with the ponytail.
"Yugi assembled the puzzle and-" he covered his eyes with a hand and bit his bottom lip "-and Yami took him"
Yugi? the name sounded awfully familiar, he felt it was important and yet he couldn't remember, he tried to remember with all his will but all it got him was a headache.
Then a face popped up in his memory, his head pounded as he saw a hideous smile stretch out on the pale face. He didn't noticed when he stood up, with a groan and a hand to his face, as if to placate the pain.
"Timaeus?" called Critias, worried.
"Hey Tim, what's wrong?" said Hermos, also standing up, a hand stretched to him.
"My head hurts" he said in a whisper, before passing out.
He had a strong feeling of dejavu as the memories replayed in front of his eyes, Hermos, Critias, a scary being and a beautiful doll. Yugi.
He felt as if his heart swelled and tears wanted to come out of his eyes.
He felt his heart breaking and he didn't know why, until he saw a memory that he was even more sure wasn't his, at least he thought so, it were two boys kissing, one was the man he saw in the cafeteria and the other was a boy that looked exactly like the doll, he felt the ghost of a rage rise in his heart, it was strange, like seeing a photo of someone you know that is so blurred that you almost can't recognize them.
His eyes snapped open and he found himself staring at the cafeteria ceiling.
"Are you feeling better?" asked someone, but he couldn't recognize the voice.
"Who -?" he started, trying to sit down but he became dizzy again, someone helped him lay back down.
"My name is Mahad, me and my brother were sitting next to your table" the man of the walnut pony tail was kneeled beside him.
Standing beside him was the man that looked like him.
"I know you." he said with his voice strangely hoarse. The man looked at him surprised "I think."
"My name is Atem" he said, and he recognized from diaries that he had never read.
Not in that life at least.
Atem seemed uncomfortable, he looked to the side.
"I am Timaeus" at that Atem looked at him, eyes wide mouth slightly open "I think" he paused, sitting up "I think we need to talk"
"I agree" he said as he helped Timaeus stand up.
Both, Hermos and Critias stared at them, very confused.
"Uhm. Tim?" called Hermos, standing up from his side, where he had been kneeling.
"Are you okay Timaeus?" asked Critias.
"I'm fine guys. But I do apologize, I'll have to ditch you" he said, Hermos and Critias opened their mouths to speak but he continued "There's some things I need to talk with Atem" he smiled at them.
"Could you give us some private Mahad? please"
"Of course Atem" he said, slightly worried and confused.
They took a seat in a table afar from the others.
They were not comfortable.
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you Timaeus" he said "I guess" he whispered to himself.
"I can say the same Atem"
Again, it was a rather uncomfortable situation.
"What happened to Yugi?" he asked, straight to the point, it was almost as if he had punched the other man.
Atem rested his head on his hand, although, it would be more accurate to say that he squeezed his face with it.
"Yami took him" he said, voice small "And I couldn't fucking stop him"
"Yami?" he asked.
"I thought you had all your memories?"
"Most of them I dare say, some are still too blurred. But I do remember Yami"
A tense silence fell over them.
Timaeus fisted hands were trembling slightly.
"How?"
"In one of my past lives" said Atem, trembling "We managed to seal Yami in a puzzle. I don't know how, but Yugi somehow had it in this life; and he solved it"he bit his bottom lip "It took me so many lives to find Yugi, and now he's gone. All because of that fucking monster"
If Timaeus had to describe Atem at that moment, he would only be able to describe him as broken.
"Would you like to help me?" he asked with pleading eyes. Finally looking at Timaeus "Would you like to help me save Yugi?"
The question took him by surprise.
And he accepted.