Chapter I: The New Girl
"Class, we have new student today," spoke an echoing, annoying voice over the crowded classroom. The man standing at the desk was as ugly as anyone could see, but this was the new chancellor at Duel Academy, Chronos de Mediz. Of course, everyone looked up at the mention of a new student, but only a handful were barely listening to whatever he said. Amongst these few were a rambunctious young man named Yuki Judai and his friends. Yet, Chronos continued to speak, ignoring those that ignored him. "Please welcome Gabriella Makuta!"
At the mention of the name, a young woman walked into the classroom sporting an elegant, pure white blazer with a black miniskirt and black, knee-high boots. Her facial appearance, though, was more than just elegant. Not exactly beautiful, but wild. Her hair was a collection of colors between pink and blue highlights, while it fell down to her waist, lightening not only her white outfit, but also her fair complexion. Her eyes were magnificently snow silver, sparkling darkly within the shadows of the room. Her lips, although full, were pouted beneath a dark lipstick, making her look even stranger. She was indeed the strangest student anyone has seen, and that was when Judai and his friends looked up at her.
"Wow!" Judai murmured to his friends who sat around him. Amongst his friends was his best friend for two years, Marufuji Sho, and a Ra yellow duelist obsessed with dinosaurs, Tyranno Kenzan.
"Yeah, I haven't seen so much color in one day!" Kenzan joked silently to them, and Judai and Sho had to restrain their laughs before they got into trouble. However, Chronos had overheard them.
"Is something funny, you three? Perhaps you would like to share it in detention?!" Chronos snapped at them, and at once, the three of them silenced themselves as he explained about the new student, Gabriella. "This new student will be an additional part to the school as a second-year student. Please be nice to her and accept her as one of our own."
"He makes it sound like as if she's an outcast," Judai murmured again to Kenzan.
"With those looks, I'd be one, too," once again, the three of them started laughing again. Bad choice.
"That's it! The three of you, detention!" Chronos echoed throughout the classroom, silencing the three students up quickly. Then he turned his attention back onto the new girl. "It's amazing that we already had a new student transfer here. Perhaps Saiou Takuma can show you around?"
Chronos and the young girl, Gabriella, turned towards the student sitting in the front row, his violet eyes closed in thought and arms crossed over his shining white blazer. He opened his eyes at the mention of his name, and Judai watched as he got up from his chair, and bowed to the new girl. This student was Saiou Takuma, and he was by far the most untrustworthy person Judai had ever laid eyes on. He was also the founder and leader of the Society of Light, an organization slowly taking over the school, claiming to want to do "good" things. But this wasn't what bothered Judai at that moment. It was the sparkle in the new girl's eyes when they fell onto him. Now he was worried. She was new, and due to her being a girl, was immediately placed in the Obelisk Blue dormitory, the ones that both Manjyome Jun and Tenjoin Asuka had been part of. They would surely try to convince her to join. What would happen if Saiou got his hands on her?
"Gabriella, you may sit with Saiou Takuma for the remainder of the class until we can assign a proper seat for you. Now then, let's continue," Chronos spoke, signaling for the young girl to take a seat there.
As the girl approached where Saiou stood, Judai could easily feel a cold presence about her. Cold, yet warm. It was unusual to him to see someone so strange, and it was also unusual to feel something so unnatural towards them. As he stared at the girl, he at once saw her eyes tilt upward and meet his stare. They were silver, and beaming with an omniscient knowledge of what would happen, or what was going on. Judai knew at once that he would not be able to trust this girl.
The evening soon dawned on Duel Academy island, and as soon as classes let out once more, Judai found himself with his friends leaving the school, and heading towards the dormitories. As the passed the beach, though, Judai looked up towards the ocean to immediately notice something unusual he had never seen before. There was Saiou with that new girl, Gabriella, on the beach, walking together. Judai remembered clearly that the man was given an order to show her around, he could understand why they were together, but it was the way they were that created suspense and suspicion towards the new girl. He knew that by having to show her around the school has put Saiou in a very advantage state to convince her to join the Society of Light. He only prayed that she wouldn't. But then again, he didn't know how strong this girl was, so maybe it wouldn't be that big of a deal? As he followed his friends back to Osiris Red dormitory, he could hear the new girl laughing softly at something Saiou spoke, and he knew it would only be soon before she would join him in Society of Light.
"Hey, Judai, what's wrong?" Sho spoke, seeing the brunette boy walk up along the pathway towards them.
"Nothing, Sho," Judai lied, falsifying a smile towards them as they walked back into the building. It seemed as if Judai was the only Osiris Red student there was left in the school. But that didn't seem to matter to him. He didn't really care about what dorm he was in, as long as he remained dueling and kept his close friends. "So, what's new, fellas?"
"Nothing, really. You know that new girl, Gabriella?" Kenzan spoke, leaning up against the wooden bunk bed set aside against the wall. Judai was really praying on not hearing anything more about the girl, but he had no choice but to listen to what Kenzan wanted to say.
"Yeah," both Sho and Judai responded.
"Turns out in honor of her entrance to the school, the Society of Light is going to initiate her by forcing her to duel against someone in their organization," he explained to them.
"I wonder if she's any good at dueling," Judai spoke.
"I'm more curious as to who she'll duel. I hope it's not that Saiou-guy. He freaks me out," Sho spoke up from beside Judai. The brunette nodded in agreement. If that new girl dueled against Saiou, it would be an easy, vulnerable way to brainwash her into officially joining the Society of Light. They couldn't let that happen.
"When is the duel?" Judai asked. Maybe he could get her to fight on their side.
"Sometime tonight. I don't know. I wasn't too big on listening on the details," Kenzan confessed. Judai and Sho sighed. There'd be no way for them to get to her before Saiou did. Maybe it was already too late….
In the darkness she could see the light….The light that has burned before her for years….Even now, when she is forced to turn away from it, she has found temptation to be so rewarding, and the warmth upon her body had led to far more than just the invincibility to burns and wounds. She found the light to be her weakness, the light that caused pain and suffering for her. Even the oath she gave long ago had left her trembling for what she stood for, but it was the darkness that protected her. The darkness that surrounds her now has become her home, her shelter…her world….But…she couldn't betray the one who saved her….
"Perhaps you could take advantage of your desire, young Angel," spoke the majestic voice from the shadows. She looked up, feeling her body gently shiver as a soft, but cold, hand brushed against her face, and grasped her chin only gently within it. Her head was tilted up further, causing her to stare directly into the violet, omniscient eyes of the one commanding her.
"But, Master…you want to give light a new life….It is light that I must become accustomed to," she spoke softly in response to him, not wishing to argue against his methods.
"That may be, but you are able to control it if you know that you are restoring light. Darkness shall be your weapon, young one." The man released her chin, and allowed her face to fall, but did not see the soft, crystal tears forming in her eyes. Was the truth of this session finally sinking deep within her soul? Did she finally understand her purpose in existence? Or was it the thought of disappointing and displeasing her master that drove her into depression? As she hid her tears from him, soft words floated to her mind, gently brushing through the dark corners within, echoing sharply like fangs.
Angel of mine, can I thank you? You have saved me time and time again. Angel, I must confess. It's you who always gives me strength, and I don't know where I'd be without you….
The last prayer spoken to her before the flames destroyed her entire life was a black prayer of gratitude, but one of utmost admiration and appreciation. But from where those words came from was now a mystery. Even to her….
