Chapter Twenty-Three

23

The building loomed over the five friends. Old, dusty, and it looked like it had been ransacked inside. Probably some nere-do-well students who also had the idea to come and sneak around the place. With every step, it seemed to creak, and it almost seemed like it moaned. At least that's how it felt to Connar. It sent shivers through her.

Though far be it that would scare Jaden Yuki away.

"This place is sweet!" he beamed exploring the place as he shined his light on every nook and cranny. Un beknownst to him, Jaden held firmly to Connar's waist as she continue to cling onto his arm while they explored. He was doing it to help her maintain balance as she seemed to be moving a bit wobbly from time to time, though to the eyes of those on the other side, it didn't seem as 'natural' as he meant for it to be.

"Man, why is she clinging on to him ?" Syrus groaned, pouting in his own hidden envy," I knew her longer!"

"Maybe we should lock them both in a closet and just run." Norika joked.

Whenever Jaden wanted to push on further but Connar wanted to stay put, he would take a few steps ahead but make sure his hand stayed gripped onto hers, assuring she was okay before he went off too far.

"Now they're holding hands..." Syrus groaned.

"You know Sy...I don't even think Jaden notices what he's actually doing." Chumley chuckled.

"Yeah I guess that doesn't surprise me..." said Norika, "I don't think Connie notices it either."

Syrus chuckled. But it still weighed in he and Norika both that their friend still didn't seem to be doing well.

"You know..." Jaden began to speak as he continued shining his light around, "A little paint, a couple of cardboard boxes and maybe a throw rug...and we could so totally move in here!" he beamed, his other two room mates however did not seem to share his enthusiasm.

"Or, here's a better idea..." Connar chuckled,"We could deck this place out like a princess castle and I~ could so totally move in here!" she beamed.

"Say what!?" said Norika, "You mean you're gonna ditch me in the Cockroach shack!? Alone!? With THEM!?" she huffed referring to the three boys who shared the Red Dormitory.

"What!?" No way am I painting this place pink!" Jaden laughed.

"Awe, come on, I'll grant you all visitation~!" Connar beamed.

"That's it, we're dueling for it!" said Norika.

Syrus huffed and sighed as he shook his head, listening to his friends bicker jokingly about how they would decorate the place, giving a soft smile of relief as it seemed Connar looked to be doing a little bit better than earlier.

"You guys are kidding right?" said Chumley,"This place is even worse than the Slifer dorms! I mean...what's all this stuff on the walls?"

"Awe, don't be that way, there's nothing a little elbow grease can't fix-" Connar froze as her blue haired friend pointed out the wall decor,"Hey, I know these markings..." she said softly,"I think these are hieroglyphs."

"Hieroglyphs?" Syrus blinked curiously,"You mean like Ancient Egypt?"

"I'm not sure if my translations are correct..." Connar said softly as she looked closer to the details, "But I think it might have something to do with the Shadow Games."

"The Shadow Games?" Jaden scoffed lightly as he moved closer himself, "You mean those supposed magical games that were played with Millennium Items? he asked,"I've heard about it, but it's not actually true."

"So you say..." Connar said softly as she looked closer to the markings.

"You said 'translations'." said Syrus,"You can't actually know how to read this?"

"Well, not fully." Connar chuckled," But I guess you could say I, uh, know someone, who had a bit of background knowledge on this sort of thing."

"Hmmm." Jaden pondered but he didn't seem too convinced.

"Jaden, don't stand so close to that!"

Connar let out a quiet snort as she couldn't help but think Syrus sounded like a mother scolding her child when he talked like that.

"You know...I think this shows the seven Millennium items." Jaden said as he leaned in closer to get a better view with the light."How cool..." he moved the light some more and let it rest on an old photo,"...And that shows someone I've never seen before."

"Hey...that's Atticus!" Connar blinked as she picked up the framed photo.

"Who?" They all seemed confused as to how Connar knew this Obelisk Blue student in the photograph.

"Hey I remember that guy!" said Norika, "I recognize him from when he used to hang out with Zane back at Duel Prep."

"Really? He hung out with Zane?" Syrus blinked,"I don't remember him."

"Well...I met them a few times before in past tournaments too." Norika chuckled, "I remember him being pretty good too... and hot." she stated, "Yep, still hot."

"Not only that." said Connar, " This is Alexis's brother." said Connar

"Are you serious?" Jaden asked as he took the photo to look at it himself.

"Yeah...we should take that with us...I think Alexis would like to...have ...it.." She groaned softly and held her head wobbling on her feet.

"Connie!" This time it was Syrus who caught her and helped her maintain balance.

"Another dizzy spell..." she said softly and began to breathe a little heavier as, once again, she heard the disembodied laughter that only seemed to hit her ears and no one else's.

"Let me out~" it whispered...

"Connar? Are you good?" Jaden asked as he tried to shake her right again. She opened her eyes weakly and tried to open her mouth to respond but was cut off by the sound of a sudden scream that got everyone's attention.

"That sounded like Alexis!" said Syrus.

"Yeah, it did." said Jaden, "Let's go!" As they all prepared to take off running toward the direction of her scream, Connar's knees gave out and she fell to the ground panting and dripping in a cold sweat.

"Connie!" They all called out but she waved them away from her.

"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine!" she called out to them, "Go now and find Alexis!"

"But Connie!" Jaden called out as he ran and knelt to her level to speak so that only the two of them could hear,"I don't feel right about leaving you alone..."

"Don't worry Jaden..." said Norika, kneeling on her other side as the pinkette panted softly and locked her gaze on his giving him a knowing look,"She's not going to be alone."

Jaden stared back and gave an understanding nod.

"All right then." he said softly,"But stay here! I promise to come right back!"

Norika nodded her understanding and sent him off as she helped sit Connar up right. Though Syrus hovered a bit with concern.

"Go with Jaden, Syus."said Norika, " He might need your help." she said to him,"I promise I won't go anywhere."

"...Okay...take care of Connie." he said," And please don't disappear!"

"Awww~ I knew you cared about me!" Norika teased, and with that Syrus too ran off after their friends while Connar remained still in the room she was volunteered to stay behind in, resting against Norika, trying to regain her senses enough to follow them...but the dizzy spell was over powering.

What is this...?

Norika thought to herself, trying to understand Connar's symptoms.

Why is this happening to her?

"Hey...can you see me?"

Norika gasped as this time she heard this voice clear as day as she held Connar's limp body against her. She slowly raised her quivering eyes from the ground, upward toward the direction it came from. Standing before her, seeming to be hiding behind a pillar...stood a boy. He glanced at her with a shy expression, his pink irises quivering the same as Connar's did, like an inverted mirror.

"...Who are you?" Norika asked. But the boy didn't grant her anything more than a sharp glare before shifting his attention back to Connar's weakened state.

"It's you..." Connar said softly," You're that boy...from before!"

"Wait...Connie?" Norika blinked, "...You know him?"

The boy gave Connar a smile and soon revealed himself from his hiding place. He looked just like her, and by the looks of it, he seemed to age the same as her as well. He wore a tight fitted purple turtleneck. Though it was sleeveless. On both arms, he gold bands, wrapped around his biceps, as well as around his wrists. He wore faded blue jeans as well. At first glance, He would just come off as a somewhat edgy teen male, only with the same face as Connar's and his colors inverted with his shorter blue hair that had the same part in the front, and his rose colored pink irises. That...and the ominous glow that made him shine in the dark.

"So...you do see me~" He seemed to give her a relieved smile, "Thank goodness...I knew you would come back to me some day." he giggled.

"I see..." she blinked and narrowed her eyes curiously, "But...who are you?"

He remained silent and instead gave her a smirk before standing and taking off down a mysterious corridor.

"Hey...wait!" Norika called out to the boy. Connar struggled to stand and panted heavily as she stood to her feet and wobbled after him.

"Connar!" Norika called out, "We're supposed to stay here! What are you doing!?"

She had little choice but to go after them.

Just who the hell is this guy!?

Norika thought to herself.

Could he be the source of all the disappearing students from around here!?

She gulped.

...Are we next

There were so many sharp turns as he ran ahead of her. and she followed him.

This is so strange...

Norika thought to herself between bated breaths as she followed after the pinkette who seemed to be chasing nothing more than a ghost

Has this dorm...always been this big?

Connar wondered.

Finally they came to a stop in a four walled room. It was just him, and her, standing face to face. Like an inverted mirror.

"It's...so weird." she whimpered softly, "You really do look like me..."

"I told you once before, didn't I?" he said with a grin as he approached her and kneeled down to her level, "That's because I am you~ Silly little girl you are." he giggled.

"I don't understand what you mean by that..." she panted softly, when suddenly he offered his hand.

"Come with me." he said to her.

She still couldn't understand...

Suddenly their surroundings faded away, and her eyes faded over. She slowly reached her hand out toward the one offered to her, but was soon stopped by another tight grasp to her wrist.

"Connar!" Norika's voice snapped into her consciousness and re-awakened her from her odd trance, What are you doing!?"

"Tch..." The male in front of her let out a hiss of annoyance, "You won't be able to escape me for long." said the boy, glaring at Connar in her weakened state, "You can't lock me away forever!"

"Locked away!?" Norika blinked as she shifted her gaze between the two.

Connar grunted as she felt a sharp pulse beneath her chest and gripped at her uniform shirt.

"Ms. Connar!?" she could hear her spirit partner call her name but she couldn't bring herself to speak. It was as though her throat was constricted while he continued to speak.

"The longer you shut me out, the more it will hurt when you finally break!" His voice snapped and echoed around her sending sharp stabs through her body as a sudden flash image of shattered glass played within the depths of Connar's mind, and like a blinding light, within a flash the boy was gone, and all went to black with the echoing thud of a body hitting the floor and the panicked cry of a friend in the darkness.

To Be Continued