Atem led them to the living room on the coach before he began to speak. "I don't remember much." Atem started, as he ran his fingers through his hair. "A lot of it is a blur. But," I remember when it happened. "I remember Yugi and you grabbing hands when it happened."
Téa swallowed, her stomach hurting remembering that detail.
"Yugi and I blanked out for a minute maybe when we hit, but you weren't waking up with us…" Atem sighed, squeezing his arm. "I couldn't see Joey, Tristan, and Bakura anymore. It was too dark, there was too much smoke." Atem looked down, curling his hand into fist, and his voice going hoarse now.
"I'm pretty sure there was another explosion… and then Yugi hit his head. There was fire spreading in the aisle of the plane between the rest of the boys and us. There was no way I could reach it them. I prayed they could make it out themselves from the other exit. I grabbed you and we were able to get out of the plane. I don't know what happened after that, but I was unconscious… and… when… when… when…" Atem stuttered, as Téa grabbed his hand. Atem look at her, taking a deep breath. "When I woke, Yugi was gone. His soul room… it had disappeared." He let out a choke and he started sobbing. Téa too broke out into a sob, as she sprung to him. Tears fell down from both their eyes. "I didn't realize it at the time…" Atem breathed. "I thought maybe he was still just unconscious, at least that's what I told myself because what I needed to do was get us all to safety…"
It took a few minutes for them to collect themselves. Atem started again, tears still in his eyes. "I was scared that the plane might explode, and I wasn't fast enough. You woke up and we tried walking as fast as we could away. Then there was another explosion, but before it happened, I tried searching for Yugi again and I confirmed again… that Yugi's soul room had vanished completely."
Atem took a moment to sob loudly with Téa as she wailed on his neck. "After that… I woke up in the hospital and they told me you were in a coma." He gingerly rubbed his hand through Téa's hair.
"I tried everything I could to figure out what could have happened, and if I could get Yugi back. I scoured over ancient books and researched all I could." Atem paused. "I met with the Ishtars. They were pretty broken up by everything. They didn't even know what to do. Ishizu was even speechless at the events the happened." He paused. "When I asked her about Yugi, she said that if one's soul room is gone, that means that their soul has gone into the afterlife. Yugi was dead…" He whispered the last part, his eyes wide.
Atem looked down. "She said that something must have happened, and since there are two souls that inhabit his body, only one died, and the other would take over completely. There was nothing I could do."
Téa trembled hearing the revelation. She'd been hoping, just hoping, maybe Atem would be wrong. That maybe Yugi too was just in a coma like she was and was 'sleeping' deep inside somewhere. But the fact that his soul room had disappeared completely, and not that it was just empty… it broke her last shard of hope into a million smithereens. He really was dead.
"But…" He began again, squeezing Téa's hand. "You were alive." He stared at her. "There was a chance I could try to help you. So, I tried my best."
She gave a soft smile despite the pain coursing through her. "Thank you." She whispered. "I'm sorry you had to go through that all alone." She curved against him into an embrace as Atem wound his arms around her.
"It's better now," he whispered. "Now that I have you." Téa didn't respond and there were no words that left their mouths after that for quite some time. They just held each other in silence, tears still spilling from their eyes from time to time, but both of them relishing the warmth they gave each other.
Now you know what truly happened. It's heartbreaking.
Please review on your thoughts!
~Startistica