Turn 2: Reach (Part II)

''You may call me Hak. Young boy, I shall concede you a wish as a token of my gratitude for freeing me. In exchange, you'll have to meet one demand of my own'' The voice that rang from within the box told Kubo, who stopped for a moment, as if processing what was occuring to him at that moment. Though the boy wondered if it was really gratitude if that voice was asking for something in return.

He immediately knew what to wish for. And it worked out just fine for the spirit of the man… or, being, trapped within the box.

The person who stood closest to the one Kubo wanted to get closer to. The older sibling, Yui Mizuno.

''Getting rid of a single miss? Hmph. I expected more, but that is an easy task well within my possibilities.''

''But then… what about your demand? Or you'll say [You'll get to know later, like in mangas…?''

''Mangas?'' The voice trailed off for a moment. ''...No, rather, if your wish is to dispose of someone, then that fulfill my interest as well.''

...

In a game of Duel Monsters, various skills are required to achieve victory. Game knowledge, decision making, combos between monsters and spells, bluffing… In the end, it is all tied together in the name of ''strategy''. Good awareness and concentration, on top of luck, are most often the determinant factors in deciding victors and losers in a game. However, when there is something at risk, just those factors are not enough to win.

What is it that draws the line between victors and losers when one has something to lose?

It's courage. To trust your own decisions, your judgement, and to entrust yourself to that judgement.

The game of darkness resumes.

After putting herself on the lead, Yui Mizuno's opponent, Shoji Kubo now appears cornered. The Life Point totals are 3500 to 1900, in favor of the upperclasswoman. Yui controls 2 monsters: The 1500 ATK Faith Bird, as well as the Tiger Axe that's been powered-up by the Mystical Moon card. Comparatively, Shoji, or rather, the shadow figure currently possessing Kubo's body, has no monster cards on the field.

''My turn.'' Said the possessed Kubo, with a voice that was unlike his usual soft-sounding one, and picked up a card from his deck. ''I play a servant of mine in defense position.''

The purple mist surrounding the art classroom had grown thicker behind Kubo. The mannequins and canvases that made up the scenery behind the short boy were not visible anymore.

Yui glanced at Kubo's side of the field. His only card was the face-down defender he had just placed. The upperclasswoman would not know its identity until her adversary revealed it himself, or until she attacked it.

Its presence could be felt in the room, but it was hidden from sight.

She analyzed the situation. That monster was played upon being drawn. It did not come from her adversary's hand. Yui knew from Kubo's plays from the last turns that he had no monsters that could overpower Yui's Reinforcements trap card, as Kubo had feared. If no combo that could come out from that hand could do it, then the only uncertain factor was that card that had just been drawn.

(But it's hard to determine just how usable the rest of Kubo's hand is...)

''My turn, draw.'' The drawn card is Polymerization. It was usable right now, as the girl had cards that could be used to draw out a fusion monster, but she had other choices that she deemed safer just in case. She placed the Faith Bird in the graveyard. ''I sacrifice Faith Bird to summon my next creature. Monstrous Bird!''

In order to summon powerful creatures, which boasted higher stats without the need of combos, sacrifices were necessary.

The body of the turquoise bird faded away in a starry glow, and taking its place appeared a brown eagle of large paws, flapping its unnaturally long wings at a speed that made the shoulder-long dark brown hair of its master wave from one side to another.

However, the possessed Kubo didn't appear pained or worried at the 2000 attack strength monster that had just appeared.

''Monstrous Bird will attack your defensive monster.''

The possessed Kubo flipped the card that had been lying horizontally on his board, revealing the monster that was hiding.

The fast bird lounged at the thick mist, making a loud metallic sound as its claws clashed with the rock-hard stone. The bird growled at the face of the now revealed creature. Its entire body was covered in stone, and it had not moved an inch from the impact of the monster. It wore a short sword that was also made of stone, however, the most prevalent aspect of the creature was its sheer volume. None of the 2 cards were destroyed in that combat, and no damage was inflicted.

''Giant Soldier of Stone. Defensive strength is 2000, the same as your Bird.'' The shadow figure spoke from within Kubo's body. His words were met with a wince from the upperclasswoman. ''I take it I can start my turn now.''

The nod he received from Yui was the signal for him to pick up another card and carry on with his turn. It was now that the girl realized that Kubo's body was simply opening his mouth, but it wasn't moving beyond that. As if by opening it he was merely letting the sound escape.

Possessed Kubo simply laid the card he drew face-down behind the card of the Giant Soldier of Stone and passed the turn.

Yui took her own turn, glancing at the monster card she just drew, Griffore, and proceeded to set it and pass as well.

It seemed that the duel had reached a stalemate that continued as both players drew and increased the number of cards on their field without making an attack. The playing field had changed after a few turns.

On Yui's side, she had Tiger Axe and Monstrous Bird, as well as 2 defensive monsters, Tyhone and Griffore, both face-down. Possessed Kubo has only the Giant Soldier of Stone, but now he has 2 cards face-down that could be either Spells or Traps.

It is now the shadow figure's turn. ''I will change the conditions of this field. I play the Wasteland card.'' The floor below the 2 of them had changed into soil in an instant, infertile soil that would be unable to bring forth fruit, where cracked sand extended as far as the terrain did.

''A Field Spell…'' Another category of Spell Cards: Field Spells. Only one of them can be active at any time, and their effects can change the conditions for the whole field, increasing or decreasing the strength of certain types of cards.

''For the Wasteland card, monsters of the Rock, Dinosaur, or Zombie types have their attack and defense strength increased by 200.'' And then the possessed Kubo continued by placing his stone soldier monster on the graveyard. ''The Giant Soldier will become a sacrifice for a more powerful servant. The Millennium Golem!'' As the deep, hoarse voice roared out, the Giant Soldier of Stone turned into dust, and behind it a larger stone-made creature took its place.

Its body was made from chiseled bricks, and its face had a single eye that seemed drawn out from an Egyptian carving. As opposed to the wall-like soldier from before, this monster had thinner stone limbs, but it was clear that they still carried earth-shaking strength.

''Naturally, it is powered-up by the field spell, bringing its ATK strength to 2200.''

(He's finally making his move. Thankfully I prepared my own defensive countermeasures until I can topple its ATK power…)

The Millennium Golem launched a fist at the Monstrous Bird, which tried flying around to dodge the right fist, but was caught by the Golem's other hand and was crushed under its fingers.

As her monster was defeated, Yui's Life Points dropped by 200. It was now 3300 versus 1900.

''Draw. I'll set a monster in defense. Turn end.''

Millennium Golem continued to bury Yui's defensive monsters one by one. First the Tiger Axe which was crushed under the fist of the giant after its axe was shattered to pieces, then Griffore, followed by Sleeping Lion. At some point, the possessive shadow figure tried to summon another monster, but Yui destroyed it with a monster of her own, preventing the possessed Kubo from increasing the number of monsters on her field even if it meant sacrificing a few Life Points.

As long as she did not receive a direct attack, she wouldn't get hurt directly and would still remain in the game.

The field began to change again.

On one side, Yui still had 2 defensive monsters, Mystical Sheep #1 and Mystic Horseman. Her Life points were at 2000 from receiving a few blows from the Golem. On the other side, Kubo had the Millennium Golem, and a MInomushi Warrior, with an attack strength of 1200, now 1400 with the Field Spell in effect as well as 2 face-down cards, and 1500 Life Points. Though his Life was lower now than before, the gap was much closer. Both players had 4 cards in their hands.

It was Kubo's second main phase. As Yui thought the turn would go back to her, the shadow made its move. ''I play this face-down card. Hinotama.'' 3 fireballs formed quickly behind the boy's body and rained suddenly to where the upperclasswoman was sitting.

(A spell that can inflict direct damage?!)

With that magic attack, the Life Points would be tied 1500 to 1500. But it was not the score that worried the upperclasswoman.

Yui put her arms up covering her face from the attack. With her legs still being tightly grasped by the grotesque, ghostly looking hands stretching out from the floor, she was stuck where was. Two times she felt her arms colliding with a violent force that made her feel dizzy from the sudden movement, and one hit struck her from the side, leaving a slight ringing sensation in her ears.

Her arms felt shaky, but her hand was still holding the cards she had tightly.

(If more attacks like this one continue, I'll be cornered quickly…)

Now the Life Points were even. 1500 against 1500. Ever since the shadow took Kubo's body over, the duel had been in his favor.

''My turn.'' As the girl reached for her next card, she noticed the sleeves of her black school blazer had been burned away by the fireball attack from earlier. Thankfully the rest of the cloth had not caught fire. She looked at the card she drew, realizing it could be used to defeat the shadow figure if everything worked out. She set that card right away, and continued by playing another card from her hand. ''I activate the fusion card, Polymerization!''

Tribute summoning is not the only way to bring out stronger monsters. Combining two compatible creatures thanks to the fusion card allowed a stronger monster to be born from the materials.

''From my field, Mystic Horseman and Mystical Sheep will combine.'' From behind Yui, the grey sheep and the centaur-looking creature merged together in a flashing spiral of light. ''For this fusion, Mystical Sheep has the ability to act as a substitute for a different material. With its illusory magic, it turns into the Battle Ox!'' After the flash subsided, a new creature appeared. Its long centaur legs supported the strong-looking torso of a Minotaur wielding a battle axe.

This is the power of Polymerization.

''The Rabid Horseman is born! Its ATK strength is 2000.'' It would normally tie with withe the Millennium Golem, but under the current circumstances it was no match for it.

The shadow figure identified Yui's strategy right away. Only fusing after she drew what was possibly a defensive trap. All suspicion was erased, there was no chance for a bluff this time.

Still, for the meantime, it meant that Yui could reduce the possessed Kubo's Life Points by attacking the 1400 ATK Minomushi Warrior.

''Battle, attack!'' The large centaur-minotaur fusion lounged at the warrior. The steel of the axe clashed against the man's stone blade multiple times, as if fighting for dominance. Though Yui wondered if her adversary would move his face-down cards, it appeared that such was not the case as the stone warrior was cut in half by the axe.

With this attack, the score was now Yui's 1500 Life Points against Possessed Kubo's 900.

''You're getting eager to win. I was wondering if you'd take the bait, but you wonderfully took it for me.''

''What?''

The possessed Kubo revealed a trap card from among his face-down cards. It was a card Yui was familiar with, which let her know that she indeed fell into a trap. ''I trapped you! Michizure! It activates when my own servant is destroyed, and it drags an opposing creature to the grave along with it!''

Before having time to react, the centaur-looking creature fell as the floor below it cracked and quickly broke down. The Rabid Horseman was destroyed in an instant on the same turn it was summoned. The upperclasswoman winced when she placed the fusioned creature on her graveyard.

(Now I'm the one who is cornered. I must give it to him, he put the bait there and led me into biting it spectacularly.)

With anticipation, the shadow figure took his next card and put it in his hand. He coldly placed the critical next monster on the field. ''I play Stone Ghost. Attack Strength is 1200, plus the bonus 200 from the Wasteland.'' A floating volcano emerged from the purple mist behind the boy. As it crept closer to the players, its violent facial features were revealed.

''You're ready to move in for the last attack.''

''First, the Millennium Golem will bury you.'' The stone-made creature raised its fist in the air, ready to throw it down like a hammer. ''Now, the box is no longer my prison.''

As the golem closed in, its arm was stopped by a chain that appeared from beyond the mist. The golem could not move it.

''My trap card is Kunai With Chain. It will serve to bind your monster and force it into defense position!'' The Millennium Golem was dragged down by the chains and fell to the ground, unable to continue its attack. However, behind it a rain of boulders erupted with a loud sound and came crashing down onto Yui.

''You might have prevented my first attack, but there's nothing you can do about this one.''

The attack from the Stone Ghost dealt 1400 damage to Yui's Life Points in one go. The upperclasswoman's Life Points were lowered to 100 in one instant. She had nowhere to go now.

A trail of blood was dripping from her forehead where one of the boulders hit. The girl was in pain, however she felt relieved at making it through her opponent's critical turn with no monsters on her side of the field.

''But just by making it to the next turn, I've given myself a crucial chance.''

''I can't deny that.'' Possessed Kubo addressed honestly. ''But what do you have left that is of any use to you?''

Yui smirked, as she struggled to hold her stare at her adversary. ''It's set already. Just look at this.'' She said as she drew a card from her deck. ''Though to be honest, it's a coincidence that it worked out… I play a Field Spell of my own, Gaia Power!''

The barren soil of the wastelands was washed away. Splendid fruit bloomed forth in the shape of a magnificent tree that stood taller that anything else. The roots took form, starting from the ground and went up as the soil beneath them turned into green. The bones of the deceased creatures and the sand gave up and turned into green.

''When a new Field Spell comes into play, the previous one is forced to leave. Gaia Power is a card that will empower Earth attribute creatures by an additional 500 ATK points…'' She trailed off, looking as vegetation sprouted from the cracks in the golem's bricks. ''...And lowers their defense by 400 in exchange.''

This turn of events surprised the shadow figure. The Golem had 2200 Defense strength, but under this field of nature, it was lowered to 1800. This time, the trap that allowed the girl to connect to the next turn had even more of an impact. ''You're right, you were lucky it played off like that.''

''Let's go, Celtic Guardian! Its ATK strength of 1400 turns into 1900 thanks to the Field Spell. Battle!'' The elf swordsman turned its sword to the giant of stone, which struggled to move its limbs as they were bound by vines of green. The sword of the elf cut through the stone body of the golem and it quickly came crashing down. Though no damage was inflicted, Yui knew that this attack had changed the tide of the match.

Still, it was only a tiny bit of Life Points that separated the girl from the defeat.

The shadow figure did the natural thing. Switched its monster to defense, and then followed by increasing the number of defenders. Once again, it was Yui's turn on the offensive.

''I'll destroy your Field Spell with my own card. The De-Spell card.'' The shadow figure placed his spell card on the field. De-Spell has the power to destroy any one Spell Card on the field. Yui's Gaia Power was the only obvious target.

After the trees and vines disappeared, the strength of the Celtic Guardian went back to its original 1400. Despite that, the shadow figure had no cards that could deal with that monster, so his disadvantage had not changed.

(I have to settle this duel in this turn… Wait for me, Haruka, I'm almost done now.)

The spirit possessing the boy realized where his opponent's gaze was directed at. Yes, he knew that the girl had been moved, at the beginning, because she wanted to save her sibling.

Though he himself had no interest in the younger sibling, it was part of the deal struck with the one who undid his seal. The magic box turned into a thousand-years prison for the old magician, Hak. A surge of memories raced through his mind.

…

The powers of the kings were seen as absolute, as they were said to be gods that descended upon the earth. For the common masses, the pharaoh was the object of their respect and fear, but few knew that their strength did not dwell on the king, but on the magicians he commanded. Those magicians who had domain over the powers of darkness, alongside the priests that were said to communicate with the heavens were the ones in charge of very special ceremonies that were unknown to the common masses. Those were the so-called ''games of darkness'', where the participants were to be judged in a battle of wits and sorcery where cheating was forbidden.

Some sorcerers wielded the magic by harnessing the power of the gods. An elite of magicians, who stood the closest to the king, commanded the power of mystic artifacts that catalyzed the powers of darkness, allowing them to cast spells that boasted greater power, and to summon creatures of different realms and realities.

Despite not holding one of those ancient artifacts, Hak had shown spectacular mastery over many spells of different types. As much as he envied them for being of a different lineage than him, thus being bestowed with those magic tools, he still climbed the ranks through his own work.

Being ambitious and having been born of a lower class, Hak's nature pushed him to work harder than anyone else. But still, he never reached the level of those of a lineage closer to the pharaoh: The sons of priests that were born with commodities within their reach.

Perhaps it was then that Hak's hunger started to show. A hunger for something that was put out of his reach ever since birth.

Still, there was one more sorcerer who distinguished himself from the rest. Hak's brother, Kahlin, also rose in ranks within the sorcerers that assisted the ceremonies. Similar to Hak himself, Kahlin also showed great prominence in the way he managed his magic. More so than his brother, and even more so than some priests of high lineage.

Both Kahlin and Hak came from a small, poor village far away from the pharaoh's city palace, the capital. Just reaching that city was like a dream for both of them. As novice sorcerers, they would first work under the command of lower ranked priests before joining the Pharaoh's ceremonial forces.

Though both were just as talented, their drive came from different sources. Hak was a scarred person inside, determined to never live his life in a mundane way after growing up in a humble village far from the busy everyday life of the capital. To him, those days were a thing of the past, never to be looked back at. Kahlin however looked dearly at his old times, hungry and penniless as he was. Instead of forgetting his old life, he intended to bring riches and some prestige to his old home by getting into a position of power.

As if that wish attracted success, the king acknowledged Kahlin's achievements and bestowed a high ranking among the amnesty to the young sorcerer. Though he did not receive one of the mystic artifacts, his newfound position brought great joy to the otherwise commonborn man.

Only Kahlin was promoted from sorcerer to priest. Hak might've felt happiness for his brother, but jealousy formed in his heart at the same time. ''Well done. You passed me in skill at some point, Kahlin.''

''Hak, bro! I'm so happy that the king looked my way! All that gruesome training paid off, I can't believe it!''

The young sorcerer was brimming with bliss at his promotion. It was an incredible achievement for him, the result of his diligent, daily work, as well as his loyalty to the pharaoh.

''Now I should be able to spare some of what the gods have given us to our village. I've caught word that they were harshly struck by a swarm of bandits.''

''Ah. That was indeed unfortunate. Those vermins…'' Hak had heard of that story. It started out as a rumor that faraway villages were being pillaged by groups of thieves. The timeframe between one assault and the other made the events seem like the work of one singular group. ''They've got some daring nerves to steal under our god's protection. In the name of our king, it is our role to judge the unworthy ones!''

''Ah, I'm glad we're on the same page, Hak, bro.''

…

(Riches were out of my reach from the moment I was given birth. And even though I worked myself to the bone to have my belly full, my hunger was yearning for something else.)

A different memory popped in Hak's memory.

''Hak, bro! Don't let him convince you, we have our loyalty to our king! Hak!''

…

(But I threw that loyalty away… And our bond as well. Because the things I wanted for myself could only be within reach in that way.)

…

''It's my turn now. I'll settle it here.'' The girl picked the next card from her deck.

(Right now, the thing that drives this girl is not the search for her own safety. No, if that was the case then she'd have fled from the start. She stayed because of her sister. Preposterous.)

''I play the Monster Reborn Spell! A monster, whether it is an ally or enemy, can be brought back to life.'' Behind the girl, the figure of an ankh appeared in a blue flash. It rose high in the sky before fading away in another flash of light, where now the centaur-like fusion creature that had been destroyed earlier now was standing. ''Rabid Horseman is brought back to life.''

''A card to bring back the dead!? At this timing…'' For the first time, Yui's adversary looked surprised.

''And now the finishing touch. An Equip Spell: Fairy Meteor Crush. By equipping this card to any one monster I control, its attacks can inflict damage even through defense position monsters.''

The centaur creature brought its battle axe up as a fiery red aura spread over its body. It set the enemy's Stone Ghost in its sights, ready to lounge at it. 2000 ATK against the 1000 DEF. The difference of 1000 will be inflicted to Hak due to the Fairy Meteor Crush's effect.

''Back to my prison it will be then.''

With no more words required, the centaur dropped its axe, splitting the volcano-looking monster in half, making the shadow figure's Life Points drop to 0.

As soon as the attack was concreted, Yui felt the pressure against her legs fade away. The ghostly hands that creeped up from the floor disappeared into thin air, and the purple mist of the classroom also faded away, letting Yui appreciate the faint reddish glow of the sunset. The storm that had been going on outside had subsided.

At that instant it dawned on her that the cruel battle against this mysterious opponent had come to an end.

Though she was sitting, as the pressure left her mind, she felt the pain in her forehead's injury more than before, the burning sensation that remained in her arms from the fireball attack, the tiredness, it all fell down on her at once, overwhelming her senses.

''Look at you, almost collapsing after winning. Now we can't tell who truly won…''

Close to Kubo's seat, the box that remained open closed its lid by itself. After that, the head of the boy clashed on the table.

Just like room, the lunacy that had filled the boy was now gone. When he opened his eyes and looked up, he saw the face of his upperclasswoman, with a trail of blood running down. He could not read her expression, nor had the will to, as he looked apart, knowing that the duel had ended in his defeat.

He thought of running away, just as he always did when confronted.

''I won't say sorry. I won't say that I was wrong… what's wrong with wanting something for yourself in the first place?!'' Yui looked at the boy as he roared out. Though his voice was back to normal, his emotions were swirling up. He then said: ''I feel like I'm suffocating, because I'm always by myself, senpai.''

''Fine. You don't have to be sorry. I'm feeling many things right now, but anger is not one of them.'' She said.

''You don't look like you're feeling anything at all. The match is over. You can drop the poker face now.'' Kubo retorted, to which Yui smiled.

''But this is… the face I was born with?'' The girl tilted her head to the side. She then stood up and continued. ''You're rotten to the core, Kubo.''

The boy winced. ''I know…''

''But tell me, could you say that to Haruka? Or to anyone you were trying to get close to?''

''I… I don't think…'' The boy looked at the younger Mizuno, his classmate. Now that she looked closer, he really noted the similarities between her and Yui. They had the same type of face, and the same dark brown hair. Haruka's was tied in a single sidetail, and was shorter than the older sibling.

''It's natural to wish for things that we don't have. Kubo, this side of you, which would do anything to get what you desired…'' Yui walked past the boy, in direction to her sister. ''I think it's sort of cool. It sounds cool, at least, but if you peel the layers behind it, its ugly nature will reveal itself.''

Kubo looked lost at the back of the girl. To say he was bewildered at the girl's words would be an understatement.

''So then, I ask you. Are you satisfied with yourself, the way you are unsightly inside?''

Shoji Kubo knew the answer immediately. ''But that requires me to face other people head-on… Their snarky remarks, their fingers pointing at me, laughing at me…''

''You can be brave. You can be bold. You showed it today, didn't you?'' Yui looked back at the boy. ''Then make an effort. One that won't require communicating with ancient spirits, preferably.''

''Mmm…'' The one who made that sound was the younger Mizuno, Haruka. It seemed that she was getting restless in her sleep and was about to wake up.

''I'm sorry!'' Kubo turned to the girl and yelled out before dashing out towards the exit. He'd pondered for a moment if he should've taken the clay box that now safeguarded Hak's spirit again, but he decided he'd had enough of it.

(But you said that you wouldn't apologize…)

Yui was left wondering if her words had an impact on the boy. Though she would not support his selfish attitude, she also felt some sympathy for him.

From her seat, Haruka jumped straight at Yui before she had a chance to react.

''Sis! What was- What's with your forehead?! Are you okay? Did you trip? Hey!'' Her usual energy quickly made her turn the volume of her voice up without realizing it.

Yui's lips curled in a smile at her sister. She grabbed her shoulder and nodded silently to her.

''Ah, so you're okay… Let's go to the infirmary to check you out just in case, okay?''

''You're so quick to worry about others, Haru.''

The younger sibling picked up her backpack which was lying next to her seat, and after scanning the room she jumped at where her sister's was lying and picked it up as well. ''Don't worry sis, today I'll carry your things, come on, come on.'' She said as she grabbed Yui's arm and urged her to move.

Yui signaled her with her hand to wait a moment. She walked to the table and picked up her cards.

''Sis? Were you playing Duel Monsters with someone? That's so unlike you.''

While she was at it, she also picked the shadow figure's clay box. She tied it hastily with a ribbon that she had in her pocket to make sure it wouldn't open by accident, and stored it and her cards in her backpack. She then headed out of the classroom, signaling her sister to follow her.

''Let's go home, Haru.''

'''Uh? Wait, sis, are you going home with your face like that?!''

''This is the face I was born with.''

''Not what I mean!''

…

The sisters live by themselves in an apartment that was paid by their parents. The apartment in particular was nothing special, though it was chosen given how close it is to their school.

Nighttime quickly came around. The streets outside had the characteristic smell of the rain from earlier as the city saw its usual car traffic issues, a common occurence of life in a modern-day city.

''Sis, I'll take a bath first!'' Haruka called out from the bathroom, as was routine for the girls. Despite everything that happened that day, nothing was different at home.

''Yeah.''

Yui rummaged through her backpack. She put a few books that she'd read up later for tomorrow's homework, put her deckbox outside, and finally placed the clay box on her night table. Taking a deep breath, she untied the ribbon that she used on it and slid the lid slightly. Inside the box was nothing but blackness, however, the now familiar voice called out to her.

''It's you. I expected to be thrown away.'' It was hard for Yui to determine if the voice from the box sounded happy or disappointed. Surely it was just indifferent, she thought.

''I have a few questions to ask you.'' She then said politely. ''Do you mind?''

There was no response. Yui took it as an affirmative one and continued.

''Do you have a name? I've thought of you as 'shadow figure' this entire time, but that's just a mouthful.'' Yui stared blankly at the black space of the box. No sound could be heard in her room. ''Next, then. Why did we play Duel Monsters? You said it was some ancient game, but that's the part that I don't get.''

Again, the room was filled with silence. Yui frowned at the box before closing it again.

''Okay. I'll be back to ask you tomorrow.'' Saying this, she tied the same ribbon around the box again and hid it in one of her drawers.

She figured that the man trapped there wouldn't be up to satisfy her curiosity. Still, she wanted more than just a few answers. Anyone would after the events of that day. She looked at herself in the mirror. Her dark brown bangs covered the band aid that was placed on her forehead. Her face was a bit scratched, as well as her arms that were slightly swollen, but otherwise, she escaped that game of darkness with no major hiccups.

What was a normal day turned into a cruel battle. But even that had come to a close. Would this be no more than a distant memory when she grows up?

Probably not.

Hello everybody. I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who gave this story a try, as well as everyone who left a review. It truly means a lot that you all spared the time to give it a read.