News Boss: Thank you for sharing that information! :) I knew about that song while growing up, and I'm still rather fond of it, but I never knew it was more than that… :)
Kias: Thank you for reviewing! Yup, Serena is pretty much shocked… And conflicted. But, unfortunately, if you think this was bad, Sartorius was just warming up lmao. All of this will lead to Serena questioning everything she knew up until now, including who she should trust or not. When it comes to her deck… That's something I can't tell much about since I don't want to spoil it. The only thing I'll say is that I have some good plans... ;)
Eduardo: Thank you for pointing that out. I'll make sure to pay attention to it in upcoming duels! :)
Well, guys, shit can officially begin lol. I'm so looking forward to future chapters…
This chapter takes place during 'Happily Never After'.
I only own my OC's!
On with the story!
"Do you think looking after her will be a problem?" The woman asked. "Maria…" The other woman started, only to be cut off. "I know, but I've already told you about current circumstances. I can't stay here either, since my son and husband are back in California. They'll fire me from my job, and Luca can't take care of Ben forever." The first woman let out a sigh. "Fine. It won't be a problem." A man spoke up. "Are you sure?" The other woman asked him. "I know it's not easy. But no one deserves to live through the same thing you and I had been forced to."
"You're right." The woman finally agreed with him. "You've grown quite fond of her, haven't you?" She then pointed out with a small smile. "So have you." The man quickly responded. "Fair enough." The woman agreed. "How is she?" She then asked. "As fine as she can be in this situation." The woman told her with another sigh.
I let out a sneeze while covering myself with bed sheets. What I wanted the most was to just stay under them sitting, and fade out of existence… Or for everything else to fade out of existence instead. That would be the only way for this madness to stop…
"DON'T TOUCH ME!" Ben roared, pushing me away violently.
"Keep that wench far away from me." He growled and strode towards the exit.
Suddenly, I was pushed away rather harshly. I looked up in utter astonishment. "Don't touch me." Sartorius hissed with a glare.
"Master Sartorius, what are you doing with that wretch?!" Ben demanded while glaring at me.
"Why are you looking at me with such pitiful eyes?" Sartorius frowned at me. "I'm just worr…" "I don't care about what you think!" He growled at me.
"If you know what's good for you, then you'll stay away from me. Consider this a warning." He whispered in my right ear, making shivers run down my spine.
I just wanted to tell myself this was a nightmare I would eventually wake up from… But it wasn't. No matter how many times I pinched myself, it didn't work. I was still stuck here, with some people I cared about missing, and some of them hating me…
The thing was, I really, really didn't understand what had happened. I just couldn't.
First Sarina and Sartorius went missing, then someone broke into Industrial Illusions, someone tried to hypnotize me, Ben joined the Society Of Light, Aunt went missing, and Sartorius returned as the leader of this society… It just sounded insane.
I still couldn't get over the way Ben and Sartorius had treated me. The former literally hated my guts now, and the latter threatened me… And I didn't know why. Why were they acting so different all of a sudden? Why did they hate me? And why was this happening to me?! What did I do to deserve this?!
Despite us having some arguments, Ben and I used to be close… And Sartorius never threatened me. At this point, I preferred him still missing than seeing him like this. What caused them to change so much?! With them treating me like this, I was even beginning to wonder whether they had just been pretending to care about me, or whether that was really them…
Maybe someone kidnapped them and replaced them with clones or something… That may have sounded crazy… But possible! Scientists practiced cloning! Except that, they managed to clone animals, not actual human beings… I had to shoot down that theory. But, from what I read, some of those cloning attempts have been rather successful. One cloned dog even lived for 10 years…
"Serena, not even a cloned dog can help you in this situation." I growled to myself, grabbing the sheets even more tightly. "Cazzo." I added as a good measure, to remind myself I was an idiot. Really, only an idiot would think about clones! It sounded like a messed-up film plot! It sounded like either fantasy or science fiction!
However, Hassleberry's dinosaur bone wasn't exactly realistic either… It still sounded more possible than cloning though.
Since I had to throw away the 'clones' theory, that would mean only one thing. Either they had pretended to care about me… Or they just snapped, like, gone insane! Those two theories were the only possible things, right? Nothing else could explain this behavior! But the question was, why did the rest of them snap as well? Did losing a duel really lead them to insanity? Or did that 'Society Of Light' do the trick of making them go crazy?
Suddenly, I could hear my stomach growling. I let out a groan and stood up from the bed.
As much as I wanted to stay in here whole day, I couldn't do it hungry. I had to go and get something for eating. Then I could go back to theorizing about what could have happened to everyone. Or, I could just go back to wanting to fade out of existence…
As soon as I put on my red boots, I headed outside the room.
Since I was so hungry, I decided to go to the card shop and buy two sandwiches. Those things could calm your appetite more than breakfast at the Slifer Red dorm. While I was going back to the dorm (having already eaten the sandwiches), I could see Jaden, Syrus, and Hassleberry talking between themselves.
"Oh, hi, Serena." Jaden waved. He was always the first one to notice me, I had to note that. "Hi." I said simply while walking over to them. I did want to go back to my room and try to forget everything… But I promised to myself I'd try to have contact with some people, especially since I couldn't do so with the ones I used to.
"What are you talking about?" I then asked. "It looks like Sartorius had brainwashed the entire Obelisk Blue dorm." Hassleberry spoke up with his arms folded. I stopped breathing for a few seconds. They brought up the topic I hoped they wouldn't…
Honestly, when they had said 'brainwashed', I thought they were joking. From what I knew, no one could brainwash you… That was only made-up stuff! It covered up for 'going insane'… By now, I really didn't know what to believe. My mind kept trying to be logical, and it involved those two options… It kept telling me 'brainwashing' was nonsense. It's never been scientifically proven after all! But, madness, on the other hand, has.
I'd never been much interested in science things like chemistry and physics, but biology was technically some sort of it… Everything in nature had to be scientifically proven, including how creatures managed to live, and breathe! Brainwashing was not a part of it. Logically speaking, all of the members of the 'Society Of Light' had succumbed to insanity. Logically speaking, Ben and Sartorius had gone insane. Or had they been that way from the start? I was pretty sure it was one of those two things… But then why couldn't the word 'brainwashed' leave my head?
"Hey, are you alright?" Syrus' voice brought me back to reality. I looked up to see them staring at me. "I'm fine." I quickly said. "Well, if only we knew what the oldest-living freshman was doing right now…" Hassleberry trailed off with a frown.
'He's a bit older than our average freshman, but he's an eager learner!' Crowler's words from yesterday echoed in my head. 'Except that your 'a bit older than average' freshman used to look after me since I was four. Let that sink in, Crowler.' I thought bitterly.
"How could they do that? Especially knowing he has a profession…" Syrus wondered. "Beats me." Jaden shrugged his shoulders. "Say, soldier," Hassleberry suddenly looked at me. "What did Sartorius steal from you yesterday?" He asked curiously.
For the second time today, I stopped breathing for a few moments. I was trying to process what the guy had just said to me. What in the world was he… Oh, I understood it now. He got it all wrong… One, small part of me felt a bit angry at Hassleberry for accusing Sartorius of doing such a thing. No idea why, since I had pretty much concluded the man had gone insane. There was nothing I could do concerning someone's madness, after all!
"Sartorius didn't steal anything from me." I spoke up with traces of anger in my voice. "How?! You had agreed with me how you thought it was him!" Hassleberry pointed out in disbelief. "I never said it was Sartorius." I retorted, my hands curling into fists. "In fact, accusing him of that is just wrong!" I then shouted, feeling even more anger. Out of a corner of my eye, I could see Jaden and Syrus staring at me in surprise.
No idea why I was defending the man, really, since I shouldn't have. Not after the way he had threatened me…
"Why are you defending the enemy?!" Hassleberry demanded in astonishment. "I hate when people accuse anybody of something they hadn't done." I lied with a growl. "But he had!" "No, he hadn't. You had said yesterday it was Mister Gruesome, Aster Phoenix's manager." I clenched my fists.
By now, all three of them looked at me in what seemed to be realization. "Sartorius is Mister Gruesome." Hassleberry finally spoke up calmly. "He's also Aster Phoenix's manager." Syrus added.
At that moment, I felt like someone had splashed me with a bucket of cold water. I couldn't get more shocked than this, that was for sure. What they were telling me was that Sartorius had snooped through my room, and that he was Aster Phoenix's manager all this time?!
"Fine, what makes him so gruesome?" "His skin was as white as a bone." "And his eyes looked scary…" Words from yesterday's conversation were echoing in my head.
The description did match Sartorius… No one else here was as pale as him, and no one else had such cold eyes…
Then that meant he didn't steal that tarot card from me. He just got back what he had dropped earlier. However, he still snooped though the room without my permission! I still found it a bit hard to believe in that. Sartorius I knew had decency not to look through people's things without asking… But he also had decency not to organize a sect (or society, it was the same thing to me by now) in the middle of a freaking school! So, what did I know?
Feelings of anger washed over me as that information sunk in. That was when I remembered another thing they had said. He was Aster Phoenix's manager… Which meant they had to be in contact with each other! When I asked Phoenix about Sartorius, he lied to me!
By now, my blood was boiling. If I ever saw Aster Phoenix again, he was so going to regret lying to me… At that moment, only one thing mattered to me. I didn't give a damn that he had threatened me, I was going to give Sartorius a piece of my mind. Insane or not, no one snooped through my room and got away with it!
"Guys!" Bastion's voice made us quickly turn around. He ran up to us before stopping to breathe. "What is it, Bastion?" Syrus asked him curiously. "I've just heard Ben, Alexis, and Chazz talking between themselves. Apparently, the 'Society Of Light' intends to suggest to Crowler and Bonaparte location for our upcoming field trip." The British guy explained.
All three of them were gaping at him. My eyebrows furrowed in confusion, on the other hand. I didn't know this Academy organized field trips…
"We have a field trip?" I spoke up in surprise, earning a nod from the guys. "Well, if they want to give their suggestions, then don't we get a say in this too?" Jaden pointed out with a frown. "When are they going there, soldier?" Hassleberry asked Bastion. "Right now." The guy replied. "Then what are we waiting for?" Jaden demanded. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" Syrus asked him uncertainly.
"Do you want a sect to tell you where to go for a field trip, or not?" I looked at the short guy with a frown. I was still a bit angry because of what they had just told me… "Good point." He finally nodded with a frown of his own. "Sect, really?" Bastion raised an eyebrow at me. "They fit the description of one perfectly well." I folded my arms with a huff. "If you say so." He let out a sigh.
We were running through the main building's corridors towards Crowler's office. From what I could see, there wasn't anyone in here, which meant either they had already been here before… Or we had been here earlier than them. I sincerely hoped the case was the latter.
"Do you think they're already inside?!" Syrus asked. "There's a possibility." Bastion replied while panting.
"I'm glad you're both listening to reason. Take a seat and let Master Sartorius handle this!" I could hear Alexis' voice from the inside. Dang. They were already inside…
At that moment, Hassleberry and Bastion opened the door. We ran inside, with Syrus and I closing the door in process. "Hold on, guys! I mean, don't we get a vote?" Jaden spoke up with a smile. The moment they heard his voice, everyone except Sartorius turned around to look at us.
"Back off, you dork!" Chazz growled. "At least until you're smart enough to join us." Alexis added icily. I opened my mouth, wanting to tell her 'you mean, dumb enough'… Only to close them once a hand landed on my shoulder. "Just chill out, and let me handle this." Jaden told me with a smile. I blinked at him in surprise. It was as if he literally knew what I was about to do…
I simply nodded to him, not knowing what else to say. If I did say what I had intended to, then it would probably start up a fight…
"Look," Jaden turned his attention back to people in front of us. "Let's do this fair and square. How about settling this with a duel, big guy?" He asked. "A duel?" Sartorius turned his head halfway to look at us. I couldn't help feeling shivers running down my spine the moment he spoke up. "Interesting… You win, and you choose the location of this trip. However, should you happen to lose our little wager…"
By now, he completely turned around. I had the biggest urge to either hide behind one of the guys (with Syrus being a notable exception, for obvious reasons), or just run out…
I was suddenly reminded of his threat, since his eyes briefly looked in mine before turning back to Jaden. However, if I did one of those things, then I would be considered a coward. I still wanted to confront him about what he had done to me, and I couldn't do that if I were afraid! Come on, Serena, show to them you have some guts!
I literally put a forced smile on my face and tried to stand up straight, and still. Maybe I resembled a statue at that moment… But it was better than running out!
"Well then, promise me this… You'll join me in the 'Society Of Light'!" "Jaden, I don't like those odds…" Syrus trailed off uncertainly. "They use way too much bleach for their laundry, Sarge." Hassleberry agreed. "Hassleberry's right." Bastion nodded.
Not sure what bleach had to do with any of this, but whatever…
"Come on, guys. You can't let all this 'brainwashing' stuff get to you!" Jaden replied to them firmly. I opened my mouth to tell him it wasn't 'brainwashing' but 'madness', only to close them. That would make everyone from the society furious… They'd probably try to slit my throat. I didn't want, nor need that…
"He's right, especially since I won't be the one participating in this duel." Sartorius replied calmly. "What?" Jaden demanded in surprise. "You see, gentlemen," The man turned around to look at Crowler and Bonaparte. "As a new student here, I'd rather not stand out." He told them.
I raised both of my eyebrows in disbelief. 'I'd rather not stand out?' What the hell?! He was already older than students here, and he was in charge of a sect in a school for teenagers… Seeing I couldn't say that out loud, I settled with a frown and a huff. Incredibile…
"Then get a new haircut!" Hassleberry shouted to him. "Touché… Now, tell me, will you be accepting my challenge, or not? I should confess, I already know your answer…" "Of course, I accept." Jaden nodded immediately. "When's the duel?" Crowler quickly asked.
"My suggestion is in a half an hour… Why prolong something that can be solved immediately?" Sartorius spoke up. "Half an hour?" Bastion demanded in surprise. "It's a deal." Jaden said before anyone else could comment on this. I, on the other hand, didn't let the man out of my sight. I still had the intention of confronting him, and no duel was going to stop me.
"You know who to call." Sartorius then told Alexis and Ben who nodded. "In that case, I'll be on my way." With those words, he started walking towards the exit. The guys and I moved out of the way so he could get out.
After another few moments, I decided to finally do it. "In case I don't make it in time for the duel, please, don't go insane like others had." I told Jaden before sprinting out of the office.
By the time Sartorius was in my sight, we were in front of the main building. "Sartorius!" I shouted. The man stopped walking once I did that. "Hadn't I already warned you to stay away from me?" He turned around to look at me with a scowl.
I did my best not to scream in anger at him. He had the audacity to scowl at me, after what he had done… I should be the one doing that! At this point, even though my excuse for doing this was his room snooping, it was more than that. It was anger directed at him for everything that happened up until now.
I'd never been so angry with him, and I knew what I was about to do probably wasn't the brightest idea… But did I care? No. I was mad, and I was going to prove my point. I was going to show I didn't like any of this, no matter the consequences. But first, I promised to myself I'd get back at anyone who had snooped through my things. I intended to keep that promise.
"I don't give a damn about what you had said to me," I started while trying to stop shaking from anger. "Especially after the way you had snooped through my room." I straightened up with a glare.
"Oh, is that what this is about?" Sartorius raised an eyebrow in what seemed to be amusement. "How dare you?" I demanded icily, curling my hands into fists. "I was just taking back what was rightfully mine." He responded nonchalantly. "What gave you the right to do that?!" I asked venomously with my fists clenched.
"Out of all people, I thought you would be the one to respect other people's privacy!" I then growled, feeling even more anger. "At this point, even my parents are better than you!" 'Stop it.' A voice inside my head told me. 'Shut up.' I thought back furiously.
As soon as I said the last part, the man looked at me with a frown. "Don't you think you're going a bit too far with comparing me to your parents?" He demanded, as if he were daring me to answer that question. "I don't think so." I spat.
"Are you sure about that?" Sartorius demanded. "In fact, do you even know them?" "What kind of a question is that?" I growled. "I just think comparing me to your parents is quite unfair, considering what they had done."
By now, I was utterly confused. I had no idea what he was talking about…
"What are you trying to say?!" I demanded. However, I only got a smug smile as a response. "You shouldn't compare me to them. I'm only doing what I have to. For the record, they're worse than me, since they didn't have to do what they had done." That smug smile became bigger.
Once I heard those words, feelings of anger washed over me yet again. He was talking down my parents like that… They may have forced me into this school, and they may have been overprotective… But that didn't give him right to talk like that about them! Enough was enough.
"HOW DARE YOU TALK ABOUT MY PARENTS LIKE THAT?!" I finally screeched. I could have sworn the man flinched for a moment before smiling smugly yet again. "I was simply stating the truth. Painful one, but truth can be like that." "What do you know?!" I shouted. "My dear, I know everything. I can see the future, remember?" He reminded smugly.
"If you think you know everything, then have you predicted me challenging you to a duel?!" I suddenly shouted. "I don't want to duel you." Sartorius frowned and turned around to leave. "Why, because you are a coward?!" I shouted over to him just as he began walking away.
Those words made the man stop. "What makes you think I'm a coward?" He turned around halfway to look at me. "If you weren't, then you'd accept a damn duel a simple girl had challenged you to." I pointed out icily. "A shame, really, since you told me to be brave, and now you're afraid of accepting this…" I then added with a smirk.
"If you want a duel so badly, then who am I to stop you? I already know how it's going to end…" The man finally spoke up, smiling smugly. "We'll see about that." I retorted with my fists clenched. "I need to get my Duel Disk." "Then where do you propose we have the duel?" He asked coldly. "The clearing from yesterday." I said simply.
With those words, I started running towards the Slifer Red dorm to get the Duel Disk.
While I was strapping the Duel Disk to my left arm, I finally realized what I had just done. I was so angry with Sartorius saying nasty things about my parents I basically challenged him to something I wasn't fond of at all… Not just that, I wanted to feel sweet revenge… Not that I wasn't angry, it was just that… One part inside kept telling me how me treating him like that was just wrong. It kept telling me to stop this madness…
I wasn't going to stop though. Why should I? If Sartorius could go around threatening me, I could treat him in whatever way I wanted too! Besides, it was too late to give up. I was the one who challenged him, and I had no intention of backing down.
After making sure my deck was in the box tied to my waist, I ran outside.
'Serena, do you really want to do this?' That small, unsure part of me asked in my head. 'Of course I do, or else I wouldn't have challenged him to the duel.' I thought back in annoyance. 'You're doing this out of anger.' That part of me pointed out. 'Thank you for the obvious. I want to sense the sweet feeling of revenge...' I thought back.
'But that's Sartorius you want to exact your revenge on.' 'So?' I thought annoyed. 'Think about it. Do you really want to do that to someone who's looked after you more than your own parents?' That unsure part asked. 'Well, that 'someone' has gone insane, and sent my cousin into madness along the way. He even threatened me!' I retorted. 'Do you really believe in that?' The other part of me asked doubtfully.
'In what?' I demanded. 'Do you really believe Sartorius has gone insane?' 'Well, unless someone can scientifically explain to me why in the world he's acting so different, then yes. I'm done playing nice.' I thought furiously. 'You don't really mean that…'
Before I could continue arguing with myself, I noticed I was finally inside the forest. Seeing ten minutes have already passed, I started running towards the clearing. Sartorius was already there, shuffling his deck. It was a bit weird to see him holding something that wasn't tarot cards, but I stayed quiet.
"Let's get going, shall we?" He demanded, finally noticing me. "Yes." I simply nodded, taking my deck out as well. After shuffling it for a few seconds, I put it in the slot on the Duel Disk. Once we were far enough from each other, I pushed the on button. The Duel Disk activated itself. I looked up, ready for the duel. Meanwhile, Sartorius activated his Duel Disk as well. We drew five cards each.
Sartorius: 4000 LP
Me: 4000 LP
"I'll start first." I declared, drawing my sixth card. I then put it into my left hand, along with other ones. After looking at all of them for a few seconds, I finally nodded.
"I'll summon Ocean Amoeba in Defense Mode." I declared, putting the card in its slot. The amoeba appeared on the field (ATK/DEF:900/400). "I'll set two facedowns and end my turn." "Quite a weak monster for defense, interesting…" Sartorius mused with that smug smile. "Will you just get on with the duel instead of observing my cards?!" I growled.
"Now, now, there's no need to get so upset." He replied nonchalantly, drawing his sixth card. "Don't you tell me what to do." I hissed quietly. "I'll begin with Arcana Force III-The Empress in Attack Mode." My eyes widened in surprise as the monster appeared on the field (ATK/DEF:1300/1300). It was a strange-looking creature with spikes on its back.
But of course. Why was I surprised this was Sartorius' deck? The man had a deck of tarot cards, he could see the future, it only made sense he would have a deck related to tarot cards, or something concerning that!
Suddenly, the card of the monster appeared right above it. My eyebrows furrowed in confusion as it began spinning in the air. "What in the world…" I trailed off astonished. "This card gives you a choice, as it possesses two distinct abilities, depending on how the card ends up. As soon as you say 'stop', it will stop spinning." Sartorius explained calmly.
I frowned while observing the spinning card. I had no idea what its effects were, so I would just have to hope for the best… "Fine, stop!" I finally shouted.
The card stopped… Right-side up. "As I predicted it would." Sartorius declared. "What's the deal?!" I demanded. "Because the card stopped right-side up, every time you summon a monster, I can summon another one of my own." He stated, making my eyes widen.
SHOOT… That meant if I summoned a monster next turn, he could summon it and then next one on his turn… He could have three monsters by then! I had to find a way to destroy that thing somehow!
"Then I play spell card 'Pentacle Of Ace', The man lifted up a card in his right hand. A spinning card appeared. "What's with the constant spinning?!" I demanded in annoyance. It was getting on my nerves already… "I thought you liked spinning." Sartorius looked up at me smugly. "But what do spinning cards have to do with…" I stopped immediately, realizing what he was talking about. My eyes widened in astonishment.
Of course… He was referring to that!
"Spin me again!" My four-year-old self let out a squeal while Sartorius was spinning me around in the air. "Again!" He did so. "Again!" One more time. "Again and again!" "You do realize if I keep spinning you, we'll end up on the ground? Or I could drop you? My head hurts…" The man looked at me, still holding me in the air. "No, we won't. And you won't drop me." I shook my head with a smile.
He raised an eyebrow at me. "What makes you think that?" "Because I believe in you." I replied with a grin. "Now do it again!" I then squealed.
"I'd rather not have spinning cards." I looked up with a glare. "Well, too bad, since you don't get to choose." Sartorius replied nonchalantly. "The only thing you get to decide is the card's effect, so say it!" "Stop." I growled.
The card landed… Upside down. For a second, I could have sworn I've seen the man's eyes widening. It could have been my imagination for all I knew…
"So, what's the card's effect?" I raised an eyebrow. "You draw a card and gain 500 Life Points." Sartorius explained. "Whatever." I rolled my eyes and drew one card. I was definitely going to need both of those things if I wanted to win, but I wasn't going to show him I was happy about this.
Sartorius: 4000 LP
Me: 4500 LP
"I'll end my turn by setting two facedowns."
"About damn time." I growled, drawing another card. "There's no need to be so nervous. I already know how this is going to end…" Sartorius told me smugly. "Please just do me a favor and cut the crap already." I retorted. "Since when did we tell to each other such things?" He raised an eyebrow at me.
By now, I was fed up with the man playing innocent. Not only had he gone insane, but now he was pretending to be in the dark about it?! I wasn't buying that stupid behavior!
"Ever since you've gone insane." I responded icily. "Insane?" Sartorius looked up from his cards with a frown. "Serena, I'm not insane." He stated.
Such direct answer completely caught me by surprise. It wasn't just that. This was the first time the man called me by my name after a year and a half… And it sounded completely different. He didn't answer it so coldly, or smugly as I was used to by now. In fact, it sounded like Sartorius I used to know…
'Serena, I'm not insane.' Those words were still echoing in my head. 'HA! WHAT DID I TELL YOU?!' The other, unsure part of me roared in triumph. 'This proves nothing!' I thought back in annoyance.
"Then how do you explain your behavior up until now?" I spoke up, raising an eyebrow expectantly. "Let's move on, shall we? It's your turn." The man replied coldly, completely ignoring my question. A frown appeared on my face. From what I could see, he was acting as if that 'I'm not insane' moment hadn't occurred at all…
Not sure what the hell that was about, nor did I have time to think about it. It was my turn after all!
I was about to summon my monster, when… "I activate my Continuous Trap, 'Tour Of Doom'!" The man suddenly declared, revealing one of his facedowns.
I looked up in surprise. "What in the world?!" I exclaimed. The card started spinning. "You know what to do." He told me. "Fine, stop!" I shouted. The card stopped right-side up.
A smug smile appeared on Sartorius' face. I knew that didn't mean anything good… "Since it landed right-side up, you're not allowed to Normal Summon or Special Summon a monster on your next turn." He explained. "What?!" I exclaimed, realizing what that meant. I only hoped my Trap Cards would help me when that moment came…
"I'll summon Island Lava Cactus in Defense Mode," I started, putting the card in its intended slot. The plant appeared on the field (ATK/DEF:700/2000). "Since you Normal Summoned a monster to the field, I activate The Empress' effect. I summon Arcana Force VI-The Lovers in Defense Mode." Sartorius quickly summoned another monster. A strange-looking monster with huge hands and red dots appeared (ATK/DEF:1600/1600).
A card appeared, spinning above it. "You know what to do." The man stated. "Wait, what are its effects?" I demanded. "If it lands right-side up, then its sacrifice can be treated as two. If it lands upside down, I can't tribute summon an Arcana Force monster." He explained nonchalantly. My eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
It was as if he wasn't even bothered by the possibility of the card stopping upside down…
"Stop!" I exclaimed, just as it was near landing upside down. However, to my shock, it still kept spinning, before landing right-side up. "How?!" I cried astonished. "Everything is predetermined… You can't escape your destiny!" Sartorius smiled smugly. "Then what's the point of spinning cards if you know how they're going to land?!" I demanded with a glare.
"It gives you an illusion of free will." "Yeah, sure." I huffed. But then, at that moment, realization hit me. Everything Sartorius ever predicted came true. If he claimed to know how this duel would end, and if he claimed everything was predetermined, then I was in a huge problem… Challenging someone who could see the future to a duel was a terrible idea. I should have thought it through! But no, Serena Accardi had to be angry and act like an idiot!
While I was aware my fate was sealed if Sartorius knew how this would end… I didn't know how it would end, and the suspense was starting unnerve me… There was nothing else I could do apart from fighting though. I brought this situation upon myself, now I had to get out of it.
"I activate 'Mother Nature!" I lifted up the card in my right hand. "It allows me to Special Summon a monster from my hand. Wetland Dingo, come out!" I put the card in its slot. The dingo appeared on the field with a howl (ATK/DEF:2400/1800).
"Quite a strong monster." Sartorius noted. I nodded with a glare. "And it's about to destroy one of your monsters! Wetland Dingo, attack Arcana Force The Empress!" I ordered, not sure whether that was truly the monster's name or not. I only remembered it had something to do with Arcana, and the 'Empress' part stuck with me… I had no idea which number though.
The dingo let out a howl and ran towards the monster. It slashed its claws at it, destroying it in process. Some wind appeared. I could see Sartorius briefly covering eyes with his right arm.
Sartorius: 2900 LP
Me: 4500 LP
Seeing I had only 'Nitrogen Boost' in my hand, I knew there was nothing else I could do. At least I managed to deal some blow to him…
"I end my turn." I declared. Sartorius drew another card. "First, I play the Spell Card, 'Cup Of Ace'." He declared, revealing his second facedown. The card started spinning. "I should say 'stop'?" I presumed, already kind of used to those cards. "Precisely." He nodded.
"Then stop!" I said immediately, wanting to just get over with it. I probably should have asked for its effects… It was too late for that though. The card stopped right-side up. "Since it's right-side up, I get to draw 2 cards." He then said. I shrugged, not really knowing what to say.
"Next, I play 'Suit Of Sword X'." A spinning card appeared in the air. "What does that thing even do?" I frowned. "If it lands right-side up, all of your monsters are destroyed. If it's upside down, then all of my monsters are destroyed instead." Sartorius briefly explained. My eyes widened for a few seconds.
I had to get it right, or else I'd be doomed…
"Stop!" I shouted, just as it was near to landing upside down. Unfortunately, it kept spinning. The card landed… Right-side up. All three of my monsters disappeared. Smoke appeared, making me cover my eyes with the right arm. "Damn it!" I cried. Losing all three of them at the same time was a lot… Thankfully, I managed to remember their Special Effects.
"By destroying my Amoeba, you activated its Special Effect," I started while taking arm off my eyes and straightening up. "You lose the amount of Life Points equal to its Attack and Defense Points combined." I declared firmly. Blue light glowed around the man's body, costing him 1300 points.
Sartorius: 1600 LP
Me: 4500 LP
"And by destroying Lava Cactus, you activated another Special Effect. Once it's destroyed, one card returns from the graveyard to my hand." I continued explaining, as one card returned to my hand. I quickly looked at it, and realized it was Ocean Amoeba. Except that I couldn't summon it because of the stupid trap card!
My trap cards couldn't help me either, since I had no monsters at the field. Where was 'Perfect Harmony' when I needed it?!
"Interesting… I'm afraid it won't help you though." Sartorius smiled smugly. "We'll see about that." I retorted. However, I had to agree I was literally in a corner with no monsters… "I'm sacrificing Arcana Force VI-The Lovers to summon Arcana Force XXI-The World in Attack Mode!" He declared, lifting up a card in his right hand.
A huge, and I mean it, huge monster appeared behind the man (ATK/DEF:3100/3100). I wasn't even sure what exactly it was… The worst thing about it was its amount of points. Since I pretty much had no monsters, that meant I was going to receive a direct attack!
A card appeared above the monster, spinning. "Stop!" I shouted immediately, already frightened because of the monster's Attack Points. The card stopped… Upside down.
For a brief moment, I could have sworn I've seen Sartorius' eyes widening slightly. It could have been imagination for all I knew… "So, what does that mean?!" I demanded. "Since it's upside down, when you draw, you add the top card from the graveyard to your hand." He explained. A frown appeared on my face.
That would be either Island Lava Cactus, or Wetland Dingo… Not helping.
"Now, attack her directly!" The man ordered. My eyes widened once the monster fired a yellow beam straight at me. It hit me, making me scream in pain. It definitely wasn't a light attack… It cost me a lot of Life Points too.
Sartorius: 1600 LP
Me: 1400 LP
"With that, I end my turn." Sartorius finished. I drew another card, and one from the graveyard returned to my hand. However, I knew I couldn't really do anything due to that trap card on his side of field. This one was yet another monster… With no possibility of summoning it!
"I end my turn as well." I commented with a growl. "That's it?" The man raised an eyebrow. "Well, what do you expect me to do since my hand is filled with monsters I cannot summon?!" I shouted, irritated. Panic was definitely getting to me, since I knew I was going to lose… "I told you everything was predetermined. You can't run away from destiny." He declared.
I simply looked away with hands over my face. I knew very well what was coming next…
"Attack her directly!" I let out another scream of pain once the beam hit me. This time, my Life Points dropped to zero. I fell to my knees, with hands on the ground.
Sartorius: 1600 LP
Me: 0 LP
That was when my head started throbbing. It hurt so much, and the pain was unbearable… And I wanted it to stop! I let out a scream and grabbed the head with my hands.
Suddenly, after another few moments, the pain stopped. It was as if it had never been there… I took hands off my head in confusion. I was still looking at the ground. Why did my head hurt so much? And why did it stop? I was still feeling pretty normal, if we didn't count that headache…
Looking, up I could see Sartorius standing right in front of me. His cold, purple eyes were staring right into my light blue ones. "Sorry about that, don't know why my head hurt so much." I spoke up coldly. However, my words only made the man's eyes widen.
"No one can resist the power of light…" He trailed off with a growl. "Wait, what was supposed to happen because I lost? Was I supposed to see the light?" I raised an eyebrow. "What does 'seeing the light' even mean? I mean, sun is pretty much above you right now, so I've basically already seen the light…" I wondered aloud.
I let out a gasp once Sartorius suddenly grabbed me by collar of my jacket violently. My heart started beating faster in panic. By now, the man lifted me up in the air a bit while still holding my collar tightly. "Are you mocking me?" He demanded in a deadly tone, which made shivers run down my spine. His eyes were literally shooting daggers at me.
"No, I really don't get it." I whimpered in fear, quickly looking away. With the furious look still on his face, Sartorius let go of my collar. I fell to the ground. I yelped in a bit of pain once my knees hit the ground as well. "I've already told you to stay away from me. Next time, I'll be even worse if you come near me." He looked at me threateningly.
And what did I do? I was terrified. So that terrifiedgirl looked away in panic. I refused to look at the man who was threatening me right now. Thankfully, sound of footsteps walking away made me feel at ease.
Looking up, I realized Sartorius was no longer in my sight. I let out a sigh while staring at my Duel Disk. I lost the duel, but I didn't go insane like others? What was that about? I really had no idea…
'Serena, I'm not insane.' Suddenly, those words were echoing in my head. What in the world did he mean by that? His behavior up until now clearly indicated he'd gone insane. Not only that, he also pulled Ben and others into this madness…
'You know that's not true.' The smaller part of me spoke up. 'Then how do you explain this behavior? It's not exactly sane either.' I thought back in annoyance.
I was still extremely confused. On one side, the behavior of the 'Society Of Light' wasn't normal at all… They matched the description of lunatics. But then why did Sartorius say he wasn't insane? Was I supposed to believe in that? There was no other explanation for this apart from madness! But then why did those words stay with me, despite my opposite beliefs?
Once I returned to the Slifer Red dorm, I quickly left the Duel Disk inside my room. Jaden, Hassleberry, Bastion and Syrus were talking between themselves on the cliff next to the dorm.
"Why weren't you at the arena for the duel?" Hassleberry questioned once I walked up to them. "I wasn't feeling well." I lied. Bastion raised an eyebrow, but stayed quiet. "You're feeling better now?" Jaden presumed. I simply nodded. "And I guess you won that duel?"
"He did!" Syrus cheered. "Where are we going for that trip then?" I asked. "I chose Domino City." The brown-haired smiled, his chocolate brown eyes looking straight at me.
My eyes widened, the information slowly sinking in. We were… We were going to the place where I was born… And the place I couldn't really remember. It was the place directly tied to my memory problem…
Feelings of excitement washed over me. While the 'Society Of Light' was still a huge problem, I couldn't wait for this trip. If no one would tell me about my missing memories, maybe seeing something at the Domino City could help me in remembering… This time, no one could lie to me. I could really find out the truth!
Well, finally, the end of the chapter!
Let me tell you right now. Thinking of how the duel with Sartorius was going to play out was effing hard, since I didn't want to copy previous duels, yet I still had to use cards from the anime… It's the hardest duel for writing for me so far, so I hope it was at least a bit convincing! I mean, obviously Serena was going to lose either way, but thinking of how she was going to lose was a bit complicated…
I hope you liked it and until next time! :)
