Kelda was drifting. She didn't know where she was or how long it had been since she had fallen asleep, but she figured this dreamlike state had to be somewhere in-between in her conscious mind. All around her, there was nothing but silent blackness. Yet somehow, the void didn't feel disconcerting.

It wasn't until an eerie all-too-familiar voice broke the silence that Kelda was finally brought out of her mental stupor. "Lovely scenery, isn't it?"

Kelda whirled around to see Yami Marik floating casually across from her, his face twisted into a malevolent grin.

Kelda's hackles rose. "What are you doing here!?"

"I'm surprised you would even wonder about such a thing. After what you've learned of me and what I'm capable of, surely you'd understand how fond I am of the darkness," Yami Marik chided.

Kelda looked questionly at Yami Marik. "Is that what this place is? Some kind of freaky void you created?"

"Not quite. We're inside the subconscious of my mind. Or rather, both my and Marik's mind. They're two sides of the same coin in this state," Yami Marik explained.

Frowning at Yami Marik's description, Kelda decided to change tactics. "Okay, then why are we here?"

Yami Marik ignored Kelda's question. "Have you ever wondered more about what Marik's life before was like?"

"Why should I!? I already know he was leader of the Rare Hunters and how they stole and made counterfeit cards during the Battle City tournament. But that was in the past. He disbanded them and moved on with his life," Kelda countered.

Yami Marik chortled at Kelda's naivete. "So you're content with just believing in his watered-down summary of those events from back then, are you? You haven't even once considered what else could have been involved in those undertakings or why he even formed the Rare Hunters in the first place?"

Despite her defiance, a small part in the back of Kelda's mind couldn't help taking Yami Marik's words into consideration. It was true; she really didn't know a lot about Marik's role as leader of the Rare Hunters. This was a criminal organization after all. Who knew just what sort of actions they could have resorted to at times to make all the ends meet?

"Then perhaps I should show you just how misplaced your impression of Marik truly is. We are at the crossroads of the inner recesses of his mind after all," Yami Marik invited Kelda with a devilish smirk as he gestured with one hand towards the swirling blackness he had conjured up in front of them.

Kelda immediately felt suspicious. This has got to be some sort of mind trick. He's trying to turn me against Marik, obviously.

No matter what she thought though, Kelda found her own curiosity winning out. She had already been wondering a lot about Marik's past, so a chance to learn more was just too tempting. So in the end, she found herself following Yami Marik through the portal.

xxx

Kelda stepped out of the portal and gaped in awe at her surroundings. The room they were in was large and ornate, with a long hallway lined with towering stone pillar columns on the sides. Standing next to them were tall stands holding lit torches that provided the only source of light in the room. The floor looked to be made of marble or some other exquisitely-made material; and its polished surface vaguely reflected the people traversing it.

As Kelda followed Yami Marik to the center of the room at the end of the hall, she realized that they weren't alone. A group of hooded, cloaked figures stood clustered around what appeared to be a throne of sorts. It was a large, straight-backed chair that was made of pure gold. Another person sat in it, also wearing the same purple hooded cloak attire as the others. The only difference was that this man did not have his hood up like the others.

After a closer look, Kelda realized with a start that the man seated on the throne was Marik. His posture was straight and attentive while his hands clutched the armrests of the throne in a tense grip. Aside from his cloaked attire, Kelda noticed that Marik was wearing some sort of gold headband across his forehead. That along with the weird throne of sorts, and it almost looked like he was trying to make himself look like some sort of royalty. But that was ridiculous. The Rare Hunters had sold Duel Monsters' cards on the black market, not ruled an empire or something. Kelda only found herself confused by the scene before her so far.

Before Kelda could ponder any further, Marik spoke. "Now that we have congregated appropriately, I believe it is time for a report."

Marik turned his gaze sharply on a man standing on the left side of the room, causing him to make a sudden, nervous swallowing noise. "Landon. What were the results of your mission last night? Were you able to successfully acquire those rare cards as I ordered?"

Landon fidgeted uncomfortably. He was looking less and less like he wanted to be there at all. "My lord, I beg your forgiveness, but it is with deepest regret that I must inform you that I was unable to find them."

Landon's news didn't seem to surprise Marik. He simply narrowed his eyes slightly in interest. "And just what is your reasoning- Ah, no. Perhaps that's too strong an adjective for this case. I rephrase: Just what is your excuse for this untimely failure, Landon?"

"There was unexpected interference, Master Marik. I had gone to meet the dealer at the appropriate location and time, but when I arrived there, a helicopter from Industrial Illusions was already departing. I was told that they came and demanded everything be shut down unless they wanted to face repercussions for it. The police were also there and they confiscated all of the cards. There was nothing I could do! I don't know how it happened, but someone must have tipped them off in advance! There's just no other explanation! But I swear that I had nothing to do with it, Master Marik!" Landon babbled on excitedly.

A tense silence followed the conclusion of Landon's report. He was still visibly nervous, and even some of the other Rare Hunters shifted uneasily a bit. Marik's expression was unreadable, and Kelda was starting to wonder if he was just going to pretend it had all never happened in the first place.

"Trying to pin the blame of your own failures on a possible mole from inside our organization is quite cowardly," Marik stated casually.

Landon's eyes grew wider in fear at his leader's comment. Clearly, Marik's relaxed posture and tone weren't enough to convince him that he was off the hook.

"However, I have been considering the possibility myself lately," Marik added thoughtfully. His eyes scanned the room at the others before him, and to their credit, no one showed any signs that would help confirm his suspicions.

Landon's shoulders started to slump in relief, but apparently, that was the wrong reaction for him to have. Marik reached under the folds of his cloak and withdrew a golden rod-like object, pointing it swiftly towards Landon. Kelda realized that she recognized the object from the YouTube videos of Yami Marik's Battle City duel footage.

Marik glowered at Landon. "You fool! Did you think you'd be forgiven with a slap on the wrist for this!? I don't care who intercepted or whether it wasn't in your power to stop it! A failure is a failure and you must be punished for it!"

"NO! Please, Master Marik! Please give me another chance! You don't understand! It's my family; they need-" Landon started begging frantically.

"Silence! I care not for your pitiful excuses! Because you see Landon, your first mistake was having the impression that I would actually care in the first place. It is time to face your punishment!" Marik said sharply.

Landon let out an agonized scream of terror as Marik raised the rod. A blinding flash of light emitted from it, causing Kelda to raise her hand up to shield her eyes. Then a loud thump sounded as Landon fell to the floor.

When Kelda dared to look again, she saw Landon lying on the floor. His eyes stared open in a blank, empty expression. She was horrified. Surely he wasn't...dead!?

"Dispose of the shell," Marik commanded the Rare Hunter on his right side. There was no hint of remorse or any other kind of emotion in his voice. He could have been asking what had been in the morning newspaper.

Kelda observed the Rare Hunter's expression as he lifted Landon's apparently lifeless body off the floor. His face was riddled with tattoo-like markings, yet she could still see what looked like a brief look of sadness cross his features.

Once Landon had been carried out of the room, Marik resumed speaking. "Let it be known that whether this info-leak of sorts comes from directly in our organization or from somewhere with close ties to it, I will not show any mercy once I have found them! They will face a fate worse than dear, old Landon here did, I promise you that! So, you may want to think hard about where your loyalties lie… That is all."

Before anything else could happen, the room and all the people within it began to fade out of Kelda's vision. Just like that, she was back in the shadow void with Yami Marik, who was now gazing expectantly at her with a look of triumph on his face.

"Now do you see? Marik was not averse to using methods just as extreme as mine whenever he thought the situation demanded it. The potential is always within him. After all, that's how I was created," Yami Marik explained gleefully.

"But the difference is that unlike you, he doesn't anymore! People change, and I'm not going to let the past shape my opinions of them! For all I know, everything you showed me in there could have been fake or changed to some degree anyways. So I'm not going to worry about it," Kelda insisted.

Yami Marik smiled indifferently. "Suit yourself. But the past can return to affect the present in many ways. You should keep that in mind…"

xxx

The next morning after Kelda was free from Yami Marik's nighttime intrusion into her head, she watched Marik somewhat apprehensively as they followed their morning routine of scrounging up some kind of breakfast from their hotel room. Despite her trust in Marik, the memories from last night still kept replaying uneasily in the back of her mind.

Marik was staring at the day-old bag of doughnuts in distaste. "I had thought I would always appreciate food in our situation despite its quality. But I'm beginning to think I'm failing at that now… "A failure is a failure!"

After taking the last two doughnuts from the bag, Marik wadded up the bag ruefully. "Well, at least I can finally dispose of this." "Dispose of the shell."

Kelda must have been staring longer than she thought, because Marik had stopped what he was doing and now looked at her in concern. "Is something wrong?"

Kelda quickly shook her head to clear herself from the stupor she had fallen into. "Sorry! I sort of just drifted there."

Marik smiled reassuringly at Kelda. "Don't worry, it can happen to the best of us. Is it because you're worried about sneaking back into your house for the plan today?"

"Kind of. I'm still wondering if those guys would find us. But then again, they have left us alone for awhile now," Kelda said thoughtfully.

"Despite how much easier it has made things for us, the quiet actually just worries me more somehow… You know what they say about a "calm before the storm". I hope this isn't a sign that they're just in the process of planning something else," Marik confessed worriedly.

"We'll just have to cross that bridge if we come to it. Right now, the important thing is finding out whether Grandma knew anything about all this," Kelda reasoned. She couldn't tell Marik about how Yami Marik was taking control over him periodically. But that didn't mean they couldn't still find a way to put a stop to everything.

Xxx

Once they were back in front of Kelda's house, Kelda and Marik scanned the area cautiously.

"It doesn't look like there's anyone around…" Kelda observed.

"Are you sure you don't want me to come inside with you?" Marik checked.

"I'll be fine. Plus, I need you to stay on guard out here in case any of those soul stealers or…Dad shows up," Kelda reassured Marik, her voice stumbling a bit at the mention of her father.

"Okay, if you're sure. I'll be right out here if you need me," Marik said warily.

Kelda nodded encouragingly at Marik, then proceeded to enter her house.

xxx

As Kelda made her way around the first floor on the way to the basement, she thought of how strange it felt to be here now compared to when she had been living. Back then, there was no fear and nothing but the feeling of familial comfort. But now, she felt like a stranger trespassing in someone else's house. Everything around the house was still in place basically, yet without Grandma there to call her for tea and cookies or remind her to help fill out inventory sheets or some other mundane shop-related task, it felt strangely foreign.

Kelda went down the stairs to the basement, where she was sure she'd have the highest chance of finding clues. After all, this was her grandmother's stronghold, where she had conducted all of her work with the spirits.

After making way through jumbles of misplaced items and clutter, Kelda's gaze landed on an open, loose-leaf notebook lying near a small tool.

Opening the notebook to the pages it had been parted at, Kelda began to read: "I had seen the possibility of this happening for years now ever since Kelda's parents had parted ways with us, yet I prayed that it would never come to pass. The souls of ones departed yet have already made their choice before are starting to return, some with the worst of intentions. But this is all just part of his plan. He is messing with powers beyond his understanding, and that will only lead to destruction! The power that resides from the Valley of the Kings must not EVER be tampered with! It is the Point Where Lost Souls Gather there that he seeks to invoke powers from, and no matter what, I must not let that happen! Yet I fear it has already begun… That boy's appearance here today with Kelda is already proof that things are starting to escalate…"

Kelda frowned slightly in frustration. There were no more journal entries now. Marissa had obviously known something was going on long before she knew, yet she hadn't told her anything about it. Why!?

It's because you've never believed anything she's said about these types of things before. It took until it was right in front of your face for you to finally start understanding her! Kelda mentally scolded herself.

At least she had found a clue that could help them. But despite that, a part of Kelda couldn't help feeling angry. Her own father had literally broken down the door just to get to her, yet he was nowhere in sight now when she had returned. The weird disappointment of sorts at his absence unnerved Kelda. Did she actually want her father to try kidnapping her again or something!?

xxx

"Look at this. Grandma knew more than she was letting on," Kelda said pointedly as she thrust the notebook in front of Marik for him to read.

Marik raised his eyebrows in surprise as he scanned the page. "Indeed she did."

"Just what is this "Point Where Lost Souls Gather"?" Kelda asked curiously.

"I'm not sure exactly, but I have an idea of where we'll find our answers," Marik answered carefully.

Kelda looked surprised. "What do you mean?"

"It says the Valley of the Kings, so I have an idea of what she's referring to. We must go to Egypt at once!" Marik said decisively.

AN: Geez, it's been way too long since I updated this. Xd Thought I'd give a little shot at writing Rare Hunter leader aka R.H. Marik in that flashback to see how good I am at it and set up some drama. Many thanks to Ataahua and The Duelist's Heiress for the inspiration I got from their own work!