Whoa! That was the biggest reader response I've had in a while! I'm so happy=hyper. That means I write a lot :-D hehe.

Here's the next one! Cee? Im hyper, don't mind me….. whoo!!!!!!! *runs around screaming*

Serashi: *sweatdrop*

Kirsta: guess what? I just made a discovery….. I LOVE YAMI!!!!! Hehe

Serashi, Seto, Annya, Bakura: *double sweatdrop*

Serashi: she realizes she's my hikari and he's my uncle, rite?

Kirsta: hehe…. Wowie!

Anyway…

Thanx for the title, CB! I luv ya girl! Ur the best!

Disclaimer: do I really have to say it again?

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Chapter 23

Losing Grip

For a few seconds Yami could see nothing, nothing but unending darkness. It felt like he was falling—falling forever into a black abyss.

Suddenly, light exploded around him and he felt the signature jolt through his body as he contacted with the cold stones of the floor. He groaned and rolled onto his back, still recovering, before managing to sit up.

Looking around, he saw Bakura lying on his back a few feet away. As the tomb robber came to, rolled over, and pushed himself up, the pharaoh could not help but notice the blood on the floor where the white-haired boy had been. Looking up, he saw the violent red at the ends of the white hair by the base of its owner's head.

Bakura noticed the blood also, and was suddenly aware of the tingling feeling at the base of his skull. He reached a hand back to prod the area and felt the warm, sticky blood, now on his hand. He cursed in Egyptian.

"Bakura—" Yami began.

"I'm, fine!" the tomb robber snapped, already ripping off a strip of his shirt to hold up to the wound. After a moment of silence, he spun around, eyes scanning the room. Yami seemed to come to the same realization the same moment.

"Where's Caleia?" Both exclaimed at the same time, their voices echoing down the stone corridors.

***

Caleia landed, rolling to absorb the shock of her body landing on her feet. Slowing down, she rolled onto her knees and got up, then scanned the dim stone corridor with her eyes. She had been so sure of what she was doing just a few moments ago, now her mind was lost for thought. Suddenly it dawned on her that she was alone.

"Father? Bakura?" she shouted. "Where are you?" there was no response. The mental walls she had built up to keep a calm complexure around her father collapsed as if the Pharaoh's presence was all that had been supporting it. Leaning on the cold wall for support, Caleia's breaths came faster, her mind panicky. She sank to the ground and pulled her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. The flickering torchlights down the corridors created shadows that made it look like Caleia's soul was leaving her body.

"I can't do this," Caleia murmured, head on her knees. "I wasn't ready for this. Who am I kidding?" One of the torches went out. "How could I ever have thought I could be the Keeper of the Cards? I'm just a stupid, lazy, mortal girl that believed in good too much." More lights went out. "Should have stayed in my place—in the mortal realm. What was I thinking?" the corridor was dark, save for one last torch burning on the wall opposite of Caleia. She was done scolding herself, her mind unable to function enough to even do that any more. Instead tears welled up in her eyes.

"Oh Ra, I'm sorry, Seto," she whispered. "I'm sorry to everyone, to both realms. I just can't do this." The last torch went out, leaving Caleia in total darkness.

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I no that was short, but don't worry the next chappie is way longer…. I just need to a) finish it completely, b) type it up, and c) get at least 5 reviews… then I'll post it up. I love u all who reviewed!!!!!! Please review!

~kirsta~