Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-gi-oh, Romeo and Juliet, or The Raven

Sorry I took so long, I've been so busy with track and all my homework. Season ends in a week, I think I'm gonna be sad!

Chapter 3: The Return of One

Miho slowly backed away, fear shown clearly in her eyes. The stranger saw her reaction, but he didn't stop. He was about seven feet away from her, and even that didn't seem far enough right now. It was too dark to see anything. Just when she was turning to run he flew towards her.

Miho screamed and backed up, hitting the wall. A sudden flash of lightning lit up the hall just as he came close enough for her to see his face, when he hit the floor, the thunder rumbled low and deep, making him seem as deadly as a demon.

He didn't move, neither did she. She sank down against the wall and stared at him for what felt like forever. When she heard the door being unlocked she didn't budge, but continued to stare at him and the grotesque shadows around his white hair.

"Miho," a soft voice called, " are you alright?"

It was Serenity, she stood in the doorway with Tristan behind her. He whispered something in Serenity's ear that Miho couldn't hear.

She turned slowly towards the sound and whispered," There's a guy in the house he's just laying here, I'm scared to touch him..."

Tristan looked at Serenity then stepped around her and slid into the room. "Miho," he whispered, "Where are you?"

She hesitated before replying,"... I'm in the hall..." Both he and Serenity darted over to the hall, but it was too dark and they couldn't see.

Serenity called out, "Miho, turn on the light we can't see you." They heard a soft groan that was followed by a whimper. Tristan stepped into the dark passage, "Miho where are you exactly, how close are you to us?"

Miho shushed him, "He's waking up be quiet!" Serenity couldn't take it anymore, she stepped into the hallway and felt her way down the corridor until she felt the switch and flicked it on.

She turned around to see Miho huddled in the corner and the stranger struggling to get up. Serenity peered at the person, while her eyes adjusted to the light. Tristan took a couple steps forward in case he had to protect the girls.

He strained to raise his neck and look at Serenity. His eyes were dark and reminded her of the killer in that movie that she and Tristan had just watched.

Tristan didn't like that and took another step forward. He was now maybe only two feet away from the stranger.

The figure turned his head to look at Miho. She shivered under his fierce stare.

It was like the Mona Lisa, when she stared at his mouth she saw a stern cold-hearted person, but when she stared at his eyes, she saw a sad, lonely, hurt individual.

It was so confusing, half of her wanted to get up and help him, while the other half wanted to just cower up in fear.

"Miho?.." Serenity whispered, "are you alright?"

Miho didn't reply, she just continued to stare at the handsome stranger. Then he spoke, "...Miho?"

It threw everyone off with that one word and one word only.

Words of the old poets and playwrights, the words that once eased out their lips and from the ink of their pens began to flow into Miho's head.

"That I scarce was sure I heard him"...1

He spoke, but didn't people speak. Perhaps it was the irony of it all. The fact that he was sitting in the shadows and appeared to be one, that everyone was uncertain that they heard him.

"She speaks, oh speak again bright angel"...2

He had spoke earlier, but for a moment he seemed to be like Echo, shunned by his prospect lover, Narcissus/Miho, damned to repeat only the words that she/he heard.

As if he just realized how frightened the others were, he changed his approach,

" Miho...help me..." he groaned then attempted to stand on his feet.

She was stuck by her head which was reasonably telling her to stay, and her heart which ached to help the injured stranger...

1 "The Raven", Edgar Allen Poe

2 "Romeo and Juliet", William Shakespeare