Chapter 4

Author's note: From here on in, I'm jacking the rating up to R, because here's where the character death starts. I'm not taking any requests on who I should off next after this chapter, just so you know. Enjoy!

As he followed Isis through the halls of the museum, Seto frowned, clutching the book in his left hand. The walls were covered with Egyptian artifacts, many of them including the Eye motif that was on Isis' choker. His throat was dry, and as he swallowed to allow some kind of moisture to wet it, it was still parched, and Seto coughed. After a sigh, Seto stopped, hearing Isis speak: "Here."

He turned his head to look at her. "Here?" He asked, blinking slowly. Isis smiled grimly, and gestured in front of her. Seto looked to where she was pointing and his eyes widened. There before him were two large slabs of rock, clearly thousands of years old. Inscribed upon these slabs of rock were pictures, detailing some very familiar images. Seto felt as if his chain was being yanked. "Is this some kind of joke?"

Isis shook her head and exhaled softly. "This is no joke, Seto Kaiba. What you see here is your past, which has stemmed from three thousand years ago in Ancient Egypt. No doubt these pictures look familiar to you."

"Yes, these are duel monsters," Seto replied, pointing at one of the slabs. "That's the Dark Magician ... and my Blue Eyes! These two ... that's Yugi and myself! This must be some kind of joke!" He frowned at her. "What the hell does this have to do with why that deranged woman is after me?"

"It has everything to do with it, Seto," Isis answered, her hands clasped together. "For you see, that is the Pharaoh and you were his High Priest. It has been predetermined through the millenniums that you two will face against each other. History is beginning to repeat itself." She pointed to the two duel monsters above their masters. "The Dark Magician and Blue Eyes White Dragon are natural enemies, this battle was set so long ago, and so much hatred was staked upon this duel."

Seto sighed, rubbing his forehead. There was no way this day could get any worse or any weirder. "So...if I believe this crap you're telling me, I'm some Priest from three thousand years ago? And I served Yugi?"

"Yami," she interjected and he raised an eyebrow. "The ancient spirit within Yugi's Millennium Puzzle is the Pharaoh from the past. Surely you have noticed a great duelling skill that rivals and beats your own." Isis turned to him. "In the past, the High Priest wanted nothing more than to dethrone the Pharaoh and have all the power to himself to rule Egypt. He commanded the four Blue Eyes White Dragons, exuded an extremely high amount of power...

"Yet the Pharaoh defeated him in the duel that would determine who would rule Egypt," Isis continued, keeping her gaze locked with Seto's. "The Pharaoh was the strongest, and now it was proven."

The young Billionaire frowned and eyed her. "So answer me this, prophet: If this Pharaoh is so strong, why doesn't this freak go after him?"

Isis smiled grimly. "Because the Pharaoh's soul is too pure, Seto...I suspect she is going after you because the High Priest's soul was so corrupt, so filled with hatred and contempt, that it would be perfect for her dark hunger." She walked closer to him, noticing the look of slow realization in Seto's eyes. "The only advantage you have is that it is not yet time for you to meet your destiny, Seto. Your soul and path are no where near reaching the High Priest Seth's level."

"What are you saying? Stop speaking in riddles!" Seto demanded, easily getting frustrated with the information Isis was telling him.

"Perhaps if I simplify it for you in this manner you will grasp the gravity of the situation," Isis compromised, her voice having an edge to it, as her Tauk began to glow. "You are the reincarnation of the High Priest Seth, whether you choose to accept it or not, the fact you haven't met with your destiny, is the only thing keeping you alive. Because you aren't 'evil' enough yet, Kurayami has spared you."

As Isis spoke, Seto grabbed his head as a pain rivalling a thunderous migraine rampaged through it. He fell to his knees, clutching his head. Images began rolling through his subconscious; he saw an ancient throne room, with a young man resembling the duelling identity of Yugi, and himself. Seto frowned and groaned as the images pounded themselves into his brain, as he saw the duel, and how scarily similar it was to the previous duels he's had with Yugi. Or...should he say, the nameless Pharaoh. "I ... I don't know what's going on anymore!" he cried out in frustration. "Why is this happening to me?!"

"I wish I could tell you that," Isis frowned, as she looked down at Seto's trembling form. "But you cannot give up. You are handing yourself over to her and you do not want to do that, trust me. You've only seen her in your dreams and she's come to you in your sleep. You want to prepare yourself for when she decides to meet you in person. Seto Kaiba, what I have told you here will help keep you alive."

"...What do I have to do?"

"I'm telling you this is a short cut!" Rex Raptor muttered, as he adjusted his toque, and turned to Weevil Underwood. "Will you shut up already?!"

Weevil narrowed his eyes at Rex. "Do you even know where you're going? I don't see this as a way to the card shop!"

Rex was about to retort when the once clear sky above them in the alleyway turned to pitch black. "What the hell...?"

His green haired companion blinked and let out a frightened yelp. "What was that? It was bright a few moments ago? Oh, what treacherous web have you thrown us into now, Rex Raptor?!" He hugged himself tightly as he looked around, unable to see anything except for Rex who was right beside him in the creeping darkness.

Rex didn't have much of an answer, for he himself had no idea what was going on either. "Maybe we're just really tired and our minds our playing tricks on us," he suggested, worry creeping into his voice. "Yeah, that's got to be it, right?" Rex yelped as he heard footsteps slowly approaching them. "Someone's coming, Weevil!"

Weevil adjusted his bug-themed glasses and looked around. "I don't see anything! I hope we are dreaming!"

A chilling cold breeze wrapped around them both, as the footsteps came closer. The two amateur duellists grabbed each other in fear. This had gone way beyond just being creepy and the two were just plain scared now. Whimpers escaped them as the footsteps continued to come closer. Finally in the moonlight, Rex saw the outline of the person stalking them. "Who are you?!"

Suddenly a heeled boot caught Weevil in the side with such force it sent him crashing into the left wall of the alleyway with a sickening thud. Rex turned around and looked around him wildly, but saw nothing. His heart was beating hard enough to burst out of his chest. An idea struck him and he tried to run, but was grabbed roughly. Rex cried out in pain, and a chuckle served to only raise his fear even more.

He was thrown to the cold concrete, and tried to curl up into a small ball. However, he was uncurled, and was being straddled by his attacker. "There's no need to be scared, little boy," the feminine voice said softly. "Death is close for you..." She raised her skeletal arm which was highlighted by the moonlight. Rex let out a frightened sound and tried to squirm out of her grasp, but to no avail.

Kurayami smirked as she suddenly plunged her skeletal nails into Rex's shoulder socket. His screams of pain were enjoyable to her, as she wedged them in further, cutting easily through his skin and bone. She pressed harder against his groin, eyes narrowing on his shoulder socket, where she allowed the black veins that ravaged her face to slither into Rex's open wound. Rex screamed louder, as he could feel her pull his arm away, hearing his skin tear like paper.

The demonic woman looked down at him as he continued to scream and thrash beneath her. However pleasant the sounds were to her previously, they now annoyed and angered her. Seto Kaiba's screams would sound infinitely better, she thought and after setting his de-attached arm down on the pavement, thrust her skeletal hand into his skull, dark energy crackling around the bone. She could feel his moist brain surrounding her fingers and grinned as she spread the blight into it. Rex stopped moving. "There..." she smiled, standing up and picking up his arm.

Her attention was grasped by Weevil groaning and only now getting to his feet. He could feel so many bones being broken and tried to run out of the alleyway. "I ... oh ... God ... have to get out of here ...!" Feebly, he began to half-jog, not aware that Kurayami was watching him with annoyed eyes.

"Oh no you don't, my little prey," She murmured, tearing the skin and muscle off of Rex's arm with her teeth, exposing the bone. His blood stained her lips and chin, as she suddenly threw the arm, pinning Weevil by his neck to the dumpster. "My aim has improved..." She chuckled darkly, licking the blood off of her lips and chin. "This was quite the warm up..."

As Kurayami walked out of the alley, vanishing into the shadows, the alleyway returned back to normal, the sun coming out and shining upon the corpses of Rex Raptor and Weevil Underwood. With her first taste of blood, which tasted so good to her lips, Kurayami had started her campaign.

Malik crossed by the alleyway and his amethyst eyes widened at what he saw. "I'm closer than I think to you...I will find you. You will be perfect my mistress of the dark, to be my Queen when I become Pharaoh..."

-TBC-