CHAPTER 4: GOODBYES

Mira was dreaming, a dream that she had experienced many times. She was in an underground chamber. It was old and antiquated, decorated lavishly in gold. Pillars stretched up to the ceiling, which towered high above her. Below her lay what looked like a huge coffin, with seven indentations in it. Only three of them were filled. It was odd. The items in the holes looked like a big compass ring, a necklace, and round eye shaped object. That was weird enough. However, the dream continued. A man stood in front of the coffin holding a set of golden scales. Around his neck was a large golden key. Mira stared at the key, as she was always drawn to it in the dream. A voice seemed to come from the key to penetrate her ears.

Mira. That was all the voice ever said. It was a woman for sure, and her voice was filled with a power so strong that it would make Mira vibrate. But tonight it was different. The man in possession of the key suddenly turned around and looked her in the eye. Then a wave of excruciating power emanated from the item, almost knocking her out.

Mira, it is time. Then, everything around her exploded.

Mira awoke to the screaming of thirty children as the orphanage burned. Mira realized that the explosion from her dream had been real. She jumped out of bed and saw that Mokuba was no longer beside her. She ran outside after she saw that all the other children were getting out safely, hoping that he was there with Seto. It was raining outside, which had not stopped the orphanage from burning. She looked around and spotted Seto, staring in panic at the building. Mokuba was not with him. She ran up to him and gasped out, "Where's Mokuba?"

Seto's blue eyes opened wide. His face paled visibly in the orange light of the fire. "He's not with you?"

Mira stared at Seto for only a second, then took of into the burning building. "Mira, no!" shouted Seto. He tried to go in after her, but one of the counselors grabbed him from behind.

"Seto, it's too dangerous! You can't go inside!"

Seto struggled. "My brother is in there, and so is Mira!"

"We can't help them right now. The fire department will be here soon. Until then, we simply have to wait. I'm sorry Seto."

Inside of the burning orphanage, Mira struggled to see. The smoke was thick and black, choking her. She coughed uncontrollably, her eyes streaming with tears. "Mokuba!" she yelled. There was no answer. She doubted he could hear her. Where would he have gone? Just then, she saw the vision of the key from her dreams appear in front of her. She shook her head to try and clear what she thought to be a hallucination, but it was no use. Then she heard the voice.

Follow me, Mira. Trust me. I will take you to him.

The key turned, revolving until it faced the direction of what had once been the kitchen. She ran along the corridor, coughing, and hoping to reach Mokuba before she passed out. She heard a cry, and saw a tall broad figure in the firelight. She squinted, and caught a glimpse of the teenager just before he bolted out the door. She shook off the feeling of fury that threatened to engulf her. Dartz. He had sent Raphael. She reached the kitchen and burst through the door, nearly knocking Mokuba over. He was crying uncontrollably. She grabbed his hand.

"Come on!" she yelled at him. Now she had to find her way out. The key had gone. She was on her own. She put Mokuba on her back, as it was easier to carry him this was, and bolted through the door. She tore along the corridor, growing fainter by the second. Mokuba was only semiconscious, but awake enough to realize when they had reached the way out. Mira took Mokuba from her back, and pushed him towards the exit. As Mira took the step forward to bring her out of the fire with Mokuba, a heavy beam fell and hit her, slashing her across the face and knocking her unconscious. Mokuba had made it into Seto's arms when the explosion rocked the building.

"Mira! No!" howled Seto. It was the first time he ever recalled feeling so much emotion. There was no way that Mira would make it out alive. She was gone. "Mira," he whispered. A single tear slid down his face. Mokuba looked up at Seto in time to see it fall onto the sidewalk in the dim light. It would be the last tear Seto ever shed.

"Seto?" Mokuba looked confused. "Where's Mira?"

Seto took a shaky breath and choked out, "She's gone Mokuba. She's dead." Mokuba looked at the fire, then started to cry.

"She's not coming back, is she?" he asked in a small voice.

Seto looked down at his little brother. He looked so vulnerable, so small. "No, she's not. We're the only ones left now. Don't worry Mokuba, I'll take care of you," he said in a somewhat stronger voice. But inside, he was crying. He had failed. He had broken his promise, his oath to take care of Mira and Mokuba, and now Mira was dead, all because of him. Inside, his heart was hardening. He could have saved her. He had tried, but he had been stopped. How dare they stop him from saving her! She was a sister to him, and he had been told that he could not sacrifice himself to save her! The more he thought about it, the angrier and more closed he became. He held Mokuba tighter. He would keep his promise to Mokuba, no matter what anyone said. He would fight and beat anyone who tried to stop him from keeping his brother safe, and he would win. He would never again allow anyone to interfere with the wellbeing of his family. He stared angrily at the fire, which was dying out now that the firemen had arrived. As they put out the flames, something caught Seto's eye. Still holding on to Mokuba, he stepped nearer to the edge of the rubble that was left of the building. Someone tried to stop him from getting too close, be he shrugged them off and bent down. He grabbed something from the ashes, slightly burning his hand on the hot metal. It was the necklace that he had given Mira. He pressed the clasp, and it opened. The pictures of he and Mokuba were still inside, untouched by the flames. Seto clenched his hand over the pictures, then said, "There's no reason for us to stay here anymore. Don't worry Mokuba. I'll get us out of here, and as soon as I possibly can."