The lady didn't speak. She just opened the book, gazing down at the children's excited faces, and continued to read.

A pair of crystalline eyes snapped open. A bead of cloudy sweat dripped down his pale cheek as he pulled himself away from the soft cushion. He felt a strong, stinging pain resting on the back of his eye, pulsating with pain in a frustrating manner.

Yugi groaned, rolling out of his bed and stumbling over to the closet to tug on his thick clothing.

"Yugi! Breakfast!"

The boy jumped as he heard the call from his guardian downstairs. He, in a rush, flocked downstairs and crumpled down onto the small wooden seat next to the tall table.

"Are you okay? Did you have a good sleep, hoho?"

The old man smiled cheerfully, pouring a stream of clear water into a metallic pot and placing it over a flame.

Yugi nodded, standing up and making his way next to the man. He offered to help making food however the man declined and asked the boy to help clean out the shop room before breakfast.

Calmly, he wandered around the little shop space, taking in everything and trying to put off the aching pain.

There was a small array of shelves lined up, holding small boxes that were stacked up in organised piles. Yugi took some of the boxes and lined them up neatly (like his grandfather had told him). After taking away one of the boxes from their original place, Yugi noticed a distinct glow from behind.

It rebelliously shimmered in the sun, drawing the eye away. As the boy cupped it in his hands, he was able to take in the shape. It was a box with beautifully carved engravings. The shiny box almost glowed, feeling heavenly.

"Hoho! That is the Millennium Puzzle!"

Yugi's grandfather walked over until he was standing next to the boy.

"A traveller gave it to me one day. I still don't know how to solve it so I don't know what shape it is! "

He laughed, looking in interest as Yugi lifted the lid open and peeked inside.

There were small pieces of different 3D shapes. Some seemingly corner pieces and some being large blocks that would fit to fill the hollow insides of the object.

" It's a pyramid." Yugi stated, pulling out a few of the corner pieces and flipping them over, "See?? There's 5 corners."

The boy smiled up at his guardian, giving a small chuckle as the man stared in disbelief at the kid's knowledge.

"Can I solve it?? Please??"

Yugi's eyes lit up determinedly, completely forgetting about the pain in his eye. The man agreed, taking the box and placing it off to the side.

"Let's finish cleaning first."

Swiftly, he organised the entire storefront and took the box to see the puzzle. He poured all the bits onto the table and reached around, clicking them all together. Blankly - as if in a trance - he built up a shape which soon took form as an upside-down pyramid, like he had predicted.

"Yugi?? You in there?"

He snapped out of it, noticing a familiar face in front of him, waving his hands in front of Yugi's eyes to break him out of it.

"You good?"

Yami asked, pulling away. Yugi noticed that he was clutching onto the puzzle - now in its completed form. The boy gave an affirmative nod, pulling away from the table he was sat at and standing up.

"I heard that someone was lookin for ya." Yami smiled softly, "Be careful, though, twas Ushio lookin for ya. He's no good."

Yugi gave one more nod, placing the puzzle down onto the table and running to where Yami told him to go.

The sound of his shoes hitting against the tiles were loud. The boy slowed down as he stared in fear at the meeting space.

It was a dark gap between two buildings. It raged with shadows, which creeped around the area in a menacing manner. The bricks that lined the walls were uneven and crumbling, breaking apart with even the slightest brush of the finger.

Gulping, Yugi unsurely walked into the space, jumping and shaking frantically as three large shadows stalked up to the boy.

"I…What did you…"

"Hey look! It's the blind kid!"

One of them cheered, pointing at Yugi and laughing as their faces were revealed but the passing light.

One of them had clear eyes. Sharp, pale grey hair that seemed untidy and unkept. Their jacket, wrinkled and torn, zipped up to their neck and had a puffy hood resting on the back.

The other, the tallest of the three, had a dopey face with small, tilted eyes. Wearing a similar jacket, the hood caught up in their flat, greasy hair.

Finally, the one in the middle was wide and well-built. He had an angry expression, jet-black hair that curled at the fringe and a long jacket. His eyebrows thick and furrowing at the sight of the small boy.

"We 'eard fro' Jou'." The middle one talked, "Yo' t'ink yo' can just curse our town? Eh, lil' brat?"

Yugi gulped, realising that there was something wrong.

He backed up, bumping into the sharp haired one.

"Eh?!"

The middle one snatched Yugi's collar. The boy's legs dangled limply in fear, not even brushing the floor. Forcefully, he was shoved into the wall.

"That's wha' you get!" the group screamed with laughter, clenching their fists and taking turns to ram them into Yugi's face.

In retaliation, the boy grabbed onto the person on the left's wrist as they threw a punch. He held on tightly as the other thristed about and backhanded the boy violently.

Aching.Then pain.Then finally, numbness.

Eyes fading between open and closed, Yugi drew in a final, long breath. He was begging to himself, telling himself that one final pinch would knock him out and end all that pain. He waited, anticipating the hit.

As expected, the buff man in the middle ran into a final hit, drawing his leg in and then thrusting out, aiming for the chest.

Crack.Gasp.

Eyes squeezed shut, Yugi noticed that he felt no pain. Trembling, he stared at the horrific scene in front of him.

Yami. His eyes blank. His chest falling down and up gratingly in impact.

"How…Dare you…."

He growled between his sharp teeth; stumbling backwards onto the floor and giving out a loud yelp to let someone know that he was in danger.

Shakily, the teen turned to Yugi.

"I should've….known ..better than to…let you.."

His dull eyes of grey fell shut, followed by his body going limp and losing all tension.

Yugi's hand reached out.

The group of bullies sprinted away as soon as a single threat of punishment was found.

The small boy teared up, trying to grasp his friend.

But his grip was too weak.

And soon, both him and the other were on the cold stones, reaction less to the crowd of worried citizens gathering around the now clear scene.

"Okay. Now this is going to sting, okay?"

Yugi felt warm. His vision blurred into the light as he nodded and took in the stinging pain of cotton and antibacterial serums being pressed on his wounds.

"Whe..re…?"

The gentle figure whispered, finally feeling the sensation of touch in his fingertips.

"So, ye've finally fully come-to eh!" a kind looking man smiled charismatically and stroked Yugi's head, "Good boy. You'll be okay."

He asked what happened, allowing the man to explain while his eyes drifted around the room.

Photos of monochromatic landscapes proudly sat on the bumpy walls, each one being taken at a place he's never seen before. A pure while counter to the side with deep grey chairs sitting nearby, face-to-face with each other. Potted plants and little lamps decorated the room, which was large and spacious.

Then Yugi's eyes landed upon something.

Yami.

His figure slumped on a chair. Eyes closed, lashes stuck together with thick, globby tears. His face was dark with flush and tear tracks, marking his usual perfect cheeks with dark grey slashes.

"Oh, yeah."

The man sighed,

"He's….okay. "

Yugi looked down, upset at the idea that he was the cause for his friend's injury.

The man thought for a moment, clear eyes turning to face the small boy, "Would you mind coming over here? I need'ta check something."

The boy nodded and followed the man, who he had recognised as a doctor. He was layed down on a bed that stayed in the corner of the room, where the doctor loomed over him and reached out to his eyes with long, bony fingers.

" Look at this stick for a moment. Don't move y'e head."

Yugi felt his second hand supporting his head as he turned his eyes over to the stick. A throbbing ache pulasted behind his eyes as he stared at the ball on the end of the stick.

Brightly, a torch shone in his right eye. The light was as bright as the glowing sun up above.

Two fingers pried his right eye shut as his left eye was looked into. Nervous sweat beads dripped down Yugi's pale cheeks as the man parted from his eyes and performed several other bizarre tests.

"I would like you to come back for an Appointment in a few months."

Yugi simply nodded, catching his breath after holding it in agitation.

"You may leave now, I have another…person to deal with."

He was escorted out of the room and a tall, black haired lady took him home, making sure to stand away from the boy.

Once home, his grandfather hugged tightly onto his child, crying bakut how worried he was and how he was sorry for not being there at the doctor's office.

The boy gave a gentle smile, averting his gaze and mopily sauntered away.

"Are you okay, sonny?"

The old man asked ; only receiving a small nod from the boy as he ran upstairs and curled up in his bed.

Two greyed pupils looked at the empty room of Yami's. There was no figure playing around with games or puzzles or even doing his homework.

Just solitary darkness.

As the world fades from grey to black once more.