Blood dripped from the boy's mouth as he choked and struggled to breathe. Yugi stumbled over to his friend, the rest of the group gathering around and trying to make sure he was okay.

" Give him space, give him.." Atemu urgently urged people to move, gently rubbing his back and letting his brother cough and gasp in agony.

Yami grabbed onto his chest biting down on his lip and squeezing his eyes shut in response to the unbearable pain.

"I've gotta run him to the doctors.. Now..!" Atemu carefully rolled his brother over and scooped him up, "One person, quick, come wi' me!"

Anzu went to volunteer when Yugi felt the urge to do it instead. He put his hand up and ran to Atem's side.

"I'll go with you"

"Thank you, everyone else sho' head back, yea'?"

Everyone agreed and split up, all worried over Yami's unstable condition. Yugi jogged behind Atemu, who had pulled his hood up when he was running. Atemu sprinted around the corner, hopped over all the bushes and ducked over the loose branches.

Yugi was able to pick up on how easily the man traversed the environment, speedily jumping over plants and rock like it was his second nature.

They didn't speak to each other at all once they arrived at the doctors. An adult Yugi didn't know was having a checkup, so they had to wait in a tiny waiting room on some uncomfortable chairs for a chance to see the doctor. Atemu was cuddling his brother tightly, hood still covering his face, and whispering something quietly.

"大丈夫でしょう..."

Yugi didn't understand a word of what he had said. He looked at the boy in his arms, completely limp yet supported. Eyes closed and breathing slow yet unsteady. He would occasionally gasp for breath, which would be followed by Atemu shushing him in a gentle manner.

"Okay, you can come in now."

The doctor smiled, the adult leaving with a simple nod to the group as a greeting. Atemu walked in, Yugi following, and lay Yami on the bed that was prepped in the corner of the room.

"I'm sorry, Sir, but you need some form of identification here. Take your hood off or show your ID."

A young man spoke up, sitting in an office chair that was tucked in the other corner - which contained a small desk and large stacks of paper. Atemu opened his bag and took out a small leather wallet. He clicked it open and showed the card inside, which Yugi could see contained a photo, name and a logo of a round cog with some tones in the middle.

"Atemu?! Really?" The doctor exclaimed. He had pulled a blanket over Yami and was cleaning a metal object - one Yugi recognised from his last visit.

"Who?" The kid in the corner questioned, looking over in confusion.

"Don't mind him, wow! You're an associate of the guards now? You're so young!"

Atem groaned, "Get to checking on him, Doc."

Yugi could tell how different he was when Yami wasn't around. He wondered how he must have been travelling.

"Of course, of course."

Yugi was told to remain seated in the corner of the room near the other and simply watched the doctor as he performed a detailed checkup on Yami.

The doctor stood up, heavily sighing, ambd began to write down something onto a clipboard.

"He should be fine. He simply had too much strenuous exercise, luckily not enough to cause serious damage." The doctor took out two chairs and placed them near the bed, "You can stay with him for a bit. C'mon Otogi, let's let them be for a moment."

He told Atemu to let him know if anything was wrong, took the black-haired corner boy and left the room, talking to the person as he left and closed the door.

Atemu dropped onto the chair, head looking up to the ceiling.

" Of course this happens on my first day back.."

Yugi sat next to him, he wanted to speak but couldn't find the words.

Atemu glanced over to him, his hand lifting up and resting on Yugi's head, "You're a good kid. Thanks for staying here."

The boy could see that Atemu had thick tears rolling down his cheeks. He sniffed quietly to himself and rubbed his eyes with his hands.

"Are.. Are you okay…?" Yugi asked, covering his mouth in embarrassment from the stuttering. Atemu chuckled, "Don't worry. I'm fine.. I just wish he didn't have to suffer like this."

Atemu paused, he took his hand off Yugi's head and sweetly held his brother's hand, interlocking fingers.

"He's been suffering since he was a kid…"

"You.. You said that.." Yugi fidgeted. Atemu told him to take his time with talking, which Yugi appreciated. "You said that there was a cure..?"

"Ah, yes, there is." Atemu smiled, "But it's extremely hard to get, very rare and very dangerous to collect."

Yugi's eyes met the others, he could see the internalised pain in his eyes, something being held back from inside him.

" Ah, I'm sorry if I'm keeping you, I'm sure sitting here isn't very fun.. "

Yugi shook his head.

"Anzu said that you liked my book, right?" Atemu started, pulling his bag up to his lap and releasing the grip he had on Yami's hand to take something out, "It's still unfinished, but it'll be something to read."

He handed Yugi the chunky leather book he was looking through in Yami's home before.

The boy gleamed, graciously taking the book and drawing his feet up to the chair, so he was seated with his knees up.

"It's sort of a semi-autobiography, but I tried to make it more of a story so the kids here wouldn't get bored."

Yugi didn't actually know what a semi-autobiography was, but nodded to make it seem like he knew. He still had a lot to learn, it seems.

The boy opened up the book and silently read while Atemu stuck to his brother. He read about long, tiresome journeys into mystical forests, riding horses and discovering new places. There were two travelling companions, Mana and a man named Mahad. Yugi loved how lovely Mana sounded and how loyal and dedicated Mahad seemed.

The main part of the story had taken place in the Capital, Auto

Automaton. Yugi beamed, reading about the tall buildings and large cogs that ran the entire city through motion.

' "First we've gotta get all the mechanics ready." said the tall, young man. He sorted out bunches of metal and cog into size and functionality, declaring when it was done with pride. "Now we build up the shell, I've reviewed your specific requests however I need more guidence on some of the details."

What followed was a series of hitting blocks of metal and painting the shaped blocks of metal, which I found to be quite a bore considering how we could be exploring a vast city full of surprises at the current time.

" Come on, Atemu, you will need a weapon to survive out there." Mahad sighed, holding onto my arm tightly to stop me from wandering off.

"I'm bored as heck!! " Mana complained, stomping her legs on the ground like a child. The man working on the weapon ordered everyone to be quiet, which had prompted Mahad to apologise in our stead.

It had taken hours of idly walking around the weaponry, staring at bizzare swords and guns. I took a small sword that sat on the shelf and admired it's workmanship.

"Hey sir, how much gold for this as well?"

"744 Gold."

"I'll take it. May I borrow a carver?"

The man gave a nod and pointed to the series of tools in the wooden box next to him. I took out a blade and cautiously carved out my name and another's on the flat face of the blade.

'アテム・闇'

"Always thought you were more of a gun guy than a sword guy!" Mana laughed, "So normie!"

"I am, this is for someone else."

Mana's eyes shone, "Who for? A secret girlfriend? One who likes dramatic sword-sparring in the forest where no one's allowed?"

I shook my head. I have no idea where she gets her imagination.

"Obviously not." I groaned, "It's for a family member."

"Are they alive? Dead?"

I pointed the top of the blade close to her neck. Mahad encouraged Mana to stop talking - him being aware of my short temper really saves both me and the people around me from getting hurt. '

Yugi asked Atemu about the weapons, which he answered in great detail. He showed Yugi the gun they were making in the extract, a small-bodied gun with beautiful carvings and a tight cog resting on the back. He recognised it.

"It's called a Clockwork. It's custom, so no one else has this one!"

Atemu had to put it away - it was very dangerous having a gun around a patient. The blade he had bought in the story was also the blade he had sent to Yami, which Yugi found highly interesting.

While Yugi was reading, Atemu had fallen asleep, breathing deeply and still holding Yami's hand as he slept. Yugi didn't want to wake him up,he was probably tired after such a long journey and having his brother collapse on him must have made things more exhausting.

"Hey there."

The door creaked open and the doctor stood tall behind the doorway. The young man, Otogi, stood next to him, showing off his confident stride as he walked back to his corner.

The doctor closed the door behind him, "Anything happen while we were gone?"

Yugi shook his head.

"I see. That's good." the man walked over to Atemu and gently shook him awake, laughing quietly as he grumbled sleepily. "By the way, seeming as you're here Yugi, would you mind if I do my check-up?"

Yugi shook his head, getting up and placing the book on his seat.

"Otogi, fetch me my light and pen."

The black-haired boy nodded, opening a drawer and taking out some objects, placing them in the doctor's hand.

"I'll do a physical examination first. Please stand on those scales."

Yugi was led to the scales and hopped on them, he knew what scales were but he had never used any before.

"45 kg.." the doctor read aloud the result, writing it down on his clipboard.

Yugi jumped off the scales and was told to stand under the big stick with numbers on it. The doctor pulled a bar down onto Yugi's head and read out a number.

"4'4.. How old are you?"

"15,I think…" Yugi looked to the ground, embarrassed.

The doctor wrote that down, mumbling to himself, "You're small for your age."

Yugi felt his face heat up. He looked away to the ground, the doctor assuring him that it was okay.

"Dang. How's the weather down there?" Otogi laughed, the doctor snapped a glare at him, making him shut up immediately.

"Ignore him." He continued, "I'm gonna do some more measurements then I'll do an eye examination."

Yugi gave a small nod, allowing the doctor to measure his chest and waist size.

He felt extremely uncomfortable having the measuring tape wrapped around his bare skin. The doctor brang a stethoscope, a weird metal disk that he had used on Yami when they had brought him. During the checkup, Yugi noticed how the doctor was different from the one he had seen before, though similar this doctor spoke more politely and without accent.

"Are you nervous?" The doctor chuckled, pulling away the stethoscope.

At that moment, Atemu woke up. Sleepily, he rubbed his eyes and yawned, jumping once he figured out where he was and what he was doing. He apologised for falling asleep, which the doctor laughed off and continued the exam. Yugi gulped, yet another pair of eyes looking at him.

"Okay. Let's get this o'er with."

The doctor took the pen Otogi had given him before and held it up to Yugi's face. He was instructed to follow the pen with his eyes. Yugi did so, wincing as the doctor flicked a light on and looked at the back of Yugi's right eye. The doctor stopped, holding the pen where it was and pulling Yugi's eye open a little more.

Atemu got up from his seat and stood by the doctor and looked at what was seen.

"What is that.. I've never seen that before." Otogi stared, "It's gross"

Yugi asked what was wrong, the doctor taking out a mirror and letting Yugi see the reflection.

Scarring. A deep-toned mass of scarring crawling up his eye. He had never noticed it before, the scars forming a small lump that could barely be seen.

"Do you feel pain there?" the doctor asked, Yugi shook his head.

"Not.. Not really.. Sometimes..but rarely.."

Atemu stepped back slowly. He asked the doctor to move the pen away and gasped,

"You're blighted.."

"What?" Otogi burst out into laughter, "The fuck you on?"

"Otogi, not now." the doctor gave another glare, making him quiet once more.

Atemu sighed, "Not much's known 'bout it but.."

The boy stopped talking, looking at his feet as he thought deeply.

"You have the Mark of the Blighted.." he trailed off, soon taking a sharp breath and lookin Yugi in the eyes.

"Things'll probably get more tough and painful for you, okay? You have an ability not everyone can see as..fair." Atemu went on one knee and quietly declared to Yugi.

"I will serve as your guard. Please, come to the Capital."

Yugi was taken aback by the sudden change in attitude. He felt like an important figure in fairy tale books, a Prince bowing to a feeble princess or a guard to a king or queen. He didn't know whether going to Automaton would be a great idea,however. The thought of leaving the only place that has somewhat accepted him felt scary, and seeing so many unfamiliar people was super terrifying to Yugi that his heart rate sped up just thinking about it. On the other hand, Yugi felt strangely out of place in the town. Like a friendly intruder. Like a pin in a silent room.

"I shall give you time to think."

Yugi nodded. He turned to look at Yami, who had began fidgeting his spot before opening his eyes a crack.

"At..e..why are you..on the floor..?"

"That's what I wanna know!" Otogi casually remarked, a quirky smirk on his face.

"Yami!!" Atemu ran over to his brother, holding his hand again and sympathetically looking over his weak body,"Are you alright?! Are you in pain? Do you-"

"I'm fine, jeeze.." Yami groaned, "No biggie, my head throbs like hell but… no biggie."

Atemu exclaimed about how happy he was to see him alright, and after yet another reunion, the three were encouraged to go home as it was starting to get dark.

"I'm fine, really." Yami insisted as they all walked down the stone pathways. Atemu shook his head, keeping a close eye on each of Yami's movements and commenting on whenever he stumbled.

"No!" Atemu protectively challenged, "You're no-"

He was interrupted by buzzing from the black box in his bag. Atemu took it out and listened, the trio quietening down to hear.

/ Atemu? Come in, Atemu. /

"In, over."

/ I am approaching the borders for Domino. I will arrive in the coming dawn, over. /

"Perfect. Make sure to contact me beforehand, over"

/ Will do. Will talk tomorrow, over and out. /

"Wow," Atemu smiled as the buzzing stopped, "First time she's spoken somewhat politely to me!"

"So you're girlfrie- travelling partner'll be coming 'ere? Cool!" Yami gleamed.

Yugi, still carrying the leather book Atemu gave him in his arms, had to part ways with them as he approached his home. He opened the door to the warm, white lights and smiled. He greeted his grandfather, rested the book on the table and proceeded to tell him everything that happened.

Except for, of course, the 'Mark of the Blighted' Atemu spoke about.

He had a feeling that he needed to keep that a secret.