Long ago when the pyramids were still young, Egyptian Kings played games of great and terrible power. They would place magic and monsters against each other for riches and power. Then a man with desires of power for only him and a grudge released a great evil onto the world.
The Pharaoh of the time could not stand by and watch as his people suffered under this tremendous threat. He and his seven most trusted and powerful warriors banded together and waged a war against the great evil and the man that controlled it. The battle was long and hard but in the end, the Pharaoh and his allies succeeded.
But victory came at a terrible price. The Pharaoh, the king who was loved by all his people and honored by friend and foe alike, had given not just his life, but his very soul to seal the great evil. His successor demanded that the object that sealed away the great evil be broken so that it could never be used to release the great evil onto the world.
And as for the man who first released the great evil?
He was buried alive and the power object that he used to control the great evil separated so that it too could never be used throughout eternity.
But as it would turn out, eternity did not last forever.
It wasn't supposed to happen but it did.
For thousands of years, the legendary Millennium Puzzle remained a mystery to all Egyptologists. Some went so far as to even say it did not exist. But it did, and to those who believed, it was the Egyptian Holy Grail.
The key to the Puzzle's mystery lay within the many pieces, its original shape having been lost throughout the centuries. But even knowing what the original shape was, one could not assemble the puzzle.
Unless the puzzle decided that the person was fit to assemble it.
(4 years before the present)
In modern days, a young boy named Yugi Moto received the Millennium Puzzle. Because the young boy loved puzzles and games, his Grandfather believed him to be the one to solve it.
His Grandpa didn't realize how right he was.
For eight years, Yugi pondered the solution to the mysterious pieces laid within the golden box. Finally it was one overcast night where he was putting the final pieces on the upside-down pyramid-shaped object on a string.
"Okay, it's almost done. Just one more piece." As Yugi reached into the box for the Y-shaped piece with an eye at the center, he was unaware of the strange black smoke that was rapidly encircling the room.
At that same moment, thousands of miles away at a remote location near the south-west boarder of Egypt, an archaeological team broke through a wall to a tomb.
"I knew it, I knew there was a tomb over here," the leader of the team, Professor Bartholomew, said excitedly.
"But why would they bury it so far out of the way from the Valley of the Kings?" Sanford, one of his assistants, asked.
"The Pharaohs must have wanted this particular tomb forgotten by history," Bartholomew explained.
"But why?" Sanford asked again.
"That's what we're here to find out."
Yugi took a deep breath. "Finally, after eight years, it'll be completed." He slid the final piece into the puzzle. The piece clicked as the others had done. "At last, the Millennium Puzzle has been completed."
"Very interesting," Bartholomew said studying the large sarcophagus that was chained shut. The casket's head was shaped like a jackal or a dog. "Definitely modeled after the god Anubis."
"Wasn't he the evil God of the Underworld?" Sanford asked.
"He was God of the Underworld but he was hardly evil," Bartholomew explained. "Anubis ruled over the dead and the underworld. People honored him almost as much as they honored Osiris or Horus. But why they would chain it up is beyond me?"
"Professor Bartholomew, Professor Bartholomew!" Sumi, one of the interns sent along with them, ran up to him. "I found something, come look." Professor Bartholomew and Sanford followed her into a side room. On a pedestal was a blue pyramid with a brass eye with a pink bead at the center.
"Incredible," Bartholomew said. "It's incredible that such craftsmanship existed thousands of years ago. And I don't recognize the metal."
"What is it?"
"I think it was some sort of ceremonial pendant or necklace but what significance is beyond me. Sumi, start sketching it, we might have to bring this to Lebeau is France or Hunter in America."
"Hey does anybody hear a rumbling?" Sumi asked.
Suddenly the Millennium Puzzle started to glow. Dark tendrils of energy seemed to form some kind of black wall around him. "Huh, what's going on?" Yugi asked. "Grandpa, Mom, anybody!"
Strange sounds started to come from around him. Strange creatures started to appear. Some of them looked like mutated fish or zombies. Others looked like insects. One even looked like a giant furball with green toes and a snarling mouth.
Later in the future, Yugi would come to recognize them as Morinphen (1), Dark Spirit of the Silent, Worm Drake (2) and Kuriboh (3).
But at the current time, he was too scared to make the connection between these creatures and the pictures on a new and upcoming card game: Duel Monsters.
"No, stay away from me!" He cried. "Don't come any closer!"
The entire tomb started buckling. "The tomb is collapsing," Bartholomew said. "Hurry; both of you get out of here!" They started to run for the opening but rocks were already started to pile on it.
The sarcophagus started shaking on its own. Bartholomew and his two assistants could hear some kind of deep chanting.
Yugi let out a scream. Still holding the Millennium Puzzle he dropped to his knees. Unknown to him, a strange golden eye tattoo started to glow on his forehead.
"What's… happening… to me," Yugi staggered in his speech. "Feels like… I'm losing… my mind!"
Professor Bartholomew and his two assistants huddled in the side room. "Professor, are we going to die?" Sumi asked.
"I pray not," Bartholomew replied.
"Look at that pyramid." The pyramid pendant was starting to glow a blue color. Sanford walked towards it.
"Sanford, don't touch it," Bartholomew pleaded. "It might be dangerous!" He ran to stop the assistant.
The monsters, there were so many of them now, were coming towards him. "Stay away," Yugi pleaded. "Leave me alone!" Suddenly a burst of yellow light exploded from the Millennium Puzzle. The light helix around Yugi and coursed into his body.
Sumi screamed as a burst of blue light emitted from the blue pendant and consumed her field of vision.
The monsters realized that something was different about the human. Perhaps it was the strange golden eye tattoo on his forehead or maybe it was the harsh look in his eyes or maybe the strong, almost proud stance he exhibited. But whatever it was, it made them pause in their advance.
The body may have been Yugi Moto but whatever was inside the body was not Yugi Moto. This was a much darker presence.
And this presence wasn't scared of them one little bit.
This Dark Yugi held up his hand with the Millennium Puzzle dangling from it. "Shadow Creatures be gone!" Dark Yugi commanded. "Return to the realm from which you came!" Gold energy tendrils began absorbing the monsters and the black smoke around him. Finally the room returned to normal.
And apparently so did Yugi.
Yugi felt drained, like he just ran a marathon. He collapsed to the ground never realizing what happened or realizing that his Millennium Puzzle was still glowing.
It wasn't supposed to happen but it did. With the completion of the Millennium Puzzle, the Shadow Games began anew. But this time, they will be taken to a level never imagined by the creator of the Millennium Puzzle.