A/N: Yes, yes. I know. I have two other stories going, but 'tis the season. This is a very short bit, but hopefully, ya'll will like it.
Prologue
"Kaiba Seto. Age 26. Ex-CEO of Kaiba Corp. Survived by his younger brother, Kaiba Mokuba."
Kaiba's eyes fluttered and met the face of an older woman reading from a file. He looked around the room where they sat. It was pleasantly furnished, a desk separating them and potted plants on either side of it. There was a faint smell of lavender. The woman in front of him wore thick-framed glasses and a button-up shirt with a vest. It looked like she had a sour smell in her nostrils.
"Do you know why you're here?"
Kaiba stared at her a moment, dumbly. He couldn't remember what happened or why he was there. Remembering who he was, he composed himself.
The woman continued before he could say anything. "You're dead, Seto. 10:35 PM, December 25, 2005."
"Dead? What do you mean 'dead'?" Kaiba asked. He gripped the arms of the chair he sat in. "This is ridiculous. I was just…"
He wasn't even sure what he had been doing prior to coming to here.
"Yes...you were just in the hospital." His throat tightened when she glanced up at him. "December 25, 2005. Time of death 10:35 PM."
"You don't need to keep repeating that. I understand."
How? What happened? He kept the panic hidden from his face. Maybe she would get to it soon.
"Do you understand why you're here?"
Testily, he said, "No, you have been so kind as to not tell me."
She didn't seem to register his frustration. She simply said as she placed her file to the side, "You are here because you were chosen to have another chance."
"Why?"
"You're so quick to question things. I thought people would jump at the chance to have a second chance." She sighed. "If you live, two lives can be saved. You are familiar with Jonouchi Katsuya."
Kaiba's shoulders stiffened at the name and his heart, against his own wishes, ached. Their lives had intersected plenty of times, but at their age now, the frequency of seeing each other outside of any dueling competitions had lessened. Why was he feeling so sad? He never felt very close to Jonouchi, though out of everyone from Muto Yugi's group of friends, he was the one who managed to be a regular thorn in his side. Again, he felt regret for the thoughts. What had happened?
"Seto? Seto. I'm not one to repeat myself."
Kaiba shook himself out of his daze and forced himself to listen.
"You will be sent back to December 1st. It will be a normal day, but you need to find and help Katsuya as soon as possible. You have a time limit. Evening Christmas day. If you don't succeed, Katsuya's fate will have already been decided for the new year."
"I don't understand. Why me? What does he need help with? Couldn't his posse of nerds help him?"
The woman stood from her seat and walked to a side door. Probably a side-entrance like he had in his own work office. She motioned for him to follow, saying, "Time is of the essence, Seto. You will learn. The sooner you starting helping Katsuya, the better."
"Listen, you-"
She opened the door, and with surprising strength, she threw Kaiba into a black void, and he fell deeper and deeper, the sight of the door shutting the last thing he could see.