Yugi had been restless the past couple of nights. His nightmares had returned and were stronger than ever. All he kept seeing was death, destruction and the faintest golden lights. The moment they would start to form into beings was when he would wake up. This usually occurred around three in the morning. He rubbed at his face as he made his was down toward the kitchen. His home had become very empty since his grandfather's passing. Yugi had thought about moving several times just to escape the impending loneliness of day to day life in a place that could only be seen as a shrine to his late grandfather but couldn't find the strength nor will to do so. He had promised Sugoroku he would take care and continue on his beloved shop, a promise he would never break.

He moved slowly and sluggishly as he arrived to the kitchen and started on the coffee. His morning would be uneventful as he had no meetings or duels planned for today. He would simply open the shop and perhaps meet up with Joey for dinner.

Taking out the eggs and a mug, Yugi lazily looked over his emails. He noted some things of importance and checked out some viral videos courtesy of Joey and Tristan until his eyes came across a name that rarely entered his inbox.

Seto Kaiba.

Yugi immediately set his coffee mug down and averted his entire attention to the small device. Clicking on the email, he quickly read the short letter and then reread it.

Yugi,

Somethings going on with Anzu. She has been having dreams of the Pharaoh and it has caused her to scream into the night. I'm not sure what is happening but it's a cause for investigation. You're the only one who has any actual knowledge of what may be happening.

Email me as soon as you get this.

Kaiba

What? She herself was having nightmares as well?

Immediately Yugi sent an email back to meet him at his game shop. Something was going on and Yugi couldn't help but feel the pain he had swallowed from his other leaving him so long ago.

Anzu had gone back to sleep that night with dreams filled of nothing. She wasn't sure how much more she could take of the strange vision like imaginings she was having more frequently now. She felt as though she was losing footing of her world and somehow entering another. She did not like it.

By the time she woke Seto was gone. She figured he had a meeting to attend, it had happened before. She quickly got dressed for the day and changed her bandages. Her injuries were significantly less painful now but she still felt sore. She contemplated skipping her classes today as she had done the previous day but figured it probably wouldn't be such a good idea.

So she grabbed her bag and headed out toward the Center. It was daylight and so Anzu did not mind walking. She felt safe for the most part but couldn't shake the feeling of someone grabbing her from behind. It made her an uneasy walker to the rest of the morning commuters.

She continued on slowly taking care of the fatigue still felt in her legs. She would let her teachers know of the accident so maybe today would just be an observing day. It was better than staying at home.

As she walked she took notice of her surroundings. The sun shone high, the people seemed relatively content, this was Domino at its peak. It was when she noticed someone brush her shoulder did she turn to see the perpetrator. She gasped garnering looks from those around her. Anzu took no notice of the rude remarks thrown at her by some passerby's as she gaped at the man that stood walking next to her.

Atem walked with ease, the sun looking to warm his golden skin. His hair was messier this time around, lacking the golden headpiece to push it back. He wore the same outfit she had seen him wear just days before.

Anzu turned away and continued her trek at a faster speed. She did not have time for this, she had to get to dance class. She could feel Atem pick up his own pace beside her. Why was he still here? She wondered why he hadn't disappeared off to his paradise yet. She then began to wonder what brought him here at these random moments in the first place.

All these thoughts piled into her head and she wanted nothing more than to push them out and scream at him to leave. She thought she had accepted this all, but she had only created another lie for herself. Every visit he paid to her only increased the heartache of his passing. He was the reminder that he truly was not amongst them and now his ghost stood to haunt her. She wondered why whatever God's that were out there allowed this to happen.

"Anzu slow your pace." He finally spoke.

She turned to see him staring down at her. She couldn't stop herself from thinking how handsome he looked.

"Why are you here?" She said instead.

He shrugged casually like it was no big deal. He seemed to be in a different mood today.

She watched him put his hands in his pocket as she unconsciously slowed her stride to match his. It now looked to those watching that a man and woman were just taking a stroll to school, or perhaps it was work. There was innocence to their footsteps.

"You look better today." He finally said as she continued on trying her best to not look his way.

"I feel better." She replied halfheartedly.

"Where are you going anyway?" he asked rather curious.

"School." She stated.

"School?" he seemingly spoke to himself. "I thought you would have been done with that by now." His voice held puzzlement.

"It's a higher level of education, I'm continuing my dance studies." She replied rather defensively.

She turned her eye to see him nod in her periphery. She felt a sense of satisfaction at his response to her words. He seemed almost impressed.

He continued walking her the rest of the way until her building came into view. Something inside her wanted to keep him from coming with her so she stopped outside.

"This is me." She stated flatly. Anzu could hear the annoyance in her own voice and mentally smacked herself for being such an open book.

"Have I upset you?" he asked questionably.

"No, I just." She paused. "I keep having these strange dreams." She confessed.

He looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"They're very detailed and in them I feel like I am someone I'm not, but also am." She looked down at her shoes. "It's all very strange."

Atem was silent for a moment taking in her words.

"I want to hear these dreams, but not now. You have school." He smirked her way but then his eyes turned serious. He resembled a Pharaoh more than ever with this shift in mood.

"Please be careful Anzu."

His body started to glow and he vanished once more.

Anzu closed her eyes and took a couple of deep breaths. This was something she would never get used to.

Atem did not have control of when he would show up in her life and where he would show up, but whenever he did he would get a feeling beforehand. His body would feel like someone was both pushing and pulling him and the faintest smell of roses would intake his nostrils. It was then he would pass out.

Today, however, he felt he had more control over her world and knew exactly what he wanted to do. He first wanted to see her. The joy she brought him was bountiful and he wondered how much of it he had lost between the years of his absence. Of course he was still not physically with her but it was close enough. He closed his eyes willing his mind to remember the man he was looking for. Once he could sense where his location was, was when he vanished. He hated the absence of her, as her company with him was something he was getting used to. Although some of the encounters she was not aware of. Atem had watched her sleep for countless nights with Kaiba.

Kaiba.

Even the thought of him brought his fists to clench. He much rather enjoyed the nights she was alone. He would sit at the edge of her bed and watch her chest rise and fall. She was beautiful even when she slept although he did notice the contortions her face would make. She seemed to be in distress most nights than not.

Atem walked past the many dingy shops that littered the streets until he reached an old rundown bar. He noted the wooden sign hanging off a post looked to be broken but no one seemed to care. As he entered, his nostrils quickly took in the illustrious scent of tobacco and liquor. The lights were dimmed as most of the bulbs seemed to not work and no one tended enough to replace them. Many on lookers sat in spots that looked like they haven't been cleaned in years. The bar was long and dark holding many stains from different forms of alcohol and what could only be illegal substances. Many turned to look at the mysterious man that stood out amongst the dingy group like a very sore thumb.

Atem walked by bums and homeless man, drug addicts and what could only be depressed cops to find the man he was looking for. All the way in the back near the pool table nursing a badly bruised head was a man with a deep scar that ran from his chin all the way down to his neck and into his shirt. He sat with an ice pack in one hand and a steel bucket in the other. Atem could smell the sour stench of his own vomit from where he stood.

He began walking quicker toward him and watched his eyes look up to meet his.

"Who the fuck are you?" he asked. His voice sounded as though he had a couple of drinks.

"I want to play a game." He stated smiling widely at the patron.

The man looked very confused and then annoyed.

"I swear to god, if Bobby or any of those other assholes sent you I will kill them and you. Bunch of fucking idiots. I don't have their money, I fucking lost it to some psycho the other night."

He spoke with pure malice in his voice.

"I do not know this Bobby you speak of." Atem looked over at the grimy pool table. "But I have become aware of the game of pool. If you win I will give you fifty thousand dollars. If I lose, you can shoot me and still take the fifty thousand."

Kelton looked over that the strange goth in confusion.

Fifty fucking thousand.

"Fine, and I will shoot you for making my headache worse."

Atem nodded and grabbed a cue stick. He tossed one to Kelton who caught it with a bit of struggle.

"Do you know of the game eight ball?"

Kelton spit on the ground and nodded.

"I call stripes." He declared. By this time many onlookers had decidedly started to watch the game between the man who called this place his second home and the strange man with the spiky hair. They couldn't decide a clear winner just yet.

"I will be the solids then."

The game began as Atem assembled the balls in a v shape. He grabbed a blue chalk piece as Kelton started to break the game. Atem watched as the balls rushed around the faded fabric, neither one entering into the holes. He looked over at Kelton and then categorically made his move. The yellow two ball he was aiming for hit the side and in went the blue seven. Kelton rolled his eyes and made his own calculations before hitting in a stripped twelve. He yipped and the crowd cheered. Atem only smiled and continued. As the game went on and balls went in no one noticed the darks shadows keeping both players near the table. It snuck around their ankles like shackles, not allowing either to leave its premise.

"I will win!" Kelton bellowed as there were only three balls left on the table. It was a stripped fifteen, a solid four and the eight ball. Kelton leaned down getting ready to make his move. Atem watched him hit the ball as it zigzagged across the felt and missed its intended target. Those cheering for him suddenly went quiet and watched Atem smirk at his opponent's misfortune.

"Maybe I will miss as well." He stated.

Kelton angrily looked his way and watched him position himself. The shot was tough as the eight ball was directly in his way and he couldn't let one go in without the other.

He took in one breath and exhaled as his cue stick hit the ball and watched them both fly into the hole. The game was over.

The room was suddenly quiet as the onlookers slowly trekked away from the scene. They knew Kelton did not react well to losing.

"You have lost." Atem stated triumphantly. It was then the dark shadows unnoticed by Kelton began to rise up towards him.

"What the fuck?" he started to scream and began trying to push the fog off himself but to no avail. It kept penetrating him and it was then he brought out the shiny gun from his back pocket and started aimlessly shooting. Atem angrily looked at the man struggling before him as those around him began taking cover from the random bullets being fired.

"Stop it!" he screamed and immediately the man stopped firing. The dark fog had overtaken much of his body at this point and Atem watched the fear in his eyes with malice.

The rest of the bars occupants had fled at this point leaving both men alone.

"You will now suffer for your sins and be engulfed within your own fears and vices for eternity."

With that the fog overtook Kelton and Atem could hear the last of his screams as he left the now abandoned bar with a triumphant smile capturing his face.