Alexis' mobile rang. The Obelisk Blue answered it quickly; she seemed half-eager, half-fearful, almost frantic. It was as if she was expecting the call to be something dreadful. Sakura noticed her furrowed brow, her suddenly rigid posture, her tight grip on the phone.

The teen made minimal responses and then became quiet as she listened to what the person on the other end was saying. Her complexion grew pale, the hand that held the mobile shaking excessively. She only managed a short goodbye before hastily ending the call.

"Alexis…what's wrong?" Sakura asked, knowing that Hilary was listening intently behind her.

"They found Zane washed up on one of Duel Academy's beaches a couple of days ago," Alexis informed her. "He's alive and they treated him but…"

"But what? He's come back safe and sound as you hoped, hasn't he?" Hilary remarked matter-of-factly. "Unless something happened with his heart."

"It did. They said to him that as long as he's careful he'll be okay but a strange Duellist came along and they duelled - he used that evil deck I told you about."

Sakura and Hilary waited for her to continue. They knew where this was going.

"He won but the Duel had put pressure on his heart and he collapsed," went on Alexis, starting to tremble. "He was rushed to the infirmary with no pulse. If only he hadn't accepted the challenge…he would have…would have…"

"Lexy…" Hilary stood up and placed a hand on her shaking shoulder.

"We should go there right away!" declared Sakura.

"What?" Hilary glanced at her, bemused.

"We don't know if he really didn't survive. As a medical ninja, I know that even if the heart's stopped there's still a chance a person can live. Maybe they were able to resuscitate him."

"You've got a point," agreed Hilary.

"Then let's go."

Mr. Dickenson had them flown to Duel Academy in one of the BBA's helicopters. They arrived there an hour or so later.

Alexis rushed to the infirmary with the others close behind, bursting into the waiting room. Two boys looked up in surprise. One had scruffy dark brown hair and wore a red-and-white blazer and the other was shorter, wore glasses and had light blue hair. His attire was similar to Alexis' but was blue-and-white.

"Hey, Alexis," the Slifer Red student greeted her. "What's the hurry?"

"You've come to see my brother, haven't you?" the smaller boy sighed.

"Yes, Syrus," Alexis confirmed. She turned to the Slifer Red. "Jaden, is he allowed visitors?"

"Yeah but he's sleeping now. They managed to revive him."

"That's good," replied the Obelisk Blue, relieved. So he's alive.

She noticed Hilary and Sakura looking at her inquisitively. Oh yeah! I haven't introduced them to my friends yet. She did so and once they had become acquainted with each other, she led the two girls into Zane's room.

It was quiet except for the constant beep of a heart monitor. A teen with shoulder-length teal hair lay still in a hospital bed, his eyes closed. He was attached to a drip and an ECG. One glance at his handsome features was enough to see why Alexis had a crush on him.

She sat down on a chair beside the bed. "I don't know if you can hear me or not but don't ever scare me like that again," she whispered. "I thought you were gone for good. I…"

She shook her head furiously, blinking back tears and suppressing sobs. "I'm leaving!"

With that, she fled from the room. Her friends' calls fell on deaf ears.

Anguish. Anger. Frustration. Hurt. It all hit her at once; the feelings of loss and pain from him becoming the Kaiser to finding out he had died in the other dimension were finally catching up, threatening to overwhelm her.

Alexis ran pell-mell, not really registering where she was going. I can't face him. Not like this. I've probably been wasting my time coming here - just because he did a good thing back in that dimension doesn't mean he's stopped being the Hell Kaiser. If he's still not the same Zane Syrus, Atticus and I knew then we'll have to accept that person's gone forever.

Something cold and wet struck her hard and fast. Alexis ceased her flight abruptly, raising a hand to her smarting cheek. It felt like she had been slapped.

Then she realised where she was. A lighthouse towered above her; the roar of the ever restless sea filled the cool misty air. More flung spray stung her face. This was the place where she and Zane had spent most of their time alone before he had graduated.

Tears welled in her eyes. Why here now of all times? It was here that she had come when she had needed solace. It was here that Zane had provided it.

But being there now did nothing but bring forth more pain and bittersweet nostalgia. There was no solace and there was no Zane.