Wading in the river…Startled blue eyes gazed into horrified crimson. A child's laughter…The Pharaoh caught Seth as he fell. The sun shining down, the kingdom finally at peace…The High Priest lay in a widening pool of his own blood. There were footsteps and Tea's shrill scream of horror.

Atem could not hear the screaming and barked orders; his world narrowed to the rasping wheeze of a man struggling to breathe through punctured lungs. A trembling hand reached up and grasped the Pharaoh's own.

"Well this was certainly unexpected," Seth croaked. Blood was bubbling up at the corner of his mouth, but the sardonic smile was still faintly visible. A smile as they finally mastered a difficult spell, a smile of triumph and pride…The memory shattered as Seth groaned in pain.

"Quick, call an ambulance!" someone cried. Tristan, Atem acknowledged vaguely.

His heart clenched. 'They won't get here in time.' Seth was staring up at him with wide eyes; he seemed to read Atem's mind.

"I'm going to die." It wasn't a question. No fear, just resignation. And a hint of something else that the Pharaoh could not identify. He shoved the thought aside.

"You're going to live," Atem said firmly, squeezing Seth's hand even more tightly. "Help will come."

The small smile was back on Seth's face. "With respect, my king, you are a horrible liar."

Footsteps sounded, too languid to belong to Yugi or one of his friends. Atem glanced up. Piercing blue eyes to match Seth's own gazed at the scene with studied indifference. Atem felt a spark of hope.

"Kaiba, Seth's been shot. You must help him!" he cried at once.

Seto Kaiba did not move. And all the while, Seth's lifeblood continued to spill out into the street…

"Kaiba!" Atem cried again. The CEO still did not move. "What are you waiting for?"

"If he dies, then I'm free," Kaiba said quietly. "No magic can separate us, but death just might." His heart felt as though it had been pierced with a knife. The pain was intense, but he steeled himself against it. A few more moments…

Atem stared at him with mingled disgust and confusion. "What in Ra's name are you talking about?"

"The bond between us dies with him," Seto said. The ache was intensifying, and it was becoming harder to breathe. But I won't die with him. I'll be free.

The confusion on the Pharaoh's face faded away, to be replaced by anger. "Your bond will save him, pull him back! And yet you do nothing!" He stood and stalked forward, the street darkening around him. The Shadows danced in his eyes and it grew colder. It was then that Seth stirred faintly.

"My Pharaoh?"

The Shadows faded as the Pharaoh dropped back to his knees beside the dying priest. As he lifted Seth's head to cradle him in his lap, his burning eyes met Kaiba's. "You are welcome to your freedom. Begone, or I swear by the gods both old and new, I will tear you apart."

Seto could not move; he was rooted to the spot. Am I really going to stand here and watch Seth die? he thought. Indecision fled.

Shoving past the Pharaoh, he knelt down and pressed his hands over the wound on Seth's chest. Uncertainly, he pictured ribbons of health flowing from his body into the body of the wounded priest. A warm glow spread from his chest into his arms, flowing down his hands into his double. Seth stirred, the wound glowing gold. He opened his eyes. And weakly, he forced Seto's hands away.

"No."

One word, and yet it held enough authority to render his listeners immobile. The golden glow was fading rapidly, and the blood, stopped for a moment, resumed its flow. But the priest did not release his grip on Kaiba's wrist.

"No?" Atem's voice was anguished. "Seth, don't give up now. We can save you."

Seth coughed weakly, a wet, broken sound. "You told me…to follow my heart, Pharaoh… I have done my duty…and I want to rest." He lifted his head slightly, and a dreamy look came into his eyes. "This time… there are no spells and… no tombs. Kisara waits for me… and I long to answer…her call." His eyes fixed on Kaiba's face. "Walk away, and let me die."

"No," the Pharaoh repeated, but it was the voice of a defeated man. A tiny smile flickered at the corner of Seth's mouth.

"I can see… that you remember me now, Pharaoh," he said softly. "I don't… meekly follow orders."

He shivered, and stretched out his hand as though to clutch at something just beyond his reach. Indistinct, but recognizable, the faint outline of a Blue Eyes White Dragon shimmered into focus. She sank down into the street and folded her wings around the priest, tenderly, like a mother shielding a child. The dragon laid her head on his chest and looked into his eyes. He smiled, a glorious smile.

"Goodbye, Atem," Seth said. His wheezing gasps were gone, and his face was radiant and filled with a new strength. He turned his head to look at Seto. "Look after him, won't you?"

His grip loosened on Kaiba's wrist. Then with a final sigh, he died.