Akiza stared out at the horrified people clustering around their ruined homes. Ash decorated wood, with tiny puffs of smoke still lingering from whatever destruction the strange fire caused. Wood and brick was tossed around, with scorch marks decorating the ground carelessly. Small bullets shells were scattered everywhere, along with broken glass shimmering just a few inches away. From what she could hear from Zora's house, it seems both the kitchen and the living room were torn up, the remnants littered all over her floor. The woman kept screaming, kept crying, all the while grabbing people and making sure none of them did this, trying to catch any alleged witnesses endeavoring to sneak away from her.

And yet, despite that, what surprised her more was the fact that the guys' garage was completely destroyed. Though the duel runners were fine, as were the computers, the door was ripped open. There were claw marks all over the walls, and from the looks of things, the garage was also touched by the fires. Everything was torn apart, thrust aside like some oversized toddler had come in and started trashing everything in sight. Considering how neat the garage was before, Akiza couldn't help but just stand there, in awe of the devastation. It'd been a while since she last visited, and already things were this bad.

Apparently, the city had scheduled an evacuation just over a week ago. For some reason, Akiza never heard the alarm, though her parents managed to get out before anything else happened. They tried calling Akiza so many times, but she never answered. Her phone was on the entire time too, and every second she checked, there weren't any new messages. She never told them of course, and instead, just apologized over and over again, promising never to be so careless again. The fact that not just them, but Leo, Luna, Crow, and even Jack, tried calling her multiple times was a bit strange too.

Her mind flashed back to Yusei's callous smile, during that moment, and she shuddered.

That…thing never left her memories, no matter how much she tried forgetting it. Its words kept echoing in the back of her mind, as she clenched her fists, dredging up its stinging insults from her brain. That smug smile, the immature elegance it carried, the way it held that gun, with its bullet barely grazing her cheek; it was looking for the Black Rose, a person that Akiza was connected to. It cared little for her, and, if anything, treated her like a nuisance. But as far as Akiza was concerned, she was the only one with that name, the only duelist. Then again. that creature could've meant something else entirely, something neither she nor anyone else knew anything about. But considering the fact that something like it even existed, practically anything was possible.

As she entered the garage, her long shadow coolly blending with the surrounding darkness, she saw Jack and Crow standing there, their backs turned toward her. She paused for a brief second, before walking to their side, seeing their faces masked with frustration and anxiousness. She bit her lip, wondering if she should even be here, when they looked up, the surprise etched onto their faces.

Crow turned to her with apologetic smile on his face the tension still embedded in his eyes. "Sorry, but this isn't a good time-"

She shook her head, and returned his smile. "I just wanted to see if everything's alright."

"…I guess," he muttered, as he threw an expectant look to Jack, who scowled miserably at the mess. "No one was hurt at least, and the program's not hurt. Duel runners and engine are okay too."

She nodded, the relief plastered on her face. Soon, she started looking around, the sight of the duel runners completely erasing her trouble thoughts just seconds before. "Where's Yusei?" she asked.

Immediately, that smile fell from his face. "Hospital," he answered, after a long pause.

"What?"

Crow nodded. "True story. By the time we got here, we saw the ambulance and everything. Whisked him off like it was the end of the world or something."

"Have you tried visiting him?"

"Docs says he's not stable enough, so they aren't letting anyone through. Even Jack, and right now, he's pissed."

Akiza's lips parted. Automatically, her fingers rose, touching the already faded scar on her cheek, an anxious expression on her face. "What about you two? How are you-?"

"Fine. Oh hey, congrats on getting out of the hospital. I know things look bad, but still."

She offered him an uneasy grin. That's right; the side-effects from those drugs finally wore off. Akiza had been in such a hurry to get back to her old life she'd completely forgotten about it. "It's no problem."

"So hey," he said then, a sheepish smirk on his face, "mind telling me what'd happened?"

"What?"

"I mean, I know it's kind of late and all. But still, you had us all going there, what with that hostage situation and all."

She's heard this before. "You mean the one on TV?"

"Yeah! You know, you should've seen Yusei; Aki, he was freaking out when he found you there-"

"-and I was in the hospital for that, wasn't I?" she murmured quietly, reciting the assumptions Yusei carried before.

"Well, yeah. No one knew when you'd wake up, or if you were even gonna-"

"I was in a car crash."

"Huh?"

"I was walking," she corrected hesitantly, the hazy memories coming forth once again. "I dropped something, and I bent down to pick it up. A car hit me-"

She stopped, the confusion splattered all over Crow's face. She could feel the heat splayed against her cheeks, the words building up inside her throat. Though her mouth was moving, she couldn't hear anything; her mind began scattering all at once, so much so she had to take a step back, just to balance herself.

Crow, however, never noticed anything, and continued on. "Look, if you were in a car accident, I think I'd remember it. But anyways, I still can't believe you got that plan to work! You were so badass, and Yusei's just standing there, like a boss. How'd you know what to do anyways?"

She recollected herself then, and stared up at Crow. "How'd…how'd I do what?"

"Um, the part where you got Yusei to go along with whatever?" he pressed, a mischievous smile dancing on the edge of his lips. "Told us himself! Said you wanted Sector Security…where? East? West? And you didn't even have to say anything! What? Is there more to your psychic powers than you're letting on? Can you, like, communicate with your mind or something? Hey, you think you can do that with me and Jack?"

Akiza slowly began shaking her head. "I…I don't-"

"Ah, I see how it is." he said then, all the while trying to mask his disappointment. "Don't worry, I won't bug you anymore about it. Still, it'd be kind of neat though; that way we wouldn't have to shout at the top of our lungs."

"Crow-"

"But it was kinda strange, the way you just collapsed like that. And you kept flinging everyone around, like they were rag dolls. Geez…"

"Jack," she suddenly called.

Crow jumped slightly, dragging himself out from his ramblings. Meanwhile, the blonde ignored her.

"Jack!"

He spun around, with that same, irritated face he always had. "What?" he hissed.

Crow shrugged his shoulders. "Seriously, you're still doing that?"

"What'd you expect?" Jack said rapidly. "Whatever happened here, someone scratched the Phoenix Whirlwind! Along with all our other runners-"

"Jack," Akiza repeated sternly, causing him to fall silent. "You were there, weren't you? During that hostage crisis?"

He was a bit taken back, but quickly, he relaxed. "Yes?"

"And you saw me there?"

"That's right. Akiza, I really don't have time for this-"

Akiza clenched her fists. "Where's Yusei staying?"

"At the General Hospital," Crow answered. "But like we said, they aren't letting anyone in-"

"That's fine," she dismissed, before turning around, and walking away.

His eyes traced over the elegant lining of the envelop, the tiny rose sticker stuck somewhere on one of Alexis's stuffed animals. He examined it for a while, before turning his attention back to the words, rereading them over and over again, attempting to determine if there were any hidden meanings behind it, anything he could've missed. But no matter what angle he used, in the end, the same message was there, with the same tension embedded within the intricate designs. Jaden closed his eyes and sighed then, the letter dropping from his fingers the moment his hand hit the covers. He bit the inside of his cheek, and gazed up at the white ceiling, his limbs stretching out as they did.

They were in Alexis's apartment today. He was in the same, dark jeans he was too lazy to change out of, with a black undershirt covering his torso. His blue blazer was thrust onto the bed, buried beneath colorful pillows and those weird, pink sock puppets Alexis made just last month. Right next to them was her own blazer, with that annoying, orange ribbon wrapped meticulously around the sleeves. He regarded it for a while, before looking down at the same girl, who was curled up next to him, with a tiny frown grazing her face. He held her hand in his left, and with his right, brushed aside the stray strands obstructing her worried expression. She grunted a bit, but she managed to settle down, and turned away.

Twilight grazed over the horizon, the clear night sky isolating them from whatever problems were down below. Bright car lights were reflected against pristine, white curtains, and though the sound never reached in the room, Jaden could practically hear the frustrated voices, the angry remarks, the cursing and swearing racing across the robust atmosphere. Glittering buildings reflected back the starlight, their own appearances unchanging, despite the procession of fluorescence from both the skies, and the streets. Dark clouds ominously circled the city, and just in the background, he made out lonely stars lingering near their light blue lights, their fragile beauty claiming anyone's attention almost easily. As he sat there, looking out at the scenery, he couldn't help but think of Alexis's apartment as yet another home, a temporal one with no definite beginning, or end.

Alexis had told him what'd happened with Raines. Why that woman asked them if they were at the hospital, or if Alexis knew anyone by names they've never known, was strange. And from the way Alexis described the encounter, it almost sounded like Raines was interrogating her, as if the girl had something to do with whatever shit was going on in the city. The reporter didn't even bother bringing up details about the case; in fact she even said she didn't want to talk about that at that moment. Did she find something new? Something that pertained to them, and only them, and for the longest time?

As Alexis recited the questions Raines asked her, he could only think about the suspicions the reporter's harbored against them. Well, it was natural; after all, she refused to do her own dirty work. Maybe she was trying to make sure she didn't get caught.

Still, Jaden knew that wasn't it. It just didn't seem like her. It wasn't her style, or at least, not anymore.

She did ask about Yusei, and though it was brief, it was enough to catch Jaden's attention. No, she wasn't looking for connections; rather, something else, something neither he nor Alexis knew anything about. What was she going off of anyways, that reporter? What was she basing her questions from?

Akiza had called them earlier today, saying that she was going to visit Yusei; apparently, the garage had been destroyed, and with the exception of everything else important. It sounded like she wanted to say more, but for some reason, she didn't. Ever since that call, neither Jaden nor Alexis have heard from her. He gripped her hand tightly, his eyes once again straying to that single letter, sitting there, beckoning him to open it and read it again and again and again.

When?

When did they transfer in? Where'd they come from? Alexis said they travelled from Poland, but that didn't seem right, and she knew it. It was as if they were just…here, living off some cosmic coincidence, carrying memories that might've had absolutely no significance to them, whether that be day or night. There was nothing at all either could do, save simply allowing everything to pass by them, without getting any answers in return.

The murderers from the mall, the funeral director letting them in after seeing the bodies, the fact that there was a letter, hidden away in the shelves, a letter that wasn't there before. And yet, that same director was all too eager to let them in, as if he were inviting her to a simple party, where anyone could come, anyone could stumble in. According to her, he didn't have any reservations in her going down to the basement, nor did he do anything to stop her.

The Queens to the Black Rose, the Rook, the King…

"Jay."

He was startled by that tiny voice in the darkness. Before long, he looked down, and relaxed, the tension fading from his shoulders. He gave her a gentle smile, as he leaned over, and pulled the covers over Alexis's body. "Are you still sleeping?"

Slowly, she shook her head, gripping his hand just a bit tighter. "I had a bad dream," she murmured softly.

"About what?"

She started to say something, before turning her face away, snuggling closer against his side. Jaden gave her an amused chuckle, as he shifted to his side, both arms cradling her tightly. His hands held her face sternly. "Come on," he urged. "What is it?"

She looked down.

"Alexis-"

"We were running."

"We?"

She nodded. "Me and you. I think I saw Yusei somewhere, in that dream."

"Really?"

"We were all running away from something. There was red and black everywhere. I remembered seeing a light somewhere, but I can't remember."

Jaden placed his forehead against hers. "Then what happened?"

"Monsters came and ate us."

"Monsters?"

Again, she nodded, wrapping both arms tightly around his waist and burying her face in his chest. Her hands slowly dragged him beneath the covers, into the underlying darkness, with that same, shaken tone entwined in her voice. "Monsters," she reaffirmed. "When I walked up to them, they had claws and fangs. And they were all laughing, laughing like insane people."

He narrowed his eyes. "Then?"

She looked up. "And then we were eaten alive."

There they were again.

Those children.

Their cold, glassy eyes wallowed in crimson, a hint of dark azure carefully surrounding their pupils. Limbs upon limbs piled on one another, their bones carefully absorbing whatever trash their marrows managed to throw up. Some had holes in their chests, others none, though all had pieces of skin ripped away from them, their own organs spewing out of their tiny chests, for everyone to see. Wrapped in chains, then suffocated, quartered, hanged, burned alive, decapitated, stabbed; the list was endless, the mysteries of their deaths so very much like an illusion no one dared shatter.

And yet, despite all that, for some reason, they were all smiling. Yes, the smiles were grotesquely stitched on, the tiny strings dripping with saliva and anesthesia, and yes, they were forced, plastered onto their lips without the vaguest thoughts of what'd happen had they decided to remain awake. But they were smiling, nonetheless.

He had no idea how long he was there, looking at them.

Frostbite touched his fingertips, the edge of darkness shrouding his vision with hazy shadows. There wasn't a single touch of remorse within his piercing, icy eyes, a blank expression softly gazing out at them. A tiny frown danced over the edge of his lips, and though a bit of confusion marred his expression, in the end, he simply stood there, not feeling much of anything.

Questions kept racing through his mind, a few relevant, most irrelevant. They were smiling right? But their smiles were forced. Then again, it wasn't any of his business, was it? Still, were they supposed to be lying there like that? Perhaps they were just sleeping, waiting for a warmth that'd never existed, or maybe even comfort that held no significance. Were they dreaming of something? Was it pleasant? Was it bad? Was that bad dream why their smiles are so disgusting now? Were they lying to him? Were they acting? Could they even act, especially when they were like this?

If they were acting, then what were their dreams? Was it like some kind of play? Were they the actors? The critics? The audience? Did they share the script with each other, all the while barring outsiders from their world? Were they happy with their performance, or did they scold themselves for being such amateurs? He could see them now, arguing with the little directors in their heads about where the dream should and shouldn't go.

It was funny.

"Hey."

Quietly, he turned to the sound of the voice, and found a young woman standing there, just behind him. She had long, mahogany bangs, with cropped hair that reached to her shoulders. She wore a simple, black dress, the skirt carefully covering her bare feet. Feral, golden robs stared back at him in utter amusement, her creamy complexion contrasting to the darkness around them. She had her hands against her side; a subtly humorous smile was painted on her face, one that conveyed neither pity nor anxiousness. No; it seems she enjoyed the moment, the silence enveloping around her endearingly.

Still, it didn't seem she was completely content with it. Slowly, she began walking toward him, that same smile on her face. "What?" she asked then, standing just a mere foot away. "Aren't you going to answer me?"

He opened his mouth, but no words came out.

"Ah, so that's it," she replied, as she stole a single look around her. "My, what a mess. Still, it isn't half as bad. I mean, you could've done worse. For example, dye the seas red, fill the castle with corpses, slaughter the innocent."

He narrowed his eyes.

"But I can see why you're so bored," she continued, as she passed by him easily. "You see the same thing every single day. You win the same wars, destroy the same enemies, all just for some stupid prize like world domination. It's so predictable it's embarrassing."

Who was she?

"Then of course, who are we to decide what to expect? Perhaps one day those victories will vanish, right before you. You won't have a single idea how to stop them from leaving, though maybe, in the end you won't. Maybe you're just curious about the awful, pathetic life ahead of you. I guess it beats being bored to death."

"And what would you know about it?" he finally said.

She paused for a single moment, his own voice taking her by surprise. And yet, within that brief second, she calmed, and turned back, more than happy to continue the conversation. "A lot," she answered demurely. "More than you could possibly ever understand."

He regarded her evenly. "What more could there possibly be?" he said at last, following her gaze toward the bodies. "Miles and miles, stretched out in every possible direction. How many are here anyways? Thousands? Millions?"

She laughed light-heartedly. "Don't be ridiculous. If there were thousands of millions here, society would've picked up on it by now."

She cocked her head, then as she crept toward him, her soft footsteps echoing throughout the tense atmosphere. "There aren't. And even if they were, to society, these children would only be strangers. If they were alive, they couldn't do anything; the smiles on their lips robbed them of that. Even now, in their drug-induced deaths, it seems all they've ever gotten from the world, was ignorance." She flickered her eyes down at them, with a callous smirk on their face. "And yet here they are, reaping the rewards of those lessons."

"No."

"Hmm?"

He returned her gaze. "Is it society, or the world? Which one bequeathed this fate to them?"

She stayed silent for a while, before giggling softly, her hands clutching her own heart. He patiently waited until the woman was done, before turning away, examining their faces once again. How sad; he couldn't remember the questions anymore.

"You really are arrogant, aren't you?" she stated.

He turned back. "What?"

"But not too arrogant," she continued softly. "You're just wandering blindly around in the darkness. You know you are, and yet, you refuse to accept the fact there's another reality out there, waiting. You won't seek it out on your own, and you don't want to believe that you can be saved. What a sad existence you turned out to be."

"Then leave," he replied, in that same, bored tone. "You said it yourself; I believe that there's no reality besides this one, and even if there is, there's no saviour waiting for me."

She raised an amused eyebrow. "Are you scared?"

"No; it just seems like too much trouble."

"Then how about this?" the woman said quietly, as she reached down, and grabbed his hand. "If you're so lazy, you'd have no problem following me."

His eyes widened in surprise. "What're you-?"

"Why are you so concerned?" she asked, as she drew his fingers to her lips. "You already know there's no one out there. But instead of just falling to the dreams the corpses are seeing, why not just leave? Don't tell me you actually like being here."

"No but-"

"Then come," she said, pulling him toward her. "You're not cold like them. And you're not some fool either; even a dreamer knows when it's time to wake up."

Her fingers entwined with his, as she gently led him away, the bodies revealing themselves without the slightest hesitation. He stared at them, before looking down at her own hand.

"Why?" was the first thing he asked.

"You're interesting; that's why. What's your name, by the way?"

"Name?"

"You'd rather I call 'idiot' the entire time? How about 'bastard'? Then again, you acted like a douche too-"

He paused for a moment, before turning away."Whatever," he dismissed.

She shook her head. "That's not a good name. Ah, Yusei."

"What?"

"That's what I'll call you from now on."

"Why?" he asked then, his eyes fixated on the back of her head.

"It means 'save'," she said simply. "I'll save you, so I'll call you Yusei."

Author's Note:

-The name "Yusei" is Japanese. On one hand, it can mean "planetary", but it also means "save" or "help."