Cristina POV
"It's like this man is isolating himself from everyone." I mumbled, peering out the window and seeing nothing but the ocean as far as my eye could see. I huffed lightly and crossed my arms over my chest in annoyance. I knew Goodwin had money and fortune, but did he have to use it in such a grand way? Looking over, I saw that Goodwin's use of money was the last thing on my companions' mind and I should follow in suit.
When we finally reached the house, it was all you could think of when associating with a mansion. There was a large water fountain in the center with statues of angels. The grass was trimmed and the different array of flowers were all aligned without a single one standing out of the crowd.
"Woah, this mansion's huge. Is this Director Goodwin's house?" Leo asked. He could barely hide his amazement if he even tried. I reached down and ruffled his hair.
"You going to buy me a mansion in compensation of babysitting you for all these years, right?" I teased before the look of amazement turned into disbelief and rebellious. He pushed my hand away and stuck his nose high up in the air.
"No way! All the money is for me and Luna. I'd buy you a small shack and that's it." He replied making me sigh a little, but smiling my focus from Leo, I watched as the large brown doors were opened with an eerie feeling and Goodwin emerging from it.
"I have been expecting you all." Goodwin said, hands behinds his back and such a straight posture. He meant business, that's one thing for certain, "Welcome, Signers, one and all…Although it was done in a very roundabout manner, I feel please that I am finally able to meet you all like this." I scoffed at his politeness.
"You're shady to the core." Jack belittled as Goodwin didn't reply. I could feel some anger from that guy as if he was holding a grudge.
"Yusei, why are we here?" Aliza whispered with slight suspicion, "Didn't Goodwin take your friends hostage and force you into participating in the Fortune Cup…? And you're just going to trust him?"
That was true. Me and Luna were brought in without any clarification on why we were chosen. We thought it was at random, but when asking the others in the apartment, none of them said they received anything like it. It was strange and I wasn't sure what I was getting myself into, but now I know. Yusei was just dragged into it without no choice. If I was him, I'm pretty sure I'd go up to Goodwin and punch that innocent look off his face.
"No, I can't stand for what Goodwin's done up until now, but the world is now on the verge of destruction due to some phenomenon…there's no one else besides Goodwin who knows the truth behind it all." Yusei explained as I couldn't help, but frown.
"Goodwin doesn't seem the type to lay all his cards out right in front of us. He could be playing us the moment we stepped onto his property." I argued with slight contempt, "You're risking your own safety for something you're not sure about."
Yusei looked over to me and smirked before saying, "You're not the type to care about safety, Cristina. Do I need to remind you about your obsession with knives?"
"I mean, I managed to keep Leo and Luna alive without loosing my head; that counts for something." I boasted, watching as he shook his head, a small smile playing on his lips, "Besides my lack of safety had saved your behind if I recall."
"Hey, tell us. What do you want from us?" Leo demanded as I cursed the heavens for the child's bluntness. Goodwin looked down with a disapproving look.
"I don't remember inviting you." He said, staring Leo down hard, startling Leo.
"C'mon! Don't be so strict." Leo reasoned, trying to play it off, but Goodwin was taking none of his funny business.
"I have no business with anyone who is not a Signer. I kindly request that you leave–"
"He's staying." I interrupted quickly, going behind Leo and glaring at Goodwin, challenging him to try and defy me. Wherever I go, this brat goes. Unless it's going to some dangerous place, then no.
"I won't go unless I'm with Leo." Luna added to my point. Looking at the three of us, Goodwin let out a sigh.
"There's no way around it, then." He grumbled as Leo let out a sigh of relief, "Now then, allow me to show you inside."
Goodwin led the pack as everyone soon followed after him. The outside of the mansion and it's beautiful hollywood type of scenery did not compare to the inside. It reminded me of one of those mansions where the rich enthusiast would buy everything that would be deemed antique and exquisite. I was eventually in awe and afraid at the same time. There was the overwhelming urge to run over to the beautiful patterns of some of the vases, but I was afraid that I was going to slip on some random thing– maybe dirt– and just break the vase into millions of pieces, forever indebted to Goodwin to pay it back. That was a scary scenario. The carpet was a deep red color, almost the color of wine and there was the pleasant smell of oranges within the air. There were no family portraits, which I am surprised about. Within big mansions, I would guess there would be one or two if the house was passed down generation to generation.
Goodwin turned a left and the confusion built up at the sight.
"You have an elevator…in your mansion…" I whispered with a slight disbelief, looking over to Goodwin, "Just…" I took a deep breath, glaring at the gray doors that have opened. Goodwin let everyone enter first before going in, pressing a single button. The shift made me aware that we were going down.
"What? No elevator music?" Leo joked before Luna elbowed him in the gut to quiet. Thank god she did that or else I would have given him a noogie; he's lucky that Goodwin didn't argue with me or Luna. With a slight beep, the door open and all I saw was dark yellow everywhere. Far beyond me was little candles on wither side. This looks straight out of some cheap-movie placed in some Egyptian tomb.
"Where are we going?" Luna questioned as that seemed to be the pressing question that needed to be answered and Goodwin bluntly ignored.
"The King has been led here once before." Goodwin informed all of us as he expected us to know.
"That was someone else. I'm no longer the King." Jack replied as I'm glad the superior complex he had was slowly being deterred, even if I wished it would have gone sooner than later.
"Then, I shall be as bold as to call you 'Jack Atlas' from now on." Goodwin mocked with a smirk, making Jack cringe before glaring.
There was a gate in front of us with symbols I honestly couldn't make out, but assumed to be some Egyptian hieroglyphics–glad for once that I actually paid attention to that part of History class. The doors shook slightly before opening us to pitch black. I grimaced at the thought of being in there, half of me assumed that Goodwin was going to lock us in there until we go insane.
As soon as I passed through, the doors closed and a little fear filled me, giving Goodwin an accusing glare. The crazy half of me was right for once
"Hey! What's the big idea–" Red light started to illuminate the floor as I breathed a small sense of relief. Goodwin wasn't going to torture us yet, swell. I saw a large structure within the center and the ceiling was filled with stars as if it was suddenly midnight. You don't see these type of stars over Neo Domino City. Just how the hell did Goodwin make this happen? Holograms? I wouldn't put it past him. He seems to have the money for everything from what I recently saw.
"That shape!" Yusei shouted. I looked to where everyone else was staring at and saw the mark that seems to link us together, "It's the same as our birthmarks." Luna added in.
"It's the Crismon Dragon." Leo muttered
"Yes, that is the symbol of the Signers that has been passed down as the legend of the People of the Stars." Goodwin announced before my Signer mark started to glow, along with everyone else's. What the hell is going on? I thought the mark only activated when we were dueling. I looked up, about to ask Goodwin a question before my eyes widen at the sight of a red dragon.
"The Crismon Dragon." Yusei said in such a tone that made me believe that he has seen the dragon beforehand, "That day, the Riding Duel we had in the empty Duel Stadium was supposed to be a battle with our prides at stake. But, that is where the Crimson Dragon showed up."
"Yeah, back then, you were both guided by the Crimson Dragon and arrived in Neo Domino City." Goodwin declared.
"We were guided by the dragon? i thought it was you who set it up!" Yusei objected as Goodwin looked blankly at us, not even deterred by the anger at him; balls of steel, I'll give him that.
"We were settling the score between us! The Crimson Dragon had nothing to do with it!" Jack argued. Did those two still have a score to settle? Now I thought about it, I never asked Yusei about how he actually ended up here in the first place. I kind of just accepted it as something that was completely normal.
"That in itself is the fate derived by the Crimson Dragon's power." Goodwin answered, "I myself did nothing more than conduct my actions according to the guidance of the Crimson Dragon."
"So pitting us against each other in the Fortune Cup? That was accordance to the Crimson Dragon?" I mocked, putting my hands on my hips, "Some of us could have gotten really hurt or worse." I was referring how Luna was brought into the Spirit world.
"I needed to bring all of you together, any means necessary." I rolled my eyes at his statement. He just has perfect answer for everything, doesn't he?
"You expect us to believe your story?" Yusei demanded, clenching his hands into fists.
"Whether you believe it or not is entirely up to you… However, so long as you remain Signers, you cannot escape from this fate. Never." Goodwin just knows how to lighten everything up. Despite his politeness, he is blunt and intimidating.
"The fate of Signers…" Akiza mumbled to herself. I watched as she stared at her mark with a mix of emotions, "My powers, which were feared and detested by all those around me, swelled more and more due to the flames of rage smoldering within me…"
"But, without those powers, none of you would have met, correct?" Goodwin received no answer from Akiza, "That birthmark is a mark bestowed upon duelists chosen by the Crimson Dragon. The fate of Signers joins each and everyone of your fates together and guides them all. That applies to you Luna and you too, Cristina." I gave him a pointed look and looked down at my mark. Is he telling me that me leaving my country to be here was just what the Dragon wanted and not by my own choosing? So much for free-will.
"You all share the same birthmark." Goodwin continued, "You were chosen as the reincarnations of the legendary Signers. Whether you like it or not, it was promised thousands of years ago that you would all encounter as so, while at the mercy of destiny."
"We were all going to end up in this position, meeting everyone else, whether we wanted it or not." I murmured to myself. We were all connected and brought together by the man herding us like sheep.
"H-hey, aren't you forgetting one key thing? Weren't there supposed to be six Signers?" Leo said as I looked dumbfounded at him; that thought didn't even cross my mind, "Where's the last one?"
"The other one was awakened long ago." Goodwin announced as I let out small gasp. Why aren't they here with us listening to this crazy shepherd preach? "When you find yourselves in real trouble, that person shall most likely appear, along with the Crimson Dragon."
"What does that even mean?" I demanded, taking a step forward before Yusei put hand on my shoulder, "But–! He–!"
"You shall know before long." Goodwin cryptically said before raising his hand and intense light shining. Just how the hell was he doing this? I closed my eyes until the lights stopped, looking down and jumping back. We were somewhere new and there were markings on the ground below us. "Thousands of years ago, the Crimson Dragon descended forth to this land and sealed the Incarnates of Evil within the earth. Those seals are referred to as the 'Naza Lines.' The truth of that has been forbidden history that was only allowed to be handed down to us. And recently there has been a bizarre phenomenon involving the geoglyphs suddenly disappearing off the Naza Plains–"
"Let me guess, it's because of the all those dark signers." I said, rationally catching up to all of this.
"Correct Miss Witen. They possess birthmarks, the symbols of the Dark Signers, similar to yourselves." Does that mean they were suppose to go against us? No matter what?
"These Dark Signers...You can't escape from the special field they create. Plus, their attacks will materialize and assault you." Yusei said as I saw first-hand of that. That was a dangerous first moment right there and unfortunately, not the last. "Furthermore, those Dark Synchro Monsters….Dark Synchro, which summons monsters whose levels turn negative due to a Dark Tuner. It's dueling that defies all logic."
"Yes, if our dueling is based on the power of life, then it would be appropriate to deem their dueling of the powers of the underworld." Goodwin pondered.
"Powers of the underworld?" Yusei asked.
"As you are aware, whenever a Dark Signer appears, a geoglyph will surely follow. Their arrival has no put all of Neo Domino City in a life-or-death crisis." Goodwin said as I could see the importance of our marks, but still…
"Yeah, I saw it clearly with my own eyes." Yusei spat out, "I saw a slew of people become their victims in Satellite. Sacrifices!"
"What stops them from making Neo Domino City just one big grave site and moving to the next city?" I said somberly, tugging on my glove.
"It is safe to say that their actions have already exceeded my calculations. Actually, the geoglyphs appeared in the city, as well, and produced many casualties." The setting changed to the familiar geoglphys that I saw Yusei go against Kalin. I didn't realize that the city was affected by it… "The phenomenon you saw with your very own eyes, in Satellite, also occurred in the city. Because of the monsters that appeared from the geoglyphs, hundreds of people that were in their vicinity are... currently unaccounted for."
"Don't beat around the bush. They are dead because of these duels we have with them." I lashed out with anger. There was nothing we could do to stop this... massacre. We just need to finish the duel as quickly as possible.
Suddenly, right below us, large creatures started to materialize; one looked like a lizard and the other was a flying bird of some type. I don't know and I honestly don't care. They have caused too much havoc.
"Those are Earthbound Gods?" Goodwin nodded at Yusei's question.
"Yes, the Earthbound Gods are the Dark Signers' Gods who are summoned by sacrificing people." Goodwin explained. I just wished he told us before…anything of the mass sacrifices happened, "This situation requires immediate action. If we just stand idly by, all of those residents of the city and Satellite will fall into the Dark Signers' clutches. Neo Domino city will collapse if we don't act…"
"When you say all the people of the city and Satellite…" Luna started.
"...You mean Dexter, Yanagi, and anyone else we are close too?" Leo finished.
"You are the only ones who can defeat the Dark Signers and free Neo Domino City from its doom."
"Screw this fate crap!" Jack yelled, "I myself decide what I should do!"
"You don't have a say in this matter. You are all in this together. You need each other…" Goodwin replied in a matter-of-fact tone, making Jack even more angry.
"Goodwin, there's one more thing I have to ask you. When I returned to Satellite, a man who I thought had always died—a man who was one my friend—appeared before me as a Dark Signer." Yusei must be talking about that Kalin guy, "His name was Kalin," I guessed corrected, "He was once the leader of the same dueling team as me and Jack. He had immense power and his one-hindered eyes dragon had incredible powers as well. He…he sacrificed that monster in order to summon a deadly one. One that would need to use the people of Satellite as its sacrifice. It was an Earthbound God. It was an unbelievable beast that wasn't affected by magic or traps cards. It couldn't be attacked by monsters. If it wasn't for my bike breaking, I would have died… How did Kalin become a Dark Signer…?"
"Answer the question! Where do the Dark Signer come from!?" Jack howled out. There was such an intense silence after, I was thinking this may be one question Goodwin doesn't have an answer too. That was the scary part.
"It may be better if you did not know–"
"Bullshit! Yusei and I are going to be have a life-or-death duel with a man we once called a friend! We need to know!"
"And I am fully prepared to give my life into stopping the Dark Signers and saving the Satellite! But, if there's a way to return Kalin and the other back to normal…" Yusei asked, possibly hope in his eyes that he could save his ex-friend from the dark path.
"There's not a way." Goodwin quickly stated, "There is no way to return people turned into Dark Signers back into their former selves."
"What do you mean?" Yusei persisted as Goodwin sighed.
"Dark Signers are... the souls of the dead who have awakened to their abilities. They are no longer of this world." Goodwin said as a shock went through me and most likely everyone else. Spirits…? They are spirits.
"Kalin is already dead…" Yusei faced the harsh reality. I thought about putting a hand on his shoulder, but maybe I should wait until a better time to comfort him.
"Impossible! Someone who is dead can't come back to life!" Jack countered, but with what has been told to us… it doesn't seem too impossible.
"Yes, it's possible. That unbelievable phenomenon on the other side of the doorway of the underworld. A Dark Synchro Monster's level as Yusei mentioned earlier can become negative. That should be proof that they are not from this world. Destiny is in motion and you cannot turn back.
Either you leave the world to perish or you defeat the Dark Signers. The decision is in your hands. But choose quickly for we do not have much time." Goodwin explained, leaving all of us to ponder.
I watched as Goodwin left us before looking down at my mark. No choice to accept our destiny...